I don't plan an update on my Focusing on the Foundations progress every single week, but I will post periodically because knowing that I'll have to admit to failure is a significant incentive to diligence.
As you can see, by keeping my goals for the first week modest (i.e. just two), I've done all right. The dotted lines are where I should be to be on track for meeting my goals; the solid lines show my progress.
The 10:00 bedtime definitely required some discipline to meet, but I only slipped twice. Once (11:00) we had a guest for dinner, and were having such a good time I could hardly say, "Sorry, you must leave now; it's almost my bedtime." As with many rules, this one will no doubt work best if I allow exceptions—as long as they are truly exceptional.
With the other (10:15, though it was actually 10:09; the chart is denominated in 15-minute increments, with rounding) I learned an important lesson. There was a kitchen project I wanted to finish before going to bed, and I rushed around like a madwoman to get it done (almost) in time. But then I was so hyped-up I lay awake for another two hours, totally defeating the purpose of the 10:00 bedtime.
The history reading has been going well, largely because I take the book with me in the car whenever I'm not driving, though I have been able to find some other times as well, which accounts for being slightly ahead of schedule.
Because I only started the chronological Bible reading today, I've left off that graph, figuring there's no point in cluttering up the post with a depressingly empty chart. I'm only up to January 1.
I'll be adding more projects as time goes on, though not all of them will be as quantifiable as these. That's a pity, because the charts and graphs really do help!
I like your charts and you have given me some motivation. However, I know myself and after about a week, I would stop keeping track.
Maybe once I make my plans for the year, I can at least give it a try.
Sarah
A twenty-six hour day, eh?
Don't I wish! Actually, 26.00 stands for 2:00 a.m. I hope never to enter that number, nor anything close to it, but it has been known to happen, usually before trips. Anything above that I'm not going to admit to!
I certainly know the problem of lost momentum! My wild success and subsequent drop-off-the-map failure with the first organizational system that really worked for me is a prime reason for this latest effort: it was so great while it lasted (and it lasted over a month!) that I need to find a way to get it back and make it more sustainable.
I know most would say I spend too much time crafting and tweaking the charts and graphs, but I've had much success before with using them to keep me going with otherwise overwhelming projects. Success or failure will be all too public—which is part of the motivation, too—so you'll soon know how well it works on this more daunting project.
