Every January we all make promises to stress less, lose ten pounds, or change our lives in some drastic way. But we all know how hard it can be to make lasting change. Simplifying my life and my clients’ lives is something I work on every day, so I thought I would share my top ten list of simple, positive changes that you can make today.
Say no to invitations that are out of guilt. If you are constantly going places or doing things out of shear obligation, there won’t be room in your life for what you truly enjoy.
Take ten minutes in the morning to look at your day. Make a list of all the things you reasonably want to accomplish. If there is not enough time to complete everything, you are over scheduling yourself. Not only does this cause stress, but it is unrealistic. Limit your to-do list to two or three of the most essential things that must be done.
Make time for daily exercise, even if it is just a walk around the block with your kids after dinner. Some exercise is better than none at all. You will notice immediately how much better you feel and look, and might even be inspired to do more.
Spend time with your children. This might seem obvious, but it is so easy to get wrapped up with careers, cleaning the house and social obligations. Though parenting can be exhausting, children won’t be young forever. Read them that extra book cuddled up on the sofa or play Candyland for the 50th time. The cob webs will wait. Take this advice from a mom of older kids—they grow up so quickly and you cannot get that time back.
Get an annual physical. Make the appointment in the month of your birthday so you remember to go every year. Your health should become a priority in your life. Schedule mammograms, a colonoscopy and get your blood pressure and cholesterol checked. Making this one change could change (or save) your life.
Learn how to use online banking. It saves on all the paper clutter and you can schedule monthly payments ahead of time so you will never be late paying a bill.
Listen to music. Whether you are doing paperwork or cleaning out the garage, it will make the those tedious tasks more bearable.
Schedule your car to be serviced. So many people put this off until it absolutely needs to be done.
Take time to make sure all insurance papers (Life, Health, Homeowners, Umbrella Policy, Disability, Flood, Renters) are updated and organized so you can quickly locate them when needed.
Volunteer your time. Nothing will be as rewarding as the time you spend helping someone less fortunate than yourself.
Happy 2014!
