In search of PERFECTION!

I'm not big on New Year's Resolutions, because I think it is so cliche to make them and break them. It seems to me that they are made with the intention that they will only last a few weeks or months.  I try to make goals and changes in my life as needed throughout the year, and just have fun on New Years Day.

That being said, I do seem to fall into the trap of New School Year Resolutions.  The start of school seems to be a natural time to raise the bar in my life, get on a schedule, get organized.  Unfortunately, my New School Year Resolutions often last about the same amount of time as the more traditional ones.  I set my sights so high for myself that even though I start out strong on that first Monday, by Friday morning, I'm so exhausted that I don't want to get out of bed.  I've repeated this exercise for about 5 years now.  Starting out looking like the "perfect" mother, and ending up within a month or two, trying to scramble to keep up with my runaway life. I've heard that insanity is doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result.  Well, I've always suspected that I was missing a few marbles, and now I'm proving it, by setting a long list of New School Year Resolutions again this year.

I am changing things a little, though. I have a slightly different game plan.  First I'm setting my sights a little lower.  Mostly, I want to do the things I already do, just a little more consistently. I've always been "schedully" challenged. I can do something once or twice, or 5 times, but doing it every day for a month or a year is really tough for me.  But along with that goal to be more consistent, I need to realize that I'm not perfect, and that's ok.  If I don't get everything accomplished every day, I'm not a failure, I'm just normal. If I miss a day,  it's ok, as long as I only miss every once in a while. The Flylady, an internet cleaning and organization guru, says "Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family." I have a hard time believing that myself, but I'm trying to make it my new mantra. I also have a game plan for that Friday morning slump.  I plan to follow the good advice given to Gordon B. Hinckley by his father. "Forget yourself, and get to work." If I muscle through the slumps, and follow through on the guidelines I have set for myself, I can turn my goals into habits.  It takes 21 days to form a habit.  If I can muscle through for 21 days, hopefully it will start to get easier. Maybe.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm doing all right already.  I'm not a complete failure in the mother department, but I want to do better. Be better!  Ok, I'll admit it, I want to be PERFECT!  That's my ultimate goal.  I won't get there this year, I realize that, but there's always next year, right? Right!

Here are my New School Year Goals. 

*Wake up at 5:30a.m., on weekdays. No hitting the snooze, no laying in bed. Get dressed and ready before Seminary.
*Take Kallai to seminary every day.  Don't let David do it.  He works too hard already.
*Make lunches for everyone 4 days a week. Make sure they have lunch money for the other day.
*Clean the house before work, not after when I will be tired, and won't want to do it.
*Stay in the kitchen area while kids are doing their homework, to help them focus, and be available to help with questions.
*Check kids' homework planner and homework every day.  Actually look at finished homework.  Don't take their word that it is done.
*Make a nutrition dinner for the family every day, and have it on the table by 7 p.m., 6 on Wednesday. Cold cereal is not a nutritious dinner.  Frozen or take out pizza is marginally nutritious, and shouldn't be served more than once a week. Don't let David make dinner.  He works too hard already.
*Make sure the dishes are done and the kitchen is cleaned every night.
*No media before 6 p.m. for anyone. (Except for homework and work, of course.)
*No media before homework and chores are done.
*Work out 3-5 days a week. Make sure the kids work out with me 2-3 days a week.
*Make sure everyone flosses (and brushes) their teeth every night.
*Don't go to bed with a messy house.
*Don't leave to go anywhere with a messy house.
*Family Home Evening every Monday night.
*Date night every Friday night.
*Do something fun with the family every Saturday.
*Work with kids on Faith in God, Duty to God and Merit Badges for at least an hour on Sunday.
*Get a deep cleaning schedule up and running.


There's more that I want to do, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm myself.  Wish me luck!