Hi friends!

How are those new year resolutions coming this January?

Surprisingly, I’m doing quite alright for this first month of the new year. Not perfect, but way better than I usually do. 

By now, I probably would have given up on things and accepted that they just wouldn’t happen. 

But this year, I don’t know- I just feel a little more motivated to schedule time for the things I feel are most important to me. 

I talk a lot more about my planning process for this year, in this blog post- you can read more HERE

This month I’ve been trying to implement a few new things into my weekly schedule to better my life and work toward achieving my main goals for 2018. 

For example…

I use my planner and then I have a yellow memo pad that I use for my daily/weekly to do lists.

So the first week of January was all about recovering from holiday stress and planning things out. I was researching a few things and getting ready to make some changes this month/this year. 

January 8th-12th 

Back to using apple cider vinegar.

-I’ve heard the many health benefits to having a glass of water infused with apple cider vinegar. I know you’ll read or hear mixed things. But my cousin’s a nurse and I spoke to her before starting this. She recommended Bragg’s Organic Unfiltered (with the mother)- it has a bright yellow label, that’s the purest one. I pour a glass of water, add two capfuls of the vinegar, add a splash of apple juice, mix and drink. The juice is just to soften the rough taste of the vinegar. 

Start waking up earlier- 9:30 AM. 

-My job has a later start so I was able to get up at like 10:30 every morning, but I wanted to start changing that and get up earlier so I can have more time to do things. I used to just wake up and get ready and have to rush out the house. I didn’t make use of my time wisely. 

Work out every week day morning- Monday-Friday.

-So I’ve been wanting to work out consistently for so long. I started in the Summer and tried sticking to a 3 day routine and it worked for like 2ish weeks and then something happened to distract my schedule and I just stopped and never went back. So this time I wanted to do something that targeted the areas I want to make a change in. So I found this blogilates video and built up from there. If a workout is too long or I have to stay focused on a video, I won’t do it. So this video hits specific areas and it’s short- can’t beat that!

Make my bed every morning [I let it slide on the weekends ;)]

-This just helps tidy things up. And makes my room neater. 

Remember to take my vitamins every morning, (Vitamin D3, and Iron)

-I know everyone takes different supplements, but these are the ones my doctor recommended me taking. 

*Tip: Iron pills used to really hurt my stomach, so now I take slow release tablets instead and it makes all the difference. 

Drink lots of water

-Try infused recipe- blogilates on YouTube has a good one that I tried recently…

I don’t mind drinking plain water, but sometimes I’ll buy some fruit to spruce it up every now and then.

January 15th-19th

I carried over all my habits from the previous week, but began adding a few new things. 

Wake up at 9AM

-I want to start making the most out of my hours, so I’m slowly increasing my wake up time. Because if I do it all at once, I’m sure to hit that snooze button, and roll over. 

Add to workout

– I added a bit of an extra crunch routine. Again slowly building up my work out routine, little by little. I’m not one to workout consistently so I know my body won’t be able to just jump in full throttle, and I won’t enjoy it.

Write more

-Mostly refers to my blog posts schedule- Mondays & Thursdays. But my writing time in general will grow too!

Research 

-This refers to a few things-Wedding related things for my best friend’s wedding, career planning, wellness, etc. 

January 22nd-26th

I carried over my habits from the prior weeks.

Go to bed earlier.

-I realized I wanted to start getting up at 8:30 AM now, so I realized I would have to go to bed by 12:30 AM in order to allow a good about of sleep. I push it til 1/1:30 here and there, because well I’m a night owl and sometimes I just can’t go to bed early. And it’s been okay for me.

Wake up at 8:30 AM

Read before bed

-I have been wanting to read more for as long as I can remember but I always find other ways to use my time. But I’m trying to incorporate it into my routine this year, even if it’s just like 10 or 15 minutes before bed. Currently I am reading, BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert. 

Add to workout

-I added some stretching and my simply fit board. 

^ Yes I have one of these! 😉 I will usually throw on a fun song and just swivel around for a while. And let me tell you, you will feel it! 

Eat healthier

-I’ve been trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, but I don’t deprive myself either. If I want a donut, I’m going to eat it. But I definitely want to just keep striving to make healthier eating choices. 

**A few of the things I have on this week’s list, I had on last week’s list and I didn’t get to implement them, so I moved them to the next week. I didn’t just forget about them. That’s what I’m trying to work on- my mindset. If I don’t get to it one week, that doesn’t mean all is lost. As a list maker, I can really put pressure on myself to finish everything, and it becomes like a stressful race to get it all done. I end up sacrificing time with family or friends or quality of what I’m doing. I know I write this super crazy lists and then mentally scold myself for not doing the 20 things on the list in two days. We cannot do that to ourselves. Write the long list, but then make a smaller, more important list. Things you really know you want to get done and work on getting those done above all else.

Schedule of important things.

-I’ve been trying to pick a day to work on each of the important goals I want to accomplish this year. And I came up with this schedule this week and am hoping to carry it over.

Monday– Bulk Blog (Write blogs for the week, post Monday blog and post to social media accounts.) Get all my supplies ready for work week- make copies, do research, etc.

Tuesday– Work on writing projects!

Wednesday– Career Planning and Research.

Thursday– (Post Thursday blog and post to social media accounts) Wedding Shower/Bachelorette Party Research for my best friend.

Friday & Saturday– Time with Friends/Family.

Sunday– Church/Family time (Sundays are usually the day I spend time with my new little baby niece! She’s just like pure sunshine! I’m so obsessed!) Self-care (grooming, mani/pedi/facial mask, etc.) Food shopping.

**Granted this schedule is tentative, it worked for the most part, but it’s not always going to work as it is written. Sometimes my pamper time will end up on a Monday, or my blog will take longer to write and need an extra day. As long as I get to stick to my M-F schedule as best I can, I try to let myself breathe on the weekends. 

January 29- Feb. 2 -Current Week-Just Starting!

Continue those habits!

Write more.

-I want to write a little something everyday.

Make use of my morning free hour.

-After my workout, I usually have an hour before I have to start getting ready for work, so I usually will work on a writing project, or do some research, or in today’s case- write a blog!

Research weights/and workout videos using weights.

-I know I need to expand my workout routine and include some arm workouts.

Look into buying new workout clothes.

-Why are workout clothes so expensive???

Make plans with family and friends I haven’t seen in a while. (For the weekend)

Add to workout

-Added some more stretching time, and some push-ups on Monday.

-I want to add full crunches too. 

 

So that’s my January 2018 so far!

I’m super happy with my progression from week to week, and I am going to try to keep pushing myself. Forcing myself to update you at the end of each month. 

The only thing I wish I could do differently is not be so consumed by this schedule or these lists. I feel like I get tunnel vision and then I don’t get to be in the moment with my friends or family. I throw myself into a determined isolation. I’m hoping it’s only because it was the first month of trying to build a routine and that once I get it down I won’t feel so crazed. I don’t want to ignore the moments around me. It’s a balancing act, and that’s going to be something I know I need to work on. 

Cheers, to a happy, healthy week! 

-<3-