It's Monday!

Hello! It's Monday all over again.  Are you ready for me to start mooning about all this amazing fall weather? Consider yourself warned. 

I've officially taken the day off today, though that hasn't really stopped me from working around the house. But the pace has been just perfect, with a little cleaning and then a little resting. More resting than cleaning.

And then I made chocolate chip cookies. Because (ahem) Alyce really wanted them.

How was your week? Around here we've been busy getting back into the routine of school, a routine that has served this family very well. Morning have been smoother, bedtimes easier, and moods generally relaxed. And I forgot to mention that I cut off all my hair, a move inspired by a mess of long tangles that was trying my patience on a daily basis. I'm happy with the change. It always feels so good to do something different (says the woman who changes her furniture around on a monthly basis).

This week is a bit calmer than last and I'm eager to sit and work on some brainstorming projects. I've been reading a ton about different approaches to goal setting and I'm wanting to spend some actual time making up a plan. The other day I saw that someone described themselves as a "goal-setter" (I can't for the life of me remember where I read this) and I loved that title. If I am anything I am a goal-setter. It's more than just making lists, but about seeing my world as a place in which I can accomplish things that make my life better or bigger or even more delightful. This is what's on my brain this week.

Another week, another list:

• I finally received my copy of Gretchen Rubin's book on habits from the library. I can't wait to finish it. My goals for the year are so intertwined with changing my habits. (But I guess aren't all goals about working alongside habits that work and against ones that don't?)

•  I wrote my manifesto on eating, I've been reading my gluten-free cookbooks, and now it's time to think practically. There are recipes to be scribbled out, grocery lists to make, and defences against the lure of crusty bread to be established. It's a big week. I'm hoping to channel both creativity and stamina.

• Not smoke. It's time to try this again. (And again, until it works.) I've been quiet here about my non-smoking success because frankly I haven't had any. I've tried a dozen times and always started smoking again by the end of the day. Aristotle tells us that "we are what we repeatedly do," so even if I haven't mastered this non-smoking business yet, I keep trying because each time I don't smoke it is a commitment to my goal. (I am clearly very committed.)

That's enough for this week. What about you? What is the most important task on your to-do list this week? What will you do to ensure that you complete it?

Be well!

xo

P.S. I'm officially working as a postpartum doula with Toronto Family Doulas! Here is my introduction over on their blog.