Author: Cheryl Wilcox

Time Management?

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About a Boy. Have you seen it? This movie has a memorable scene in which Will, played by Hugh Grant, explains how he manages his time. Being a student of time management for two and a half decades, I found this a clever script. The character, Will, is a self-centered loner who enjoys his lifestyle, and doesn’t seem to worry about wasting his time.

I love it.

I can relate because I have felt extremely busy this fall, and I have thought…

How did I ever have time for homeschooling?

Today, I am thinking… Can I commit to blogging?

Of course I can. I would just need to make it a priority. Write it down in my planner and follow through. I penciled it in for Tuesday night, then erased it. I guess I won’t commit.

This is how I’ve been spending my time.

In September, my sister and I planned an 80th birthday party for my father. I did a lot to prepare for it, and my brother, Mark, and my niece and nephew came up from Tennessee to be here for it.

672 units.

Movies, mowing the lawn, helping kids with homework, banking, and rides, going with parents to doctors’ appointments, shopping, workouts, home maintenance, meetings, prayer, reading, eating, sleeping, and showering.

1,344 units.

A weekend in East Lyme, Connecticut in a rented house with Bobby’s family.

144 units.

Driving to New York City, then flying to Singapore with Bobby, seeing as much as possible in 3 days, and the return trip home.

384 units.

Catching up from being away for 10 days.

120 units.

Planning, decluttering, and organizing the basement, bringing a truckload of trash to the dump and a carload of boxes to the Salvation Army.

192 units.

I’m so disappointed. I really thought this post was going to be about time management. Once again, I’ve been compelled to account for where I’ve been in the last two months, and what I’ve been doing. I’m getting sick of these catch-up posts. And I’m not even adding photographs, which makes it even less interesting. I think the only solution is for me to blog more frequently. This may require the use of my time management skills. Ha! Now I’m back on track.

For all of 2025, I have been using a combination of a planner and the Sidetracked Home Executives index card filing system for time management. Without getting into the details of how to set up the index card system, I will share something I am learning about it.

Each day, I pull out the small pile of index cards, which include my morning routine, bedtime routine, and various activities or tasks that I am planning to do throughout the day. I spread them out on my desk, and as I complete a task or a routine, I file it in the box in front of the date that it will be used next. So my morning routine will get filed in front of tomorrow’s date. My food shopping card will get filed in front of next Monday’s date. And so on…

What I just realized, is that it is possible, and often happens, that I have more cards in the pile than I have time to complete in one day. Or I may have too many cards on a certain day, that I often can do in a day, but because of commitments, I can’t complete on that particular day. So I have started to add up how long the cards will take to check if I’m being reasonable with my expectations. If I get up at six, and I want go to bed at 10 o’clock, I only have 16 hours. I’ve also been giving myself about three hours extra for all those unexpected things. Phone calls, texting, kids wanting to talk about stuff, etc.

At the end of the day, I can look at what cards I have not completed and ask myself why. Did I have a good reason to skip that card or was I procrastinating? Was I led to do something more important?

Instead of using units of 30 minutes each, (as in the movie), I use hours. I’ll say: morning routine, two hours, Mass, 1.5 hours, desk tasks, .5 hours… I also look at my planner and add things that are happening that are not on index cards, such as Mary getting her braces off, 1.5 hours.

So this is what I’m currently doing to manage my time. I’m going to add in a blog post card, try to get an accurate time estimate for it, and see how it goes.

Reflections on My Homeschooling Journey

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A selfie I sent to my daughter, Hannah, on June 13, 2025, to show her I tried on her Role Model Diva sweatshirt. She told me I should get one so we could match. (I felt happy that she wanted to match me.)

June 13, 2025 was the last day of my homeschooling journey. It ended quietly. And then summer began with traveling, and included our traditional summer activities. It went by fast. And then it was the first day of school, but not for me. (It turned out not to be for two of my daughters either. A water main break gave us five more days of summer.) Nevertheless, I felt a sadness, and wondered why.

I don’t have a desire to homeschool anymore, and I’m looking forward to having time to “catch-up” on some of the things I put on the back burner while I was busy homeschooling. I read a few articles on retiring, and found one about life after homeschooling. And then I wrote in my journal.

Lord, I know this is a process. I’m going to feel all sorts of feelings. Please be with me through it. Guide me. Hold me. Show me the way. A friend of mine said, “Cut yourself some slack.” I am listening, Lord.

I acknowledge that what I did was a big accomplishment. Only those who have done it really know. And you know, Lord. It took Grace, and I thank you for supplying it. You gave me grace to persevere. I may have some regrets. Things I’m not proud of. Impatience, anger, anxiety… But there was good too. Patience, love, compassion, hard work…

It has helped me grow closer to you, which is best of all, I think. I learned so much. Why am I sad? What is the loss? Second chances.

I can’t have a do-over. I can’t get the time back. I can’t relive the good past memories. It’s the end of an era. I can’t get those babies and little kids back. I can’t have younger me back.

I used to love to scrapbook, to host Bible studies in my home, to study nature, to make reading nooks. I was a teacher, a tutor, a coach… I researched educational philosophies, traveled with little ones, participated in co-ops… I was an educator, a planner, an organizer, a writer, a blogger, a catechist… I wanted to do such a good job.

I kept trying. I didn’t give up. I tried to do what was best for each child. I tried to pay attention, to learn more, to do it right, to find the best way, to make a difference. I had so much hope each year, each morning, each day. I loved them SO much. I wanted them to love learning, to love our home, to experience things, to love you, Lord. To know you, to trust you. To have a true education. Sometimes I wonder if I did enough.

Maybe I wasn’t a good model, a good example, and I wasn’t holy. But I did the best I could at the time, and life continues. I am still their mother. We are still here. Only the “school” part is changing. I can continue to educate myself. To grow in faith, hope, love, and other virtues. To grow closer to you and hopefully do your will. To listen to your leading me.

So maybe I was a little melancholy the day I wrote this. I can get that way sometimes. Maybe it’s all part of the process of letting go. Maybe this is why people have retirement parties. To celebrate, and have some kind of closure. And when people graduate from high school or college, we say, “Congratulations! You did it!” Maybe this post is part of my closure. (And so is unloading homeschool curriculum, which I’ve been doing for a month now, and I’m almost finished.) This post is my celebration.

Yay! You did it! Congratulations! Oh, the places you’ll go!

Why, thank you.

September’s Habit of the Month

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This month I’ll be working on what the FlyLady calls the most important routine of the day: the Before Bedtime Routine. It’s her Habit of the Month for September, which I think is an ideal time to focus on it.

After a summer of late nights and skipping this habit because I’m “too tired”, I’m ready to be more disciplined. I’m ready to add some structure to my evenings to make them a time to prepare for the next day, and to improve the transition into an earlier bedtime.

This is what mine looks like:

  • Food plan (for the next day, in MyFitnessPal)
  • Tidy the kitchen (do dishes, load the dishwasher, run the dishwasher, a.k.a. “Shine My Sink”)
  • Tidy the living room
  • Check my planner
  • Look at my index cards
  • Start my to-do list for the next day
  • Lay out my clothes for the next day
  • Get ready for bed (brush teeth, p.j.’s, etc)
  • Examen, night prayers
  • Read
  • Lights out by 10:00 pm

That looks long as a list. It’s only on four index cards. I estimate that it takes about an hour. I need to test it out to see if that’s true. And of course, I would need to get started pretty early if I want to read for a long time. I’ve really gotten away from doing this regularly. My shortcut is run the dishwasher, tidy the living room and hop into bed.

I’ll report back here in October with the results.

A Slowing Down Pep Talk

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A staircase below a food court in Soho, NYC

I’m home again! Blogging on my hammock in the backyard. I will likely be home until mid-October. New York City with the six teenagers was fun. (I’ll show some pictures without people in them to protect their privacy.)

On Wednesday night we ate at the Carnegie Diner. I think we watched the new episode of The Summer I Turned Pretty when we got back to the apartment.

The next morning, I wrote my previous blog post and we didn’t go out until the afternoon. (They slept-in and takes a while for seven people to get ready with one bathroom.) We went to Brandy Melville and edikted, which were clothing stores I didn’t know existed. Then we went to two thrift shops, one that was crazy expensive and another, called The Reshop, which was decent. I think everyone was tired by that point, so we returned to the apartment and we had takeout for dinner. (V & T’s… our favorite nearby Italian restaurant.) One of Hannah‘s friends wanted to work out, which was cool because it also got me to work out. I hadn’t thought of it and didn’t bring workout clothes. The girls sang some karaoke songs, we went to Times Square, and ate gelato. When we got back to the apartment, I stayed up late in my bedroom while they stayed up late in the living room.

On our final day, Friday, I worked out again with Hannah‘s friend, and nobody was ready to go anywhere until it was time for us to bring two girls to Grand Central Station. On the way back, Hannah and I bought a couple of rolls of toilet paper because we ran out. 🤣 I took a long time eating and packing and cleaning the apartment before we left at 5 o’clock. And it was a long ride home. I’d do it again though. I forgot how fun it was to be a teenager. When I look back, I usually forget about sleepovers and going out with friends, and singing and dancing and giggling. I usually remember the angst, and the mistakes. What’s up with that?

Yesterday, I spent time with my other kids, my mother, and then my father and his partner Cheryl. And now I’m resting. I’m trying to do not much of anything. When I was journaling earlier, I wrote: too busy to pray = TOO BUSY. As you probably know, the reoccurring theme of this blog is “slowing down.” So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m remembering my priorities. I’ll do some weekly planning, making sure to plan to do “first things first.” And if there’s not a lot of white space in my planner around the “first things” and the “have-to’s”, then I’ll lower my expectations about what I can accomplish this week.

Here’s a meditation that I have always liked:

It’s not about getting loads of things done, it’s about doing the things that I believe God wants me to do. And how would I know what those things are, if I’m too busy to listen?

Be the tortoise.

Looking Back, Looking Ahead, and Being in the Moment

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A view from Ellis Island

I’m writing from New York City. It’s quiet here this morning, so I thought I would take some time to write. Bobby is at work, and Rachel, Hannah, and four of her friends are in the other room. I am sure that some of them are still sleeping because I don’t hear any talking. We arrived yesterday. Hannah and her friends stayed in the apartment with Bobby, who was working remotely, and I met Rachel and three of her friends and their moms for lunch and a matinee. Mamma Mia!

The show was great! I’m not sure what Hannah and her friends want to do for the next two days. I know there are some stores they want to visit.

Last week was our family vacation. Because our children are teenagers and adults now, and many weren’t sure if they would be able to take a vacation with us this summer; we decided to spend a week in New York City instead of booking somewhere else ahead of time. Bobby and I ended up coming to New York with Sarah, Rachel, and Mary.  Here are some highlights and photos from the trip:

  • Anne Frank exhibit
  • Little Island, where Sarah played Billy Joel‘s Vienna on a piano
  • Walking on the High Line (where I thought I was going to die because it was in the 90s and we didn’t want to spend whatever the exorbitant price was on water… we walked til I nearly dropped)
  • The Godfather at Bryant Park
  • Liberty Island
  • A hardhat tour on Ellis Island
  • Hamilton (10 year’s old now)
  • Stranger Things: The First Shadow

We were very tired after the busyness of the first couple of days, so we stayed in the apartment for most of the last half of the trip and watched some movies (Freaky Friday, Minecraft, The Parent Trap, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) and we binge watched Stranger Things.

The girls and I watched The Summer I Turned Pretty episode of the week, and we played Payday and many games of Sorry!

Bobby, Sarah, and I worked out in the gym. Unfortunately, I have not worked out in about a week. In between the two New York trips, I was pretty busy. My father-in-law was in the hospital when we were away. We visited him at his home on Sunday and he is doing OK. I brought my father to an ERCP on Tuesday and that went well. They removed a stent he had put in when he was in the hospital when I was in Vancouver.

So, once again it’s been a busy summer. A mixture of work and fun times. Some worries and stress, and some peace and joy. It went by so fast. School begins next week. I know my calendar is looking pretty full, as it usually is at this time of year.

My perspective on life seems so seasonal. I wonder if this is part of my personality… to reflect on things so chronologically. I am a thinker. Summer used to be my favorite season when I was in my 20’s. I was quite the beach lover. But for many years now, my favorite season has been fall. I’m looking forward to more structure and order, and cool, crisp, blue sky-bright foliage days.

It’s also a tendency of mine to think a little ahead too much. I don’t want to think too far into the future, but I often think about the next few weeks. Sometimes, I overwhelm myself. The best thing for me to do is to stay in the moment. Just for today, I want to listen and be present.

Thoughts on Projects

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It’s Sunday, a good day to rest. Today I am reflecting on the past week. It started out with my trying to live a more orderly life, and ended in a flurry of activity. I think what got me off track was a project. I have a tendency to lose myself in projects. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. In this case, I was taking advantage of momentum.

Let me explain. I have four projects that I’m working on this month. I post them on the chalkboard in my kitchen to constantly remind me of what projects I consider to be the current priorities.

On Thursday, I decided to work on the preparing for St. Mary’s High School project; specifically, I wanted to find school uniform pants for my daughters. It turned out that we have hand-me-down pants that will fit Mary. Hannah needs new pants. I also thought that I would help Mary to remove some of the stuffed animals from her bed (and declutter or organize all the ones in her room) and get her new bedding, since hers was kind of old and worn. After a trip to the mall, where we didn’t buy any pants or bedding, but bought new pillows and some closet, organizing tools, Mary and I started organizing the dolls. This somehow turned into an all day declutter and organize the whole room project. I felt OK about it because they were motivated, and though I wasn’t planning on doing this anytime soon, it is part of the third project on my list: home assignments. That project involves decluttering and finding homes for all the things we are keeping.

On Friday, I finished decluttering my bathroom and the living room, and then my daughter Rachel, asked if we could declutter the school room. That’s what we call a large room above our garage, where we used to all homeschool, and what is currently Rachel‘s bedroom. You can see it in the room tour, but it didn’t look anything like that on Friday. (Why didn’t I take before and after pictures?) Anyway, just imagine piles of books, clothes, games, DVD’s, nail polishes, and papers.

I couldn’t say no to someone wanting to declutter with me! So we methodically went through the room clockwise, discussing all of the items we picked up, and either keeping them or putting them into one of the boxes: GIVE AWAY ( to donate or sell), PUT AWAY (belongs in another room), KEEP – STORAGE (is going somewhere in the basement), TRASH, and PAPER TRASH. I will go through the books at another time and I have a cabinet of photos, memorabilia and scrapbook supplies that will become another project someday, but we consider the room finished. I think we worked till about 11:30 at night I was all-in.

On Saturday, I had plans in the morning, but in the afternoon I worked on the dining room and my kitchen desk area. Then I was too tired to do anymore.

If you’ve read this blog, or know me in real life, you know that I’ve been trying to “finish” this decluttering and finding a place for everything project for years. My father keeps telling me that I will never catch up on home maintenance. I think he means that there will always be chores to do and something to fix. I agree with him on that. But I envision having a place for everything and everything in its place. I desire to have every room maintained as well as I would if I was going to put the house on the market. I understand that when I get to that point, I will need to continue to fix things when they break and to do chores daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and annually to maintain it. But I’m not giving up on my goal of getting to that point.

I think I see this project as similar to my transformation challenges. (In which I followed a strict meal plan and difficult, time-consuming strength training workouts, along with cardio, for eight weeks or more.) Both require a large commitment, and a lot of work. They seem overwhelming if I look from where I am at the beginning, to where I want to be at the end. But if I just take it one day at a time, and do the next task, I make progress. Over a period of time, I can reach my goals. The extreme, tedious actions are only temporary. Then, I can maintain what I have achieved with good habits.

At the beginning of 2024, I wrote three posts on habits, routines, and resolutions. This is my post on projects. I am thinking about how I can work on my projects in a more balanced way, without giving up my habits, routines, and resolutions.  I also see the value in going “all-in” with a project when you’re in the mood and when you have willing helpers.

I think my next post will be about systems. I’ve been tweaking my current system of index cards and a big fat planner. I’d love to write about it soon.

Time to Breathe Deeply

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Monday-Saturday was all about getting things done. Check. Check. Check. But it wasn’t the satisfying feeling of calmly, methodically, working through a to do list. It might have looked that way on the outside, but inside it felt more like the “putting out fires” and “running around like a chicken with its head cut off” kind of accomplishing tasks.

And now it’s Sunday, a day of rest. A time to breathe deeply. To inhale and exhale. To journal and to sit still. A time to think: Hey, I want to do this more often.

“There’s one word that identifies people that are living a good life and that is ORDER. An orderly life.”

Fr. John Hardon

Hmm. I think I’ll try some of that.

On Sundays, I do “weekly planning”. This week I’m planning to wake up at 6:00 a.m. each day, and to go to bed at 10:00 p.m. A consistent bedtime and rising time would be orderly. When I get up at 6 o’clock, it gives me time to complete my morning routine, which includes journaling, and sitting still, and breathing, among other useful pursuits.

I’m planning to work on my index card activities before moving onto projects or recreation, because what is written on those cards are my priorities. They are spiritual practices, self-care endeavors, and tasks related to my vocation. I will try to leave some white space on my calendar, or margin, as some people call it; so I don’t feel anxious or rushed.

This morning, I watched a documentary about Saint Ignatius Loyola and I wrote down this quote:

“The well ordered life is centered around the worship of God.”

This is really the way to not feel anxious or rushed. To pray and be led. To be aware of the presence of God and to put all my trust in Him, rather than relying on myself. Pushing myself to get things done drains my energy, whereas resting in Him gives me life and peace.

Summer and the End of Homeschooling

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Lake Washington, Seattle

Ah, the beauty of summer…

I’m ready to write, but this isn’t gonna be another catch up post. Or… is it?

Bobby joined me as I completed another eight week body transformation challenge. We followed the meal plans, and did the same workouts, sometimes together and sometimes separately. Joseph was in Guys and Dolls. My father was in the hospital for about a week. He seems to be OK now. Bobby and I spent a week in Vancouver, and a week in Seattle. I’ve been mowing the lawn, bringing my parents and children to doctors’ appointments, driving Hannah back-and-forth to her summer job at Six Flags, and I prepared a lot of Italian food for our triple birthday party. The girls and I have been watching The Summer I Turned Pretty together. This week I am super motivated to declutter, and I’m starting to sell homeschool curricula.

OK, that catches me up. Now I can tell you why I thought I’d be blogging more frequently, although it has not come to pass. This past June, I finished homeschooling. As in… I have finished 20 years of homeschooling my six children! Sometimes, it doesn’t feel like a very big deal. I knew it was coming, and it happened gradually. At one time, I was homeschooling six children, and then it was five, and a couple of years later it was four, and the next year, it was three. Eventually, only Mary was doing school at home. And this September, she will be going to high school.

But on the other hand, this will be a big change for me. It’s the end of something that was a very large part of my life for a very long time. Many days, I have grieved the loss of those little ones, and my younger self, and those simpler (but not easier) days. I do not regret any of it. Well, there are things that I wish I would’ve done better, but I understand that I could only do things to the best of my ability at the time. I’m so grateful for my experiences, and especially, for experiencing this way of life.

I see that school supplies are out in the stores now. I have memories of years of stocking up on dry erase markers, and crayons, and notebooks. I remember the excitement of beginning again in a clean schoolroom with sharpened pencils, new books, and big plans. Pushing my Walmart cart by the end caps, I feel sad for a couple of seconds. I really miss the laughter of those little kids…

But it passes quickly. I prefer to stay in reality. Those days are gone, and I am blessed to live the life I’m living today. And there’s always the excitement of not knowing what the future will bring. I expect it will be good.

I imagined I’d have so much more free time when I came to the end of homeschooling. In June, I thought I might write here a few times a week, but so far it’s like any other summer. Five of my children are still home. Three of them are adults and two of them are teenagers. I’m close with my parents, who are divorced, so I usually see them separately. My days are still filled with meaningful work and building or maintaining relationships.

I’m starting to tackle some projects. One of them is selling homeschool curricula, which is a part of the organizing the basement project. I’m starting another whole house declutter, and finishing up with assigning homes to all of our possessions. And there are lots of tasks that crop up such as covering my blueberry bushes with netting, fixing the tent that was damaged in the thunderstorm, taking Hannah to open a checking account at the bank, and going to the eye doctor. And there are loads of books I want to read…

Maybe it’s time to do a time assessment or a brain dump. I gotta sort out my priorities. And I need to pray. And sleep. And I hope I write about it all really soon.

Spring 2025

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Mt. Baker, WA (photo taken in BC, Canada)

I know I keep saying I’m gonna blog regularly, and then another whole season goes by in silence here. So, once again, this is my catch-up post. I have a good feeling about posting more often in the future, and I’ll explain why in my next post. Right now I need to write about:

March

Hannah’s high school performed the play, Shrek the Musical. She played one of the three little pigs, and one of the three blind mice. Rachel’s boyfriend was hilarious as Lord Farquaad.

April

  • Bobby and I spent a weekend in Manchester Village, Vermont, at a beautiful, old hotel called The Equinox.
  • Sarah performed in various choral concerts
  • We celebrated the Easter Triduum with Holy Thursday Mass, the outdoor living Stations of the Cross, and the Easter Vigil. We had our traditional breakfast on Easter Sunday morning, and dinner with family at our house.
  • During April school vacation, Hannah and I traveled to Boston to see a Role Model concert, which was really fun.
  • Mary and I spent some time in New York City with Bob, who was working in Midtown. We checked out the Macy’s flower show, took a ride on the Staten Island ferry for the first time, and saw two plays. Maybe Happy Ending was amazing. I’d see it again. Redwood was just OK, in my opinion. The main draw was to see Idina Menzel in person. I got a really bad cold and spent a lot of time in the hotel room.

May

  • I went out to lunch with my father and my aunt to a local restaurant where Sarah was playing the piano for a tea party.
  • A new pope was elected.
  • Rachel and Hannah went to the junior/senior prom with their friends. Many parents came to our house to take pictures and we took a lot of of them!
  • Mother’s Day was super. I visited my mom. (Forgot to take a picture.) Bobby and the girls worked out with me, and then we played tennis, with Joseph too. At night, we ate Chinese food out on the deck. Matthew and Anna, and my father and Cheryl, joined us for dinner. Then we started watching Anne of Green Gables: the Sequel, but we haven’t finished it.
  • Bobby and I began another transformation challenge. (I’ll write more on this in another post.) I’ve been preparing all the food for our weeks on Mondays. Sometimes we’ve worked out together, and other times he’s working out in New York while I’m working out here. Having him do it with me has helped my motivation.
  • There was a really busy week that included Hannah‘s art show, my nephew Ed’s spring concert, my nephew Patrick’s senior night baseball game, and Mary’s 14th birthday.
  • I did another day trip to Boston, this time with Bobby, for our niece Phoebe’s graduation. We left early in the morning. We ate lunch there, walked around Boston, visited the aquarium, and had dinner at an amazing restaurant called “The Table.” We were served a seven course meal. Eight courses, if you count the bread at the beginning! It was nice to spend time with Bob’s family from Washington state, and also the members from our hometown.
  • My father had his annual Memorial Day picnic. I wore my bathing suit, but did not go in the pool.
  • I helped my mother with her third wrist surgery. This one was more extensive and also more painful for her. I slept over one night and we had a very nice time talking with each other longer than our usual visits.

June

  • On June 7th, Bobby and I celebrated 28 years of marriage. He met me at the train station in NYC, we took a subway to the apartment where he had flowers waiting for me. We worked out in the apartment gym, took a long Uber ride to JFK, had a lovely airport dinner, and flew to Vancouver. It was fun spending the day together. After that, he worked, and I enjoyed the perfect weather. I went biking around Stanley Park (the Vancouver one) twice! I saw a bald eagle for the first time (in real life). I took a bus and ferry tour to Butchart Gardens and Victoria (the capital of British Columbia). I walked all over downtown Vancouver including stops at English Bay Beach, Sunset Beach, Gastown, Granville Island, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary, twice! Good times.
  • We celebrated Father’s Day with a cookout, corn hole, and sitting by the fire pit at night. My dad and Cheryl came over, as well as Bob’s dad, Matthew, and Anna.

Now I’m all caught up, just in time for summer!

On Being Indecisive About What Books to Read

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I own loads of books that I want to read, but have only a little bit of time each day for reading. So isn’t it great that I’m using some of the time I could be reading to write a blog post about it?

Seriously… I know that writing and talking with other people often leads me to clarity of mind. So let’s get started.

First of all, I read for different reasons. One of the reasons is for enjoyment, entertainment, fun, or whatever you would call this. There are authors that make me smile, and worlds that I love to imagine. I also like to read to learn, or to be inspired, or to be more convicted about ideas. I think it’s my reading to gain knowledge that is causing my current trouble. More specifically, I want to study books about my Catholic faith in a methodical, focused way in which I start a book and then finish it before starting another one. Recently, I’ve been picking up a book when I’m in the mood and then not finishing it.

My “Currently Reading” list in the Goodreads app is proof of this. I am currently reading 11 books. One of them is an audiobook that Mary and I are listening to together. Of course, I will finish this and start another one. Another is a devotional book that I will finish. Two of them are fiction (for fun) books that I will gradually finish. The other seven are the “learning” books I picked up and left hanging. It’s interesting to note that three of them are rereads. For some reason, I picked them up again and didn’t finish them.

I know that this indecisiveness is the result of fear of making a wrong decision. I want to use my time wisely, so it’s important that I know which books are the absolute best ones for me to read. I also want to know the exact order in which I should read them. I can’t have any “holes” in my knowledge. This is clearly perfectionism and unrealistic expectations. I’m not using my time wisely when I research the crap out of stuff and avoid making a decision.

One night, I spent some time looking at book lists. And some of the books on them didn’t interest me. So there’s that. There were some nice book lists that had many of the books I owned on them. These were obviously books that I was interested in reading, because I either bought them, or received them as gifts. Somehow, I went from looking at book lists, to purchasing a book called How to Read Your Way to Heaven. (It was one of my snuggling with my phone in bed nights.)

For about two weeks now, this book has solved my “reader’s block” problem. 

I’m following the One-Year Program (Year 5 of the Five-Year Program) that will result in me reading the entire New Testament, Christian Prayer (Part Four) of Catechism of the Catholic Church, and 12 spiritual books that are related to prayer.

This is very doable. I haven’t timed it yet, but it’s supposed to take about 30 minutes a day, five days a week. I feel great that I started, and I have a solid plan for a minimum of weekly reading. I am sure that I can plug away at my Goodreads list on the weekends.

Indecisiveness and perfectionism comes up in other areas of my life, such as: what I will do for exercise, what meals to cook, what clothes to wear, how to decorate my home, how to organize stuff, and so on. Sometimes I think I just need to make a decision and get going on it. Making a decent decision (maybe not the best ever) is better than making no decision at all. I recently heard this advice regarding exercise: Instead of doing “all or nothing,” try doing “all or something.” I like that.