Monday, January 11, 2010

Like it or not... it's just how it is

I have decided the trick to thinking that you are doing alright in this life is to set really low expectations for yourself.

Case in Point: If you set a goal to get one load of laundry done a day, that is an accomplishable goal. Never mind that at least 5 or 6 loads are piled up in the laundry room and are spilling over onto the floor and your son has at least 17 pairs of dirty jeans on the floor of his bedroom and your daughter informs you that she has a bag that is the size of Rhode Island in the spare bedroom that is filled with clothes that need to be washed that she BROUGHT BACK FROM OREGON..... 3 months ago. Never mind that.......

If you set a goal to clean out your car on the fourth Saturday of every month.... that is when you should clean out your car. That is the goal you have set. That is all that you are requiring of yourself. Never mind the crunching under your shoes. Just keep referring the children to the car when they can't find their shoes, DS, coats, hair clips, gloves, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. And be glad that all of that crap isn't cluttering up your house.

If you set a goal to hang up all the clothes on the floor of your closet by the Spring Thaw, don't knock yourself out doing that today... you have a good 2 1/2 months to get that done. Never mind that you spend 20 minutes a day searching for your work shirt or your left black boot. And that everything you wear is wrinkled beyond belief... Never mind that.... it's part of your charm.

If you made up your mind that you were only going to cook one meal a day, then cook one meal a day. Never mind that the children are eating raw noodles and ice for lunch. You have set a goal. You must stick to it. Those ingrates complain about everything you make anyway. And they need to be grateful for those noodles. Some kids don't even get noodles.

So today I will say to myself (and any other overwhelmed mothers out there...) Don't beat yourself up for not accomplishing all that needs to be accomplished. You have set goals and you are meeting expectations. You managed to get the holiday decor dismantled and put away by golly. You are a winner Kaci Jo. Don't let anyone tell you differently.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i LOVE this. you are my kinda girl. seriously. i think baby steps and small goals will create the best results :)

val said...

love the phrase "its part of my charm"-im stealing that...to help justify my lack of patience, my lack of showering, my inability to have the kitchen clean, etc...its just part of my charm. :)

Anonymous said...

This must be a trick you learn when you're the mother of FIVE!! Sounds like it works pretty well for you and it definitely IS part of your charm!

The Barton's said...

That is awesome. A women after my own heart. Thanks for the perspective. I truely understand.

Chelsea said...

Great post! I totally relate to everything you said. I'm finally recovering from the holidays. I think that might have been why I seemed down, they kind of took a lot out of me. I probably seem kinda ungrateful since everyone did so much for us. But lunch would be fun! Thanks for the comment.

natalie said...

I like it. It's my philosophy too. I never do more than I can handle. I wish I could handle more. But, NO. I just think it's funny though... the two times I have POPPED in unannounced, your house was spotless and you looked amazing. So I honestly don't believe a word of this. Sorry.