The '017 Files: Jan

No matter how together my life is, somehow, this nagging feeling creeps back in every so often. I get anxious as the little voice (holding a big megaphone) starts shrieking, "Get your shit together!" Get more organized, get in shape, eat better, be happier, advance your career, be a better friend/girlfriend/sibling/daughter/woman/person, etc. The voice has a pretty standard mantra to rattle off, and the anxiety fairy sprays glitter in my eyes til I don't know which way is up and I find myself buried in a bag of chocolates. (Because chocolate drowns all worries, duh.)

Maybe it's not necessarily "good" or "healthy" that this uneasy feeling hits like a ton of bricks so often. But, I like to spin it as a positive little check-up. A nice, motivational little "hey, don't forget to be fabulous today, you go-getter, you!" Of course, I spin it like that so I won't spend even more time freaking out about freaking out... (Don't feed the monster, girl!)

Give me your magic, fountain!I'll take all the luck I can get for '017.

SO, that leads us to 2017. No, not making "resolutions" again this year, but I do want to try out a few things to see if I can kick it up a notch from 2016. One thing will be a "1st of the month" post to collect my thoughts / gameplan for the month ahead... that'd be this, in case you didn't guess. Otherwise, the things I've decided to focus on for January:

1) Habit Forming (I'd like to get a few new ones):

• Daily flossing
• Drinking water/tea first thing each morning, not hot cocoa
• Having my lunch packed and ready each night before bed (want to get into meal preppin' but we'll see how quickly that picks up in the new year - need to research/get ready for that one)
• Doing five squats every time I go to the bathroom (to sneak in some extra exercise)

2) Tracking: 

• If I could curl up inside an Excel spreadsheet and live there, I just might. I use spreadsheets to track life sometimes (calories, exercise, reading time, moneys, etc.). It gives a clearer look at the big picture, and I can't fudge the details when they are quantified right in front of my face. So, I'm starting up my exercise tracker again from now til our Orlando trip (end of February). Will start up another tracker in February (probably budgeting - I know I can't maintain too many at once without getting annoyed, so best to ramp up).
• I love me a good calendar. Besides the big one for social engagements, I have two smaller ones for daily record keeping this month. One is taped to the bathroom mirror and has three to five "must do"s for each day. They're mostly cleaning/apartment maintenance related items. You know, so I don't just scramble before people come over, or randomly freak out that I'm not keeping our place nice enough / am failing as a girlfriend. And, so I can actually remember when I last cleaned the tub and not just think I did it recently (seriously, when was it?!). The second calendar is to track my daily weight. I promise that I hate myself for this one, as I'm a huge believer that health is so much more than a number on a scale, BUT this one is due largely to my "falling off the wagon" and needing to get reoriented with my bod. Weight isn't everything, but it can help remind me that the healthy eating and exercise needs to be a continual priority to help lose/maintain. This calendar is a slippery slope warning beacon, because we all know I've got zilch on the willpower front. 
• Journaling. Yeah. I don't know how I feel about it either. I've had my stints (did the "diary" thing in HS, wrote a daily positive blurb during that dark year after college graduation, etc.), but it never seems to stick. So for January, I'm giving it another go. (Don't I wish I had enough patience for that bullet journaling stuff!)

3) Be More Invested:

• Lean in more at work and get focused on how I can grow/benefit from some of the department changes coming through in the new year. Also want to do some additional training beyond my regular work load. 
• Care more about what food I'm putting into my face and invest in my long-term health by picking better food options. 
• Listen better and be more observant, in order to improve relationships (personal and professional).
• Care about dental health, too. After one root canal, I'm not looking forward to more time with my dentist, but I do need to get a few other teeth-related items addressed now so I can start fresh and strong going forward. Get my chomps all set. 

I think that'll be more than enough to be going on with. 2017 hasn't even hit the 20 hour mark yet and I've already got enough bullet points to keep me busy for the whole darn year. Taking it one month at a time, and hoping to come out of '017 shinier than I came into it.