No swift kicks, sweetie. I think recognizing that it is time to focus on you and knowing the obstacles you have to cvercome...just being honest with yourself and not in denial is HUGE progress. You are still moving forward in recovery from what I see. No kicks, just big hugs...I'm so sorry for the pain you have been going through.
I have never taken the med you mention, but have been treated with other med before for depression. In my expereince, it depends on the person and the particular med how quickly you respond. Some people find relief in just a week or so, but for others it may take 6-8 weeks. Sometimes the doctor has to try something different...just like with an infection requiring an antibiotic. The other thing I expereinced was quick relief but then I crashed several weeks later and the dosage had to be adjusted.
I'm glad you are setting realistic goals. It is the nature of depression to loose motivation and the ability to accomplish even small tasks, so please don't beat yourself up about not getting done all you want. What a crazy illness...it zaps us of the ability to function and then we get more depressed because we can't function.
Little steps are wonderful...it's the way to go, IMO. I think sometimes it is hard for us to see our own recovery in action. I used to look at earlier posts to help me see that I have come a long way.
Lots of hugs and prayers.