I am terrible at following through with projects. A couple of years ago, my New Year’s Resolution was to complete all the projects that I started. How did I do? Well…I basically ended up thinking twice before I started a project and I ended up doing significantly fewer projects that year. New projects excite me, but I mostly like thinking about what the end result will be. Unfortunately, I often don’t get much beyond that dreaming stage.

For example, a few weeks ago I attended an informal class taught by a friend about Lasagna Gardening. I came home all fired up about setting up a lasagna garden for our family. And, I was going to do a whole series about it here on Blissfully Domestic! I got as far as the first layer (cardboard and newspaper) and I took some pictures and then…well…it hasn’t gone any further than that. So now I have an area in my yard that is covered with cardboard and some stacks of newspaper (being held down by some heavy plant pots). You know my neighbors are just thrilled with me, right?

And speaking of layers, I’m also a pile maker. I have piles of papers and items that are “important,” that need to be dealt with, that truly have a useful purpose. And then more important, more time sensitive, and more useful items get piled on top of those. The next thing I know, one of my kids is asking for a form that was supposed to be filled out and turned back in to the teacher (it’s about halfway down the pile) or the coupon that I really wanted to use has expired (because it was at the bottom of the pile) or those notes I took about that really neat idea for a project….you see where this is going right?

“I’m going to be more organized!”

“I’m going to follow through with this project!”

It’s a frustrating and an erratic cycle.

BUT, it’s who am I. I am a dreamer. I am a procrastinator. I am an idealist. I am easily distracted. Instead of fighting against who I am, I try to embrace it. We’re taught to show grace and mercy to others, yet we need to extend it to ourselves occasionally.

A wise woman once told me that at the end of each day she asks herself two questions and gives two responses:

1. What was bad? Think of a way to improve it for tomorrow.
2. What was good? Give thanks.

And you leave it at that. No second guessing, no “should haves”, no “buts,” no “I can’ts.” Just thankfulness and the desire to improve.

That is how I am blissfully domestic. If I’m constantly tearing myself down about the things I do wrong, I’ll never see the things that I do right. If I’m always wishing for things to be better, I won’t see the things that are already good.

Will the garden ever be finished? I hope so. And if it is, you’ll read about it here! Will my piles finally be eradicated? Again, I hope so. But for now, at least I know where I put that coupon… maybe?

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