Wastin' all of my Time...

We’re off to a new year. 2017. Wow!

Making the best of the New Year is a common theme for most of us right now.  Setting personal and work goals, getting rid of bad habits, uncluttering, and living simply are typically part of the agenda.

Courtesy of Google Images

For me, procrastination and unfocused time use is a bad habit that I need to take a good long look at.  In my mind, I have particular things that I NEED to do on a daily basis. 

They are:

1.    Spiritual reading, meditation and prayer 

2.    Exercise

3.    Housework/Errands

4.    Writing (It has to be done like a job if I want to get anywhere with this thing!)

5.    Reading (Yes it is a Need!)

6.    Family time/ meals

7.    Part-time job at library

You know what gets left out most? Numbers one and two.(TSK!)  

Number three and five get the most attention. (And my house isn’t even that clean!) 

Numbers four and six are lacking my time more often that I’d like to admit. 

Number seven I’m nailing! (I’ve always been a good employee—I’ve got my parents’ expectations growing up to thank for that.)

Courtesy of Google Images

I need to take an honest look at my day and create a plan where all of these things can be attained. Saying that I’m going to do them all daily from now on would be a plan for failure. I need to be realistic. Maybe get number one and two accomplished three times a week would be a better plan for success???? That’s where I’ll start. When I’m successful with that, I can add more to it.

Really, I have to stop and think about how I want to spend my day. I am aware of some of my time wasters. I need to be in tune with my day and make productive choices!

How are you doing with setting goals and changing habits? It’s hard, isn’t it?!

Until next time,

Be Good to Yourself,

~Nadine

Reflections

This time of year is pretty amazing.  After the hustle-bustle of Christmas, now is the time to slow down and reflect on the past year.  Every year I make a double-list entry in my journal.  On the left side I list the “Good” and on the right side I list the “Bad” of my year.

Rarely do I list world or political events, but rather the events in my own life that make me think about what was good, so that I can remember to have gratitude, and what was bad, so that I can fix, remember, honor or cope/grieve.

I won’t be making my lists on the blog post, however.  The Bad is just too personal- even though I try to put myself out there-  I just can't. And listing only the Good would sound like a goopy Christmas letter. So.

What I want to say here today is that we all have some really  Good and some really Bad and a lot of in between in our lives.  That’s life, right?  But what is most important, what makes all the difference, is how you handle yourself- your issues, your failures, your accomplishments, and your graces. That’s the reason I make my list (and why I write in a journal); it helps me look at everything that life brings- it helps me deal.

Here are a few of my journals.

I like to find meaningful quotes

and write them down.

      "life is change.

      growth is optional.

      choose wisely."

Along with my Good and Bad list, I always create a Goals for the New Year list.  I think it’s important to think critically, yet optimistically.   There’s a saying: ‘life is what happens while you’re making plans’—and that’s true, but make plans anyway.  Life will still happen, but with some plans in place, things will go better.  A couple of my goals for this year are to plant a garden (not new) and to harvest and preserve as much as I can from that garden(new).  I also want to eat right and be strong and healthy (not new).  Some of my goals repeat every year, while some are new goals.

I have found that listing goals and dreams and ideas help them to come true.  Give it a try today.  Write down some attainable goals—maybe even write a plan of how to achieve them- and give it a whorl!!  

Here’s to a peaceful, productive 2016.

As always, be good to yourself.

Nadine