Here’s how I did in January…
Go to Orange Theory once a week. Done! And still really enjoying it! Going twice a week would be ideal, but for me to fit that in, I’d have to pick up a 6 a.m. class. That’s not totally out of the question — I get up at 6 a.m. when I run before work, so I’d have to get up 30 minutes earlier — but for now I’m just going to stick with once per week after work.
Write Charlotte’s birth story. Done! I posted part 1 earlier this week and part 2 will be up tomorrow.
Finish Charlotte’s Christmas stocking. I mentioned this one yesterday — it’s not done, but I’m really close. I finished all the cross stitching in January, so there are only 3 steps left — stitch her name on the top, backstitch all the outlines, and put the stocking together. All in all it’s just a few more hours of work.
No phone between 5:30-7:30 on weekdays. I’m giving myself a B+ on this one and honestly, this might be the most ecstatic I’ve been about a B+ in my whole life! On most evenings, I either left my phone in my work bag or put it in my office/sewing room. Out of sight, out of mind, right? That simple action meant that my phone was no longer tempting me from a conspicuous spot on the kitchen counter, and it had a HUGE positive impact. Staying calm and being more present during these crazy evening hours is very much in line with my one little word for this year — I want to be more intentional with my actions during our limited weekday family time — and eliminating this distraction during that time period is a big step in the right direction.
And here’s what I’m tackling in February…
One Little Word Daily Practice. This month’s prompt is to do one thing every day. I considered a few different “daily practices” but ultimately I wanted to choose something that’s good for me but not too easy — something that will require me to act with intention. Last year’s prompt was the same thing and I focused on going to bed by 11:00 every night. I seriously considered repeating that one, but instead…in February I’m going to attempt to get at least 10,000 steps on my Fitbit every day. This will be a real challenge, particularly on weekdays when I spend 8+ hours essentially sedentary at work. My longest streak of 10,000 step days is only 5 or 6, so making it 28 days would truly be an accomplishment.
Reduce my soda intake. I listened to a TED Radio Hour podcast recently about food, and one topic was sugar — and how we eat wayyyy too much of it. I’d already been considering giving up — or at least significantly reducing — my soda intake. I don’t drink crazy amounts, but I do have one per day nearly every day. In February, I’m going to limit that to 2 per week. It’s just a little thing, but baby steps, right?
Have a playdate with my neighbor. My next door neighbor is super nice and has a 13-month-old. We’ve talked several times but haven’t actually had a playdate yet. I want to make that happn this month.
Master closet reorg. Now that we’ve been in the new house for almost 6 months (what???), I’m starting to find things that I set up one way in the haste of moving that would really work better a different way. I’ve already made several tweaks to kitchen storage, but this month I plan to tackle my closet. (We’ve got two master closets, so Jose has his own.) I’ve been making a mental list of several things to rearrange between the closet and my dresser to streamline my morning routine. I also plan to do another round of clothes donations — if I haven’t worn it since we moved into the house, it goes!
Continuing goals…
- Orange Theory once per week.
- Complete each month’s One Little Word prompt. (See above.)
So back in September I relegated soda to a “special occasion” drink. I gave it up as a matter of habit, at work, or ordering it at a restaurant, but I will drink it for an event (like having sushi with you and Karen, or when I found Mexican Coke at an airport restaurant last weekend). In effect, just changing the reasons I’m allowed to have a soda means I’m averaging about one a week. Mental games.
I’m not often successful with mental games like that — I’d probably find an excuse for a normal weekday lunch to be a “special occasion.” Ha! Putting a specific number on it like 2 per week usually works a little better in my head. We’ll see…