Resolutions

As I am afraid I often do, when I get sidetracked from making a resolution once a week and fall several weeks behind, I lose sight of the original vision.

I know that each person can be making improvements in their lives each day, week, year.  I started out realizing that sometimes when trying to fix everything at once, it can seem, alas it IS overwhelming.  So instead, I decided to make one change a week.  Sometimes it turns out to be a to-do list while other times it is truly adapting to a better place.

When I make these small changes and can assimilate them into my life, I feel better, I am better.  As I look back at how "far behind" I am this year, I am again overwhelmed.  So I am going to approach it one week at a time and it will hopefully be a combined to-do list and a self-improvement list.

Along these lines, I am taking a course this summer, a book study.  It is my third this year and we are studying this time:  The Power of Habit.  The first thing we have to do is decide if we are going to undertake changing a habit.  And that is where I have gotten derailed.  I am two weeks behind because I cannot decide on a habit to change.  You see, there are SO MANY that I could change.  The first thing we are to do is read 5 articles on habits, good habits, bad habits, habits of successful people, etc.  Near as I can figure out, I am not successful according to these standards and yet I KNOW THAT TO BE UNTRUE.

So far this year my resolutions have been:

1. Put everything on your calendar - it is an ongoing process
2. clean out stuff from your bedroom - still a weekly challenge to keep it in a state of clutter free
3. clean out the dresser drawers - done
4. clean out your closet - although I worked very hard to complete this task, there is actually more work to be done as I discovered when I realized I didn't even tackle a set of shelves
5. drink water - ongoing process
6. clean out the papers you don't need - you can read about that here:  http://52weeks52resolutions1mom.blogspot.com/2014/02/2014-6-7-8-9.html
7. do your taxes - done, but due to complications, they need following up
8. clean out kitchen cabinets - not done, in process
9. strength training - ongoing
10. prepare for lent - I prepared.  http://52weeks52resolutions1mom.blogspot.com/2014/06/lenten-journey.html  
11. set a goal and take the steps to achieve it - you can read about the end here: http://52weeks52resolutions1mom.blogspot.com/2014/06/16-17-18-19-running-challenge.html
12. Clean out a kid's room.  http://52weeks52resolutions1mom.blogspot.com/2014/06/resolution-12.html

As I am doing the initial work for my class, I am rediscovering some items that have changed my life.  Okay, I may not have lost any significant weight since starting my resolution journey, but I would venture to say that I am close to where I was when I started (in spite of my 30 day healthy journey, more on that another day).  One reason might be that I have made eating breakfast daily a habit.  It wasn't when I started.  When I started I believed that if I skipped it, I could eat more later in the day.  Yet it is very unhealthy, I don't feel well when I skip it and in fact I eat a GREAT DEAL MORE later in the day.  I was reminded of this resolution and the fact that it is one that has become a habit while doing the reading for my book study.  It is considered by many a habit that will "change your life".  It was one of my first resolutions!  And I do it!  

Although the articles for the book study seemed at first to be overwhelming, when I printed them out and highlighted them, I discovered that the breakfast example is just one example.  Another one is #5 from this year.  I am energized to jump back in with both feet and optimism!