Focus, Consistency & Change

The first month of the year is almost over. That means a lot of the resolutions or goals people set for the new year will soon be forgotten. 

Not me. I’ve been meaning to share my words for the year for the past month but just couldn’t get around to it.

December 2015, I  came across this exercise of choosing one word to live by for an entire year. 

My word for last year was positivity. Despite the many challenges I faced, I kept a smile on my face and kept the spirit of positivity alive.

This year I’ve chosen three words:

Focus

I’m a little bit of a scatter brain. I always come up with these great project ideas, start and take forever to finish. Or, sometimes I just have too many projects on the go and lose focus. Or, I’ll set a finish date for one and end up making excuses as to why I can’t finish it, extend the finish date and it still doesn't get done. 

Well,  enough is enough. Not this year. I’ve already taken baby steps with simple projects and now I'm ready to move on to my bigger projects. I'm excited for all that I will accomplish this year all because I’m going to focus on one thing at a time. 

Consistency

There’s a few things I want to be consistent with this year. Being on time for my appointments (yes, I still struggle with this), cleanliness (no, my house isn’t a pigsty but I’m not a stickler about my house being dust free 24/7) and being consistent with my savings.

Change

This one was a debate because I absolutely hate change. I won’t be mentioning the changes I would like to see at this time. Instead I'll be praying about them because only God can answer my prayers.

Even though it’s the end of the month,  it’s not too late to pick your word (s) for the year. Join me and let’s make 2017 the best year yet!

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)

All this Clutter!

Last month, one of my girlfriends jokingly said that I’m a hoarder. I was offended by her comment but the more I thought about it, the more I started to believe it.

 I admit that I have a bad habit of purchasing items that I already have at home. I always open the new item before finishing the other.  I couldn’t help but wonder if I had a mild case of hoarding.

Earlier this month, I headed to the washroom to clean out my cupboards. Most of the items  you see below have been sitting in my cupboards for at least five years. I refused to throw them out – especially my Bath & Body Works products. I had convinced myself that I would finish the body washes and lotions at some point. Now, they’re all dried up and useless.

Next stop was the kitchen. Here’s all of the half empty baking containers and packages that have been sitting in my cupboards and fridge.

 I’m embarrassed folks.

While doing my research on hoarding, I came across the “How Serious Is Your Clutter Problem? Quiz”.  Based on the number of questions I answered “yes” to, I only have a cluttering problem. I’m not a hoarder!

I shared this info with two individuals and their response was “there’s really no difference between the two”. WRONG! There is.

Hoarders have an obsession with collecting stuff and experience anxiety when having to part with them.

 Clutterers allow things to pile up but are able to discard them without suffering from anxiety.

Hoarders don’t realize they have a problem and need professional help.

Clutterers recognize they have a problem and are able to help themselves.

My resolution for the next 21 days is to clear these half empty bottles and containers before purchasing new ones. I can and will get this cluttering problem under control!

Do you know of anyone that suffers from hoarding or has a cluttering problem?

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 Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)

Pet Peeves

I always tell people if they want to see me get upset, just be late for our appointment. 

Nothing gets under my skin more than people who have zero respect for time. If we agreed to meet at 2, I expect you to be there for 2 – 2:15 the latest. If you are running late, do me a favour by calling or texting me. Don’t expect me to know that you lost track of time or got stuck in traffic. I’m not a mind reader for heaven’s sake!

By being late, it shows me that you don’t respect me or my time.

I don’t know how many family members and friends I’ve blasted over the years for this.

Mind you, I’ve mellowed out over the past ten years. Unfortunately, I started doing what I hate the most – being late and not calling or texting whomever I was meeting. It’s gotten to the point where people expect me to be late. I don’t want to be known for that. As part of my Happiness Project, I’ve made a resolution to start being on time again.

Here are some other pet peeves that drive me insane:

1) People that wear socks with sandals. Socks are to be worn with sneakers only.

2) People that don’t spell check before sending an email. Some should do the same before sending a text.

3) Parents that make up their children’s name. I believe that every child’s name should have a meaning.

4) Men who do the whole “psssst” thing to get a woman’s attention. I’m sorry, do we look like dogs?

While looking on line for what others consider pet peeves, I couldn’t help but laugh at the following:

Couples who sit on the same side of the booth when there is no one on the other side

Couples that own a dog together and call themselves Mommy and Daddy

Anyone – male or female- who says “We’re pregnant”. Are they sharing a uterus?

What is your #1 pet peeve?

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Thanks for reading and keep smiling :)