Change One Thing: Getting Proper Rest

I can't believe how fast this summer is flying by, but it has already been a month since my last change. It has been okay. I'll be completely honest and let you know I have not fully given up soda. Rather, I have cut back on the amount consumed and am still working on reducing that amount further.

For the month of August, and beyond really, I really want to focus on getting proper rest. I am a night owl by nature but that isn't really working for me in this stage of life with young kiddos who like to rise early. So many mornings, okay, almost every morning I am just getting up when they do and that is making me feel two steps behind all day long. Without rising early I don't have the jumpstart I need by getting time with the Lord in his Word and also don't have a time to mentally prepare for what lies ahead that day. The only way to begin rising early for me is going to be retiring early in the evening. (The fact that I'm writing this at 10:25 pm is a sign I haven't implemented this change yet.) To go to bed at a reasonable hour I will have to stay disciplined throughout the day to get everything done while everyone else is awake. When I was in high school our track coach was really insistent on not staying up late. He said that each hour before midnight provides better rest than the hours after midnight. While I know there is likely no scientific evidence for this, it seems to hold true in my case.

Anyone else out there working on small changes that have big impacts on your life? Let me know.

Good night!

Change 1 Thing: Bye-Bye Soda

I've been thinking in recent months that although life is going well, I could certainly stand to be more disciplined and intentional with time, relationships, homemaking, money and the stuff I put into my body. With the birth of our son two years ago and mothering then three children all age three and under I sort of went into survival mode and unfortunately got stuck there. Things have normalized, as much as they ever will, many months ago and it is time to get back to looking at the big picture and not just the day to day. When I think of all the changes I want to make I do get overwhelmed so I've decided that I'll add one thing per month that I really want to work on and go from there. Maybe by blogging about it I will feel more accountability to myself and to others.

So, without further adieu (ado? which is it?), I say goodbye to my daily relationship with soda. It's been a long time coming, but I've got to stop pretending I am a teenager and that this is okay for a thirty-something woman to be drinking this on such a frequent basis. Since I stopped nursing I've really not been taking care of my hydration needs (i.e. pure water), but instead making sure I've had plenty of sugar water. Well, I've had enough!

Wish me luck! Is there anything you'd like to change during the month of July? Join me!