[Dave'sGirl]

I am a self proclaimed lurker. I can't help it, I just have so little to say. I will say that coming to FV keeps me motivated but here is my problem.

I try to keep up with the challenges. I have my list right here next to the computer and I have as good intentions as anyone here on the board. But I work full time. I work 8 hours, an hour for lunch and an hour total commute. When I come home....I'm tired. I can't seem to make time for these challenges even though I desire the end results I don't know how to fit it all in.

I save things for the weekends and then I waste my weekends doing the most menial tasks...no time for anything big.

I don't know what I expected to accomplish by posting this. I guess I wonder if anyone here works full time and accomplishes their goals.

Thanks for listening to me.

 

[NicJean]

I work, too (37 hrs a week, in a 4 day week). I don't arrive home till after 6:40 PM - then it's a mad dash to get dinner on the table, do farm chores, and my bedtime is 9 PM. After dinner, I try to wash all dishes, counters, fill the water filter and Keurig machine and fridge water, look at leftovers and think about dinner ideas and I'm lucky if I have the energy to do one more thing from my numerous lists. For me, I'm an earlybird. I'm up usually around five (six at latest) I pop on here for motivation for a set time limit (otherwise I could spend all day here). I list on the fridge what will be for dinner - pre-cooking the long time items (yesterday it was wild rice - takes 50 minutes!). I try to clean off a fridge shelf, eat a good breakfast, I lay out the days clothes, shower, check, feed, water the chickens at 7:15 (gotta be able to see out there!) I always have one load in washer, the other in drier (I keep - non ironing type clothes), and each morning I switch them out. There are two of us, but DH wears three or four layers rather than 2 thick layers, so there's always something needing to be washed.
I've just built routines and keep adding to them. There is a flip-type album with four weeks of cards in it for a months supply of two chores a day. Today it says my bathroom and tidy the pantry. It helps, the house is always somewhat clean, and I don't really have to tackle everything at once. Even though I have three days off in a week, I don't want to be cleaning each day off, all day. Before I leave for work - around 9 today - I'll tackle my bathroom and check my inventory of the pantry, and get some things more organized in there. I'll also set out any dishes and pans I'll need for dinner - so that's one less thing. Also, I clear off the counters, and table before leaving home in the morning (both DH and I are clutter-bugs, we keep everything, and are always struggling to toss it).
You can do this - I'm a procrastinator who would rather be reading or crafting something, and my house is no longer a huge disaster.

 

[nuisance26]

~Even though I'm home, my time is not my own to work on challenges. So it's a matter of seizing opportunity when it arises and not beating yourself up when it doesn't.
Aiming for perfection is a recipe for failure. Aim for improvement. And to that end I recommend hiding that list of yours for a while and spending two or three weeks working on just one challenge area. By focusing on one thing you will be able to establish some habits that will allow that one area to be more automatic for you in the future.
If you really feel you must work on all your challenges, get out your timer. Don't let yourself do anything on the weekends until you've put in 15 minutes with each of them. You can do 15 minutes and it will make a difference, you'll see!~

 

[justpeachy92]

I currently don't work outside the home, but I do understand how easy it is to overwhelm ourselves with things to do. A lot of the challenges sound interesting to me, I have yet to join any of them this year. I kind of feel I have enough on my plate with a baby number 5 due any day now, and we are in the process of buying a house, supposed to close next week. When I feel ready to take on more, I will choose one challenge to work on. When that challenge becomes a habit, doesn't seem like a chore to work on then I might decide to add another. My suggestion to you, so you don't feel like you are failing is to look at your list of challenges. Decide what challenge would benefit your life the best by completing and make just that one challenge a priority. There will be other challenges when you feel ready to tackle more.

 

[peanut]

I'm a SAHW and I'm cutting back on the challenges this year. I'd say pick the three most important to you and work them for 15 minutes each, as suggested. That might help you get a handle on them. And as you do, move on to 3 more challenges. Nothing says you have to stay with a challenge all year once you've mastered the approach being taken or developed the habit necessary to succeed.

 

[krbshappy71]

I work a full-time job and a part-time job. (15 hrs a week) Maybe switch to a different challenge that you can fit in easier. If you are doing a book challenge and have an hour commute, what about listening to books on tape instead?

Time for yourself is important or you will get burned out. I don't belong to the book challenge but I do usually read about 30 min before bed as it helps my mind unwind.

I belong to the Saving Electricity challenge, super easy as I'm never home, ha! I brainstorm stuff to try over the weekend or new habits to implement, but that's all brain work that maybe you could think of during your commute.

If its projects that you work on, is there an area in your house where you could leave everything out and accessible so that part of your hobby time is not dragging stuff out to work on?

I like stamping, I have everything in one basket at the dining table so if the mood strikes me its altogether and I have a flat surface to do it on.

 

[Uniwolf]

I work full time, anywhere from 40-60 hrs aweek. I have my lists that I am work on for the challanges. But I have them broken down. each list has its own tab, and is broken down into tiny baby steps. Without the babysteps I would be very overwhelmed, and just give up on them. And if life happens as it has in my family in the past couple weeks, give yourself a pass, and put it on hold until life decides to let you breath. Good luck.

 

[Ceashels]

I have difficulty keeping up as well. I am not a very routine oriented type of person so keeping up with some of the challenges I've joined is ... laughable.

On the other hand, there are things that I have incorporated in my daily living that have helped me a great deal and I learned those from following the challenges.

 

[Dave'sGirl]

I like the idea of 15 minutes.
I like the idea of one or two projects at a time until completion.

I am the type that likes to start and finish so if it's obvious I won't finish then I don't bother to start. Maybe I should learn how to do babysteps. It just seems to me that if you take time to break a project down, then you are using the precious time needed to go toward the project.
Thanks all for your input. I need to wrap my head around a different way to look at this

 

[ladytoysdream]

You take what works for you and work with it.
I like the challenges here but I don't participate by writing online in a lot of them.
I pay attention to electric use...I even write down kwh hours, every day in a notebook as close to 4 pm as I can get. I been doing this for several years now. I also put down weather, and how much laundry I did that day. So if I get a big bill...I can then go to the book and see what the pattern is. Like when we hatched chicks and ran a incubator and heat lamps...oh my Solution was to let the chickens do it

I also like the $ 5 meal challenge. I been doing this for a long time, so most of the time, I don't even think about it. I remember one day, when we had a homegrown meat chicken, and potatoes, and another veggie from the garden. I can't say it was free because of the grain costs, and labor....but I know where our meal came from. It sure made me smile.

I like challenges because it helps make me think...sometimes outside the box. Do I need to track them all ? No. It's what works for me that day. No sense adding more stress

 

[CrazyCat]

Ruth...I am right there with you. Work fulltime...really WANT to accomplish alot of the challenges...but I just can't seem to find the time OR motivation.

I'm really interested in the flip card system you have. Would you want to list them out for me to see?

 

[mombottoo]

I don't work outside the home but, I do know what you mean about keeping up with the challenges. I find for me that if I keep track on paper next to my computer where I am at I can just put the info into my siggy when I get the chance . That's why sometimes my totals will take quite a jump in one day LOL.

 

[alotofgooddeals]

You sound like me....

I want the end result but being gone 10 hours a day and when i get home and make sure the kids have gotten homework done..showered brushed teeth etc...I only have the time to lurk and post....

I am a self proclaimed lurker. I can't help it, I just have so little to say. I will say that coming to FV keeps me motivated but here is my problem.

I try to keep up with the challenges. I have my list right here next to the computer and I have as good intentions as anyone here on the board. But I work full time. I work 8 hours, an hour for lunch and an hour total commute. When I come home....I'm tired. I can't seem to make time for these challenges even though I desire the end results I don't know how to fit it all in.

I save things for the weekends and then I waste my weekends doing the most menial tasks...no time for anything big.

I don't know what I expected to accomplish by posting this. I guess I wonder if anyone here works full time and accomplishes their goals.

Thanks for listening to me.

 

[shelly123]

NicJean
I love the idea of keeping a flip book with chores in it. I might have to try that. My husband says I can never sit still and it is exactly because I try to cram everything in at one time on my days off.
I might have to try this!

 

[tervsforme]

I work full time, have a home, 2 dogs, 1 cat. It's difficult for me as well. I work on 1 or 2 that are important to me and then when I can keep those in my routine I'll add another. I like to keep the other ones around to keep me inspired, but don't put too much emphasis on them. I am a big believer in the 15 minute system. I am continually amazed at how much gets accomlished in 15 minutes.

 

[NicJean]

The flip-book chore system is so easy. It comes from Messies Anonymous, Sandra Felton. She's got a website and several books - I enjoyed "Cutting the Clutter".

Sample chores: get newspaper - clip and sort coupons, sweep/mop kitchen and dining rooms, Tidy office (no more than an hour!), Car: trash, vacuumm, wipe surfaces, coolant, wiper fluid, gas, ice scraper whereabouts, write a letter, bills, plan vacation/date, write menu: use fliers and coupons, update stockpile needs, clean fridge, shopping/errands, gather trash/sort recycling, water plants, laundry, vaccuum,bathroom, pantry tidy, kitchen/dining tidy, basement.

Some of these repeat. I set things up so "buy newspaper" falls on Sunday, when the coupon circular comes out. I put "make menu" on Friday - the sale fliers come Thursday, but that's my crazy day. I set it up so my really busy days are light on work. These will not be the same for eveyone, and even my priorities change. I'm now in the habit of doing at least one load of wash a day, so my "laundry" card needs to make way for something else - great thing as this system is so easy to adjust!

Good luck!

 

[Cedar]

I work full time too. It can definitely be a challenge to have motivation at the end of the day to do anything. I tend to do the majority of my challenges on the weekends. For instance, I'm in the 20 wishes challenge, and I have a list of 20 goals for the year. I'm learning to focus on one at a time, in baby steps, until I feel I've reached a level at which I can move on to something else. And I've also slowly learned to stop hating myself for not finishing something.

Normally I would set a task and then grow bored with it, and then feel guilt and anger at myself for not finishing it, or for forcing myself to finish it. Now I can let a goal go, or change it, if it becomes boring or I find out it isn't something I really want anymore. That means I have more positive feelings, and I get more done that I want to get done. It's all about finding the right balance.

 

[cheryl65]

Have you tried the flylady system? She is a big believer in "you can do anything for fifteen minutes" check out the website, lots of info so don't get overwhelmed but it does break things down into manageable tasks.

 

[bent]

Hello, fellow Flybabies.....
could you fix crockpot/slowcooker meals while your gone from home (meal is ready when you get home),
work out a menu for the week so you know what your having without having to 'worry' about having to figure out something when your ubertired.

have a simple task list (5 things to do in each room of your home)-every night/day do those things then as they get easier to accomplish add more.

enlist children (if you have them) to do tasks that will help free up your time to be with them... many hands make quick work.
simple list of things for each to do (vacuum, dust, sort laundry-actually do laundry) give dh his own list of things that will help you be a better wife/mother cause we all know 'a happy wife = happy life' (just love that little saying)
set one hour a night aside for cleaning- timers been mentioned it works on getting into the mindset to see how much time is wasted on thinking about getting things done. just do them 5-15 mins at a time.
go to bed 30 mins later, get up 30 mins earlier (you just discovered an hour to do laundry, sweep floors, dust, mop)
soon you will be in a routine where swiping down the counter as you cook and washing dishes as you cook will be second nature. swiping down the shower with your towel after your dry, attaching swiffer pads to the cats paws, letting it swiffer under furniture, showing your family how much you love them by being a non stressed out mama. (and if your by yourself- thing of all the relaxing you can do when you realize that it's only 5 minutes to work on your lists)
good luck hon... blessings being heaped upon your head, shoulders and pinky toe on your left foot. b