One Day At A Time

SHINEWORTHY LIFESTYLES - Confidence to Move Forward, Clarity to Shine!

Do you feel that your life is out of control?

Do you feel frazzled?

Do you feel overwhelmed?

Do you fall asleep during your favorite show due to exhaustion?

Do you find yourself digging through the dryer, looking for socks and underwear most every morning for someone in the family?

Do you find yourself running late most of the time?

Do you receive late notices because you forgot to pay the bills?

If you answered, "yes" to one or more of these questions, you are not alone.

Most of us feel like every hour is a rush hour and we are missing out on the things in life that are truly important.

You were created to experience a better way - a life anchored in simplicity, contentment, joy, and rest.

I want to encourage you to take time to breathe and consider making some changes that will enable you to experience a refreshing and more positive approach to life.

Take a look at the statements below and see if any apply to you:

• I know I need to make some changes and I'm thinking about how to get started.

• I have written my goals down, now I need to formulate a plan.

• I realize that "stuff" or "life" will interrupt my plan, but I wil not allow this to get me down.

• I need to be patient with myself and take one step at a time.

You didn't get into the shape you are in overnight, so don't expect to get out of it overnight.

It is good to have long-range goals. I encourage you to dream big dreams with the anticipation that they will come true.

If you are striving for perfection and expecting a quick fix, I am afraid you may be setting yourself up for disappointment. Most people who strive for perfection are prone to procrastination. When they discover that life is out of control, they think that in order to correct the situation, they will need a full day or a full week to make everything perfect again. So they wait until there is time to do it with perfection.

Guess what happens?

Nothing!

Why?

Because there is never enough time to make things perfect.

Instead, I would like to suggest that you take one day at a time, and strive for improvement, not perfection.

When I was a little girl, my mother had a set schedule for every day. It was a good schedule, and everyone in the family knew what needed to be done on any given day.

For example, she kept the household organized by designating specific tasks their own day. We all knew that Monday was Laundry Day, etc. Meals were planned out ahead of time, allowing her to budget accordingly. Thanks, Mom for setting such a good example for me to follow!

My parents taught me to live a simple life with good values. Every morning, my parents took time to gather around the breakfast table to read God's word and pray with me. This taught me that starting the day with God's blessing was important.

My husband and I continued this tradition in our household when our children were growing up. Before heading out the door for work and school, we gathered around the breakfast table to read God's word and pray.

What can you do to teach your children the importance of living a simpler life?

Be careful! Your schedule can get filled before you even have time to plan for it.

Birthday parties, baby showers, little league football/soccer/baseball games, weddings, and other activities are fun and exciting. However, it can be challenging to work in the family responsibilites at the same time.

Look over the list below and mark the things that need to be done on a regular basis. Put a D for daily, W for weekly and M for monthly:

___Pay Bills ___Yard Work ___Wash Dishes

___Exercise ___Laundry ___Prepare Meals

___Help with Homework ___Journal ___Prayer

___Grocery Shopping ___Change Bed Linens ___Clean Bathrooms

Once you've looked over the list, if your budget allows, you may want to consider delegating where possible. Any of the other items that need to be done on a weekly basis could be assigned a certain day of the week.

Instead of trying to do everything on the weekend, why not designate other days during the week to get things done?

One of my goals has always been to make Saturday my "play day". This goal is attainable if I take care of the items on the list during the week.

When everything is caught up before the weekend, I find myself taking a more positive approach to the upcoming events. My mind shifts from frazzled and overwhelmed to joy and contentment.

You can experience this too. You simply have to plan for it one day at a time.

Please remember that interruptions will come and things won't always go as planned. On those days, be patient with yourself, and don't allow the situation to get you down.

Thought For The Day: When things feel too overwhelming, remember: One day at a time; One thought at a time, One moment at a time; and One task at a time.

At SHINEWORTHY Lifestyles, we specialize in helping people achieve their dreams faster and improve their lives through One to One Coaching and SHINEWORTHY Collective Group Coaching with Sue Ann Cordell. Email sueann@sueanncordell.com for more information.

Have A Great Day!