Working smarter, not harder

Today has been such a great day!  I got up at 4:30, downed coffee and read a chapter of my book, then took Sugar Dot for a walk-run.  After taking Claire to school, Paul and I played tennis, hide and seek, and then went to the Botanic Gardens for exploring.  Right now he's played out; literally.  He's snoring.
I keep coming up with thoughts that I want to blog, but then get distracted.  One idea I've been wrestling with is how would Lent and Easter be different if I lived South of the Equator?  We're about a week from Easter and it seems every tree and plant know it.  The birds are singing all day and everything is in bloom.  It's like the entire world is living a resurrection story.  Below the Equator, though, it's autumn.  So while I feel all Eastery looking around at all the pretty flowers, citizens in South America are looking at falling leaves.

Another item I want to mention is the book I'm reading.  It's fascinating.  It's called The Compass for Pleasure by David Linden.  Adam actually requested this book from the library because he heard an interview on NPR.  He wanted to read it, but I swiped it before he could.  I'm a faster reader anyway, so it's okay.  This book is about the part of our brain that registers pleasure.  So far it's neuroscience for those of us that barely know what that word means.  Check later on my goodreads list to see what I think of it when I'm done.

One of the goals I'm focusing on right now is to work smarter, not harder.  I am a hard worker and I get up earlier than most and stay up until I absolutely can't stay awake any longer (usually somewhere about 9:05) but I still can't keep up with all the housework, errands, and playing that I must fit into the day.  One way that I'm trying to work smarter is by getting organized.  If you are a woman that needs help with organization, I want to recommend Simple Mom to you.  This lady is a little on the OCD side (apparently she alphabetizes her children's books) but she has great ideas on organization and you can always put your own spin on it, right?

I cleaned out the pantry and donated all unwanted items to the food bank.  I cleaned out my closet and donated extra clothes to Goodwill.  I've started writing down all my to-do lists in one place.  These small actions help my sanity.

I've also discovered about myself that I lack an intentionality about certain things, like placement of my car keys.  Just a month ago, and every day previous, I would spend 5-10 minutes a day looking for my car keys.  I wouldn't pay attention when I walked in the door, so that meant chaos when I walked out the door later.  I promised myself that I would put my keys in one of two places EVERY time.  Believe it or not, that little agreement with myself has completely changed my mornings.  I don't have to curse at myself for losing my keys because Voila!  I know where they are!

I've also started back with my walking.  I love early morning walks.  Besides the exercise, they help me clear my mind.  I'm able to say many short prayers of thanksgiving as well as enjoy the birds singing good morning to me.  Sugar Dot also loves them.  Wesley is too old to go further than a block, but that darn chihuahua can walk and run as far as I can and then some. 

One part of life that I love is that you can always reinvent yourself, improve yourself, and learn.  Maybe one day every scrap of paper and shoe in my house will be organized, but until then, I'm going to keep working and learning.