Mid-Life Philosophy--33

Keeping it simple.

I have a lot of things I want to accomplish. Great things. Important things. Overwhelming things. And that right there is the problem. I get overwhelmed with my own goals. I discovered a great way to accomplish things without being overwhelmed. I make simple goals.

At some point shortly after my mission, I decided I wanted to keep a journal. I had kept a sporadic journal for most of my life. The problem was, if I went a little while without writing, I had so much to catch up on that it was absolutely overwhelming. Where do I start? What do I leave out? How in the world do I find time to write everything that has gone on in my life and in my mind since I last wrote? Impossibly overwhelming. I decided that if I wrote a small amount everyday, I would never be overwhelmed. I used a journal that was maybe 6 inches by 8 inches--so not too big. I limited myself to one page each day. And I didn't have to fill up the whole page. I wrote in my journal every single day for years. (I fizzled when I was pregnant with my first baby because I was so tired. I've been tired ever since.)

The journal writing was great, but more important for me was the life lesson of making simple, but consistent, goals. A few years ago, I thought I wanted to expand my scripture study. I had not been as enthusiastic about it as I could have been. (I blame the kids. See tired comment above.) I set a simple goal: one chapter in the Book of Mormon, one chapter in the New Testament, and one General Conference talk every day. For me, this was achievable. When I finished the New Testament, I moved on to the Doctrine and Covenants. It was easy. It was achievable. It was simple.

I have my best success in our home school, in our budgeting goals, in my housekeeping, and in my personal improvement goals if I make very simple goals that I can work on a little bit every day.