Today was an amazing day! For the first time in a week I’ve felt like almost a whole functioning person again! The lingering cough and general tiredness aside, I actually made it a whole day without needing a nap or feeling like my head would explode. Covid was no joke and I’m grateful that the worst {still crossing the fingers, and toes and my legs because I’m a damn lady} is behind me. I marked a couple Christmas presents off the list and even splurged a little on myself. That’s right, Momma got some new shoes! I found a new pair of Nike tennis shoes {I’m overdue for a new pair} for $37.95! I love a deal! I’m not a coupon lady, but I don’t buy unnecessary items {don’t look at my extensive collection of journals or my colorful pens.} without scouting out the deals. I’m a TJ Max, Good Will, thrift shop, white-trash garage sale kind of spender. If I have something expensive it’s most likely because someone got it for me. I’m not the designer hand bag and matching shoes kind of mom, but I can rock my $40 nikes and my under armour hoodie I got for $15, the messy bun, no make up, sweatpants hot mess mom look all day, every day. I don’t think I would be any different if I had the funds to support luxury spending sprees. My journal collection would be obscene and I’d most likely own every motivational knick knack that caught my eye, but my sweats, worn out tees and tennis shoes would never go away.
What I was really excited about today was getting my printed copy of my Goal Getter Workbook in my hands! It was a sense of accomplishment to see my artwork, my quotes, my words, and my vision printed on paper with a cover and bound. It was my first big ‘aha’ moment where I could fully visualize my dreams coming to life! It was a dream of mine to write and it’s one I’ve put off for years. My hopes and dreams were left collecting dust and slowly dying while I was busy being too scared to even attempt seeing them to fruition. I was scared to fail and I was scared of the judgment of people in my life or the criticism of people that know nothing about me. After all, I was the girl who secured a Facebook page years prior to posting publicly and bought my domain mythreefold.com three years before even designing my first piece of digital artwork or writing my first piece. For me to go from ‘maybe one day’ to holding myown piece of work just 7 months since starting this journey -in my hands– is the most awesome feeling. I’m patting myself on the back today and beaming with pride at my 15 page workbook. Pardon my huge goofy grin, my ego, and my excitement but I deserve to have this day to celebrate my first big moment. {insert awkward happy dance here}
I’m so pumped I’m already starting on my next creation and looking at all the opportunities available to me in this writing world. I am making moves people, best watch out for this girl, I’m a goal getter with a determination and a drive that is unmatched by many, equaled by some, and surpassed only by few! {can you sense what my family is dealing with right now?Pray for them!} I’m going to accomplish my goals and create a life that is my brand of amazing. I am open to tips, tricks, recommendations and any other constructive suggestions that may be useful as I explore the future of My Threefold. As Dr. Seuss said ‘Oh the Places You Will Go!’ Ready. Set. GO! Here I come, ready or not! It’s going to be a wild and crazy ride, but the crazy train is leaving the station! All aboard the F-yeah Freight Train! Be positive & believe in yourself! ☮️❤️😊~M
I’m mixing things up a bit this month and setting the bar high! December is the final month of 2021 and that leaves exactly 31 days to finish up this year and I plan to finish STRONG! I am excited about planning this month’s goals and I’m excited about closing out this final month of 2021 with a BANG! The momentum and excitement for this month is all leading up to the amazing year I will have in 2022! I’m ready for that new chapter, but before I start planning the new year I need to wrap up this year with my December Goal Getter plan of action. Are you with me? Hell yeah!
December is a time where we usually get wrapped up {no pun intended} in the hustle bustle of the holidays and forego all goals, agendas and anything that we had set our sights on. I believe that it should be the opposite. This should should be when we are amped up the most to achieve those goals we set 11 months prior, because when we reach them we can have that feeling of accomplishment and the satisfaction that comes with seeing a goal to completion. I really don’t know a much better feeling than the feeling of setting a goal and reaching it! It’s a feeling of self satisfaction and contentment. It’s pride, confidence, hope, and accomplishment that comes together making you see yourself as the ultimate bad ass you are. What better way to end this year than to end it with that?
If you chose to download the workbook, AWESOME! That workbook will be handy to use throughout the year. If not, well you’re on your own. {just kidding, you can make your own template and follow along} December is the perfect time to go back to those big goals you made 11 months ago and see what you’ve got left to mark off that list. Some may be old news if you haven’t looked in a while. Others may be completed. Some may need some scaling adjustments. Some may need to be completely erased as irrelevant. Regardless if you have 1, 5, or 10 goals you want to accomplish it’s possible to start here and go after them!
My Personal Plan of Action:
At the beginning of the year, I will be honest and say I was in ‘survival mode’. Goals weren’t my “thing” and I was more of a yay it worked out or , damn it it didn’t! I didn’t really put much intention or thought into how my actions could give me more yay moments and less of the damn it moments. I was on ‘auto-pilot’ just hoping for the best. Guess what? That wasn’t working for me. It hadn’t worked for me in the past 37 years and it wasn’t going to start working for me anytime soon. So I made a change. In June, I decided to become more intentional with my day to day actions and began setting small, attainable goals that I could reach. Slowly I began to challenge myself to reach greater heights and chase my dreams. Thankfully, over the last 6 months my life has nearly done a 180• from where I was starting out the year. The person I can thank for that? Myself. Ultimately, you are the only person in control of your actions, attitude and aspirations. {Having positive influences and people supporting you is definitely a bonus!}
In July, I made my goals for the remainder of the year. 6 months after those around me. {Fashionably late, per usual} You can actually look at that first goal getter challenge I set out on here: Wellness Challenge: July 21 Days to Positivity I never thought that this one month would change everything I did from that day forward. It did. It changed my life. The goals I started with are still relevant to how I now live day to day. My threefold would probably tell you how boring it is to ride with me in a car since I’ve traded in my music most days for motivational You Tube compilations and TedX Talks! Something I would’ve thought laughable in years past. Or how I meditate and force them to meditate with me sometimes. Even how I fully believe in the power of visualization and manifesting your best life. Yep, I’m not going to lie, I’ve gotten pretty encompassed in all the ways to get my goal getter get up and go…well going.
My list in July was extensive. Four handwritten pages of goals kind of extensive with all the things I hoped to accomplish the remainder of the year. My success set up to become a happier and better me. I broke them up into these categories:
Attitude
Creativity
Career
Family
Romantic
Health
Financial
Personal/Self-Care
Out of four pages of goals here is the list that I have yet to accomplish:
Attitude – 5/5 Goals Achieved
Creativity – 5/6 Goals Achieved
Monetize my blog/social media
Career – 11/12 Goals Achieved
Get rewarded financially for performance
Family – 6/8 Goals Achieved
Quality time spent with my threefold
Schedule a family night event twice per month
Romantic – 3/6 Goals Achieved
Spend quality time with ‘E’
Overthinking/Assuming
Holding Grudges
Health -3/4 Goals Achieved
Quit Smoking
Financial – 1/4 Goals Achieved
Budget
Save
Donate
Personal/Self Care- 9/10 Goals Achieved
Free myself from my past guilt and move forward into the future.
If my math is right this shows I had 55 goals I wanted to accomplish by the end of the year. So far I’ve accomplished 40 of those. Not too shabby for a girl who didn’t even have a plan last January! However, this leaves me with 15 that I want to see through to completion by 12/31/21. I’m exhausted already! No. I’m not, I’m pumped! I’m a goal getter! I’ve got this! So now it’s time for the plan. Time to break these goals down into chunks of doable and actionable pieces that will see me to the finish line!
I can mark the one off my list for creativity. Today I launched my first download for the Goal Getter Workbook! This is my first real money driven effort for my blog! Profitable or not, it’s an achievement and an amazing way to kick off my month! The next is not totally in my hands, but I’m looking forward to a raise in the coming weeks at work for all the bad-assery I’ve displayed this year! So that will be something I can check off my list this month too! As for the Family goals – I have a couple things in the works planned for my threefold and I to have some QT as soon as we get over this Corona Virus infestation that has kept us cooped up in quarantineville for the past week. I also think I can knock out my romantic goal of some quality time with ‘E’ that isn’t just Covid cuddleupits while cat napping watching crime documentaries, although that has been a highlight of quarantine! The deeper of those 3 goals are resentments, grudges, overthinking and assumptions. This is something that will take constant effort and mindfulness on my part. My anxiety tends to lean towards catastrophizing even the smallest disagreements and distorts them into these out of proportion reactions. I have come a long way with this but I know that improvements can be made and I will definitely work to stay mindful of rational and irrational thoughts. The dreaded ‘quit smoking’ this isn’t something I have wanted to do. That’s just plain honest. It’s my vice. My coping mechanism. My reward. My appetite suppressant. My stress reliever. BUT as much as it’s been my crutch for the past 15 years {yes 15 years} it’s time to pack it up. I went three days without a cigarette while sick with the ‘rona. The longest time I’ve not smoked in 10 years. Sure, I could’ve said ‘haste la vista’ then but I wasn’t mentally prepared to say my farewells. My mind wasn’t in it. I’m there now. That first cigarette after 3 days tasted like burnt coffee creamer, stale crackers and old mints. I’m over it. If I can thank Covid for anything it will be that it may have ruined my love for the taste of a menthol cigarette forever. I haven’t openly put out there that I’m a smoker, but now that it’s here in black and white I can’t deny it. If I can end this year as a non-smoker then I will be so proud of myself. I’ve tried before and failed, but I haven’t had a blog post to hold me to it. Here’s to that! Financial goals are tricky for me, especially this month with Christmas being my holiday. I love getting the gifts for my threefold and watching their faces as they light up with excitement. This year has been a struggle financially in general due to all of the unforeseen medical expenses and bills, divorce, new home, lost time at work and general life maintenance. I am resourceful if nothing else, and stubborn so I have those two things on my side. It’s best to finish strong. I’ll put my $5.00/day that I would purchase my cigarettes with into an account for some rainy day savings to start. I’ll make a budget and formulate a doable plan to stick to. For donations, we will find a way to give to those less fortunate by way of volunteering time at a local charity. That final one in personal/self-care is tricky. I am working on manifesting my desired result in finally settling a peaceful resolution and tie up the loose ends of my past. I am also working through my feelings in therapy and finding ways I can let go of my resentment and hurt from my past, along with my personal guilt. I will continue to do both. In addition I will work on not giving my energy, positive or negative, to my past. I will allow whatever feelings and thoughts to surface and rise but not allow it to dwell in my headspace or overpower my reactions. I will acknowledge and dismiss. No lingering. That’s tough, but it will be awesome to see how much more positivity can grow when it isn’t being stomped out by the negative weight of the past. And that’s a wrap! That’s it, folks! That’s my plan of action for December! I hope you have downloaded My Goal Getter Workbook and choose to end your year with as much hope and positivity as you started it with! ☮️❤️😊~M
Day 3 was the day of rest apparently. I’ve never slept like I slept yesterday. My body must’ve been needing that, because I was not even stirred until close to 4:00 pm. I was asleep and no one woke me. This in and of itself is unheard of. I can’t typically take a nap around here without someone needing something. I woke up and again felt almost human. No major complaints other than some aches that could be accounted to the obscene amount of sleep I had acquired. I didn’t do anything for the remainder of the evening except untangle the most massive knot of yarn and finish the finger knit garland for our Christmas tree. My main symptom yesterday was fatigue. Still no sense of smell, but that is probably in my favor still as ‘E’ hasn’t been shy about letting those butt demons free. I wanted to write but my motivation was less than on point. I figured it would be ok to skip a day.
Unfortunately, yesterday #1 found out her boyfriend tested positive and she was beginning to show some symptoms of our new house mate Corona also. ‘And another one bites the dust!’ If you’re keeping count that’s 4/6 of the people that live in my home and another person that happens to swap spit with my daughter on occasion. That leaves #3 and the ‘BK’ {bonus kid} so far unscathed.
Today, day 4, brought some time outside of the house. That would seem like a wanted change of pace, but today I did not feel close to human when I woke up, nor did I have that ‘this isn’t so bad’ thought. No, today was the day that I felt yuckiest so far. Today was the day that ’E’ and my threefold could test to seal their fate of continued quarantine or a date for going back to school. #3 was the only one who got the all clear and as long as she does not show symptoms she can return to school at the end of the week. The other two and ‘E’ are stuck at home until next week, same as I am. Thankfully everyone is showing mild symptoms and everyone is still able to rest fairly comfortably.
Today the headache was at its most intense and it did not want to let up with the Tylenol I was taking to diminish the pain. It was relentless. I showered, but even that was not helpful. I was groggy and irritable and overall I felt like garbage. My nose feels so dry, but still stopped up which seems like a contradiction. It’s possible though. The cough is still there, but it seems to be triggered less. {unless it’s a laughing fit} Overall though it’s been an uneventful couple days. Trying to take each day as it comes and although I still want to be active and go, I am heeding my limitations and accepting my body’s call for rest.
Hopefully, everyone begins to feel better over the next few days and is able to start getting their normal energy levels back. Until then we will just continue to listen to our needs and remain positive. We are home and we are together! Everyone is trying to take care of each other and surprisingly my threefold hasn’t gone into all out war with each other…yet. ☮️❤️😊~M
It’s day 2 of quarantine and I am already over it! I have been restless and I wanted something to do that would occupy my mind. I stayed up far too late last night looking at craft projects to busy my threefold with and making Amazon wish lists that I will never purchase. Does anyone else do that? Stave off the shopping bug by creating wish lists of things you would buy if you have a few thousand to blow and no real responsibility? I digress. Today I woke up at 10 again after getting about 7 hours of sleep. {I told you I stayed up too late}. I probably had a hard time sleeping due to the amount of sleep I have had the past few days. I didn’t feel too terrible upon waking. Minor aches and body fatigue, slight headache, and a stopped up nose. Some coughing and sinus pressure but nothing that I couldn’t manage. I’m not going to challenge my new friend Corona, I know she is waiting to inflict her damage on my body. My chest isn’t feeling like it will explode with each breath so that has to be an improvement. Like I always say, this is all subject to change without notice. I’m definitely more edgy and irritable today. I’m not really in a mood for lots of talking, noise, interaction, or banter. I’m pretty funky and so with that I am trying to keep to myself a bit more. Headphones, calming techniques, and walking away so I don’t unnecessarily pop off on anyone for no apparent reason. It seems to contagious, the irritation, I got into a little tiff with ‘E’ about my threefold being loud {and arguing incessantly}. I think we both need manage our expectations about the behavior displayed under our current circumstances. I’ll get over it and everything will be good in a matter of hours. Everyone gets a little more edgy when they are sick and the headache blows so I know the noise level can intensify that constant pounding. I have to manage my own expectations of how we will all react and behave under these circumstances, myself, ‘E’ and my threefold.
I had a goal of showering today. That’s a good goal to have. I don’t want to smell like the back of a Chuck E. Cheese in summer mixed with McDonald’s onions even if I am unable to smell it myself. I think my family will appreciate that I do love them enough to pull myself up and wash off the layer of covid film that is undoubtedly covering my body. This was therapeutic as the hot water not only soothed the aching muscles but also helped to clear some of the sinus gunk that has been accumulating in my nasal passages. Something about a hot shower makes me feel almost better.
I did fold that load of laundry that stared at me through the night. Clean towels, hooray! I switched around the laundry and made an effort to pick up the mess on my bedside table where my snot tissues, coke cans, water bottles, mail, and other items have accumulated since setting up shop in bed the past few days. We got ornaments hung on the tree and began crafting our garland and attempted the tree topper. I found a cute project for string Christmas trees and making your own ornaments. I don’t have glue though. Trying to come up with a way to make an alternative adhesive out of things I do have at home. Suggestions? I have silicone! Ha! At least we are attempting to be productive with our time! The finger knot garland is adorable and all three of my threefold got on board and learned how to do this simple and mindless craft. I think it will be a cute addition to our holiday decorations and something they were able to make that can be on display. I really want to do the string trees, damn glue. I’ll figure something out, I’m resourceful like that!
Today I took it a little easier than yesterday and my body is thanking me. {the house however can tell that I took the day off} I took a long nap snuggled up on ‘E’ as he watched fetch {#2’s name for football} on t.v. and just took it easy. I painted a bit and worked on some projects I had started but not seen to completion. I put some attention on my social media pages for ‘My Threefold’ and did a little digital artwork. I did things that busied my mind without having to be moving around a whole lot.
Unfortunately, #2 started feeling really bad today. Her at home covid test came back positive and she is unfortunately starting to feel the onslaught of symptoms. #1, #3 and BK {bonus kid} are still in the clear so far. I am praying that this doesn’t take out the whole household. I’m not sure how I will manage taking care of my threefold, ‘E’ and myself with Corona on board. She has stayed pretty positive. Not being too whiny and not really complaining. She took a note from my book and attempted to stay a little active when her body would allow by shooting a few hoops, listening to music, and making videos of her cats. I hate she is sick, but she has always been super tough and never really allowed being sick to stop her from doing whatever she wants. Maybe it’s an ADHD thing, but she isn’t much for still, rest, or relaxation.
Tonight, #1 cooked dinner, pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, Mac & cheese, rolls and broccoli. It was delish! We sat at the table and had our normal ‘Roses & Thorns’ dinner conversation. {we all say at least one positive about our day, and share a negative if we have one}. The thorns were the obvious quarantine, covid and restless energy. The roses were decorations and learning to finger knit! {mom win!} Overall I would call today pretty successful and despite the funk energy and moods we were able to spend some quality time together. For me, that’s what I wanted out of quarantine. For us to take advantage of the unique opportunity to spend time all together. After all, how often is every person home at the same time for days on end?
Another day of quarantine is almost in the books. Only 12 days to go! We will just keep moving forward and hope that tomorrow is better than today. We will keep staying positive and trying to have an attitude of gratitude knowing that we are at home, together, safe, warm, fed and have cozy beds to recover in. Today there isn’t much more we could ask for! Stay positive! ☮️❤️😊~M
I’m going to call today Day 1. Today is the 1st full day of quarantine after receiving my positive test result. My hope is by writing a brief synopsis of each day I can track my symptoms and hopefully see the improvements that are soon to be coming my way. It also may help someone else who isn’t sure what to expect. In addition, the goal is to stay positive and find a way to make quarantine less hellish and keep everyone safe and recovering at home {without going completely insane, stir crazy, or inciting violence}.
Today I woke up and felt ok. I wasn’t 100%, but I had that thought of “this isn’t that bad, this isn’t worse than a bad cold or a mild flu.”Wrong. I realized I had slept 12 hours and it was 10a.m., but the house was still quiet meaning my threefold was also taking advantage of a day to sleep in. My new friend Corona however quickly showed me what she was willing to do to make me feel her wrath {how dare I doubt her}. Groceries were received and bringing a week’s worth of groceries into the kitchen was difficult at best. I’m not going to lie, I was ready for a nap immediately after but I pushed through. I allowed the kids to help by actually putting everything where it goes. I managed to take the trash out from the kitchen and bedroom and switch around some laundry. After that I had to sit down. My body was screaming at me to stop. My chest was tight, my muscles ached, and I was light headed. I complied and listened. I forced down some food and made myself drink a bottle of water. Taste is in tact, but it lacks luster and vitality; as the flavors are less distinct. I can’t tell about smell though because I’m stuffed up, but it was nice to not be able to smell the rancid gas ‘E’ emitted as he slept away his symptoms today. By 2:00 p.m. I felt like I’d worked all day. The clothes from the dryer staring at me to fold them. I was almost as restless as #3 and I just wanted to do something, anything, besides lay useless. However my body did not give me the permission needed to actually get up and go. My head was foggy. It’s easiest described as hang over brain like you’ve stayed up far too late, drank too much, and now your body and brain are trying to play catch up.
This evening ‘E’ finally gave in and took an at home covid test, the result as expected was positive. I harnessed enough energy to sweep the floors after my afternoon nap while watching t.v. and relaxing. ‘E’ managed to get the tree put up and the girls worked on fluffing and preparing the ornaments with hooks. I even managed to fold that load of laundry that had been staring me earlier in the day. After those things I was back to feeling like my life force was completely drained. I managed to sit at the table for family dinner. I cleared the table. Started another load of laundry and then I was done. This last load may have to stare at me until morning as I feel like my lungs are on fire after all of that this evening.
Thankfully #1 and #3 are acting fine, #2 however said her throat and chest were hurting. I am grateful they all pulled together and did some cleaning today. I couldn’t stand it being dirty, having to look at it all day and not having the ability or energy to actually clean it up. They even managed not to fight as they divided up the tasks that needed to be done! I watched #3 do some painting, watched some “flea market flip” episodes to trigger my restless creativity and did a lot of snuggling with ‘E’ and our kitties. #2 made dinner for us, yay spaghetti! I definitely am thankful my threefold are old enough to somewhat fend for theirselves, help out, and attempt to entertain themselves.
With antibiotics for my compounding ear infection, steroids, a crap ton of Advil dual action {this stuff is amazing} and cough medicine on board along with all my other regular medications I’m staving off as many of the symptoms as possible. The fatigue, headache, shortness of breath and body aches are the worst today. My newest symptom is the shortness of breath from minor activity. Most improved symptom is the sinus congestion. I never thought I’d be ecstatic about performing mundane tasks, but I figured it’s better to move some and give my body a little push than to completely force myself to be on bed rest. I guess time will tell if my way is at all beneficial to recovery or if I’m just wearing my body out needlessly. As long as I drink fluids, take breaks, listen to my body when it says ‘enough!’ then I don’t think it’s hurting me to stay somewhat active.
Overall day 1 was harder than expected but I remained in good spirits and as positive as I could. I think I only got irritated when there was arguing or unnecessary yelling. Overall I’m trying to remember that my threefold are trying to be good too. It’s important I not hold them to unrealistic expectations after all they are kids stuck in a house with their sisters for the next several days. Arguments will be hard to avoid and they will get louder than I want them to. If that’s the worst thing that happens then we will be in good shape!
Today’s Accomplishments:
Clean (a little by me, more so my threefold)
Laundry(ish)
Rest & relax
Write
Answer emails
Groceries
Submissions and proposals
Christmas tree up (not decorated yet)
Family dinner
Quality time (at a distance)
Not too shabby for a quarantined family trying to fight off covid and make it to Day 2 of this little journey. It’s just a piece of the story, not the beginning, definitely not the end but an excerpt that we will one day look back at and say ‘you know we faced some unique challenges in 2021, but we over came them all because we are badass!’ That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Send positive healing vibes our way! If you have any creative ideas to help keep my threefold entertained over the coming days I would appreciate any advice! Can’t be too intricate as we can’t go to the store to get supplies {and I’m attemptingto not spend resources too quickly since I am not working for the next couple of weeks.} Prece’ ☮️❤️😊~M
