Accomplishments so Far....

I've figured it's time to give an update on my first few weeks of goals...

• Get up at 6am every weekday (and without snooze)
• I've been doing this for 15 days now - and there has only been one day where I got up, grabbed my phone from the kitchen and reset the alarm for 630 - otherwise I have been up at 6am the other 14 days
• Benefits I've found!
• This past week, I've been waking up before the alarm, so the alarm hasn't been so jarring when it goes off.  I find I wake up 5-10 minutes earlier on my own, and so I can start waking up in bed.
• My morning isn't so rushed - I can actually get up, make breakfast and drink a coffee before I need to start readying for the day ahead.
• "Clean Up" My Fridge and Cupboard
• I've eliminated almost all dairy/animal products - this has been a bit slower than I'd thought, because I've been surprised at how many thing do have animal bi-products in them - and we had just bought a bunch of dairy cheese in the states in December (it's way cheaper down there) so we are still working through that.  As well, I've been working to eliminate a lot of processed foods, and replacing them by making my own - I've made granola bars, flavoured oatmeal, and several different vegan loaves as a substitute for desserts and snacks I would usually have bought pre-packaged.
• Start the Simplify 101 Goal Workshop - With Hubby
• We have done this each Wednesday for the past three weeks - we stretched out the second class across three weeks because we felt like it was a lot of work to manage in just one and to actually do an honest job of completing the class assignments.  We are currently working on categorizing our list of "dreams" we created in week one, and choosing 1-7 to create into goals.
• Exercise Three Times
• I'm on Day 7 of C210K (which means I ran three times each the past two weeks), which is exactly where I need to be - I'm surprised at how much I enjoy running on the track or even on the treadmill - I like that the app lets me slowly build up my tolerance and increases my run/walk ratio.  
• Start the 30 Day Vegan Diet
• so this is where I would say I haven't exactly met my goal of being completely vegan for 30 days.  I'm still making my way through the book, and am learning a lot about how to not only eat vegan, but just "cleaner" and healthier in general - however, I've learned I'm not quite ready to make the dive into vegan 24/7 - really just with regard to eating out.  I've conceded - or really I have made the decision to be vegan at home - to do all my cooking vegan.  A book I discovered (and have downloaded and yet to read) is "VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health . . . for Good" by Mark Bittman.  From researching the book online, and reading a snippet of it, it seems to fit where I am at with regard to my eating habits.
• Go to bed with a Tidy House
• We've been specifically trying to pay attention to this the past two weeks, and it's another one where Sunday-Thursday we've done well.  It seems by the time Friday comes we've petered out and just want to relax and so dishes end up not done, and blankets not folded, bed unmade until Sunday when we get ready for the upcoming week - still some work to go on this front!

 

I have to say I am pretty happy with my progress so far - I feel that this very small realistic changes in my life are the best way to work on pursuing and reach my goals.

What do you find works for you to reach your goals?

Cheers!
Alisia