It is NEVER too late to be GREAT!

If you’re like me, you’re on the constant search to stop procrastinating, be more efficient, get things done, have the most energy, be happier.   And I’ve also fallen into the trap of “find the right calendar/agenda” and your problems will be solved.

Experts will tell you it always helps to write things down in order to commit to goals or to keep your life on track, so the eternal quest to find a planner system that works for you can be a big part of that.  I’ve tried large one with a page a day, small ones I can always carry with me, weekly ones, ones with pockets, ones with motivational sayings, ones where you can create your own by ordering specific pages from a brilliant lady on Etsy.    And different styles will work for different stages of your life no doubt.   I could (and maybe will) write a whole blog on “best” planners to use.   (Hold on while I go to my BLOG IDEAS notebook and jot that idea down)

The important things is that you find a system that is going to work for you, so that you’ll actually use it and get the benefits from it.   The point being that it has been integral to making sure I have a good start to the day along with other things I do.

Some of these ideas may not be new, but after reading other suggestions, these are the ones that I have felt work best for me and have made a change in my life:

Consistent Sleep

I am an “early bird” and I cannot, no matter how hard I try, sleep in in the morning.  Even if I stay up later than I should, OR go out the night before, OR have a restless night, I still wake up at the same time every day….6:30am   If you are like me, why fight it?   I’ve made it a point to make sure whenever possible to be in bed by 9:30 or 10pm and of course to keep away from the blue lights of phones and ipads, so instead will usually read.   Everyone likely has their optimum number of hours to sleep to feel their best, mine happens to be right around 8 hours give or take, so I work backwards hoping to be asleep by 10:30.

Make my bed!

I cannot stand the sight of a bed, and likely every book you read on “successful” people this is a very common denominator.  (My guess is that Bill Gates maybe has someone MAKE his bed for him now, but you get the idea).   Now this isn’t always easy to accomplish as my husband is a night owl in contrast so he is usually asleep (no make that always asleep) when I get up, but I do my best to pull up the covers on my side of the bed, put the pillow back so I can go back later and fully make the bed.   It’s one of those things my husband will probably never adhere to, so it’s the compromise I made for myself….If I want to have a pleasing spot to look at, come back to, I am OK with the one that makes the bed.   Compromise.

Skip the coffee (at first)

When changing habits, sometimes you have to make deals with yourself.  I am an iced coffee addict.  When the store is out of my favorite brand of iced coffee or creamer, it’s a major stressor for me.  One of the things I’m not willing to give up, even though it’s not the best for someone who wants to lose weight, is my flavored creamer.  Again, it’s a compromise.   ANYWAY back to the point.  I also do not drink enough water.  Never have, probably never will, but there are so many benefits, its on my try to do better list.   So, I make a deal with myself.  After getting dressed/brushing teeth/weighing myself and tracking it, making the bed around my husband, my next stop is to get a large glass of ice water to drink.   Only when that glass is done (and refilled I might add) do I then get the reward of my large glass of iced coffee.  My favorite is the blonde Starbucks and Natural Bliss vanilla creamer over ice.  Quick, easy and delicious.

Surround your self with things that make you happy/and do things that are fufilling

My next stop in my routine is heading to my desk.   I work from home as an Executive Recruiter, but where I used to jump right into my work, reading emails, scheduling calls, I did find during the day I’d be going back and forth thinking about other personal things I needed/wanted to do.  So instead I made the switch to using an hour in the morning, when it’s quiet to take care of other things.  

I love sunshine (it makes a huge difference in my mood), so my office is actually in a converted sunroom because while I had always worked from home, my husband went to an office every day until COVID.  So we had to find more space and the sunroom was the perfect choice for me.  It was built as a three season room (read that to mean no heat, no AC) so we did invest in adding a heating/cooling unit to the sunroom but an investment well worth it.  I’d never heard of a “mini-split” but that was what our HVAC person recommended;  it’s a small unit, maybe you’ve seen in older restaurants, that is on the wall and has its own compressor to work from.

Part two of this is that this space IS my happy place.  I am absolutely a “glass half full” kind of girl, so like things that bring positivity to my life.   I have a small sign on my desk the makes me smile:  “This mom runs on caffeine, wine and Amazon Prime”.  I have notebooks in bright colors that I use.  I always make sure to have a supply of my favorite pens to use (PaperMate Ink Joy gels).  I might light a candle.

And maybe most important, I set aside time to do something outside of work.  I try to “schedule” it so I can mix things up, but to be honest, I don’t always follow this.  So my usual rotation on the weekdays

• is either work on/write articles for this blog;
• add items to my Poshmark and Ebay shops (I’m mainly a close flipper);
• send out personal notes, birthday cards, work on family event planning;
• meal plan/do an online grocery order (huge time saver in my book);
• work on other things on my constant TO DO list…so might include ½ hour of surfing the internet looking for a new combo fan/light fixture we need OR it might be ½ hour of decluttering whatever area is next on my list.

Stretch

We are all so sedentary, and COVID especially made us so, and while I wish I could say that the last thing I do would be to exercise, and while I try, I am still on the search for something I can commit to and enjoy, so for me, at the very least I’m taking 10 minutes to stretch.   I love the you tube exercise from “Improved Health” that happen to be geared to the mature audience.  So if you haven’t exercised in a while and want to start, OR looking for some gentle routines, she has a ton to choose from.

So with all this complete, I’m ready to get my iced coffee and begin my day!   Hoping some of these ideas help you, because It is never too late to be great!

Well, I’m still going to believe it is never too late to be great, even though I tried to start this blog back in 2021 and now here it is 2023. What happened? LIFE, WORK, FAMILY, TOO MUCH SOCIAL MEDIA Too many little things that add up and if you don’t really put a plan in place, things just don’t happen. So, I’m here to try again.

It is the week before Memorial Day, which is the “official start of summer” here on the East Coast and especially from the Delaware beach area where I now spend 3/4 of my time. I spent a fair amount of time vacationing with kids at the beach, and now that mine are grown and starting to have their own kids, I get to sit back and watch. Vacationing at the beach is supposed to be FUN, but it seems to always end up being a stressful time, especially for the moms because like it or not, we are the planners. So I thought about a few things that might help things go a little smoother getting to and enjoying the beach!

1. Lower your expectations Not every day can be perfect, invariably something may go wrong, don’t set out expecting everything to work out, for everyone to be happy. Relax and try to go with the flow.
2. Depending on where you are going, beaches can be crowded and if you have to drive to the beach, parking can sometimes be difficult. So, GO EARLY in the morning (OR if you just don’t have a morning crew, think about heading to beach around noon when folks may head home for lunch).
3. Make kids responsible, mom shouldn’t have to do it all. Create a checklist for them depending on their age, and have them pack their beach bags the night before. And set the expectations….if your child wants to bring a shovel and pail, great, but then they have to carry it. You get the picture….grownups shouldn’t have to lug everything.
4. Put suntan lotion on everyone BEFORE you get to the beach. Use a makeup sponge to get lotion on kids faces. If you use a suntan spray, you won’t have the wind from the ocean to contend with and it will actually get on your skin, not on your neighbor. Of course, you’ll want to re-apply during the day but at least you don’t have to worry about it first think when you hit the sand.
5. It might seem silly, but wear real shoes that you won’t mind getting dirty/sandy. We keep older shoes just for this purpose. Slip on shoes with some soles….or even crocs or water shoes work. Flip flops look good, are easy to take on and off, but its often difficult for kids to walk in them, their feet slip out which can be a pain…literally…if the sand is hot.
6. Baby powder is your friend. Before the beach, its great to use on areas that might be exposed and be rubbing together (think thighs — even on the littles). After the beach, its a great way to get sand off your feet. Jump sprinkle some on, and the sand brushes easily off.
7. Forget cheap umbrellas. I’ve seen more arguments and problems from lighter umbrellas that bend and flip up and even can blow away and cause injury. Get on of the newer “cabana” type shade covers that are easy to put up OR go ahead and rent an umbrella on the beach OR buy a good wooden umbrella that will actually stay in the sand.

I’m sure you have other ideas, feel free to share them in the comments!

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