So, How Did I Do?

For Ten on Tuesday last week, I made my list of things I would do if I had an extra hour. Each day during the past week, I consciously tried to stop wasting time, thus making time to actually get some of the things on my list done. I did not completely stop wasting time and I also didn't check the clock to see if I was gaining an actual hour each day. The things on my list were not epic tasks, but let's see how I did.

1. Finish taxes - Yes! Once I waded through the morass and determined we were getting refunds, that provided plenty of incentive to buckle down and get them done and filed. I even made time to help Ryan with his taxes.
2. Sleep - No. I didn't get any extra sleep; in fact, I think I got less because I was making an effort to get up and get things done.
3. Knit - Yes. I did knit more, finally finishing my fingerless mitts and starting a Hitchhiker which I may or may not be happy with.
4. Read - Yes, definitely. I read a lot more this past week, but that was most likely due to the fact that I was reading two very good books, The Doubter's Almanac and Pax.
5. Try needle felting - No. I was busy knitting, reading, and finishing taxes.
6. Take a longer walk -  Yes. Now that it's lighter in the evenings, it's much easier to take longer walks without flashlights and reflective vests. I did this every day, and it will be even easier after we "spring ahead" on Sunday.
7. Make a better dinner - I would say yes, but I'm not sure what my family would say. I planned ahead a bit and made meatloaf, lasagna, chicken breasts, spaghetti, a bear roast, stuffed shells, and hamburgers on the grill, along with appropriate sides and using up frozen vegetables from last year's garden.
8. Drink another cup of tea - Yes; I can always manage this one with hardly any effort!
9. Write more and better blog posts - Yes; I wrote more posts, but I'm not sure if they're better. I'm putting it in the win column anyway.
10. Watch another episode of House of Cards - Definitely yes. I managed this difficult task by multitasking -- simultaneously being entertained by Frank and Claire, drinking tea, and knitting. 

With an 80% success rate, that gives me a B, which I'm happy with. Consciously trying to curtail my usual time-wasting habits (procrastinating, getting lost on the internet, checking facebook and email too frequently) showed me that I could indeed make more time for those things I profess to love. Now all I have to do is keep it up!