Thank you very much, YeamieWaffles, for pointing out the fact that I haven't really discussed my goal plans with the new followers I've gained. I've left you all a little lost.
If you'd like to read my former posts on the subject, you can find my first post, Becoming Great, or read up on the list on my page entitled 2013 Goals.
But if you'd just like a quick recap, I can spell it out pretty quick. Basically, I've tried to be a writer and consistent in a lot of activities throughout my life, and I've failed at all of it, over and over again. This time, I dedicated myself to building a base for accomplishing my dreams, and determined I wouldn't give up until I had everything I had ever wanted.
To that end, this year's goals are about building habits and skills that will help me reach my future goals and get my writing career on track at last.
Very admirable sentiment, right? But it wasn't solid enough to be a real plan. I needed something big and easily understood to come back to again and again when I wanted to see where I needed to go and what I wanted to accomplish.
So I created a list of 16 things I wanted to add to my life by the end of the year. They are:
- Exercise, stretch, meditate, and work on my writing every morning & every evening
- Journal, stick to a budget, & write a poem daily
- Blog daily
- Clean & organize environment
- Set diet (list healthy choices, count calories consumed & calories burned)
- Learn to cook healthy alternatives
- Sketch something daily
- Write daily (x amount of words daily on main project)
- Improve posture (Alexander technique)
- Learn Spanish
- Learn belly dancing
- Improve my Walmart work performance
- Start composting
- Study anatomy
- Learn chess
- Study classical literature
I've reached number 7 and become a little stunted in my growth at the moment. Which is no wonder, when you realize that I've started this life change only 3 months ago and have already tried to cram half the list into my life.
I think I might have overdone it.
But my premise is still effective. I believe I can slowly integrate great change by adding small changes over time. And each addition to my life has proven incredibly enriching. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed broadening my horizons. Of course, it's also a little scary.
But then, what's life without a little fear?
My store is doing inventory this Tuesday. And everything is just one giant mess. There is no possible way we can get everything ready for inventory by Tuesday, especially as busy as the store has been lately.
It seems to have come down to a matter of priorities: What has to get done and what should get done, but probably won't.
That's the attitude I feel everywhere I go in the store. It isn't just my departments feeling that way. And when I sat back and evaluated, I realized that this exact attitude has spilled over into my personal life as well.
I'm just so tired! I feel that way all of the time. I need sleep, I need rest, I need comfort food, I need to escape into pleasure novels and television shows. I may still be doing the bare minimum required to keep my goals moving forward, but I feel like I'm losing my grip on it all because of the exhaustion I feel.
So, it's come down to priorities: What in my daily schedule has to get done for me to keep going and what should get done, but probably won't.
I don't like that. But that's the reality of the situation.
When I realized what was happening, I wanted to crack the whip and get myself back on track immediately. But that only lead to more feelings of failure and ineptitude. So, I've decided on a new approach.
I'm going to allow myself a bit of a break. I'm going to do the bare minimum until Tuesday, and then I'm getting myself back on track.
I know I can do it, if I can just beat this exhaustion! I'm having a lupus flare, and this inventory madness is only making me feel more frazzled and weak. I genuinely do need all the rest I can get.
I hope all of you out there aren't ashamed of me. But I want to stay on track with my goals, and I believe that accepting (and learning) from failures is one of the key ways to do that. I haven't quit just because I'm tired, but I am going to lower my expectations until I have more room to address the problem.
This time, I won't quit until I'm done.
I may be a good writer now. But I'm not great. And I desperately need to be great. I believe my key to greatness is criticism.
If I want to grow, I'm going to have to ruthlessly work on the things I'm bad at. I've been tackling the consistency problem I've had, but it's time to identify other weaknesses in my writing and start targeting those behaviors, too. Only by identifying them and working through them can I hope to get better.
I know I can do it. For once in my life, I finally view criticism as a good thing, instead of a self-esteem bashing. I have to use it to grow, instead of viewing it as some kind of proof that I'm not good enough as I am. That's my path to greatness.
So, if any of you readers out there can identify where I need improvement, I'd dearly appreciate it. I'd also appreciate it if you know of any sites where I can join and have my work critiqued by other writers. I'd like to start working on my writing in full force now.
I'm going to need YOUR help to do it.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, did not write a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed.
- Stayed on my diet.
- Cooked my lunch and breakfast and dinner.
- Drew.
I sometimes seem to forget why I'm making this change. And when I realized that today, it made me realize something else as well. I have spent so much of my time both on and off this blog talking about these changes I'm making that I've forgotten to mention the why of it all.
A serious oversight, to be sure.
Why am I doing all of this? Because I'm a writer. It isn't my occupation, it isn't my hobby. It isn't just my passion. It's my life, who and what I am. Writing has defined my entire existence. Not just the act of writing, putting words on the paper, but the act of creating. Creating worlds, characters, stories. I've done that since I was a very small child. And I can't imagine a life without it.
That's why I'm doing all of this work. That's why I'm here. I want to be an incredible author. I want people to read my work for generations. Not because I'm egotistical. I may want to be special (who doesn't?), but I've had this driving need to share my worlds and stories with people since before I understood what money and fame were. I need people to see what I see. I need to give them a glimpse into my mind.
I've struggled to share my world inside my head since I was a kid. And other people never seemed to get it quite to the degree I needed them to. At first, I wrote it off as impossible to communicate, but still I itched to share.
And then I decided to do something about it. I worked on my writing, trying to share once again.
It didn't work out that well.
My work was creative and vivid and incredible. But the writing just wasn't good enough to communicate what I wanted to communicate to other people. Nor had I learned how to create a complete story from the random ideas and worlds that were in my head.
In short, it sucked. But it had potential.
My writing has improved since then. Not enough, still, but I continue to get better all the time. I've learned to piece together stories from the pictures in my head. Stories other people can see and understand almost as well as I can.
It's the writing I need to improve. I'm good with words, but I'm not great. And I need to be great. That's the only way I'll be able to truly communicate my worlds. It's the only method I have to share it all.
And sharing my worlds is my reason for being. I've known it my entire life. That's why I'm doing all of this. Because I have to share my worlds with everyone, or I'll have failed to fulfill my purpose.
If you can't tell yet, I don't like to fail.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed.
- Stayed on my diet today.
- Fixed my lunch and cooked my breakfast.
So today I started my seventh goal for this year: drawing something every day. And, let me tell you, this one is going to be interesting.
I've never been very good at drawing. Not since I was a very small child. People would look at my work and ask me what in the world was that with this truly horrified look on their faces. After the extensive rejection of and mockery for my work, I told myself I just didn't have a knack for drawing and quit. But I always looked on others that could draw with envy and longing.
I wanted to do that, too.
Well, here's my chance to try. Maybe I don't have a born gift, but according to Talent Is Overrated, no drawing gene has been found in the human genome as of yet, and it seems a little crazy to think there will be.
But my eye isn't very well-trained. And my thoughts keep getting in the way. But I can do this. I can learn how to draw. I just know I can.
I started tonight at learntodraw.com and I have to say, it's quite interesting. I think I might have a shot at this, after all. I just have to try my best, and I can only get better.
Here's hoping I can be something of an artist someday.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed and did a load of dishes.
- Stayed on my diet.
- Cooked chicken for lunch and breakfast and fixed my lunch for work.
- Worked on drawing today.
I was thinking to myself on the way to the hospital to see my mom and I realized something. I have an incredible superpower.
Unfortunately, it isn't something cool like telekinesis or technopathy.
I have the amazing ability to create worlds and characters and stories in my head. I can go anywhere I want to, just by thinking about it. I can feel any emotion I want to, have any relationship I want to, be any person I want to, just by imagining it. I'm incredibly creative, and my brain never stops wanting to create something else. It churns out ideas at an unrealistic rate.
But I don't do anything with it.
I spend most of my time inside my imagination, creating and pretending and building inside my mind where it does no one, not even me, any kind of good. I read books and watch TV in a strange attempt to direct my imagination so it doesn't go directions I don't want it to. And then I do puzzles and play games so that my brain's too busy to create, just to turn it off for a while.
But I never use my gift, my superpower, to benefit. I've tried writing, tried to make it direct my imagination in a constructive fashion. And I fell head over heals in love with the method. I found that writing opened up my imagination in ways I never dreamed. And it directed my focus, so that my mind didn't wander.
But then I grow bored. I want to move onto something else. And the book is never finished.
When I started the series I'm currently working on, I determined that wasn't going to happen this time. And it hasn't. It's been around 2-3 years since I first started designing this novel and I haven't allowed myself to get distracted yet.
I've decided, though, that the only way I'm ever going to see my superpower benefit myself and others, is if I direct it towards my goals mercilessly. I can't allow myself to imagine and create whenever and wherever I want. I need control.
Control is one of the few things I don't find easy to create.
Small periods of control are easy. It's the long-term that I can't seem to manage. But this new life change is all about changing that. Shaping my mind and my life the way I want them to be.
So that's my next concentration. I'm going to continue on with my goals (drawing daily is my next goal and it starts on 4/25), but I'm going to do so with an overall thought in mind: I want the ability to turn my superpower on and off at will.
I refuse to let it rule my life. It's time for me to take control.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed and did some laundry.
- Kept to my diet.
- Made pizza and lots of vegetables and fruits for lunch.
Happy anniversary to me! Yay!
It amazes me to see how far I've already come. This day marked the 2-month anniversary of when I started this life change and the difference between now and then is simply incredible. Maybe not as far as I hope to get in the future.
But still amazing, regardless.
And my blog! My last blog, it was amazing if I remembered to update twice a week! And it died a natural death because of that. But this blog I've kept posting each day for 1 whole month!
I feel silly and a little giddy. Even though today was a terrible, grueling day at work and my body is terribly sore from yesterday's strains, I'm excited about it all. I feel as though there is no struggle I can't fight and win, no trouble I can't take on to get where I want to go.
My life has officially become what I want it to be. And I'm going to make it work, shape it all into the life of my dreams. I will succeed. I can feel it.
I'd like to take this chance to thank any and all of you out there who have been reading this and following me on this incredible journey. And a special thanks to Mark, for taking the time to encourage me along the way. Blogging each day would have been so much harder without you, Mark. At least I know someone is out there.
Thank you so much. It feels good to know I'm not alone.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed.
- Stayed on my diet.
- Made juice with my juicer and fixed my lunch for work.
Are you interested in meditation? I've found it is the most useful technique in dealing with your problems, and even in discovering problems you never even realized you had.
Here's why I think you should try it:
1.) Meditation reduces stress.
Meditation has been shown in scientific studies to reduce our reactions to stress. And who doesn't have a stressful life, nowadays? If you ever feel a little overwhelmed by work, family, and your goals, meditation is a great way to unwind and get back on track.
2.) Meditation is good for your mental health.
I've found that my meditation has helped me explore reaches of my mind I didn't even know existed. By sitting and observing my thoughts, making them as vivid and detailed as possible so I can truly see all sides of them, I've found a lot of the problems I've had in pursuing my dreams were really all in my head.
And simply by dealing with those mental issues, I've been able to grow past them and pursue my dreams.
3.) Meditation can improve your physical health.
Meditation will improve your health by strengthening
your immune system, reducing your blood pressure and lowering
cholesterol levels.
If you're someone like me, who comes from a family of "sickies", this can be a life-saver. I also have extremely difficult health issues and meditation has been proven to reduce inflammation - a problem I have troubles with in my psoriasis and lupus.
4.) Meditation improves your sleep.
It's been shown that meditation can actually improve your insomnia and help you feel more rested after sleeping. However, in scientific studies, it has also been shown to make you a lighter sleeper, as the mind is more active.
5.) Meditation can slow aging.
Studies into the effects of meditation have shown
that the regular practice of meditation can slow the aging process. The
biological age of long term meditators is thought to be less than those of
people who have never meditated. They think this is caused by the fact that meditation helps to reduce the
body’s production of free radicals. Free radicals are organic molecules
that are responsible for aging, tissue damage, and possibly some
diseases.
Do you want to stay younger for a longer period of time? Then meditation is for you!
6.) Meditation promotes positive thinking.
You may think this is just an extension of good mental health, but I think this deserves a number all its own. Because how many negative thoughts have you had today? A hundred? A thousand? More? Did you get angry at someone in traffic? Frustrated with a coworker? Complain about your job (again)? Upset with your spouse or child? Now, track how many negative thoughts you had over the course of these emotions...
If you're anything like most people, you've had a lot of negative thoughts. Some of them are so bad, you'd never voice them aloud even if absolutely enraged. But meditation can help you control your thoughts much better, and thus promote positive thoughts over these negative voices we see so much of every day.
7.) Meditation improves concentration.
You're sitting in absolute quiet. You are focusing on one piece of your body or mind and everything else ceases to exist. If your mind wanders, you gently guide it back to the matter at hand without judgment or anger.
This is the very definition of the term 'concentration'. If you have trouble concentrating (and who doesn't in our modern world), then meditation may be the solution for you. And we all know that I prescribe to the belief that focus is one of the key factors to a successful life.
8.) Meditation makes you less bothered by the little things.
Remember yesterday's post? Well, meditation encourages you to look at the big picture more, without becoming overly concerned with the small details. Messing up and eating a small piece of cake on a rare occasion doesn't hurt your overall health -- consistent choices are what influences your health. So, if you are eating that cake every day, chances are you're hurting the overall picture. But an occasional slip-up?
That barely affects the big picture and meditation helps you see that. Connections begin to make more and more sense in your mind. And as I believe the ability to see the big picture and how it all connects is the greatest gift mankind has, I think it's well-worth encouraging!
9.) Meditation can improve your ability to connect with other people.
While meditation can seem like the ultimate form of self-absorption, at least one kind of meditation can improve your compassion (and thus your connection) with other people. It's known as loving-kindness meditation.
And who doesn't need a good boost to their social life?
10.) Meditation helps you feel more grounded.
Meditation brings you into the moment of now. It's a very different feeling, especially if you're like me and constantly dreaming of a possible future. Bringing you more into this moment right here is an excellent way to help you get more done, as you can't act in any other moment but right now.
I encourage everyone to meditate for at least 10 minutes every day. It's a great way to get your life and mind under control, and to learn more about yourself than you ever realized was available to know. If you're interested, check out Headspace or Calm.com. They can get you started towards a more relaxing and fulfilling life.
That's what they've done for me!
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed and did a load of dishes.
- Started my diet change and bought groceries for my next week.
- Didn't cook anything yet (got home from work with my groceries at midnight).
I'm so sorry for the poor quality of the video, but I can't afford a camera, and for my many mistakes. I hope I get better as I do this more.
Oh, and please excuse my general dishabille. It's been a long day.
For those of you who do NOT wish to watch the video, here's a quick overview of it:
This blog post is to address the fact that there are some things in life we should change about ourselves, i.e. the things we don't like, and then there are things we shouldn't change at all. And since I've spent so many of my blog posts discussing what I don't like about myself, I thought it'd be a nice change of pace to list the positive things I find in myself.
And today was a great example of that.
I went out with a friend today. She recently was injured at work, her head being smashed between two objects. Because of that, she lost her memory. That's right, I know someone with amnesia.
In a single swoop, this girl lost everything she had ever known. The very idea sends a chill down my spine. I can only imagine how much she's suffering right now.
When someone at work was bad-mouthing my friend the other day, I surprised myself by speaking up for her despite the fact that it meant confronting someone. I don't do confrontation, but in the case of defending my friend, I did it, anyway.
And that surprised me.
But not as much as my actions today surprised me. When a car was coming toward my friend while we were crossing the street today, I instinctively stepped in front of the car, blocking her from harm. And I angrily stared down the driver of the vehicle, daring them to try to get through me to hurt her.
Life had hurt this girl enough as it was. Enough was enough. If someone had to be hurt in that moment, it was going to be me. She was not going to have to suffer something else on top of all she's already going through.
That amazed me. I never thought of myself as the type of person who stands up for justice or righteousness. But I did it. Right then. When the moment came, I did it.
And I'm awe-struck by that fact.
Do you, too, have something about yourself that you actually like and find positive? If so, list it in the comments below and tell us all about it.
Two Announcements:
1.) I will be integrating my diet change and cooking healthier alternatives into my schedule beginning Thursday, April 11th.
2.) I will begin jogging 3 days a week from now on, eventually moving myself to a 5 days a week regimen.
Thank you so much for listening if you did, and for taking the time to read this, even if you didn't listen. Have a good one and don't forget to get out there and do something!
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today. Jogging day #1.
- Wrote in my journal, kept on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog. Video blog post of week DONE.
- Made my bed and cleaned my car out.
I read about a study in a book I read not so long ago (Change Anything), and it said something about diets that has stuck with me ever since. In this study, scientists tested each diet against a control group to see if it really worked. And their study showed that almost all of the diets worked...for as long as the people stayed on them.
Problem is, few people ever do.
We all have seen this story for ourselves. Woman or man hates their body and decides to change it. They go on a diet and exercise regimen and lose pounds quickly. And they keep them off. For a little while.
And then they slip. They skip an exercise routine. They cheat on their diet. And the pounds start coming back. The more they gain back, the more they eat and the less they exercise. They've already lost; why keep fighting the battle? Their new body quickly deteriorates until they've gained more pounds than they originally lost!
Sometimes this cycle repeats itself over and over and over again, causing more health problems than the supposed diet was supposed to cure in the first place.
When I was a little girl, I decided I was never going to diet. I didn't believe in the stuff. Dieting made people unhappy and cranky, and I wanted to be happy, dang it! How in the world could skinny ever be worth unhappiness?
Well, I still feel that way. In fact, I think fad diets are evil and are causing more obesity in our nation than they are curing. But then, why is a diet in my life change plan?
Because I want to change my diet. Not go on a diet. I want to eat healthier, in a more sustainable manner. I want to feel good and accomplish my goals, not fit in a swimsuit better. Sure, that'd be a great side effect to a healthier diet and exercise regimen (what girl wouldn't want that), but that's not what this is about.
This is about being happy. This is about making my dreams come true.
And no where in my dreams is there room for debilitating illnesses and health problems that hold me back from doing things. I need my health more than anything if I want to get somewhere in this life change of mine. So, starting on 4/11, I will be beginning my own diet plan. It won't be a fad diet, nor will it be a starvation diet. This will be a complete dietary change for me. A lifestyle change.
It will be based off of the dietary research I am currently doing. Extensive reading into how the body and nutrition works is the only way I can see making this work how I want.
And this will work. Just watch me.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on my writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog today.
- Made my bed today.
I read on the Change Blog (a wonderfully informative blog for anyone who wants to change) that you should create a goal book outlining your plans to change. I nodded my head in agreement when I read it and used the notebook I had already been using to outline my goals, naming it my goal book.
And that was that. Or so I thought.
But the thought remained in my head. When I went to work, I continuously looked around for things that might help me on my goal, with no specific thoughts in mind. I just looked, thinking how each thing could be used to develop my goals and whether the benefits could offset the price.
And then I saw a zipper binder on sale for $3.50.
I immediately flashed back to my 8-year-old self. I used to carry around a zipper binder my mom bought me for school, dreaming about filling it with wondrous information that would make my dreams come true. I'd show it to other people and awe them with my incredible abilities. And I'd become something special, all from the power of that beautiful zipper binder.
Of course, that never happened. But it was a dream of mine, and since this new change is all about making my childhood dreams come true, I decided to use the money I had budgeted for my goal plans on a Goal Book.
As soon as I finished preparing the notebook, I felt like a giddy child again with my school binder. This notebook was going to make my dreams come true.
Which is childish nonsense, of course. I will make my dreams come true. But this binder and all it contains will help me get there. And that is certainly something to be excited about.
A Goal Book is a notebook where you plan your goals to a close degree and keep active track of your progress. Those that use such tools have been shown to stay on track towards their goals more often, bounce back from setbacks easier, and accomplish more overall. People who want to lose weight are encouraged to keep a notebook keeping track of their meal habits and their exercise regimen. Those who wish to get organized are encouraged to create lists of what they want to accomplish.
It's all related. So my Goal Book is here to help me stay on track towards my goals and I can honestly say it's already helping. In fact, it's amazing.
Do you like the idea of a Goal Book? Maybe you should make one for yourself. Who knows. Maybe it'll help you make your dreams come true.
Daily Stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and worked on writing twice today.
- Wrote in my journal, stayed on budget, and wrote a poem today.
- Posted on my blog.
- Made my bed, picked up in my room, did some dishes, and did laundry today.
Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.
-William Shakespeare
Or, in more modern terms, some people are MADE to be great. We can't all be born that way, and with my low achievement past, I'd say I wasn't. But that doesn't mean I can't ever be.
I can make myself into whoever and whatever I want to be. Which brings me to why I'm here, tonight, starting a new blog.
I want to change my life.
Who doesn't want to change a thing or two in their lives? And we all swear that someday, we're going to do it. We're going to pursue our dream profession; we're going to exercise more; we're going to eat better; we're going to work harder at our jobs. But we'll do all of those things tomorrow.
Well, my tomorrows have come and went and no change has been seen. I still haven't finished my books, I still haven't become a regular, steady blogger, I've never kept to an exercise schedule, and I've never believed that I even COULD stick to a diet regimen. My financial situation is nothing short of abysmal, and if I don't change something quick, it's only going to get worse. Not to mention, my messy house just seems to grow messier.
I've beat myself up over these lack of achievements for years, and still gotten no where.
But this is where I change all of that.
I'm going to take a stand, now, before my life has passed me by without my ever doing any of the things I've always dreamed of. And I'm sick of hating myself for not being "in control" or "disciplined" enough to make what I want happen.
But it isn't a lack of control. It isn't a lack of self-discipline. I have those things in spades, as I've proven time and again as I've turned down drugs, cigarettes, and gratuitous sex.
So, why do I have control on some things, but not in others? Well, I've trained myself in how to deal with those situations, I have the skills and personal motivation required to address them, I am friends with people who support my beliefs in those areas (even if they don't always share them), and I stay away from situations and things that would push me towards giving into temptation.
Unfortunately, I've done the opposite when it comes to my other goals.
So, to change, I'm learning new skills that apply to these goals, concentrating on my motivation whenever I am tempted, and surrounding myself by encouragement and an accommodating environment for change. And now I'm making myself socially accountable through this blog.
Here are my goals for this year (2013):
- Exercise, stretch, meditate, and work on my writing every morning & every evening
- Journal, stick to a budget, & write a poem daily
- Blog daily
- Clean & organize environment
- Set diet (list healthy choices, count calories consumed & calories burned)
- Learn to cook healthy alternatives
- Sketch something daily
- Write daily (x amount of words daily on main project)
- Improve posture (Alexander technique)
- Learn Spanish
- Learn belly dancing
- Improve my Walmart work performance
- Start composting
- Study anatomy
- Learn chess
- Study classical literature
I've already been at the first one for almost a month now. (will be at 4 weeks tomorrow, actually) without missing a day. And I've begun integrating the second, third, and fourth. I have to remind myself to start slowly, but those first four are so important that I can't feel right in putting them off very long.
Well, in case you haven't guessed yet, I'm starting this blog to catalog and encourage myself towards changing my life. And, in some part, I'm doing this with the hope that someone else out there who also wasn't born great will read this, and maybe be inspired to start achieving goals of their own. Who knows? Anything could happen, right?
That's what this is all about.
Daily stats:
- Exercised, stretched, meditated, and wrote both in the morning and night
- Wrote in my journal and began designing my budget for the coming 2 weeks.
- Blogged for the day.
- Cleaned the kitchen and bathroom, did laundry, and picked up in my room.
