My mornings and my evenings are very important to me. These are the only times of the day especially during the week where I have time to myself. Therefore it's beneficial to me to get things I want or need to do during this time. If anyone knows me, you know that I like to keep busy and I am always doing something or have something in the pipeline to do. I do get frustrated at times because there are things I want to do but just can't do it yet.
Over the last few months, I have taken on several projects and hobbies that I have only until now realised how much I have taken on. Now I am quite critical of myself, however, looking back on it all I think WOW! look at all I've done in the last few months. I'm going to share with you the 10 things I have done to help make staying home easier for me.
1. Creating this Blog
At the start of April this year I took the plunge to start my own blog, I'd been thinking about it for a few months even before some colleagues of mine suggested it. It's always been an interest of mine but I was initially too scared to do it. Imagining everything that could go wrong instead of everything that could go right. Since starting this blog I have had nothing but positive and informative feedback.
One of my goals with this blog is to inspire and help others push themselves to become the best versions of themself possible so I hope by me posting this you can go on to do something you've either been putting off or something you've always wanted to do. Although I haven't been posting much and to be honest it's hard some days when you just don't feel your best but I am going to look at posting every other Sunday or Tuesday as these days work best for me and if I post more than that then that's a great achievement for me.
2. Journaling/Meditation
What a difference this has made to my life. Writing down your thoughts for the day or just anything that springs to mind and goals, envisions etc is so so powerful and transformative. I cannot preach this enough. I have so many books and journals to write in, it's brilliant. It helps so much to write things down that you have going on in your head/mind. Once it's on paper you can feel relieved and light as a feather.
It works best first thing in the mornings so you can plan your day ahead, although other times it can work as a little pick me up in the afternoons when you're not feeling your best. Meditation brings you into the now and the present moment. For so long you can be suffering from things you didn't even think about. Mediation is so good for the soul, manifesting your dreams and planning. Great business women/men journal and meditate every single day.
I've also been using recently an app called Divethru, again this is great and guides you through a mini-meditation but allows you to journal down your feelings. It makes you so relaxed and ready for the day ahead. Definitely recommend it.
3. My Fitness
So I started this blog talking about my fitness and the challenge I'm undertaking. I'm going to be honest it's not been all ships sailing, I've had my lows and I've also had my highs. This week though I've lost the most throughout the challenge. The most important thing about my fitness though is not by what I see on the scales but by how I look and feel in my body and that's good enough for me. I have 3/4 weeks left on the challenge and I'm determined to push myself further because I know my best is yet to come.
I enjoy working out, it's one of the best feelings ever, it also makes you feel good completing an activity. I've invested a lot of time at home working out most mornings but evenings too when I miss my workouts or doing the lives. Making time and effort to do it even when I don't feel like doing it is such an incredible feeling and something that I have learnt in the process. Non-negotiable.
4. Cooking
Ok, so since doing my fitness challenge, I have made more of an effort with cooking. Now some have been simple such as Breakfast wrap, bolognese, Spicy Chicken pasta, Roasts, curry and fish but they have tasted so so good. Experimenting in the kitchen with different foods has been a nice hobby of mine and there's so much more I want to cook and bake. I'm sure I'll share any recipes that are successful with you soon.
5. Cleaning and Tidying
At home, it's so so important for me to have a clean and tidy environment. Without it, I lack the concentration and energy to do other things. I've already spoken to you about my OCD and this is something similar. Having a messy room is irritating and needs to be cleaned before I can relax and this is something I have been doing almost every day and makes me feel so much better in myself.
What I also have done is rearranged my working desk. Beforehand it was so cluttered and couldn't find most things without moving everything which made it harder for me to work. Having organised this well, keeping my paperwork under my desk on a shelf has really improved my productivity. Having sheets of paper all over my desk really wasn't helping but now everything is in its place, I have a plant, my journals, some photos and my whiteboard for my quotes for the day.
6. Reading
Before I started reading personal growth books a few months ago I never had the interest to read. I found it boring and time-consuming and didn't think I had the time. Since reading my first book I've made the time to read, and ok I'm still not reading fiction but I am reading what interests me and I absolutely love learning new things. It brings me joy.
During my fitness challenge also, I have been reading some personal growth books and I have learnt so much about myself. I would definitely recommend reading Automic Habits and The Chimp Paradox. I'm yet to start reading the Miracle morning but none the less the books have been amazing so far.
7. Scrapbooking
So I have taken up scrapbooking also and it's so liberating, I thoroughly enjoy it. It's a bit like journaling but more creative. I chose to start putting my memories and photos into a book because I feel they are just wasted otherwise and I would rather treasure them and look back at them in a pretty looking book than a bunch of photos piled together.
I like to think it's gone really well, but I haven't just stopped there. I have created a goal and vision board scrapbook. I've put some pictures from an event I went to last July in there which remind me I need to work super hard to get where I want to be and I've found that having done this has given me motivation every time I look at so I'm trying to do this every single day.
8. Planning my finances
Over the course of the last few months, I have spent my money like no tomorrow as I've been saving money for not using my car as much and trust me when you have to drive every weekend to Cornwall and back again it takes a lot of fuel!! However, because I have not had to do this it means I've been spending it on other things. So I thought what could I be doing with this extra money to help me in the long run. Making a plan is a good thing to do. Writing out expenses what you have left is good and my CEO planner helps me with this.
Putting a plan in place and editing it to suit you and your month is so important especially if things change you can then adapt to your current surroundings or unexpected expenses. It's super helpful and something I plan on doing more frequently to help me in the future.
9. Learning Spanish
For a few months now I have wanted to learn to be fluent in speaking Spanish. I learnt it as a language at school and I know the basics but I would love to be able to speak and have a proper conversation in Spanish. I've been reading my Spanish short storybook, listening to podcasts and using the Duolingo app.
Whenever I go abroad I often get people speaking to me in their language they automatically assume I can speak it because of my olive skin, it's great but I would love to be able to speak back especially as I love Spain and it's culture and would love to go back there and form a conversation.
10. Studying
I have been thinking about my future for god knows how long and never knew what I wanted to do. In recent years I thought I knew and it's been so hard for me to get where I am today because of minor setbacks. However, I am more determined than ever to get that dream job.
So at the start of lockdown, I bought a course from Lead Academy, super cheap and they are so informative. Now I am not going to share which course I am learning because I've learnt that you're more likely to succeed when people don't know, but it is a slow process and I cannot wait to finish it and add it to my CV and hopefully once gained the qualification I can start getting to where I want to be.
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