Life. What a word to really think about. Some days are exciting and fun while others are dreary and long. I have mentioned lately learning how to adjust to a full plate and new responsibilities. This post is more of a call to action, not just to you but more to myself. The more I learn about life the more I want to do. I want to accomplish a lot people but I also can find myself stressing out over the littlest things. Raise your hand if you are the same? Anyone? I hope at least one person can relate. I am a pro at taking a mole hill and turning it into a mountain. I had to stop and the time was about 2 weeks when I realized this. It also took me a while to admit my faults. I am prideful folks. With all this talk I have really learned to slow down and enjoy the day that I have and the moment I am in. I am learning a lot about myself. I am writing down more things for myself. I am pushing myself and I want to push you too. More than that I want to encourage you. This is our one chance. What are we going to do with it?
I started a list for myself and also for you. It is a list of simple things. Things that we can easily remember but choose not to. I hope you find this list freeing. I hope you find it realistic. I hope you find it exciting.
1. Unsubscribe to emails you don't read. Wow you started out with an odd point but this is so freeing people. We all get emails that we archive or delete every day and never take the time to read. It takes 5 minutes tops to unsubscribe from that email service. If you have the intentions of reading it, find time that day to read the email. Do not let emails pile up in your inbox. Unsubscribe then dance around the room a bit.
2. Don't pick up your phone until 9 or 10 a.m. Yes this may be late for some people but give it a try. Being a blogger who reads other blogs, answers emails, tweets, uses Facebook, I have to really remember not to pick up my phone first thing in the morning. I started implementing this rule a few weeks ago. The first thing I would do in the morning is shut off the alarm and pick up my phone. I would wake up to 8 -10 emails and before I even had time to put my feet on the floor I would be stressed. I have a new routine of loving on Jane, taking Jane out, feeding Jane, feeding myself and drinking coffee before I even consider checking my phone. It. is. awesome.
2. De-clutter & downsize. Whether you clean out one drawer or Spring clean your house from top to bottom, de-cluttering your home makes life better. If you don't believe me, try it out. You will be amazed. We accumulate stuff and before we realize it we have too much. Getting rid of junk affects your mood, allows you to focus on what you need and use plus gives you more space to stretch out.
3. Smile more. You know the theory that if you are tired acting more energized helps. Smiling works the same way. If your mood is down trying thinking about a happy moment or just smile more. Your mood will improve. I promise you friend.
4. Say thank you more. We have so much to be grateful for but the L word (life) gets in the way stopping us from realizing what we have. A lot of people have lost their manners but that doesn't mean that you have to.
5. Help others more. Plain and simple. Pick up an extra shift at work to help out. Don't sigh when your boss asks you. Donate things you don't need. Contribute. Run a 5k for a reliable cause. If this concept is weird or you don't know where to start, smile at others more. I don't think you realize how much a smile from a stranger can change someones day.
6. Be your best. I asked Rusty this the other day, "Are you living every day to be happy and healthy? Do you feel like you did your best?" I was challenged by the question not long ago. It really made me think. Am I doing my best? Am I being a good co-worker? Wife? Friend? Sister or Daughter? You should be able to lay your head down at night and think about what a blessing the day was. How are you living each day to the fullest? I know this is a cliche for most. Understand that living each day to the fullest doesn't mean jumping out of a plane or quitting the job you hate, it means helping others, smiling more, not letting things affect your mood and pushing yourself to be a better person. If it does mean jumping out of plane for you then do that but be positive before, during and after you do it. Life isn't about waiting for a better day. Your better day is now.
7. Slow down. I cannot stress this one enough. Some days I will get in a tizy and stressed over the silliest things. In those moments I am learning to stop and relax. Think about something that makes you happy. Think about the bigger picture with your life. Things will get done. I promise.
8. Complete things 100%. Sometimes I struggle with this. I start a project or something as little as an email and then instead of taking 10 minutes to complete it, I take 5 days. Bad Katie. Be honest with yourself. You know how good it feels to complete a task big or small. Whether it is the laundry, dishes, yard work or a large assignment, completing something and do a good job at it is so rewarding.
9. Get more sleep. There is not much explanation needed for this point. Just do it. Turn off the T.V. Exit out of Twitter. Whatever takes away your time sleeping is just not worth it. Sleep is so important. It keeps you going. Your body needs it, your health depends on it and your deserve it.
10. Do more with your time. Another thing I struggle with badly. Some days I check 15 things off my list and pat myself on the back but more times than not this is not the case. Make better use of your time. Don't let things distract you and focus on accomplishing the most with the amount of time you have. Distractions can be so tempting but getting things accomplished is worth so much more.
11. Exercise. You need to. I know. I hate to do it sometimes too but I feel so good afterwards. It is worth it. If that isn't reason enough remember what Elle Woods said ladies, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy."
12. Feel the sunshine. 5 minutes with SPF 30 is all I am asking of you. Sunshine is almost like a present each day. It makes you feel good. It makes you happy. It gives you a little break. Sunshine = bliss and don't forget it.
Well Katie you sure did push us to do a lot. I know but know that I am always working on these things too. This life is all we've got. This day is the one we have. What are we doing to make ourselves happy and better? Some days we are going to struggle so bookmark this post. I know that I struggle at times but I can always remember what is ahead of me. A lot for a Monday morning but I figure that is when we all need this post most. I am proud of you all. I am here for you all. Let's show the day who is boss. Okay?
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