I've taken a break from journaling because I needed to. It's great, I enjoy it, but it can, at times, feel like a chore or a burden. So I miss a few days. Maybe what's captured is more interesting that way.
I've been getting up earlier lately. It was Jen's idea but it's working for both of us. Getting up earlier, having coffee ready, getting time to meditate, walk the dog and get some 'ramp up' time is really nice. It's so much more 'sane' than jumping up with no time to prep for the 1st meeting and deal with any of the routine demands and upkeep.
Upkeep. There's a lot that goes into daily routines. Cleaning, coffee, organizing/staying organized, and a multitude of other tasks. This is where having some help would come in nice. That's an area I want to explore further along with reducing the tasks too. These are the things I capture in the daily notes about accomplishments. They're the things I have defined as "cleanup" priorities that warrant being addressed daily, and by doing so, buy me some sanity. I like ending the day with everything cleaned, cleared, and managed. It makes getting up in the morning a joy, like coming home from a vacation to a home you left clean.
Work day was good. We're starting to feel the pain and strain of a smaller team. I'm needing to put more energy into the improvements I want to make. Sometimes it comes easy, other times takes focus and work.
Put on some Kate Bush documentaries and concert footage. Awesome stuff. It included Tori Amos which lead me to find she's written a book and I got that in my queue already. We watched "Becoming" (Michele Obama) tonight and a good Sheryl Sanberg TedTalk too. It was inspirational. All of this today has made me think about my own upbringing, my own assumptions, insecurities, and recent realizations too. It makes me wonder if I should focus more on writing about some of that in a manner that might speak to others. I've also been listening to "Face The Music" by Paul Stanley. His childhood and struggles are surprising to learn about.
Final note: Linda called around 10pm, followed moments later by a call from Lauren. Lauren called later and shared that Tommy had been out with friends without telling Linda, which is something she's responsible for managing on her time, but Lauren also said that her earlier call was because after I didn't answer Linda's call, Linda WOKE Lauren to make her call me. So much for her "don't put kids in the middle" stance.
Gratitude: Being inspired by the stories of others lives and the examples of making efforts in the face of adversity, and especially efforts to unify and bring people together.
Goal: Make that more of a focus in my own life.
Accomplishments: Meditation Mindfulness Parenting Cleanup
