Changing Mindsets and Changing Seasons

And, just like that, summer is over. I can see the leaves changing already despite are still warm temps, and the grass is losing it’s green. It has not rained in probably two weeks so it’s true things are drying out. (Rain is coming hopefully this week.) The schedule is picking up, our calendars are filling up, the days are noticeably shorter, the nights a bit cooler, and you can feel a slightly cooler breeze when the breeze decides to blow. And all these things delight my soul. I have looked forward to Sept 1 for a long time.

We were going to have “one more last day of summer” today and have burgers and go get Mom and have her over. However, our kitchen sink, we have not been able to use in days, so we are eating out of paper plates and cups, eating take out or easy things, and not cooking. What dishes we do use has to be cleaned in a storage bin and done in the bathroom, which kinda grosses me out actually, lol. So we only have a few dishes here and there – few and far between. So Labor Day celebration dinner is off. The plumber comes tomorrow! I’m ok with it. I mean what else are ya gonna do? It is what it is.

So you make lemonade out of lemons and I’m using the day to finish a video and upload it, to decorate for fall, and film some of it, and so forth. It’s laundry day also and load one has run and it’s time for the reboot.

This Week’s Plans / And Things on the Radar

Here’s what is going on as of this week, not in order of importance:

*Fall Decor today and a bit of dusting and cleaning

*Plumber tomorrow

*Cleaning lady coming to Mom’s tomorrow – greatly needed.

*My sister has a major surgery on Wednesday and is in the forefront of my mind. Planning to go see her in the hospital on Thursday. She preferred me to come then instead of the day of surgery.

*Mom’s eye appt is on Friday and we’ll go out to eat

NO LONGER DICTATED BY MY TO DO LIST:

Since I’ve changed the way I do my to do list, I just really have an A LIST of things (priority list) that I can pick from to do if I have spare time in the day.

Those things are:

*Sanding a vase and spray painting it – my goal was to be able to decorate with it when I decorate for fall so I’m already behind on that

*Doing a different vlog topper for my YouTube Channel

*Finding a clutch purse, shoes to match my dress for the black tie event (we actually have that scheduled to go to the mall next week -so it’s coming up).

*Bucket List for fall – This one I’ll do tomorrow probably. The bucket list is ok to have as it keeps us focused as it hangs on the wall but it won’t be on my “daily to do list” or scheduled. It’s just an idea list for George and I and it lets us see what we have done and accomplished. (If a list is healthy, it’s ok, lol).

*Use the cracker barrel card

*Put desk notes into Notion – I’ve been wanting to do this for a long long time and I think it will be healthy for me to do it as it’s my thoughts, dreams, wishes (and yes more things for a list, but it’s a healthy list – things I want to do and keep track of, not to be controlled by.)

New Mindsets / New Perspectives

I want to look at my change in the way I do my TO DO LIST as a part of a declutter process. Think of it like a Marie Kondo project. That’s exactly what this rearrangement of how I do TO DO lists is happening. I’ve decluttered my daily TO DO List.

So let’s talk about this a bit. I’m refusing to say that the way I did my TO DO List was wrong. It DID serve me for a time, and it was what I needed, for a time. I needed structure these first few months of retirement. I needed focus. I wanted to be all the things for everyone and every facet of my life. I needed to manage the time and where it went. I needed to go through this process. And I’ve learned a lot from it. I’ve learned how disciplined I can be. I’ve proven it to myself. I’ve proven it to others. I have lost the need to prove anything to anyone now. I know what I can do and I know what I’m capable of.

Now I want to use the muscles of my brain “in the moment” to tell me what to do next. I want to experience the beauty and joy of deciding moment by moment how to do my day. I’m gonna forget some things, probably some really important things, but I’m gonna be happy and free doing it, lol.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not abandoning responsibility. As George puts it, “I’m managing my list instead of my list managing me”. I still have a simple to do list of the things that are really important and only listed as a check point, if I truly think I’m going to forget doing it. I can add a few things to the list each morning if I feel I need some focus points. But it cannot rule my day!

Look at me, I’m blogging more. I used to put that last and it would not get done. When I don’t have a long list my mind feels free and the day feels free and I say “hey, let’s do a little blogging this morning as I’ve got a little time to do it”. I am now free to insert things into my day that I would normally have ignored.

And that’s all she wrote for today. I am going to continue with a couple loads of laundry, finish my video, wash up some dishes, film the summer decor (before) and decorate and film that (the AFTER).

But first I must say this that is on my mind:

Thoughts on the YouTube Channel

More subscribers left the channel the last couple of days. I think I’ve lost about 20 this month. Views are down some too. And I’m not gaining subscribers but only here and there. I only seem to gain when I do things about decluttering. But I have recently vowed to just keep vlogging because that is what I want to do, just record our life, and engage with those that truly want to do so. Even if only 30 people watch, it’s ok. I can try to improve and provide more content that people want to see, but if you do that too much I lose me. I don’t really want to be an entertainer in a TV show, I just want to vlog! So it has to mesh. I also read where YouTube deletes a lot of subscribers periodically – ones that are abandoned or only created to leave a comment and then abandoned, or defunct emails. Something like that. I also think that you lose some at the change of seasons when everything gets busy.

I try not to think about it too much, but you like to see your channel moving forward instead of backward, especially when you put so much time in it. But, I get it. I’m kinda weird, quirky, don’t have it all together, not always attractive, not a blonde, not young, and not living in New York where it seems you have instant success (lol) but I’m a personal vlogger which is harder to get traction on unless you have a big life event, lol. I just have to be ok with this. But I may allow sponsorships to come into play soon because I spend a lot of time doing this and I put my personal money into it. It DOES cost money and Ad Sense does not always do well compared to the time put in. I also think YouTube algorithm will include me more if it sees I’m wanting to accept sponsorships also, so perhaps it’s a win-win for all to go through this door.

Since I’m ditching the To Do List format, it’ll open up more time for negotiation of contracts etc. Housework will be the main sufferer for this. I’m still pondering this, but leaning on the side of doing sponsorships. It will also allow me to be a little more creative in making my content which will also help the channel. But it could add a little more stress and a few more deadlines, but maybe it’s also just what I need. I’m still thinking on it.

Bottom line is that I am praying to God over my channel and so I have to trust that whatever happens is what is supposed to happen. I still very much want to continue it and to make it better and better and improve it, baby it, and to also give viewers the content that they like and want as long as it’s a vloggable type of content. I don’t mind being more creative and trying to be more story like in the way I present things, but God will help me if it’s bathed in prayer. So no worries. Wow, it’s also freeing to BLOG my thoughts a few times a week. It just flushes it out of my system. Very cathartic.

Anyway those are my thoughts for the day. Have a great week everyone. Happy Labor Day.