Getting Started

As I've talked about before, I love lists. I like to make lists and I like to cross things off lists. I like grocery lists, books to read lists, plants I'd like to plant lists, things I should clean lists, possible names for our next baby lists. It goes on and on. Sometimes the lists are little scribbles on scrap paper in the bottom of my purse. Sometimes they are charted out in fancy spreadsheets. Sometimes they are intricate, detailed ideas that are in my head.

As the impending arrival of our third child gets closer and closer....around twelve weeks from now, my head is full of lists of things I'd like to accomplish. Some of these things are probably ideas that if they aren't fully completed, life will go on just fine. But some of these ideas, if not accomplished before she arrives might be nearly impossible to complete for possibly years.

I really want to get a little girl's room ready as much as possible before she gets here. That means painting walls and trim and switching bedroom furniture around upstairs. Those simple ideas led us to move our boys in the same room last week. But switching the bedroom furniture around means going through everyone's clothes to see what doesn't fit or what isn't being worn. It means having to find some temporary storage for baby blankets and books. I have thoughts of being able to paint the room in a weekend, but then I start to get overwhelmed with all the other things to do and then I start to fizzle out.

I ran across the following quote that inspired me:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can begin it, boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."
--Goethe

I'm ready! But now where should I start?

Inspiring Lists

I love to make lists.
I love to read lists.
I print cool lists I find in books and on the internet and then carry them around with me to read when I'm bored or uninspired. Putting the lists of ideas into action is sometimes a little tricky for me, but I often find them so inspiring. I recently ran across a list of ten little things that I've been thinking a lot about lately. The new cool list comes from Martha Stewart's body + soul magazine. They call it
10 Tenets of Whole Living and I think they make a lot of sense.

Ten Tenets of Whole Living
1. Happiness is a choice. Make that choice today and every day.
2. Good health isn't a gift; it's a habit you cultivate.
3. A healthy, fit body is not enough--true fitness engages the spirit.
4. Think more about what you should eat than what you shouldn't.
5. Laugh at yourself. You're funny.
6. Nurture your spirit. It's your source of strength.
7. Stay connected to the natural world. It will feed your soul.
8. Believe in yourself. Your intuition is rarely wrong.
9. It's never too late to take the first step toward your aspirations.
10. What you pay attention to will thrive.

I'm feeling a bit more inspired after reading these ideas and might try to ponder some of these things a little deeper and maybe try to put some of them into practice.