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We all have a list. We make grocery lists, plans for our vacations and a daily chore list. Whether we complete these lists is an entirely different matter. However, in my case for this list that I will be discussing, I made it for another reason. I came upon an edge of a cliff that my life needed some major changes. More than a simple diet scheme, more than a rearranging of thoughts, but a bottom-up approach to a complete rebuilding of myself. Over the years, with experience, I had become bitter with life and with people in general. I was floundering with where life was leading me and where I was going. What was I going to do? I am too old to use the old saying “well when I grow up, I am going to do this?” I needed to do it NOW. I had plans for myself, but as the years continued to build, the less I felt as though I would ever achieve said dreams. Instead of doing what I normally would do, sit and wallow in the misery of it all, I made a list. The following is a word for word copy of what I wrote myself.
1. STOP BEING LAZY!
Don’t lay down or sit down, get up and do the things that need to be done.
2. CALM DOWN!
I know life is not always peaches and cream. There are days it will be too hot or too cold, but you need to push through it and RELAX.
3. TIME MANAGEMENT
There is time to get done what needs to get done. Squeeze as much time out of the day. Find those times to write!
4. KEEP MOTIVATED!
Life will not always go your way. There will be bad days. Things won’t always get done. But keep moving forward!
5. MEAL PLANNING
Weekly menus for dinner done on the weekends. Learn to get up earlier to pack a damn lunch. Eat breakfast! Healthier choices, but not going overboard.
6. YOU CAN EXERCISE!
Doesn’t have to be at a gym. Walking, Wii Fit, the stairs! Floor work. Even cleaning. Find the time! *Refer to time management*
7. FIND THE POSITIVES!
Yes, you are depressed. Yes, life can be shit. But there are always positives. When you feel down or in a hole write a list of good things in your life.
Now that you have seen my list, let me explain it a little. I am known for being lazy and I love to procrastinate. This is my main issue on why other things never get done and I am stuck in this rut. When I say, “calm down”, I mean that I tend to get overly frustrated very easily. I don’t always voice my issues or problems, but rather bury them deep down. Which as you can guess, comes out in a string of ridiculous actions because it is too hot outside, or someone didn’t put the dishes in the sink. It could be small but because of the excess build up it all comes flooding out.
As you can see my blog posts are few and far between, my time management skills are lacking. I am trying to remedy that with this list and get things going. I hope you will stick with me! Keeping motivated is another big problem for me. I have gone on countless diets that ended up in failure because that first week did not produce results. I know that a week is nothing in the grand scheme of things, but with someone who has seen failure so many times, it is easy to just throw your hands up and forget about it.
When I say meal planning, I am not prepping those meals you see on the extreme meal prep dieters. I mean basic dinners for the week. When I get home from work, I would like to have an idea as to what I am going to make. Plus, my son is constantly asking me what is for dinner. Now there is a menu up on the refrigerator that he can refer to. Exercising is also something I am trying to plan in. I would like to get at least three days’ worth of some exercise. I have a Planet Fitness membership that constantly deducts $10 from my account monthly. I should be equally as constant and go.
Finally, find the positives. With all this list making, one can get lost in all the “rules”. They are almost set up like commandments. But we all must give ourselves flexibility to have our days and then get back up on the horse and continue. Finding the good things and what we are grateful for can give us that leg up we need. So far, the list has kept me in line for the most part. I have had my days, but I allowed that and then continued. I hope this list might inspire you. But please by no means make these your commandments. These are specific to me. This can be a sort of exercise for yourself to keep moving forward and keep motivated.
With every list, there is paper involved. Well at least for me. I write down everything. All my blogs, podcast ideas and lists. I may eventually type them out, but the paper need to be there first. Legal notepads, from my days in the office, I find to be the best variety of list making tools. Check out the link!
