I have a new love in my life!  And it's okay my hubby knows. And even though he doesn't share my enthusiasm, he's cool with it!

You can check out the details and get your own if you want.  But this one, is all MINE!  hee-hee

I picked one up at a Paper Source.  This is a paper lovers haven.  I'm not too crafty so I pushed past all that rest of the store pretty easily, but this stopped me in my tracks.  I mean look at it.

Gorgeous!  It's everything a calenday should be, but up til now, none have compared.  I know, I told you I was smitten.

One thing you should know about me, I love things big!  Hello - I have 7 children.  I drive a 15 passenger van.  I'm 5'9" tall.  I don't do things small.  And my lovely calendar is no exception.  It's about 8' wide and 3.5' high.  H-U-G-E.  

What do I love about it?  I'm glad you asked.

You see all those colored post-it notes?  Each one of those is a reminder for me.  Post-it notes fit perfectly in each square.  (BTW- Post- it notes can be pricey.  I get mine at the .99 cent store- You're welcome)

Pink post-it notes are a deadline

Yellow post--it notes are  "fun"

Blue post-it notes are hubby/children related

Here's how I use my calendar.

1. I have an upcoming event- (ex.-my daughter's birthday.)

2. Wirte it on a post-it note

3. Place it on the correct date on the calendar

4. Observe what else might be happening around that time.

5. Count back 3-4 weeks before the brithday to decide how we want to celebrate.  If needed, create a meeting with my hubby (new post-it note) to talk about what we want to give the birthday girl.  Make a note of our ideas in my journal.  And make a special note to include any expenses for our monthly budget.

6. 2 weeks prior make any reservations needed for our family celebration.

DONE!  I then transfer the dates, deadlines, ideas, meetings to my carry in the purse calendar.  (My brand new thing is to enter them on a Google calendar.- we'll see how this works. )

This makes me feel SO empowered.

Far too many times I would feel like events snuck up on me.

I would enter birthdays on my brand new calendar at the beginning of the year.  But I would only look month-to-month.  I would end one month, flip the calendar, and BAM!  Some important event was happening like the next day.  I would have almost zero time to prepare.  I would feel so rushed and panicky.  I absolutely hated that feeling.  I started to dread flipping the calendar each month.

With this calendar, I can see the whole year at a glance AND put things on it.

If you are a visual person, I highly recommend this calendar to you.  

I know it's big.  Maybe you have a hallway that could become your planning center.  Mine is on my bedroom wall.  When I sit on my bed, it helps me to look ahead and see what coming up each week.  It also is a prompt for Ron and I to talk about future plans.

Who knew a calendar could make such a difference?

How about you?  

What tools do you use to keep your family moving in the same direction? 

photo credit: the camera is a toy. via photopin cc

Do you ever find yourself saying things like

"My house is a mess because I have children"

"I can't possibly eat healthier food, I'm always on the go"

"I can't dress cute, I have small children"

Any of these sound familair?  C'mon, it's okay to admit it here.  

I'll definitely raise my hand and say I've said these and SO much more.  I mean afterall, at the time these statements are sincere and they seem SO legit.  But the truth is they don't help us at all.

I will go one step further.  They not only don't help us, they hurt us.  

They help us legitimize our lack of action, or commitment, or discipline.  They are simply BFE's.

Big Fat Excuses

These big fat excuses show up anytime we decide that we want to do something better.  

If we decide that we want to get up earlier.  Within a few days something will happen to throw you off course.   And before you know it, the BFE's will show up.  You'll find yourself saying things like - I tried getting up earlier, it just doesn't work for me."

There was a reason you were trying to get up earlier.  Maybe you wanted to have a quiet time of study before the day started.  Or maybe you wanted to rise and dress before you put on your "mommy hat" for the day.  Or maybe you wanted to get a jump on some project and thought the early morning quiet might be just the time.  

Whatever your reason, don't let your BFE's get in the way

BFE's only show up at 2 times-

Day and night!  No. Seriously.

1. When you're physically tired.

Whether that's from a long hard day, or a short-term illness.  The physical drain is what's key.

2. Or when you're emotionally drained. 

When you've got a lot on your plate.  When you have a ton of decisions to make.  When you feel like you are being pulled in a bunch of different directions all at once and all you want to do is take a nap.- that's the moment I'm talkin' about.

The key to eliminating BFE's and their horrible effects on your life, is to never 'evah  'evah evaluate your success or failure at meeting your goal when you are physically or emotionally drained.  Either of those two times will cause you start making excuses faster than my teenage son can send a text.  And trust me, that's fast!  

The problem is that once you make a BFE, it takes a HUGE amount of effort to overcome it's effects on your motivation.

So if you want to start winning your battles.  If you are ready to be more disciplined.  If you desire to raise your level of commitment, then be on the lookout for BFE's.  And remember, they are NOT your BFF's.

What's one of your most common BFE's?  

What's seems to stop you from upping your level of commitment?