LET'S DE-CLUTTER

OKAY HERE WE GO. It is January and a new year means a fresh start. Many ladies each year say they want to de-clutter and fix up their home and their self. I think if you concentrate on your home yourself will de-clutter at the same time. I have mentioned it before, but, I will state it again, "I HATE DISORGANIZED THINGS". With this thought in mind you might think my home must be 100% free of clutter, but alas I share a home with Calvin and he thrives on clutter. I think his only problem is that he refuses to throw ANYTHING away, broken or not, working or not, useful or not. We have to keep it ALL, "just in case we need it SOMEDAY!" It drives me crazy. I swear if he could go through my junk and I could go through his we would have a giant yard sale and make a small fortune. As you also may remember, one of my goals is to de-clutter this entire house. I am going to start off small. If you are thinking along the same lines, I have a website for you: http://www.controllingmychaos.com/ A friend called this morning to tell me about this site because of the craft that goes with it. I LOVE IT. I told you I am going to start off small. My first drawer is my recipe drawer. I have loose recipes stuffed in this drawer since I moved here over 15 years ago. Every time I want to find a certain recipe I have to empty the entire drawer. It is not only a mess but it a waste time. I am going to make a recipe holder from this web site. I got a really cool black box with a rooster on top for Christmas from Laurie's grandmother, no I don't know why she gave me a gift, she is just a super great lady and it would make a great recipe box. I would be able to print the recipes big enough for me to read them too. This same web site even has some great recipes I am going to print out. So first of all if you need a new project to work on or if you want to de-clutter your home or just one room check out this site, again, it is: http://www.controllingmychaos.com/
Just something to think about that has nothing to do with diet or exercising, except that the busier you are the less you will be snacking.

TIP OF THE DAY - WEDNESDAY

SHARE YOUR GOALS WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR INVALUABLE SUPPORT AND ASSISTANCE. Confiding in them is a powerful motivator for helping you remain consistent and persistent. Some may be willing to modify their own lives to help you give up soda or watching the kids while you hit the gym for example.
This sounds good. So which of you all are going to come down and help me declutter the house, paint my bedroom and exercise EVERY day?

TIP OF THE DAY - TUESDAY

MAKE A REALISTIC TIMELINE TO STAY ON TRACK. Deadlines turn wishes into goals. Give yourself adequate time to complete each action step and choose a date when you hope to reach your overall goal. If you haven't started working on your goals yet, today is the day.
Te first sentence of this tip is the most important thing to remember when setting goals. My first goal last year was to lose 125 pounds by the end of the summer. How dumb was that? If I hadn't changed my goals and gotten realistic, then when I wasn't losing the weight fast enough to reach that goal I would have quit and just started adding more pounds. Think realistic and set smaller goals and then praise yourself when you reach it. Example; let's all lose 15 pounds before the 5K in August. I think I can do that.

TIP OF THE DAY - MONDAY

DEVELOP AN ACTION PLAN FOR EVERY GOAL. For example, a healthy eating resolution may involve: learning more about good nutrition, visiting a dietitian, finding ways to adapt your recipes, buying containers to pack lunches, learning how to prepare new foods, and planning extra time for shopping and cooking. Don't overwhelm yourself with every action step at once, but focus on a few things each day.
I like this and it just sounds like if you have a plan of action you will be better organized and more likely to meet every goal. I am going to try this.

TIP OF THE DAY - SUNDAY

POST YOUR WRITTEN GOALS IN PLACES WHERE YOU WILL SEE THEM OFTEN-on your computer, on the fridge, in a picture frame on your desk, as a bookmark, and in your wallet. These reminders will help you stay on track and stay focused.
I like this idea. I think I will try this. I am going to write them down in my journal and post them on the fridge. My goals are pretty much the same as last year but it might just help me stay on track.

NEW YEAR - NEW CHALLENGE

WITH THE NEW YEAR WE ALL SET NEW GOALS. Hopefully we will reach many of our goals. The best thing about setting goals is the reaching of them and at the same time if we fail to set goals then we fail ourselves. I still need to lose about 10-15 pounds to make my doctor happy and about 40-50 pounds to make myself happy so I need another challenge and I am inviting you to join me. How about doing a 5K race. THIS WILL BE A WALKING RACE, NOT RUNNING!!! For my purposes this will not be for speed but to just finish a race, and we are part finnish! (sorry) Here is more information on it: http://www.reasontorun.com/summerRaces.html
What do you think? Are you up to another challenge?

TIP OF THE DAY - SATURDAY

31 DAYS TO UNBREAKABLE RESOLUTIONS. Behavior experts say that it takes about 1 month to form a new habit, and many people try to create (or break) habits at the start of each year. With the right attitude and focus, we can stick to our New Year's resolutions and achieve long-term success. January will give us 31 tips that will help us do exactly that.
Tips one and two go right along with yesterdays. They are: If you haven't yet settled on your goals for the new year, do so today. Writing down your goals (in specific terms) means you're more likely to achieve them, and, are your goals specific and positive> Rather than vowing "to exercise" for example, reword each goal so that it is clear and measurable: I will walk 30 minutes every day. I will complete a 5K race. I will do a yoga DVD twice a week.
Goals and rewards work best for me. I love having something to work toward and I love all the rewards I get at the each of goal. It is fun not work any more.