Amber - More Progress

 Even as my main goal this is a hard one.  Why was it so easy to kick the phone out of the room yet so hard to go to bed?  Both were long standing habits that I enjoyed.  I'm trying a new thing this week that I'm hoping will help.  So part of the reason I was able to kick the phone out was because I was excited to have an electronic free room.  It feels good in the room and I sleep incredibly well.  You don't even realize how bad you are sleeping until you leave the phone out.  Anyways I need an incentive and I'm trying the incentive to get up and do fun things in the day.  I've assigned particular days to particular free time activities.  I'm also hoping the progress on my activities will reduce the need/desire to spend much time game.  Right now I am super excited to do things today, I just need to get my morning stuff done and I can plan my activity for the day.  So here are the goals

Goals:

• Alarm at 9:30 - wrap it up and go get ready for bed.
• Bed at 10 pm
• Rise at 7 am (alarm included)
• Have an activity every day that I look forward to having time to do.

Monday:

* I've been writing my spiritual thought here for several months now and it has changed my spirituality significantly.  Probably one of the best decisions I've ever made.  The scriptures are meant to be a guide for us in these last days and it has done that for me every day.  Sometimes I get the same thing as yesterday but it always helps me keep my focus on the spiritual and keeps the worldly from taking over.  Often times I get a course correction.  I thought that having revelation every day would mean something new every day and that would be too much because I'm still working on the same goals.  However, that has not been so.  Each thing I've gotten has contributed to that same goal.  D&C 128:19 talks about how how the gospel brings gladness, mercy, truth for the living and the dead, and great joy!  This is true for the things I get from the scriptures rarely ever make me feel bad or sad, even when it is a course correction, but almost always make me happy.

• I got up at 7 and started doing things, success!
• I barely did any sewing because my mom and Aubrey came.  I started hand sewing an 18th century hussif for my jewelry, which is a roll up carrying case.
• I stayed up and played and talked with those people.

Tuesday:

* In section 42 I noticed a thing I'd not paid attention to before.  It talks about some of the things you can do by faith and then it says for those who don't have the faith to do those things but still believe shall have the power to become the sons of God.  Sometimes I wonder about my own faith and how often I feel like it is falling short but even if that is true so long as I keep believing and trying then I am still acceptable before God.

• I woke up later than I meant, I forgot to turn my alarm to the correct hour.  However, I'm still determined to do some fun stuff today.
• I did a little bit of medieval sewing today.
• I stayed up again visiting.

Wednesday:

* D&C 42:61 says "If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things-that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal."  I feel like I've been experiencing that over time since I've been writing my thought here each day.  I've read the same stuff over and over and I find new things.  Since I've been trying to find something new or not I've got a lot more stuff than previous.  Granted most of it isn't new stuff but sometimes it is a new perspective or a clearer understanding on something I already know and that is just as good as a new thing.

• I woke up at 7 despite my late night and I started getting going.  Though I will confess I feel sluggish so I need to sleep on time tonight.
• Today I just did research for my project.
• I stayed up again this time fighting over lucky charms.

Thursday:

* Verse 42 stuck out to me probably because I have decided to spend less time on the computer games and more on the sewing and other activities.  "Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread nor wear the garments of the laborer."  I have so far this week really enjoyed spending more time on my projects, though I will confess I've hardly got any of it actually completed because of visitors, despite that I've enjoyed it.  If I can get the bedtime down and get going in the morning then I will be even more successful.  I feel a lot better about myself when I'm not spending hours every day on computer games.  Another section describes what happens to those who are idle.  D&C 68:31 says the idlers grow in wickedness, don't seek earnestly for the riches of eternity, and are focused on greediness.

 I'll confess I do lose my focus a bit when I play too much.  Also I struggle more with weaknesses when I play more.  Oh and I have a tendency to spend more money on the games I play if I'm spending a lot of time on them.  So it looks like I've ticked all three boxes, yep I need to spend less time there and more on productive things.

• I am on the period and I stayed in bed for a couple hours or so.  I even got breakfast in bed!  Thanks Mom.
• I have started a planner for my costuming in which I lay out my project desire for all of the specific things I'm planning on making.  Today I worked on adding drawings of those projects.  It is really nice to have a visual instead of it floating around in my head.  I don't know why I never did this before.
• I got to bed at around 11, earlier than usual when someone is here so I am somewhat pleased. 

Friday:

* So going back to 42, verse 61 says you will receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, and will know the mysteries and things that bring joy and eternal life.  That sounds really good to me but the thing that stuck out was the little part before.  It says "If thou shalt ask".  This not only means that we can get all these things if we ask but that we are supposed to have those things.  I've had questions that I've never heard answers to but I've always said "one day I'll know that stuff but I don't need it right now."  Maybe I don't but the scripture doesn't say ask in the next life, it just says ask.  That means I can and should have those whenever I am ready to ask about them.

• I woke before my alarm and did actually stay up and start doing things.  I am having some strong cramps so I'm doing things slower than I'd like but I am doing things so that feels good.
• I was going to color paperdolls today but my printer wouldn't print the right intensity, and I discovered that the dolls needed some tweaks, then I remembered that my colors were all out of order.  So I fixed all three of those things and tested colors before I went to bed.
• I was in bed at around 11 again.

Saturday:

* My thought was more of a feeling.  Section 44 is the Lord giving the church instruction to organize according to the laws of the land so that the enemy can't use that to destroy them.  I also read in 2 Nephi chapter 4 about all the things the Lord had done for Nephi and all the things he could do to protect and prosper him.  The Lord does the same for me, he has a specific plan that will keep me safe from the enemy and prosper me in this life and the next.  All of the things I'm asked to do and all of the trials I'm faced with are part of that plan.  So it makes sense to follow him when he asks and really do the things I'm asked instead of questioning them or trying to go my own way.  It isn't just a good way it is the best way chosen specifically for me.

• I'm so excited to do things today.  I didn't actually get to sleep until after midnight so I turned off my alarm but Grandpa woke me up anyways therefore I was doing stuff at around 7.  Hopefully I can still do the things I wanted to do today.
• I sewed up Chad's medieval cotte.  I was so surprised today when he tried on his braies.  I put them on when I finished them and they didn't feel right but since they were made for Chad I thought I'd better try them before I attempt any changes.  I assumed I'd have to change them because I probably did something wrong.  However, they fit perfectly and he said they were super comfortable.  His cotte also fit fantastically well, it looked really correct for the period.  I guess this is what you get when you use actual historical patterns instead of the big commercial patterns which have often been altered so they actually don't fit you like they do the model in the picture.
• I did terrible today, I was up to almost midnight watching the end of the mandalorian.

Sunday:

* I didn't read today.

• I got up late, almost 9 due to my late night.
• Only hand sewing today.
• went to bed before 11.

So I feel like this week has been a challenge.  So many people visiting while trying to get to bed on time is an extra obstacle.  This next week looks to be free from extra stuff for the most part so I'm hoping to get some consistency.  I'm really wanting to get up early again.  The good thing about this weeks change is that I've noticed a significant focus on the things in this world versus idle time in my head.  I'm going to keep this up.  Also I am making some actual progress on my projects despite the extra people which means that this week I could get even more done!