Snow, snow, more snow and EVEN MORE SNOW!!!

What this means: My brother's early morning class is cancelled which means I too will be "sleeping in" until 6. But then its straight out of bed and off to cook breakfast for me!!!

Nothing changes unless something changes. Common phrase used in pep talks, motivational seminars, sales coaching. Do we really apply this to our lives? All too often I regret things I haven't done, or where I am now in life, and "if I had only" or "if I COULD only." And the next day comes and I do the same regrettable things I did yesterday. I really don't think I am alone in this. Am I? AM I??? I didn't think so.

So whether it's "gee, I wish I would exercise regularly," or "it sure would be nice if I had a job that utilized my real talents," we each have something we could do a little bit better. I am committing to change those things one small step at a time.

One of my best friends often tells me he needs to get out of his line of work. How he's reached an age where he should have something more to show for himself than what he does. How he needs to move out of the crap-shack he's living in. Etc. I've heard it over and over for the past year! At least once a month he says to me, "I'm finally ready to get another job!" or "It's definitely time to find a new place." Yet month after month NOTHING HAS CHANGED!! Why? Because HE hasn't changed.

Now, I think it's okay to take a few beats when you don't know exactly what to do. That's what I've been doing for a YEAR! But enough of that! Maybe I don't know exactly what the next step is, but I'm not going to find it repeating the same old routine I have been so far. So, that's all the 21 days is! Changing the routine. IMPROVING the routine!!!

See you at 6am!!

Bad Habit: Sleeping in!!!

Today is day #1 of correcting the sleeping in issue. My work schedule is very irregular. Sometimes 10-7, sometimes 9:30-3, sometimes 5-10!!! This means often I sleep in way too late and get nothing done with my day. Often I run late and feel rushed, which doesn't help the fact I am already a very wound up girl. I also enjoy working out and taking care of my body, but sometimes feel like I run out of time in the day to exercise or make healthy meals.

I thought the FIRST and most important thing I could improve upon that would help me throughout the rest of the year is to wake up earlier. Not just earlier either. EARLY! That way I utilize the beginning of the day and take care of the essentials before work and the other aspects of busy life take place.

The Goal: 5:00 am get up and make breakfast! Because I sometimes have rehearsals that I don't get home from until 11, the next morning I will allow 6:00 am. I live with my folks right now, and my brother attends an early morning scripture study class, so I will be able to get up at the same time as him to make breakfast for us both before he leaves and I take care of chores and exercise.

Day 1: is underway, and since I decided this would be my goal last night at 12am, and since it is a snow day for my brother I allowed myself to sleep until 7. It was rough getting out of bed but already I have had a much more productive and healthy day, so wish me luck as tomorrow it will be 5 am!!!

This will be the longest 21 days EVER!!!

Maybe it's the fact that I've been snowed in all day, or maybe it's the caffeine, but as I was energetically cleaning today my thoughts turned to things I wish I did more, or better, or ways I could really improve my life! Way too often I am an under-achiever or even just a plain ol' lazy bum. 2010 will be the year to change these bad habits. And how?

It is said it takes 21 days to form a new habit. And while I can't possibly focus on every good habit I want to form in just 21 days, I am going to try over many series of 21 day segments to create and practice many NEW HABITS! My hope is that habit forming becomes habit forming!

THE PLAN: Beginning today/tomorrow I will begin my first 21 day new habit forming experience. Each week I will begin a new one, so by the 3rd week and continuing from then on I will have 3 new habits I am working on at any given time. The three will always fall roughly under one of the three categories: Body, Mind, Soul. By dividing the habits into categories I feel as if I will be able to focus on each individually without becoming overwhelmed in one aspect of my life. Documentation of this journey will include video and text entries throughout each week, so keep checking back! If I slack, feel free to give me a bit of a kick in the butt!

THE GOAL: There are two main goals I am focusing on during this 2010 experiment. One is that throughout the rest of this year, though I will not have become perfect by any means, that I will create many positive changes in my life relating to organization, love, health, my career, and intelligence. The other is that I hope to inspire change in others, meaning in YOU to not just deal with life, but to act and make your life what YOU WANT it to be. Let's do it TOGETHER!!!