I made a difficult decision this week, but I think it was the right one. Although I have been frustrated (and sometimes angry) with my current job for a long time now, I have decided to stick with it and put off my current job search at least until my boyfriend and I find a new apartment in July. Looking for a job on top of all the improvements I've been trying to make in my life has just been too frustrating and stressful. The economy still sucks, especially in my sector, and we're not even sure where we're going to be living yet. I feel it will be much easier to wait and find something else once we are settled.
Being grateful for the things I have is sometimes difficult. I should definitely appreciate the fact that I have a job at all, and that it pays decently well. (Although not working when it rains has put a bit of a damper on that last part from time to time.) I'm not really the sort of person who counts my blessings all the time - but I'm thinking maybe I need to learn how. Something else to stick on my list of things to do to feel better.
Speaking of things to be done... Here is a list of my recent goals that I am in the midst of implementing:
- No more take-out or dining out. (This is aimed at both trying to eat better things as well as saving some money.)
- Resist buying new clothes until I lose some weight. Hopefully twenty pounds worth.
- Focus on paying off my credit card, and then save money for a netbook (for writing), a real vacation (potentially abroad?), and also a new car (which I will probably need sometime in the next two or three years).
- Figure out my own perspective on things before diving into arguments about them. (Yeah, I'll probably be writing more about this later.)
- Do some form of a work-out every day. So far I have been successful with this. Even if it's only playing with my medicine ball for ten minutes.
- Choose a daily habit and stick with it for at least two weeks without skipping a day.
That last one is important because there are so many small habits that I want to implement in my life that I have been unsuccessful with. Simple things like flossing every day or keeping dirty clothes off my bedroom floor. Most of them are aimed at keeping me healthy and happy with myself in the long-term.
This week I chose to try having a mug of warm water and lemon juice in the morning. You can read in more detail about this practice at MindBodyGreen, but the general gist of this is to be in the habit of starting your day with a good (somewhat ritualistic) habit. This lemony water (it's just water with the juice of half a lemon) is super cheap - I bought a bag of twelve lemons at my local grocery store for three bucks - and very good for you. It gives a boost to your immune system, keeps you hydrated, helps digestion, and can even keep your skin clearer. I've done it for five days this week, and so far I feel like it's been helping. I feel more refreshed in the morning, and definitely more hydrated. The only downside is the effect of citric acid on your enamel, but I brush my teeth after or use a straw to drink.
Have you made any small goals you believe will lead to the fulfillment of big goals?
