I confess - I need success in order to continue. I cant help it - I need that feedback of "yes I did it" in order to continue on. Few things make me happier than placing a checkmark on a to do list (to the point I will put things I've already done on the list to check it off!). Also, I feel that if I set smaller goals/tasks/plans I am not as overwhelmed with the magnitude of some of the goals that I have. I've been slowly working on a few goals the past little while. Honestly, I'm not a "doer" so much as a "planner". And though sometimes this works well, other times I spend more time on the planning and less on the doing. That's why I'm also the kind of person that needs start dates and deadlines. Therefore, For this week, I'm starting small.
1. Get up at 6am every weekday (and without snooze)
- Next confession... I love to sleep! Yes, I do, I love snuggling under the blanket in complete relaxation and warmth. And I'm blessed with the ability to literally sleep anywhere and anytime. What's better than a night time sleep - a nap...sigh, I love a good nap too
- I've been doing a lot of reading and internet "research" on tips to getting up on time. One of the things I've come across is cycling your sleep based on an REM Pattern - this means waking up when you aren't in your deepest sleep (check out WebMD for an explanation of REM sleep and Sleep Calculator). I'm trying that out this week.
- Since I need to get up at 6 the recommended time is to be sleeping by 10:30 - I'm making sure I'm in bed with a book by 10:00
- There are a tonne of websites dedicated to "how to wake up in the morning" each with it's own tips and ideas - I've narrowed things down to the few things I think make most sense for me (just Google "How to Get up In the Morning" - you'll find a tonne!). This week I'm trying:
- Moving my alarm away from my bed - and by away I mean away - I've moved it into the next room, which forces me to get up and out of bed. I've also changed the alarm to the absolute loudest and most annoying sound I could find (because in addition to being able to sleep anytime and anywhere I can sleep through most things)
- Powering down before bed - one of the consistent things I've read is to "unplug" before bed. That the stimulation from all the games and bright lights from our phones/computers increases the activity in our brain in makes it harder to fall into a good REM sleep - it's suggested that you "power down" at least an hour before bed. By leaving my alarm (which is also my phone) plugged in away from my bed, this will hopefully help out with this.
- One thing I've been doing for the last several months has been no coffee after 7:00 - I've learned from my doctor, that just because I fall asleep easily, doesn't mean that the caffeine from coffee isn't affecting my sleep - again, it makes it harder to fall into a good sleep.
2. "Clean Up" My Fridge and Cupboards
- Next week we are going to be starting a "30 Day Vegan Challenge" based on the book surprise surprise "The 30 Day Vegan Challenge Book" By Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. She also has a website where you can sign up for support for 60 days or indefinitely http://www.the30dayveganchallenge.com for a cost. I haven't decided if I am going to join this yet or not. I feel the book has enough information in it, but will spend some more time on the website to help me determine whether or not I want to join the website challenge.
- I had originally wanted to start the Challenge this week, but with the holidays, our fridge/freezer/cupboards are still pretty packed with left overs, and dairy products (I'm already vegetarian) and I can't let things go to waste, so we are having a "clean out the fridge" week, where we only eat or cook with what we already have.
- As well, I will do an expiry date clean out, and give everything a good scrub for a true fresh start!
3. Start the Simplify 101 Goal Workshop - With Hubby
- As I said before, I completed this workshop last year, and absolutely loved it. It was one of those things that just made sense to me, and matched with my own ways of thinking and planning. It worked great for the two months I was actively engaged in the course, however, I overwhelmed myself with not listening to the advice on the number of goals we should set. Since I found that most of the lessons and plans in the course terribly helpful, I wanted to try it out again.
- I really wanted to involve hubby this time. For a couple of reasons. Firstly, for moral support, as several of my goals involve him by proxy (for example, anything involving finances, home renos, travel), but also in hopes to encourage him to really delve in and seek out what his goals may be for the upcoming year and even further into the future.
That's my plan for the week. I'm feeling pretty positive about it, it seems realistic and achievable to me - and gives me a chance to add a few checks on my list!
Cheers!
Alisia
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