My Progress So Far

Now that we are in the new year, part of my resolution was to bring myself to be the healthiest I can be so that I can be an organ donor for my dad. So far, I have been tracking my food and going for walks or using my parents’ elliptical every day and I am very proud of the work I have been putting in. I’ll admit that I haven’t been the absolute healthiest on this journey. I have indulged in some sweets almost every day and I need to exercise more self-control. I had a bad morning last week where I looked at myself in the mirror and I was so upset with the way I looked. Then I got even more upset because I was thinking so poorly of myself. It’s important that I feel confident in myself and put myself to a true and healthy routine. I have loved getting into the habit of taking a break from whatever laziness I have put myself to and taking a half an hour or so to be active. It’s a great way for me to feel productive, which I love, and I get to confidently say that I did something to improve my health and am closer to my goal of being healthy enough to be a donor.

I have been trying to phrase this journey as me trying to be healthier so I can be a donor and I avoid solely thinking about losing weight or becoming thinner. This has been helpful in shaping how I think about myself and my adjusting lifestyle. Pushing myself to be more positive has, so far, been the biggest thing making me continue. Instead of thinking, “ugh I have to go work out now…” I think about how nice it would be to go for a nice long walk in the fresh air, or I think about how nice it would be to go ham on the elliptical and then shower off all the sweat. If I go extra hard on a workout, I treat myself to some awesome skin care after just to keep up the pampering of my body. Working out in a way is pampering yourself because for me, when I’m done, it makes me feel better about myself. Even though I may regret it in the middle of it, I’ve never come down from a workout and regretted anything I did.

I can’t wait to see how I keep going throughout this month and the rest of this year. It hasn’t been long, but I really am proud of everything I’ve done. I hope this can inspire anyone else looking into a lifestyle change!

Healthy Habits For 2019

Now that we are in 2019, I want to start working in healthier habits into my daily life for my physical and mental health, and finances. Now that I have decided that these three staples are what I need to work on, I want to start going through realistic goals/activities that I can slowly implement into my lifestyle. If i say that I must do a complete 180 on my current lifestyle, I would never keep up with it. I’m not a perfect person and I will definitely slip up from time to time. But by thinking of small things that take a fraction of a second to consider doing, I am one step closer to becoming a healthier and more content person.

Some of the things listed below, I already do, but it’s good to remind myself of the healthy habits I need to continue doing especially while I have resources at college that I won’t have once I graduate.

Physical Health

• Park farther away from buildings at school, stores, etc. so I walk a little extra every day
• Go for a walk when I get too stressed (this will help with the mental category as well!)
• Think twice before I snack when I get bored
• Try to pick a healthy alternative to unhealthy food
• Cook for myself more often
• Go to the gym at school and walk/cycle while reading for class (we love multitasking here at the blog)
• Stretch in the AM and PM

Mental Health

• Meditation
• Journaling
• Keep a gratitude log (bullet journal)
• Monitor how negative I am toward others
• When overwhelmed, write out a schedule of what you need to get done and how long you think it will take you to accomplish it
• Try on a bunch of outfits and appreciate how good I look in them
• Gush over how cute your pets are

Finances

• Evaluate if I really need to buy something
• Put in extra hours for workstudy
• Go out to eat less
• Keep a spending log (bullet journal)

My Pledges For The New Year

Going into 2019, the year I graduate from college and start to navigate the scariness of adulthood, I promise to myself that I will believe in myself. No more doubt and putting myself down. Just because someone else wants something or is good at something doesn’t mean that I can’t want something or do something. I have been digging a hole for myself in the past and now as a young, passionate woman with a bright future, I need to be the force that propels me out of my abyss into the bright, shining future ahead of me.

I also want this new year to become a year of becoming a healthier person physically, mentally, and financially. Physically, I want to become more active and start losing weight. It’s not that I don’t love my body, but I hope to become a kidney donor for my dad and the doctors at the transplant center say that I need to look into losing weight to become the best match possible. This is something I really want to do because if I can help my dad become healthier, I want to do everything in my power to make this happen. Mentally, I want to accept the fact that I have anxiety and have panic attacks from time to time and that as I discover coping mechanisms, to never fear implementing them when necessary. Financially, I want to practice the art of spending less and saving more. I have a bad habit of spending much more than I’m making and then putting myself in anxious situations where I panic about my lack of money. By practicing financial self-control, I will be able to have a better piece of mind for my future.

A lot of people say, “New Year, new me” and I want to make this a reality for my future. 2019 is a huge year for me and it’s up to me to grab life by the horns and take control.

January 2019 Bullet Journal

Here’s the spread I’m working on for my January Bullet Journal. I’ve been thinking about what trackers would benefit me the most, so I decided to add them.

 

The first page in my spread is a small monthly calendar with some goals that I want to achieve for the month.

 

Next, I have a spending log. I definitely struggle to be smart with my money when I get tempted by makeup, clothes, craft supplies, or going out with my friends. Having something to physically keep track of my money will hopefully force me to become the frugal person I need to be since I will be graduating in 5 months.

 

Next, I have a massive habit log for the month. This includes cleaning, no caffeine, meditating, hydration, and many others. It’s a cute way to see what good habits I’ve been achieving in my day.

 

Next is a gratitude log. I often harbor on the negative so much that I forget to appreciate the good in my day. At the bottom of the page, I wrote a quote that is very fitting for this spread. It says, ” A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles.”

 

Next is blog ideas so I can keep track of everything I want to write about this month.

 

And last but not least is my mood tracker. I had so many ideas for this (hence the many erase marks) but eventually settled on a cute doodle of a winter had with plenty of places to  track my moods with different colors that will showcase each emotion for the day. I struggle with anxiety, so this will be a great way for me to keep track of how I feel throughout the month.

 

January BuJo 2019!

Getting a head start on my bullet journal planning for the new year! I’ll be implementing more trackers into my journal because those are what help me stay organized the most. I’m thinking putting trackers for sleep, exercise, water, stress, and who knows what else. Let me know if you have any cool suggestions!