Don't Be a Picklebump

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew. – Saint Francis de Sales

Making the decision to take a maybe someday item on your list and changing it to a “this is not a maybe, this is a NOW item on my list” means changing habits for sure, and sometimes it also means changing routines.

For the last year or so, my home life has been in a bit of a holding pattern, mainly due to my mother’s death. But I’ve decided that it is time to take care of myself. For the month of May, my focus is the following:

• Getting more sleep. I’m the first to admit I’ll get engrossed in a project and follow the rabbit down the hole and forget to sleep. It’s not a good habit to have and it’s something that hurts me professionally and personally. Personally it hurts me because I get snacky and eat more than I should when I don’t get enough sleep. It also means that I tend to be lethargic when I get home in the evening and I don’t get my to do list done because I’m busily sitting on my butt in front of my computer – a low energy level expenditure. Professionally it hurts me because during the day I can’t concentrate on what I am doing because I’m tired. And my job requires focus when I am testing or doing data analysis.
• Clearing the clutter. This activity has been on my list for a long time but it’s to the point were I feel like I can’t breath because there is so much stuff in my space. So the immediate goal for right now is to get the surface clutter cleared away and get everything wiped down/shredded for mulch on the garden or ready to go to the recycle bin. I’d like to have this phase completed by the time I leave for a business trip in a couple weeks so I’m hitting this one a little harder and heavier. That way I can come home to a clutter-free abode, and dive in to the next phase (hitting the hidden clutter).
• Cleaning up the diet. This activity has been on my list for awhile as well but I finally feel like I have the focus that I need to make that happen. Between fresh veggies in my garden and the focus on sustainably produced local meat, eggs, milk and cheese, I’ve found that I’m craving junk food less and that I feel more satisfied. The next move here is to get back into the habit of eating at home or carrying my lunch, as well as putting together a list of quick and easy menu items that I can make in the evening when I’m tired.

The hardest part of all these changes is making new habits to replace the old habits. In the past I’ve gotten overwhelmed when I changes too many things at once. This time I’m taking it slow and easy and focusing on three things that I need to do to feel more comfortable with where I am at.