Slowing Down

My life has slowed down considerably... looking at my calendar from October/November vs. December/January it's very obvious. Then I look back at October/November of '07 vs. '08! For one who does like to make progress, it's been a transition.

I'm also trying to slow down a pregnancy. I keep wondering when I'll look pregnant, looking forward to all of the new outfits I got (cheaply!) and when I'll get to wear them... but trying to temper that with the fact that I'll be uncomfortable when I'm big and soon it will feel like I can't wait to get out of those clothes. A balancing act.

Making Progress

I get a huge sense of satisfaction, and self-worth, I think, from making progress. Whether it be seeing kids learn, crunching budget numbers, redoing a basement, or organizing, it makes me happy. That's why I like data and statistics so much.

That's what I realized today.

Most progress isn't visible right away, which is why I build things up to be bigger obstacles than needed (like cleaning). So I trick myself into getting started (my cleaning trick is setting the oven timer), until I'm hooked and just have to finish "that last little thing".

I just had a great time organizing the files on the computer for 5 minutes, deleting 12 e-mails, and working on cleaning up the soon-to-be baby's room and guest room for 20 minutes tonight. I got to see progress in three areas, knowing that I couldn't totally finish any one of them tonight.

**I've blogged for 12 months straight now! Watching the archives grow... just one example of my obsession with progress.