Secrets of Success

Get a plan

Almost every time I have slipped up, it is because I didn't plan ahead. I know I am going on holiday next week and it is not going to be so easy to exercise or eat healthily so I am making a plan for how I am going to keep my healthy lifestyle outside my normal routine.

It's your race

When I ran my first 5k, I struggled to keep up with the other runners. I wound up out of breath and extremely frustrated in the end.
My son (who is also a runner) noticed how defeated I felt even after accomplishing my goal and told me, "Mom, remember that it's your race. You and only you set the pace. When you cross the finish line it's about what you set out to do not how well you did in comparison to somebody else."
I learned a valuable lesson that day about maintaining focus.

Finish Each Day and Be Done With It!

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the wisest quotes I've ever read...you must let go of your mistakes and just get on with it.

Lotion

When you think you are done with the bottle cut it in half and you will have at least a weeks worth of lotion that you were going to throw away. Now you can use it and save money

Fighting the clutter

My Grandma always said, " Don't put it down, put it away!" When I remember her words and take that extra 30 seconds or so to put something away, I save myself a lot of time and energy later trying to find where I put it down. It also cuts down on the clutter factor considerably!

left-overs on payday

I get paid by direct deposit and on payday I check my account online. Looking at the balance, I transfer any money left over from the previous payday into a savings account; even if it is only $20.00. You will be surprised at how fast this can add up. my savings account is actually a tax-free account where I can stash up to $5000 without paying taxes on it. Nice!

I thought you were right-handed!

Eating with your non-dominant hand not only forces you to slow down your eating, but focus on hand-eye coordination and strengthening the fine motor muscles and skills in that hand which can deteriorate as we age!