Tag: adhd


Nov
2018

Define My Day – Week 2(ish)

categories: Product Reviews

Remember I am doing the Define My Day challenge? Well, I am seriously sucking. I think my biggest issue is remembering to do it. I am having trouble seeing the forest through the trees. I like how DMD is based on long term goals and how the day to day can get you there with the right focus. But I feel like I am too immersed in the daily to-dos that I am missing the long view. How do you narrow down your three daily priorities when they all are to ‘survive’?

What I do like about DMD is the support. I get email checks in from the founder, Nick Boris and was automatically added to a Facebook user group. How’s that for meeting users where they are? The participants, as well as Nick, are super responsive to questions. He even posts impromptu videos on how to maximize the planner.

I am still committed to doing this, but it is going to take some work on my part. Stick with me!


Nov
2018

Define My Day – Week 1

categories: Product Reviews, Unrelated

Facebook ads rarely catch my attention these days, but as I was mindlessly scrolling, wondering where my day had gone, I found myself clicking on an ad for Define My Day which boasts ‘small steps, big results’. Isn’t that what we all want? The magic pill? I also wonder what algorithm Facebook used to target me with this ad – likely ‘tired, distracted, mom, ADHD, productivity obsessed’.

After reaching out to Nick, the founder, I told him I wanted to go all in for a month and chronicle it on my blog. He agreed and sent me the planner to get started. The way he recommends to start is to watch all the videos, then on Sunday night work through the monthly plan. Got it. Well, I watched the videos on Saturday and felt TOTALLY overwhelmed. Then life got hectic (gee, maybe I should have BETTER DEFINED MY DAY) and I didn’t really hunker down until Monday night.

Once I got going, it wasn’t as hard as I was making it out to be. DMD has some great tutorials in video or written form, for however you learn best, to get you started. I clearly opted for progress over perfection.

This is my first week and as I mentioned, I did the preplanning. Some of it seemed a little hokie – like my monthly affirmations which I am suppose to say out loud when I wake up and go to bed. I had to fight the urge to write ‘you is kind, you is smart …’. But hey, what is the harm?

The monthly goals are personal, professional, health and relationship which all make sense and were easy. Then I had to decide which books I was going to read this month, which was the most fun part and admittedly the most time consuming.

So here are my WEEK 1 MILESTONES:

Nick also discusses the importance of DAILY DISCIPLINES which includes rest, exercise, eat well, water, read, and positive interaction. I did make some of those my own so they are measurable and this week will strive for 5000 steps, 64oz of water and 20 minutes of reading. His intention for reading is to learning something or educate myself, but Momma needs a break.

I’ll check back in at the end of the week and let you know how it went!

If you want to join along,  DMD is offering a 30% discount for Muddling Momma readers. Visit https://shop.yourdefinedlife.com and use code MUDDLE30 for 30% off your first delivery of any subscription for a single, 3pk, or productivity pack.

 

(You should know, they provided me the journal free of charge, but they don’t get a glowing review based on that. The thoughts are my own.)


Feb
2016

Preschool Woes

categories: Being Mom

I was thinking yesterday about my a ‘parenting style’. Am I a Helicopter Parent? A Free Range Parent? An Unconditional Parent? No folks. I am don’t fit into those neat little boxes. I fit into my own parenting style which I call the ‘It Didn’t Occur to Me Parent’. Signing Mike up for preschool really confirmed that parenting style.

It’s a damn good thing my niece is a few months older than Mike, and my brother and sister-in-law are on top of things. If we weren’t following the path they made, poor Mike would still be drinking formula in a bottle because, well, it just didn’t occur to me to ween him off. My ADHD tends to put me on auto-pilot which isn’t always a good thing.

It didn’t occur to me that Mike probably should go to preschool this year. There was no email from the department of preschool or a knock on the door from preschool police. But then again, how hard could it be? As it turns out pretty complicated. When I went to preschool, there was only one in my hometown. No application process or required tours. There weren’t options like Montessori, co-op, or religious affiliation. And there certainly wasn’t a waiting list.

I had heard there were a couple of preschool expos where they all set up display tables and we could get all the information in one shot, so I decided to ask my local mom’s Facebook group how it all works. Here’s how THAT went:

“Not to make you feel worse, but most places have done their open houses and some of the more popular ones will probably be full soon.”  Yes. I do feel worse. And thanks for a non-solution.

“There was a fair scheduled last weekend at the college.” Great! Thanks! But that does nothing to help ME. 

“We elected to keep our kids in a home daycare until they are 4.”  I am glad you made a decision that works for your family! I am not sure if you are mom-shaming me or not, so I will just move on. Also, another non-solution.

“Registration for many schools started in January. Call NOW!!” I should also note, this response currently has 5 likes. I also currently have a stomach ulcer.

By the time I read through these, I was pretty sure Mike was not going to preschool this year and will never, ever reach his full potential. Although I will say, that there were a few helpful responses that didn’t make me feel like the world’s worst parent.

So S. and I took to Google and have narrowed a long list down to three options to check out. It seems they all have rolling registration so we can set up a time to tour them next month when life calms down a bit. Perhaps Mike won’t grow up and live in our basement because it didn’t occur to me early enough to register him for preschool.