Getting the Pin: An Inaugural Reflection

You guys.

I started out January thinking, “Okay, I’m going to schedule ALL THE THINGS and like that, I’ll get the important things done. My poor forsaken blogging habit! Do I not think it’s important?

No excuses, though, ’cause I am having a pretty good year so far. Note that I didn’t say “perfect” year, because I don’t want you getting all envy on me. Rather, I seem to be sticking to the biggest rocks on my list…

…and that has made me very happy.

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Meanwhile, I have some thoughts to share about all these checklists I’m making. Are you a checklist kind of person? Because I find it incredibly satisfying to check off all my boxes.

Or, in the case of our violin practice and read-aloud time…

…I color in the boxes with my beloved felt tips.

 

(NOTE TO READER: I missed reading aloud on January 4th and 5th because of a gloriously FUN colonoscopy adventure.)

(AHEM.)

Here’s a photo of me and my husband at the ER that night:

More on that story later…maybe.

For now, let’s just say ouch.

***

Anyway, back to those ever-ubiquitous check lists. I’m focusing more on good habits than ever before—like, avoiding too much social media or praying a rosary on my daily commute—and am seeing the fruit of my efforts in the form of inner peace. Lately this serenity’s getting a good shakedown, however,  especially when I leave the calm of my prayer books for the chaos of Facebook.

I continue to love/hate,  love/hate, love/hate Facebook.

There’s a lot of vitriol being slung at our new president—anger, anxiety, protestations, rumors—which means being VERY careful about time spent on the Internet today. We’ll watch the swearing-in, of course, and I’ll check Facebbook to read some of my friends’ thoughts and reactions…

But that will be enough “democracy” for this homeschooling mom today. There’s just too much national angst and division.

Better to focus on my circle of influence—my teensy tiny circle of influence. Around here, this circle is known as my husband, my children, my extended family, my friends. Hi, y’all! Are you reading this blog post? Yay! You’re officially within my circle of influence!

Or not.

Anyway, back to the idea of making a checklist with SMART goals. Wouldn’t it be great to have a to-do list for making a difference in our children’s lives?  You know, with specific & measurable outcomes like “You made this or that big sacrifice and now their souls are saved!”

I wish.

Instead, the sands of our sacrifices build up over time. We won’t see the eternal fruits up front, and that makes it easy to grow discouraged. I wish…I wish it were as easy as my son makes it look when he’s getting the pin. Any wrestling fans out there? You know exactly what I’m talking about.

For those of you who need a visual, though, here’s Jem (aka Stephen) at his wrestling meet last night.

(He’s in the blue.)

(He got the pin.)

So yeah, THAT’S my goal for meeting my goals! I go in for the kill; I get ‘er done; I move on.

I’d better add strength-training to my checklist.

 

Resources from this Post: 

Read-Aloud Revival Year-at-a-Glance Calendar  (Note: It’s at the bottom of the post.)

Stephen Covey’s Big Rocks of Life Analogy