Get The Picture

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions? A couple weeks ago I spoke about getting organized and making goals for the New Year. My idea was not to make any new resolutions. You’ve probably got plenty on your list already that you’re still trying to accomplish. Same old boring stuff; lose weight, get organized, save money, blah, blah, blah.

Take a look at why you are still trying to improve in the same areas over and over. Probably because you’re not getting it! What are you going to do differently this year so that you do “get” it and you make a permanent change? I’ll tell you what. You’re going to start small and you’re going to do a little bit every day so you don’t get overwhelmed. Start with one little goal not twenty big goals.

Do you know why most people fail when they start a new exercise program? Because they decide they are going to start dieting AND exercising at the same time. They join a gym and kill themselves working out five days the first week. Along with that they go from eating 4000 calories a day down to 1200 calories a day. Starvation! Their body goes into shock and they can’t figure out why they feel so horrible. They’re hungry, tired, sore and cranky. Why would anyone stick with a plan like this? They don’t.

You’re going to start your new exercise program the smart way. You’re going to join a gym or get outside, weather permitting. Start off going for a ten minute walk. That felt great so tomorrow you’re going to walk for fifteen minutes, then twenty then thirty. You feel so energetic that you try running a block, walking a block, running a block. Now you know it’s time to include some weight lifting into your routine. You start lifting weights twice a week, then three times a week. Wow, you feel so good that you don’t need to eat a box of caramel corn before you go to bed. Now you want veggie sandwiches for lunch and water, as much water as you can drink without floating away. The pounds are melting away, you feel healthy and happy. Is this an exercise plan you can stick with? Of course!

What about getting organized. Well, what’s bugging you today? Is your home office a mess? Are you going to take a week off of work to stay home and get it organized? You know better than that because you’ve probably already tried it! No, you are going to start today by picking up five pieces of paper and filing them, taking action with them or throwing them away. Then tomorrow you’ll deal with five more pieces of paper. It’s not a lot but it’s more than you were doing before!

You get the picture. This is life and you can’t live it all at once. You have to settle for a little bit of it every day. Don’t wait till you can live it perfectly or it will pass you by. Save a little bit of money every day, exercise a little bit, and get a little bit more organized. Start now!