SandraPT

I really enjoy my job but I put this on my list because I want to find the winning formula to carry on enjoying my job! I want to develop a kind of ‘checklist’ I can use, to make work as good as it could possibly be.

Very important is to have the right work/life balance, so that I don’t grow to resent work for encroaching on my personal life or causing problems. This has happened before, so I am mindful of not allowing that to happen again.

First thing I have promised myself is to wake up early,(another goal of mine) so that I can get to work in a calm manner (walking – another goal) and get to the office with time to spare. Equally important is to leave on time (yes, another goal of mine!) wherever possible.

My job is decently paid, interesting, challenging, very busy, a happy environment, and it suits me as a person. In order to keep it this way I need to organise my diary and my day, so that I spend my working hours being as productive as possible without driving myself into the ground. I also need to find time to talk to people and have a laugh at times.

The thing I really need to avoid is allowing myself to get disorganised, or to try to pack too much into my day. I can be a little bit unrealistic about how much I can actual manage to do in a day. And I do need a lunch break!

I love being outside. However I have noticed in the last couple of years a slight reluctance to make the effort. Middle aged laziness, maybe?

whatever it is, I am determined to get outside, to liven myself up and get to appreciate each day (another goal of mine). I can do this by walking to work(another goal of mine!)- great way of taking in what is going on around me.

Also, when I go down to my caravan, I am determined to go for more walks. The countryside and beach are so lovely, I can’t understand why I have become bored with them. I think I just need to start getting out there – the more I do, the more natural it will become to be out there.

I also need to pack a bag and spend more time on the beach. When I make the effort, I LOVE doing this. All it takes is a bit of effort. And it is FREE!!!! Why am I not doing more of this????

And I want to spend more time in the garden. I don’t necessarily need to be gardening, there are so many things I can take out into the garden with me – paperwork, book, ironing (yes, I have done it before!)vegetables to prepare for dinner, I have tried to get John to eat outside but he is not too keen. Nothing to stop me, though! It would just be nice to sit out there in the sunshine and appreciate my surroundings.

Getting outside is so much better than spending time sitting in the lounge with the television blaring away. It gives me chance for some peace and quiet. When the sun is not shining, I can even take the laptop outside and be able to see the screen.

If I am running, (another goal of mine), it won’t even matter if it is not sunny outside, as I will soon warm up!

Well in these tough economic times, my thoughts of spending money on decorating the house have to be put to one side. It’s true that a few tins of paint don’t really cost much, but of course it never stops at a few tins of paint, does it?!

I want to keep my money in savings for a while. There is a lot else that needs to be done in the house that won’t cost a penny, and that is decluttering and total spring clean of every single room. By the time I am ready to consider decorating, I am hoping that the financial situation won’t be so gloomy. And the house will already look so much better!

So the plan is to start one room at a time. It will roughly take a week per room – a bit longer for the kitchen and the study because of the sheer volume of cleaning in the kitchen, and the sheer volume of chaos in the study. The only cupboards I will not touch are John’s drawers in the bedroom and his 2 wardrobes. I do hope he will get a positive influence from me, and do those himself. Apart from that, there will be no stone left unturned.

It will be great to get the house really really clean. And I truly believe my stress levels will go down when there is less clutter in the house – I hate it so much. That is one of the really bad sides of living with a complete hoarder.

I am hoping the house will feel really different when I have finished.