how are you doing on your new year's resolutions? are you about burnt out? ready to give up? haven't even started? where ever you are, take a minute to read this essay. making small changes = lasting changes.
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The following are goals may look a little familiar. In 2011 I will:
-Be more prepared
-Get more rest
-Embrace frugality
Uh huh, sure I will. I mean those goals sounds nice on paper -or my computer monitor as it were- but how will they happen?
Having the New Year fall on a weekend tends to make the first Monday of the year feel like any other. Those carefully thought out resolutions or goals, if you must, tend to go right out the window as we slide back into our usual routines. Don’t let that happen this week.
What if today you did things a little differently?
What if you changed the way you looked at your calendar/planner?
Why not look at your calendar and instead of the usual I have x to do this week, you said. What do I need to do today to get ready for x? And then, what if you actually did it? That’s the important part, you know.
What if tonight you looked at the weather and figured out what you were going to wear tomorrow?
And then, you took it a step further and made sure that it was clean and not rolled into a ball somewhere. Are planning on kicking off the new year with a session at the gym? What if you got your gym bag packed and ready to go. It’s one less excuse. While you’re at it, find your keys.
What if tonight you went to bed a little earlier than usual?
With Hulu, Netflix, DVRs, etc. Really, what IS your excuse? I promise the news will still be the news in the morning (and the afternoon and the evening, just with more gory details and additional drama). The news is always there.
What if you set your alarm ten minutes ahead?
Showing up a little too early is not the worst thing that will happen in your day.
Arriving on time isn’t just about getting yourself out the door when you should, it’s allowing buffer time for everyone else’s screw ups.
In my opinion, buffer time is awesome time.
I used to keep a book in the car, now a smartphone fills that role. However, there’s more than entertainment to life, you could: take a walk around the building or parking lot, menu plan, meditate or pray, etc.
It’s ok to step out of busyness and just be.
What it tomorrow you had coffee at home instead of at Starbucks?
Even if you buy the fancy beans or grounds, it’s still a fraction of the cost. Let’s pretend you drink one of the cheaper options $3.00 x 260 = $780. If passing up the caramel macchiato extra whip every day makes you cry, what if you turned the Starbucks run into a Friday treat? Now, you’ve got something extra to look forward to, and you’re still probably keeping $624 or so in your budget. (I’m a plain latte or cappucino girl myself. At home it’s just cafe au lait, if you were curious.)
Please, whatever you do, don’t tell me you buy the oatmeal at Starbucks. If you need to know how to make awesome oatmeal at home, just read this post on making oatmeal at home.
Now think about the time not spent in the drive through or waiting in line. . . Yup, you just found some more awesome time.
None of these are big changes, they are just small steps in a positive direction.
from
http://www.home-ec101.com/sunday-set-the-week-up-right/
