Back From Camp With Updates (Changes 1-11)

I’m back!  I was at church camp last week - In fact, I was the camp director!  With more than 130 kids and more than 30 counselors to keep up with, I was busy, busy, buys, and now I’m tired, tired, tired.  But, it’s past-the-time for updates, so I thought I’d let you know how I’m doing.  (Be forewarned, it ain’t all pretty…)

Change 1 - Giving Up Sodas - Up until last week, I was doing amazingly well.  But, I must admit, the stress of the camp took it’s toll on me - and I’ve been drinking a little diet Coke.  I’ve only had a can or so a day, but that’s more than I really want to drink.  So, tomorrow, I’m back to all water.

Grade:  D+

Change 2 - Walking 45 Minutes - I’ve been at camp.  I walked everywhere I went, except for when I was zooming about in the golf cart.

Grade:  A

Change 3 - Keep Kitchen Counter Clutter Free - This one is kinda strange.  I’ve cleaned off the kitchen counter, but then we purchased a new wireless printer, and it’s sitting on the kitchen counter.  My wife approves, so I’ll consider this change to be “completed” and “closed”.

Grade:  A

Change 4 - Listen To And Learn Names - I’m proud of myself.  I’ve been doing a much better job of listening to people when they introduce themselves, and I’ve actually managed to remember several names.

Grade:  B +

Change 5 - Giving Up Candy - This one is a mixed-bag.  I’ve only purchased a couple of candy bars at the convenience store, but I’ve fallen in love with wheat thins crackers.  I need to completely rid myself of the candy bars, and radically reduce the number of wheat thins.  (Again, the stress of camp had a lot to do with my renewed desire for junk food.  Hopefully, now that life is back to normal, I’ll give the stuff up for good!)

Grade:  C-

Change 6 - Organize Email -  I must say, this one was pretty easy.  I simply forwarded four email accounts into one, created two address books - one for personal, the other for business - and deleted old and unnecessary emails from my Inbox.  Now, my email is organized and simple to manage.

Grade:  A+

Change 7 - Organize Closets - Again, this one was easy, too.  I simply got rid of some old clothes, bought a few hangers, put things where they needed to be, and in less than an hour, I was done.  Now, it’s just a matter of maintaining.  No big deal, really.

Grade:  A+

Change 8 - Perform Stretch Routine - Frank admission.  I have failed miserably trying to make this change.  I did the stretches once or twice, and then I got so busy, I stopped doing them.  (Notice a trend?  The non-physical stuff is easy for me, the physical stuff, not so much…)

Grade:  F-  (I’d give myself a ‘G’ if there was such a grade…)

Change 9 - Use GTD -  My schedule for the summer was already fixed, so I’m looking forward to implementing GTD once school starts.  Consider this change to be “on hold”.

Grade:  N/A

Change 10 - Be Early - Yes, yes, yes.  I have managed to be early for all of my recent appointments.  This feels so much better than constantly being late.  Rock on!

Grade:  A+

Change 11 - Delegate - I’ve managed to divest myself of a few responsibilities, but I still have a ways to go.  Hopefully, as I move forward, this one will get easier - but for now, it’s still very, very tough for me to ask for help.

Grade:  C

Side Note:  For those interested, I’ve made some pretty massive cosmetic changes to my main site, No Credit Needed.  Check them out and let me know what you think!

Change 11 - Delegate

I have decided that I need to delegate certain tasks to others - and when I delegate a task, I need to be specific about my expectations.

I like to “do things myself”.  But, with three kids, a full-time job, and several websites to manage, I’m too busy to do “everything” myself.  So, I need to do a much better job of delegating certain tasks - and ridding myself of certain responsibilities.

I plan to -

a.  make a list of my responsibilities

b.  remove items which only I can (or should) do

c.  delegate the rest of the items to others, who can do them better

Change 10 - Be Early

I have decided to be early when I have an appointment or meeting.

I like to think of myself as a punctual person.  But, for some reason, I’m always waiting until the last minute to leave for appointments.  Because of this, I often find myself stressed out and worried about being late.  Even when I have two or three hours to get ready, I still procrastinate.  But, this needs to stop.  So, from now on, instead of waiting until the last minute, I’ll be early.  This should lower my stress - and help me focus on my appointments, instead of focuing on the fact that I might be late.  As an added bonus, I can slow down, drive slower, and use less gasoline.