Yesterday I sent the Stitchers an article about a woman who lost 300 pounds over 5 years through diet and exercise.  FIVE YEARS!  She remained focused on this goal for FIVE YEARS.  It boggles the mind.

I am the complete opposite.  I have remained unfocused on many goals for five years.  For way over five years actually. I don’t understand how some people do it.  Lots of moms and/or dads bring home the bacon and turn it into tasty meals while overseeing homework and organizing all the other household stuff AND maintain some sort of hobby or outside life.  Am I missing that discipline gene?  Did I get the spelling gene instead?

My dad was disciplined about damn near everything.  I can remember a little file box with bill stubs in it – mine go in a drawer, if at all.  He clips his hair almost daily, jeans are neatly creased.  My mom leans more toward the middle.  With four kids, her time was pretty much already consumed but she usually had some plan for dinner and knew who had to be where at what time.  The laundry was never completely done, but she had some sort of crafty thing on the side.  Hmmm.

I have only two kids and a husband who does his fair share, and usually more.  What’s my excuse?  I have none. I am sad and pathetic, but it’s not like I lay around eating bons bons and watching my stories ALL the time!  I am stumped.  Where does my time go?

Last night for example.  It was a full work day, so I was home at 6.  I did bar bookwork, and we grazed on party leftovers (bonus of party hosting: leftovers.  Bonus bonus in this case: houseguest did clean up!).  Then,  since Girl Child and The Geek were otherwise occupied (and the Boy Child is away for 4 days), I watched episode 7 of Downton Abbey.  Girl Child grudgingly went to bed and The Geek and I watched The Killing from Sunday.

OK, so last night I did lay around watching my stories!  Jesus. But I prefer to call it “recuperating from party hosting”, thank you very much.  In any case, something has to change – time is a-wasting.  If that woman can focus on something for FIVE YEARS, surely I can do SOMETHING for half an hour.  Drum roll please….

THINGS I WILL NOW FOCUS ON COMPLETING

1. Meal planning.  For crying in the night, this should not be that difficult.  I hereby swear to set aside time to plan out a week’s worth of meals and make a shopping list for the Geek.  Like Real Grownups do.
2. Do the stinking laundry.  And purge the crap we don’t wear.
3. Lose 10 pounds.  I refuse to purge my Lucky jeans.  Having never had to LOSE weight, this is foreign to me.  Am hoping #5 below will do the trick.
4. Excavate the bedroom.  Reduce the Hoarder Alert from Orange to Yellow, at least.
5. Walk or do Kinect.  See #3.
6. Bring the monthly bar work current.

I AM disciplined about some things, the fun things.  I’m pretty good about writing here, but that’s FUN and some people like it.  I also feed the dog most days.  I am RELIGIOUS about securing camping dates.  So there’s that. Now I just need to apply that fierce dtermination to the things on my list.

Wish me luck.  I might forget.  Luckily, Downton Abbey is finished for the season and Mad Men won’t be back til 2012.