I must admit something.  I’ve never stuck to a New Year’s Resolution.  Therefore, I’m intensely proud that February has arrived and I’m still focused on finding ways to simplify my life.  I want to make life easier to live.  The smallest thing in life can turn into a giant burden.  So, I’m searching for anything I can do, not do, say, not say, think, not think…… that will make my life less complicated, less stressful.  My goal for the year is to find 365 things.  I started counting down and have made it to #341.  In this post I’ll bring the countdown to #335.  So here are a few more Things discovered this week.

Thing #340 – Multitask. For a couple of weeks now, I’ve put a big cleaning sponge in the shower with me and scrubbed the tub with my foot as I shampooed my hair.  I don’t seem to mind cleaning it so much when it’s not my main activity.  🙂

Thing #339 – Don’t Multitask. Sometimes at work I get so overwhelmed with so many things to do that I want to just throw up my hands and escape.  This week I learned to quit thinking about the long list and do just one thing at a time.  It’s hard – people will still come to you with all sorts of other needs and requests.  But stick to your plan.  Say to yourself,  “I’m not moving to anything new until task #1 is complete.”  I’m so glad I did.

Thing #338 – Have a Professional Do Your Taxes. Al has always taken care of this and I’m so glad he has always wanted a professional to handle this.  No burdens, no worries, optimum refund.  Services such as these are available to folks like us for a reason.  I’m happy to help them stay in business.  I should probably think about getting my nails done again to help them stay in business.  We all need each other.

Thing #337 – Delete apps you don’t use. The zillion apps on my iphone were sucking the battery from my phone, which in turn was sucking all my pleasure from having such a device.  So, I got “delete happy.”  (Similar to the “download happy” I got finding them all)  Now, all is well and my phone outlasts me.  That’s how things should be.  If all of my things could outlast me, imagine how simple and easy life would be.

Thing #336 – Build a website for your son. John David, my 3rd grader, loves Harry Potter.  He will compete at Jacksonville State University in a technology competition next month and is preparing a digital book called When Harry Met John David – A Story of How Literature Comes Alive.  This book tells the story of all the areas of his life that Harry has touched.  (Or at least the ones that we can fit into this book)  I created a wiki for him with links to all his favorite games and sites.  He has edited pages on his favorite characters.  We’ll embed the book when it’s done.  It’s one stop shopping for him.  For me?  Every mom loves to see her child blissfully happy.  And John David is.

Thing #335 – Buy whatever an elementary child is selling for a fundraiser. This week I bought caramel candy bars and they were super yummy.  Not long ago I bought a veggie chopper (which I find cuts pizzas better than the rolling thing) and next week I’ll buy doughnuts.  I don’t need any of these things but the kids selling this stuff need me.  I’m glad each child with whom I’ve done business knows that there is an adult in their life they can count on.

Still simplifying.  More to come in February.   It’s been crazy cold in the south this year, so I will be thinking about how to not think about that.  🙂