Start Where You Are

Have you all read Sarah’s latest post, Living in the Big Picture, Dealing with Present Chaos, and Starting Right Where You Are?  Ties in to what I said yesterday (Bible Journaling as Lectio Divina) about the fact that I am not allowing myself to “get behind” in my Read the Bible in a Year plan.  I’m setting myself up for success and I think you should too.  How?  This year, for the most part because I’m sure there are some exceptions, Start Where You Are.

Start Where You Are

I think I probably first heard this concept years ago when I first heard of Flylady. She encouraged new followers, “You are not behind…jump in where you are!” And now the same message from Mystie in her Simplified Organization course and Sarah, with her “big ideas” and house full of kids! I’m taking note here, not just in Bible Journaling, but in life.

Remember back in the Fall when Chris–who never travels for work–was gone for 16 weeks? Remember two days after he left Luke was diagnosed with pneumonia and four days after that Leo was? Remember that for nine weeks straight the entire house–7 children and 1 momma–battled a severe respiratory virus? Yeah…although we have recovered our health, our routines took a major blow and we have not recovered yet.

Right now, I feel like I live in a constant state of being behind and buried under. That is self defeating friends. And who wants to live in a world of self defeat? Not me…I’m all about the daily affirmations. So, I am going to start where I am…kitchen–start where I am…laundry (ay yi yi)–start where I am…school–start where we are…exercise–start where I am.

This means I will not say to myself, “I should.” Instead I will say to myself, “I am” or “I will.” For example,

“I should clean out that drawer.” Nope my friends, instead I will say to myself, “I am going to clean out that drawer.” I will then A) Clean the drawer or B) Give that drawer a priority spot on my to do list–meaning I will pick a specific day and time and clean that drawer.

Another way I am going to start where I am; I am decluttering BIG time. Look out…if it is not nailed down or too heavy to carry, there will be serious consideration as to whether or not it stays in the house. Look out Leo, you are neither nailed down nor too big to carry out! My first stop will be the boys room where the legos and clothes are multiplying faster than we can put them away–that’s the only explanation I can find. I can’t start where I am if I am still dealing with Summer clothes and broken legos.

Next in my target area, our school schedule. It took a direct blow when we were sick; we’re still trying to make up lost ground. I’ve decided that mentality has to go. We are going to start where we are, work with focused intention, and get to where we want to be–not where we thought we’d be. This one is going to be a little tougher on me because I’m a “Point A to Point B” kind of girl. I also have my two high-schoolers enrolled with a program. In their case, we may just have to work off “What needs to be checked off.” They are both smart girls and voracious readers; I’m not too worried about skimming some of the in between stuff to cover the “Must be submitted for a grade” work.

Is there an area in your life right now, where you just need to Start Where You Are? Tell me about it in the comments.