For almost all of April I've had such a horrible time getting everything to work the way I think it should be working. I missed work, I wasn't exercising right, or eating right. I have slept horribly including waking frequently and early. I've been so stressed because my routines were just torn to shreds, but let's get some perspective... what really happened?

Cons:
1. Probably not only didn't lose weight, but added 1-2 pounds back!
2. Missed I think 3 days of exercising
3. Missed 1 day of work literally due to lack of sleep
4. Didn't eat great foods but real down fall was drinking too many calories (Pepsi!)

Pros:
1. Took care of and fed my mother nutritious and hot dinners for 10 days so my brother could go on a well deserved trip and get a break.
2. Spent an enormous amount of time and many hours working on a very high profile project at work, coming up with a fabulous approach to solve a major problem.
3. Cleaned up major sections of my house to host a small party for a group of lovely ladies.
4. Went through months/years of mail, filed 2 years worth of papers, and shredded many bags of old papers that I really don't need. Wow that was hard!
5. Emptied many old boxes sitting on stairway landing for over 2 years - shredded or recycled!
6. Walked/ran my first 5K getting a time under an hour (YAY!) of 56:11, had a fabulous breakfast with new friends and got to spend the entire time with my lovely DIL.
7. I tried all sorts of new things, from new foods to just driving on different streets without the world falling apart.

So while in the middle of April it has been a miserable month. I am best when I am doing my daily routine and don't take well to disruptions. My sleep, my exercise and my diet have all suffered. But all of the disruptions this month have been so I can accomplish other goals. So this very second I'm going to quit beating myself up for what I did NOT accomplish this month and remind myself that I didn't just sit in a corner... I was up and working on other areas of my life that needed attention. This is not a set back, this is a victory as I conquered other, sometimes very procrastinated, areas of my life!

In May my beloved routines will be stressed again as my daughter moves back home after a 4 year college absence. Let's hope she gets a job quickly and moves out soon (she knows I love her and it isn't personal -LOL).

How many times have I told myself to just breathe in April? In May my simple goal will be to remember to breathe and quit stressing if I don't achieve a perfect routine. Thank you FlyLady as you teach me about the dangers of the "P" word. My stress is a direct manifestation of my belief that I'm not doing my routines perfectly!

As long as those routines are replaced by other "active" activities (not sitting in my chair) then there is progress toward a new and improved ME!