Setting the bar...at eye level

     It's a new year and most of us, regardless if we spoke it out loud, have some things we want to accomplish this year. I have a plate full. I want to write, and de-clutter, lose a few pounds and the list goes on. Now, my writing is exciting to me, so it's not that hard. In fact, it kind of gets in the way of the de-cluttering and cleaning which I don't really enjoy doing at all. The losing weight thing, well, I know what I need to do, it's just setting it in motion.
     For most, the goals we set for the new year, normally don't get attained. But why? Well, like I said, fun things get in the way. They take the time that we should have spent on the goal. The most obvious reason we don't attain our goals though is...honestly, we set the bar too high. We say I'm going to declutter the house next week or I'm going to lose sixteen pounds in a month.
     The best way to attain your goal is set small goals each week that you know you can manage.
Here are some ideas
For De-cluttering
1. Set a goal to clean out a small area once a week-clean one closet, or even one drawer. Pull everything out have three piles KEEP, THROW, DONATE, go through it all and divide it then clean the area completely and only put back what you are keeping.
2. If you have electronics that are busted don't throw them away. Some electronic shops will take your busted items to use for parts.
3. Never dump old medication down the toilet or sink or in the garbage especially if they are painkillers. Check with your local police station for the safest way to get rid of them
4. Same with chemical such as pesticides, paint, oil. Check with your city to find a safe place to dump

For losing weight
1. Never look at it as losing weight. Look at it as getting healthy
2. Don't be reactive, be proactive. Most of us are on some kind of medication for high blood pressure, high A1c, Cholesterol Etc...most of it has to do with diet and getting the right balance in our bodies. There are doctors that teach healthy eating and exercise and use vitamins and minerals to strengthen the body instead of prescribing pills to take care of symptoms. Check for a Functional Medical Doctor in your area to help get you on a healthy regime.
3. Don't focus on the weight focus on moving. Look at your schedule throughout the day and figure out how long you are sedentary and just start moving. Even if you add ten minutes of movement a day that you didn't have in your schedule before, it will make a difference. Take a walk get some fresh air. Look for walking paths in your area.
4. Check out the gyms- this one comes with a precaution- check with your physician first. There are so many ways to get some exercise these days it's not even funny. Crossfit, yoga, pilates, zoomba, weight lifting, running, etc...find something that looks fun and try it out. There are usually trainers at the gyms that can help
5. Start small- don't try to do an hour of exercise to start off or lift a ton of weights- you will wear yourself out and get discouraged. Start small and work your way up.