I SO don't want to be that girl that lives my life hearing all the good advice and reading all the books and going through one bible study after another and having all the big ideas and making all the plans.......but never truly making any real, lasting changes. Consuming but never digesting. Taking things in, but not applying them to my life.
What in the world am I talking about?
Top on my list is, and has been for a couple decades now...I want to be healthy. Truly healthy. Physically. Spiritually. Financially. I want to have an organized house that is clean and well maintained. We aren't hoarders or anything, and our house isn't in complete disarray. But it could use some help. I want our home to be warm and inviting and comfortable. One that I feel good about having people over without notice. It doesn't have to be perfect, and likely never will be, that's ok with me. I just want it to be the place where our family can't wait to be. A place that is "come on in" ready so if someone stops by I don't feel embarrassed about the walls that need painting, the windows that need cleaning, and the carpets that need shampooing (replacing, really). Basically I want our home to feel like a coffee shop. Warm atmosphere, good smells, music...a place where we can relax without all the distractions of things undone. (And I suppose without all the strangers on their laptops drinking coffee, that would be weird.) (People making mochas for me whenever I wanted, that would be ok).
I know it's totally do-able. We can do all the things it would take to create our oasis. We know how to paint and clean and update fixtures and such, and contrary to (my) popular belief, we can make the time. So, what's stopping us? Well that's where the other areas come into play. Specifically, my health. To be brutally honest, I don't have the energy. I'm tired. And I'm tired of being tired. We've been eating out too much for some time now, so in an effort to be healthier and also in a better place financially, I've been cooking at home more. It's been great and I've made some yummy new things (don't you just love those "Tasty" videos on Facebook? I've made a few of those recipes so far and they have all been awesome!). But it comes at a price...for the past few nights of my home-cooking adventures I have stopped at the grocery store after work for essential ingredients, gone home and got to cooking (with a glass of wine in hand) and really enjoyed the process! Garlic and onion saute'd in olive oil and butter smells like heaven. But by the time we ate and cleaned up it was literally 8pm. And after a poor night's sleep the night before, which has unfortunately become a regular thing for me lately, I have no more energy to do anything around the house. Combined with running into town, or waiting in town to pick up the kids from their highschooly things, we get to bed too late most nights and by the time the weekend hits, we just want to relax, or get away, or both.
So.
I need a plan. I know that the first step to accomplish any goal is to make a plan.
Well, the thing is I have made the plans. I have read the books and the blogs, and coveted friends and Pinterest strangers who seem to have it together better than I do. And I have repeated my mantra that "every choice, every step, every bite, every hour and every dollar counts". I have believed this and committed myself to living this way...over and over...and then before I know it I find myself in my recliner scrolling through Facebook and eating Ben & Jerry's out of the carton.
I find myself there...as if I didn't put myself there.
It's all about choices. I know this. But I think if I just wasn't so tired I would make better choices. So that is where I need to start I guess...make myself not so tired. Which brings me back to my health. It seems to always come back to my health.
Funny that.
So.
I think my plan needs to include doing some prep work on the weekends so that my weeks aren't so overwhelming and exhausting. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ok.
Good idea #1. Get grocery shopping done on the weekends and plan (healthy) meals ahead of time so I'm not stopping at the grocery store after work. (Or just saying "screw it" and getting takeout).
Good idea #2. Make myself start getting ready for bed by 9pm. I always sleep better if I get to bed earlier.
Good idea #3. Exercise. That seems to be the tough thing to work into my days. Partly because my days are so packed with other things, and also because I don't want to. But I need to get over myself and make the time. And do my "Not-Yoga" routine in the evenings (it's like Yoga, but not Yoga because I don't do Yoga), and also walking the dog and doing my elliptical at least a few times a week. I can do these things.
Good idea #4. Be consistent in taking my Plexus supplements...a post for another day, but this I have discovered is HUGE in improving and maintaining my health and energy. (But I have to cooperate with the healthy eating and exercise and rest, it's not a magic pill). (Wouldn't it be nice if there was a magic pill?) (Sigh).
Good idea #5. Hire someone to do some cleaning and painting in our house. Seriously. I'll have to talk to Vince about that one.
Good idea #6. Pray about all of this and rely on God's help, every day. Because I can't do this on my own.
There.
That, kids, is how I make a plan! Which, as I have already said, I have done many times before...but the thing about making plans is that you apparently have to DO the plans in order for them to work.
Plans are funny that way.
I'll let you know how this one goes. Prayers welcome.
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