When you think it isn't going to matter anyway, think again. We have all been told numerous times that it is all the little things in life that matter and add up. I believe that to be true and here’s why!
You get up five minutes early: you can meditate, make your lunch, write your child or loved one a sweet note, do a quick cardio workout, light a candle and have some much needed peace and quiet with that first cup of coffee. Do this every day and you will look forward to that alarm going off!
You plan to workout for 30 minutes and you go 40: that will torch another glorious 50 to 100 calories my friend! You think that doesn’t add up, think again! That is one step closer to your weight loss and fitness goal. You may be looking to run a mile without stopping or one day running a 5K. If you run 30 minutes each day and nothing more, then that’s what you will be good at. Push yourself, you know you can always go just a bit farther or maybe a bit faster. Picture how you will feel when you break that one mile time!
You generally have a craving for something sweet and delicious right about 3:00 PM but this time, rather than ransacking the vending machine, you calmly walk back to the company fridge and take out your 70 calorie, chocolate snack pack, and for a few minutes you feel like a kid again! Or even better, you have your favorite flavor of greek yogurt and fresh berries that you so proudly cleaned and cut last night! This is not only delicious but full of protein and calcium and fiber...need I say more!
Ladies, we take our morning make-up routine seriously don’t we! What if we added five minutes to our typical morning and did a mask, or used that eye cream that got shoved to the back of the cupboard or maybe made time for a soak in the tub with epsom salt, candles and our favorite tunes. And as we leave the bathroom, a quick swipe with a clorox wipe and we are out of there!
You have an appointment: you plan to leave just in time to arrive at your destination right as expected. If you left 5 to minutes earlier than planned, you have time to read that email or respond to that text from earlier today. Or, better yet, you grab that book that you leave in the vehicle for those exact times and read a few pages, becoming once again engaged in the book you couldn't wait to buy and read but never seem to find the time.
Here is a short list of things we can do each and everyday that add up over the course of time:
Use greek yogurt in place of sourcream
Eat half a serving rather than the entire serving
Eat an open faced sandwich
Choose a cereal high in fiber and low in sugar
Eat egg whites rather than the entire egg
Finish with a sprint on your morning workout
Replace your shoes every 500 miles rather than once every 3 years
Stop eating at 6:00 each night or sooner
Follow intermittent fasting
Wake up five minutes earlier each day
Repack your workout bag each time you walk in the door
Bring your lunch rather than eating out saving money and calories
Do push-ups off the counter every time you are near
Drink a bottle of water on your way to and from work
Read rather than watching TV
Add air popped popcorn to your microwave popcorn
Eat something green at every meal
Eat from a bowl not the bag
Stretch daily
Practice balance exercises daily
I could go on and on and fortunately, for many of my loving clients, they allow me to do so...and you know who you are...a big thank you!
I am such a big believer that each and everything we do each day matters and allows us to build habits that we grow to love and gives us the motivation to keep going. Please don’t give up. Don’t think that this one little thing won’t matter but I can promise you it does!
Do me (and yourself) a favor; for the next week, keep track of all you do as a parent, spouse, son or daughter and employee. What if you didn’t do all the things you do, would anyone notice, would all the little things add up and be noticed? I bet the answer will be a great big yes!
Side note: I was going to write this blog this afternoon, but it was 75 degrees out and I worked in the garden and played with my puppies instead. Then, my 7:00 appointment cancelled so I decided I would make the best use of the time already set aside to send this blog your way. I could have gone home early and had supper with my family, but I made the best of the time previously set aside for work and freed up one hour of tomorrow's time tonight.
Until next time, take care!