Eating Frogs

I know I've written about it before, but in case y'all have forgotten, I am a MAJOR procrastinator. I put off the inevitable for as long as possible, and it really cuts into my productivity. It's a bad habit I've had for a long time and I've been working on being better about it for some time.
Last Monday I had an especially productive day. I worked all morning and afternoon to clean, organize, and set up my life for the week that was coming. I even bathed my dog and did laundry...I was incredibly impressed with myself.
Today I got out of bed late, and I've wasted most of the morning watching Netflix and doing miscellaneous tasks that aren't imperative.
I was thinking, as I finished my last episode, what makes the difference? Last week I was productive, and it really set the tone for the rest of the week. Today I feel like sludge. I'm moving slowly, and before I sat down to write this I found myself wandering from room to room without direction.
Then it hit me. Last week I got up and before I did anything else, I unloaded the dishwasher, and then tidied up the kitchen. Then I moved on to laundry, and the bathroom, and it went on from there.
This morning, I woke up, and moved to the couch before doing anything. I then made my morning juice (without cleaning up my mess... *ugh*) and turned on my computer for "just one episode."
I started slow, and I'm still moving slow.
Mark Twain is credited for saying "If it's your job to eat a live frog, it's best to do it in the morning, and if it's your job to eat two, it's best to eat the biggest one first."
Now, I don't know about you, but last week, I did just that. I ate the dang frog. Then, nothing else seemed to be too bad. I made a list and tackled every item on it. This morning, I most definitely did not eat the frog, and I'm paying for it now, as it is after noon and I haven't done anything worthwhile.
I have a list now, of things I need to get done, and while I am late getting started, I am challenging myself to finish every item.
This is my challenge for you (and me) to swallow the frog every morning and *jump start* the day.

Until next time,

H.

When Things Aren't Adding Up Start Subtracting

In the past few months I have felt overwhelmed and full of anxiety, and haven't been able to figure out why. Life was floating along as usual, but something felt off.
I read a book called Clutter's Last Stand, and it's messages helped me pinpoint a few of the things in my life that I needed to clean out.
One of those things was my digital life. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and even just my iPhone alone were all "junk" items that I realized I don't need. I realized that I was spending more time on those than any other aspect of my life, and it was beginning to hurt relationships, and cause me stress. They were tools that I was overusing, causing them to become more stressful than helpful.
In the clutter book, it talks about junk being anything that adds stress, and no value to your life. After reading it I came to the hard realization that my phone was a piece of junk that I was relying on. It was adding more stress than value. I felt like I always had to have it on me, and I've been spending time and money cleaning it, keeping it safe, and worrying when I couldn't find it. I've spent more money than should ever be spent on a thing, to maintain my texting, and data plan. It makes me sick to think about all the money I could have been saving but instead was being used to support a habit I don't need.
One of the biggest reasons (as embarrassed as I am to admit) for keeping my smartphone was a status symbol. Having an iPhone (in my mind at least) made it look like I had my life together. My friends have them, and I had one, and everything was right in the world. Except it wasn't. I now realize just how stupid I was for thinking that having an iPhone meant something in the grand scheme of things. It doesn't. I would much rather have real human relationships and peace of mind.
Today I transitioned back to a basic phone. I've been without my iPhone for a little less than two hours and it's already one of the best decisions I've made for myself in some time. I don't feel the need to check my phone, every five minutes, and I haven't felt the nagging in the back of my mind to make sure my Instagram picture fits with my over all aesthetic. (I know right?)
I will still keep my online accounts, to keep up with loved ones, but I no longer feel the need to check them every second of every day.
I would recommend Clutter's Last Stand to anyone who knows they have pack rat tendencies, or anything in their life that needs to be dejunked. My closets are cleaned out, and now my digital life is cleaned up. As soon as I made the decision to get rid of the things that were weighing me down, I felt lighter and less stressed.
Now, I didn't write this to condemn anyone who has a smartphone. I don't think that at all. I think a lot of people can use them responsibly and it's not an issue. This was a personal decision for me, to make my life easier.
While I may not be recommending this specific course for everyone, I would recommend that you look at your life and figure out if you are living with any kind of junk (be it mental, emotional, or physical) and get rid of it. I promise you will feel better.