It's times like these you find out who your real friends are!
And the CLOCK is not my friend. Don't get me wrong we had a good run there for a while. She helped me to stay on task and get to the places I needed to go on time. But the funny thing about her is that she just doesn't understand what it was like to have kids! I would be trying to get the kids ready to go out the door and she would be staring over my shoulder asking me, "why are you taking so long", or screaming at me "you're late again." And out of nowhere her voice started to become my voice. I found myself saying those same things to my little one. I think she also got jealous because I wasn't always just paying attention to her anymore. This resulted in her trying to steal my attention from my kids when they needed to see my face. I would hurry and answer the kids from over my shoulder just to appease her, instead of looking kids in the eyes during some really important moments. At the end she even started to act like a dictator. Eventually CLOCK gave me an ultimatum: her or the kids and I said, sorry I chose my kids.
The TIMER though she is a team player. We both know we have a job to do and we work together to get it done. TIMER and I have an understanding she sets the 15 to 30 minute limit and cheers me on while I commitment my energy to getting our common goal done, be it cleaning or a home project. Then when the buzzer goes off we high five each other, say good game and move on with our day. And you know what she is great with the kids! They like having her around and she is teaching them self discipline.
And then there is SCHEDULE well she was a lot like her big sister the CLOCK so that didn't really work out either. In fact she was worse than CLOCK. She was CLOCK that put you in boxes!!!!! Need I say more?
ORDER mmmmmmmmm she is my bestie ; ) I love her!!!! I meet her when I unfriended SCHEDULE. She has brought so much peace and life into our day. When we first meet we sat down over a cup of coffee and chated for hours. She really seemed to care about us, and wanted to know about our family and it's unique design. Then she coached me through what an ideal day for us looked like. We talked about every step of the day from when we got up in the morning till we went to bed at night. And then, then she said the most brilliant thing to me. "Why don't you just take your ideal day step by step every day, then you will have the best day, every day." (wait it gets better) Then she said "Going step by step instead (looking over her shoulder whispering) by CLOCK, will allow you to be flexible and enjoy those 'never can be recreated moments' whenever they come your way." I mean WOW!!!!
TO DO LIST well she was nothing but a big nag. Every time I was in the same room with her she would just go on and on about all the things that SHE thought were important to do. And as soon as I would knock one thing off the list she would only add five more. She was kind of like CLOCK but greedier. She was never content, never said thank you, or I'm proud of you. Nope it was always why isn't this and that done yet. I just could never make her happy, so I ended it. Tactfully of course "It's not you, it's me."
But my girlfriend GOALS she is my cheerleader! She also limits her expectations of me. She knows and sees what I have to do in a days time, and respects it. Not only that she counts the kids as an important piece to the puzzle. GOALS also had a different more holistic perspective to what needed to 'get done' She was the one who gave me the catch phrase 'People 1st, Things 2nd'. So daily we come up with 5 goals to conquer together, and at the end of the day we celebrate our victories.
Bottom line what I have learned out of my day to day experience is, to drop kick those 'friends' that make you anxious, stressed, and worried to the curb. They are one sided relationships that are doomed from the beginning. Embrace those 'friends' that bring peace, encouragement, and hope into you life. Those 'friendships' will only get sweeter with time.
Well done!!! Love you :)
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