Dear Readers,

It has been 6 years since I outgrew my job as a homeschooling mom, and during that time, I have been running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Am I the only farm girl who actually knows what that looks like?!

Sounds weird, but until I heard about the "NO MATTER WHAT" list, I couldn't pinpoint why I was suddenly so less productive than when I was a homeschooling mom.

Sure, age and menopause have something to do with it, but readers, it was so bad I asked my therapist if perhaps I had ADHD and didn't know it until now. She told me absolutely not! Which led me to digging deep into what was going on, why was a usually very productive person, suddenly not able to get even the smallest amount of work done day in and day out.

And when I heard of the NO MATTER WHAT list, it was like light flooded my eyes and mind. Homeschooling was my no-matter-what for over two decades, and without it, I have had no real structure to my days. I was so used to fitting everything in life around educating my kids that when that job ended, I gained time, but didn't give it purpose.

So, what is a "no matter what" list? It is a list you make, of things that you need to get done, no matter what! It could be daily, weekly, or monthly. or perhaps a mix of all three. For now, I am focusing on a weekly list.

The list contains things you HAVE to get done in that time period -no matter what. No matter if you get asked out to lunch three times, the weather is not ideal, or your 20+-year-old child has a crisis and gets you wrapped up in it.

You get it done! Period, no excuses. (Okay, so if you end up so sick you can't get out of bed for days, I will let you off the hook!)

If you work a 9-to-5, that is your major no matter what, but that doesn't mean you can't have small ones like working out three times a week, or getting caught up on laundry by Saturday night -no matter what.

To give you a better idea of the power of this list, here are a few things of mine. List 10 items on eBay per week -no matter what. Put up a daily post on the Victoria Thrifts Facebook page -no matter what (I am trying to get it monetized). Make one reel per week for The Parents Flew The Nest -no matter what (also trying to get it monetized).

For now, most of mine are work-related, since I am self-employed and this list IS MY BOSS.

I also give myself a reward. If I do all my "no matter what's" by a certain time, I can spend an afternoon crafting, reading, etc.

The trick is NOT to have so many no matter whats that you can't in any way achieve them or have time to enjoy the reward of getting the list done.

For me, that means I am tweaking my list weekly. Was it really too much to ask of myself? Or was it too little? Balance is tough, and changes with what else you've got going on that week. I look at my appointments for the week, then adjust my list and print it out. I cross off completed items as I go.

Try it! Make a NO MATTER WHAT list. Start with one thing. Stick to it for up to 90 days before adding in more.

The Weather Is Heating Up, Here Are A Few Drinks To Keep You Cool

Watermelon is my favorite summertime treat, but I am picky; I don't like mushy watermelon. I used to suffer through it and eat it anyway until I perfected this recipe for Strawberry Watermelon Lemonade Slushies. Now I actually get a bit excited when the watermelon goes mushy before I can finish it all.

​My simple and frugal recipe for lemonade has won awards (well, just one in a school taste test by some friends' kids who live in Northern Canada, but hey, it is an award!). It uses two ingredients, three if you count water, and takes less than a minute to make.

(psst... a great cost-free way to help a blogger out is to pin their posts to Pinterest or share on Facebook)

Victoria

The Best Places To Interact With Me

​Victoria Thrifts Facebook Page - was the Snail Pace Transformations page. I renamed it.

​The Parents Flew The Nest Facebook Page - Pictures of our travels, that you can save and share to visit yourself.

A Great Way To Support My Work At No Cost To You

​ My Amazon storefront. (When you shop through my link, I earn a small commission.)