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If you just now found my blog, welcome! If you came back to read this next post, thank you! As you read my posts in the future, you may wonder why this blog has the name “Learned Mom.”
According to the Random House dictionary, to be “learned” is to be connected or involved with the pursuit of knowledge. There are other definitions which state that a person who is “learned” is an expert and has a great knowledge. I am more of the person who is knowledge-seeking and am by no means, an expert at anything. I have an absolute passion for learning, but I don’t know how to focus my interests in actually accomplishing all that I want to do with the knowledge I acquire . I have a tendency to jump from one thing to another and have numerous projects half-finished. Not only is my house a cluttered disaster area, but I feel like my brain has also become a jumbled mess. I started this blog mainly to get a handle on how to hone my many interests while still keeping a clean house and my sanity. And, through the process, I hope I can help you, the reader, with anything I learn along the way.
When it all started.
Ever since I was a child, I could not maintain my focus on all my varied interests. Growing up in a theater family, we didn’t have a typical schedule. As the school day ended, my other life would begin. After school activities were filled with voice lessons, dance lessons, drama rehearsals, and after-school clubs. Then we’d grab a quick bite to eat and oftentimes head to rehearsals for whatever community theater production my family was getting ready to perform. I thrived on this crazy schedule and learned great skills along the way. But, because I was so busy, I also missed out on polishing some key areas in my life since there was not much time to do them. Or, if there was time, I didn’t make them a priority. When I was in high school, my dad gave me a copy of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. My father must have had a sense about what a disorganized mess I was…. or the room piled high with garbage could have been a clue. Upon getting this book, I was excited and threw myself into the book and its ideas, tried to apply the first couple of habits, and then lost interest. This has become the pattern in my life. I will often find a new skill I want to learn, become extremely excited about it, and then lose interest after a few months. At that point, I move onto the next greatest thing. Through this process of trying to find my true interests, my house becomes more and more cluttered with remnants of hobbies forgotten. And, I still haven’t found a housekeeping schedule that works for me. I don’t want you to think my entire house is a filthy mess, because most typical people wouldn’t classify it that way. It’s the stuff lurking in the dark corners of our basement that is driving me crazy.
At the beginning of each year, I begin the same way. I find a new plan for housekeeping and decluttering, a system that I know will work! I follow it wholeheartedly for a couple of weeks, and then things fall apart again. A new interest pops up, my kids schedules change, or I start rehearsals for a show. In short order, life happens. And, I am not great about dealing with the changes. Whenever change occurs, my new system falls apart.
While I have failed in the housekeeping department, I would be remiss if I didn’t give myself credit for the home maintenance things I do well. I have a high level of mastery for the things that come easy for me and that I love learning about. I have read countless books, magazines, and blogs about these topics and I feel like these habits are ingrained in me or that I have truly “learned” these habits. The habits that are a natural part of my being include:
- exercising daily
- cooking healthy meals for my family several times per week
- following a financial plan which works for my family
A year from now, I hope to add the following habits:
- decluttering all the stuff from my house that has not been used in years
- maintaining a house cleaning schedule which involves my entire family
- being mindfully present when I spend time with husband and kids. Right now, I feel like I am not always mentally there because I am worrying about all the things I need to get done around the house.
The Future of the Learned Mom Blog
Is there anyone else out there who is floundering and sinking in the tasks of daily life? Is there anyone else who needs to figure out how to do it all or if it is even possible? I hope to not only share tips with you on the topics I know well, but I also want to share my journey as I learn the habits I so desperately need to acquire in order to live a happy and simple life. Throughout this journey, I hope to learn from my readers what makes your lives work and what you wish you could do better. We all deserve to have a life where we have a clean house, a solid understanding for finances, a great relationship with our family members, and the time to pursue our outside interests while keeping a clear head.
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