Last week I was thinking of the things that I had to do, and then I remembered that I had not been using my planner… in weeks. Earlier this year I had spoken about how my expectation for the year was to plan. I had realized that things were slipping from me because I wasn’t making time for them. I started down disappointment road when I remembered:
I have accomplished other things!
I am the quickest one to beat myself up whenever I fail. I just know that I can do better, that I can do more. My potential knocks at my door and tells me to shape up. Thankfully, I’ve listened to it (at times), and decided to list what I have been able to do:
- Eating less sweets (kind of). In attempts to curb my toxic relationship with sugar, I have experimented with “no-sweets” days where I skip dessert. There is room for improvement but it’s less sugar for me! I am proud for attempting that, and it shows me how much I eat out of emotion and not because I really want a sweet treat.
- Being more active. I have pushed myself to be a bit more active and now jog about two days a week and work on going out on multiple walks during the week.
- Reading. I love to read but honestly don’t make enough time for it. I have tens of books to get through, and have been giving a few some minutes before going to sleep. It’s been enough to make a good dent on them.
Now, to what my mind was bullying me about. These are the things that I want to conquer:
- Prepping for the next day. Writing a few things on my planner for the next day helps me be focused. I can use snippets of time more efficiently and I can get more done, even when it includes fun stuff.
- Waking up early. I do wake up earlier than I have before, but I need more time. I have tried and tried and just end up tired, snoozing, and with a frustrated husband who is very good about getting up when his alarm goes off. I want to get up at 6 AM each day so I can pray, work out, clean, cook, and/or devote time for the blog. I am not too energized by the time baby’s day ends and at the same time, I am not content with what I do with my free time. Waking up early won’t only help me get more done but it will help me go to bed at a better time and eliminate dilly-dallying.
- Add more variety to my menu. I would say eat cleaner, but what I need is more options. I have been getting rid of all the sweets of home, and am in lack of filling snacks and easy and quick lunches and dinners. I believe that if I have a couple of good meals a day, everything else will fall in place. This one will be a longer project but I can make headway this year.
One thing that might not be obvious from this list is that I have grown enough to give myself grace (see my post on it). I didn’t stay in the land of the undone. I looked back and saw how far I have come, and appreciated it.
As I review this list I also see that I’ve learned to dig deeper to find the real problem. I want to get more done but don’t plan for it. I want to wake up early but go to bed late distracted on my phone. Getting to the core of it empowers me to accomplish my goals and even more, helps me see what my real need is. I have gotten to know myself better and challenged myself to keep growing.
Part of me wishes that I had done this exercise earlier this year, and the other part of me is celebrating that my mental bully pushed me to it! I am deciding to celebrate all my wins and continue pushing forward.
Care to tell me one thing that you have been able to tackle? I might need to tackle it too!
Thriving in Simplicity 