1. Sticking to my budget. This was a tough one. I started off giving myself $50/week. I realized how extremely low it was when that didnt work. I spent $50 in the first two days going out to eat. I was so upset with myself because I saw it as a failure. I grew disappointed with myself until I realized my budget was not realistic. I had to set a realistic budget according to my lifestyle and the amount of money I wanted to save. It was tough, but I have come up with a budget I can stick to.
2. Save moola. I have been able to save money and I'm very proud of myself. I get to do more things that I enjoy and I didnt have to sacrifice much. My technique:
*I assessed my spending. I started by tracking my spending for one week & then I analyzed where my money went. It came as no suprise that most of my money went to shopping with food and entertainment at a close second. It was tough to cut down on shopping but I made progress.
*When I needed something from the mall I went an hour before it closed instead of earlier in the morning. I was less likely to browse because I knew I didnt have much time for such things. By going later I forced myself to stay on task.
3. Learn new web design techniques. Web design is hard!! I had no idea it was so tough. All of my readers with design talent I salute thee!! I tried to push through and learn design techniques but towards the final week I gave it up. I will keep this on my list take a course or something but teaching myself was not working.
4. Change my attitude. My attitude is pretty much still the same. As with any journey I had a few ups and a few downs but somehow it all worked out. I believe I was made this way for a reason. My parents have always taught me God doesnt make mistakes so if I am this way at this point in my life it is for a reason. Regardless of the reason or when I will realize it, I embrace everything about my personality-good and bad. Everyone is different and there is no one else who looks at life the exact same way I do.
5. Learning when to take a break. Taking a break is easier now, its the going back to work after the break part that is difficult. I leave my laptop closed after work unless I am blogging and I spend time doing things that make me happy. What I didn't see at first was how beneficial breaks can be to your productivity. Sometimes breaking up your routine is an opportunity for you to have a new perspective on old situations. Taking breaks is wonderful but I still have to catch myself thinking about the gazillion other productive things I could be doing instead.
What I've learned:
Whenever you set out to change something about yourself it is a journey. Regardless of whether you set goals for 30 days or 300 days, you will be forced to look within yourself to find reasons why you behave/react in a certain way. Even when you are lying to others, you cannot truly lie to yourself. Eventually you will tire of lies and you will have to face the truth. My journey forced me to endure the truth. I understand more about my actions. I learned that people will judge you so harshly that it makes you question yourself. I learned not to allow that bother me. I understand more about how I end up in various situations. I had to give in to the slow and frustrating process many of us endure before we make progress. I not only talked the talk but I walked the walk until my feet hurt. I learned that we must enjoy life even when we dont feel like living it up!
What I wish I knew:I should warn you all that I am one who likes to control a situation. When I lose control, it makes me feel uncomfortable and apprehensive. I like to know as much I can know about everything so that if I ever need to apply the knowledge I can tap into my brain and find the answer. I'm constantly researching random things and if I dont know something I will not hesitate to look it up. I wish I knew how to relinquish that control more and just go with the flow. I wish I knew how to not want to be an overachiever in everything. I wish I knew how to not be so competitive. I wish I knew how to sleep in on Saturdays. Sometimes being this way is frustrating because it puts strains on relationships and I feel helpless. By the same token, my personality has worked to my advantage more often than not so I embrace it. I embrace the female dog in me.
There you have it!
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