Days 8-14 and How it's going so far

Even though I haven't been writing about it, I have still been working hard on my goals and doing a little something towards my final goal every day for the past week. I just haven't had time to write about it.

Things I have done include:

• Beauty therapy and a quiet time involving a face mask and a nail file
• Going out with friends for a fantastic game of laser tag and a McFlurry
• Going out another evening for dessert and a natter (thank you Emma and Lauren!!!)
• Establishing a time of the day specifically for reading stories to my little ones (between 3 and 4)
• Started seriously weaning Rosie (we are down to just one little feed a night... next week I'm going to take her off completely... FREEDOOOOMMMMMM!!!)
• Attended the General R.S conference (well most of it, Mark called half way through to say Rosie had vomited from the distress of being put down in her cot without Mummy cuddles or milk).
• Spent a few hours doing art work in the form of illustrations for someones children's story they want to publish on kindle. That was good to get from my mind. 

Some of these things I probably would have done anyway even if I wasn't doing this scheme, but that's not the point. Thanks to this program I am MAKING SURE i take the time out for these things. 

I've got to admit though, I have started to feel rather tired. I am finding it demanding to try to do all of these things, which is why I think it's time for the next phase in changes to be about time management and efficiency, particularly when it comes to housework. It's going to involve lists... lots and lots of lists, and figuring out exactly when what needs to be done.

I find this useful, because if I allocate time when I do work, it means I will not be allowed to do it at other times, therefore Saturdays will hopefully no longer be taken up as much with shopping and catching up on cleaning that didn't get done in the week and more about family time. 

I also have to remember that as time goes on, my capacity will increase, so long as I keep working and pushing myself as hard as I can. 

Day 6 and 7: Spiritual Food

I mentioned in my first 30 days to joyful Motherhood the feeling of being spiritually dehydrated. I think this is a fantastic metaphor for the feeling, and I have definitely been feeling it.

To me, spiritual dehydration feels like a hollowness, deep within. While that hollowness is there, I find it hard to feel in harmony and at peace, and able to have patience and love as much as I normally do.  And I can honestly say that the only way I know of to regain that sense of peace, love and harmony is to get on my knees and pray. To beg for forgiveness for my shortcomings, read the scriptures and study talks or messages to find the steps I need to take to improve myself.

It is one of the things that tells me the gospel is true: that it works every. Single. Time.

And not only that, but finding the time to pray really does improve my days. Maybe someone who simply meditates about the day ahead gets a similar response, but the experiences I have had in my life tell me that there is another power, and that prayer connects you with that power, for as long as you are able to maintain that harmonious connection.

I find it very hard to find the time to do that when surrounded by the demands of a family. But today I managed it with my little toddler playing around me. She kept interrupting me with beautiful cuddles and kisses, which made it all the more meaningful.

I desperately need to maintain peaceful centre, if I am going to be the Mum I want to be.

The Mum who doesn't shout. Or seem to ever get angry at all.

The Mum who is loving, and understanding and kind, who a little one would not be afraid of going to with a problem or a mistake.

So I need to make more use of that connection, and that is my next aim. It will be a good experiment too, to see just what impact praying at least every morning will have, and working harder to fit in study.

P.S Today I studied this talk, which I think is brilliant for any parents out there struggling with certain aspects of parenting.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/what-manner-of-men-and-women-ought-ye-to-be?lang=eng

Day 5: Diet

This is the post that I am the most nervous about. Simply because I think it is the hardest thing for me to maintain. But there is no getting around it.

I have heard before the phrase "you are what you eat." While this does have some meaning, I think that how much you eat really does have an impact too. I absolutely love food. And because I love food I have over the years trained myself to like so called healthy food even more than so called unhealthy food, simply so that I can eat more. Even though this probably has had an overall good impact on my health I honestly think there's a catch:

Eating a lot makes one lethargic, no matter what it is you have eaten.

And I am done with feeling lethargic.

It is hard to get into and maintain the attitude and relationship with food that results in being slim and energetic when you are a foody. But it is possible, and worthwhile. I know because I've done it before. 

So the training will begin again, involving only certain allocated times to eat, and restrictions on how much I can eat. Not on what I eat, because I don't think that works, and because enjoying baked delicacies with my son after nursery or creating a delicious Sunday dessert is definitely part of a lovely well balanced life. 

Day 4: Stretching the Mind

I have rarely felt, since becoming a Mother, that my intellect has really been challenged. There has been plenty of challenges, and problem solving, and learning, and reading and other things, but nothing that has made me feel like I really had to work to understand it.

The result is feeling very unstretched and to be honest quite wasted.

So lot long ago Mark introduced me to something: futurelearn, and after quickly browsing through the list of free short online courses (known as a MOOKs) I chose two, one on the genetics of cancer, and one on creative writing. I have already started the genetics of cancer course run by the university of Bath and it is absolutely fantastic. It is not only building on knowledge I gained (and had forgotten I had gained) at university but is also giving me fresh challenging concepts. I thoroughly recommend them.

So for a few hours today I recapped DNA replication, gene expression, mitosis, epigenetics and how all these things are important when trying to understand the disease.

I have missed learning, and it's something I plan to do more of, though I will have to exercise restraint so that it doesn't take up too much of my time.