Turning Leaves....and Turning Over New Leaves

I spent time in Brainerd last weekend and….the leaves are turning! Fall is here! I also am realizing that I need to turn over some of my own leaves.

The two biggest reflective times of the year for me have always been the New Year (for obvious reasons) and Fall (again, for pretty obvious reasons). Everything gets back “into swing” in the fall, so it always feels like a really appropriate time to reassess things as I jump into a more “scheduled” season.

Lately I have been feeling really, super unhealthy and just…..BLAH. About so much. Everything, really. Which is so not me. So I took some time at the cabin this weekend to really think about some changes that need to be made. And I came up with a list, made some action plans, and set some goals.

Here is how I want to turn over new leaves:

Eating habits: I have a TERRIBLE diet. The drive-through lady at McDonald’s KNOWS me. Ugh. I don’t ever eat fruits (allergic to them) or veggies. I never cook unless I have company, and I rarely have company. This just needs to change. I will feel so much better. GOAL: Cook one dinner a week. This way I will probably also have leftovers for another meal, so I will have at least a few healthy meals a week. (Bonus for another area: Saving money on eating out)

Sleeping habits: I don’t have a bed time. I watch TV while I go to sleep. I can’t fall asleep when I do go to bed (sometimes for hours. ANNOYING). I hit snooze for over an hour (no kidding). I am tired and lethargic the whole next day. I am now waking up multiple times a night. In other words, I need a pattern. GOAL: In bed by 10:30, asleep by 11. Step one was to move the TV to the den. Step two is to stop bringing my computer into bed with me to watch The Office. Step three is to start heading for bed at 9:30 (sounds early for a 10:30 bedtime, but I get DISTRACTED EASILY. I currently head for bed at 10:30 and usually end up lying down after 11, falling asleep after Midnight or 1). This may be the most difficult thing to change for me, but I have to try. (Bonus for another area: more energy to work out)

Exercise habits: I’ve mentioned before that I have a bum knee, so that has made working out difficult (although I should have been swimming all along…). GOAL: Exercise five days a week. I am currently exercising no days a week, but a few things will make this very attainable: I am in a tennis league on Mondays and a basketball league on Tuesdays. So that’s two times already. I also have physical therapy starting this week, so that should make the knee situation better and hopefully eliminate that excuse. (Bonus for another area: working out makes me not want to eat crappy things and undo the work I just did. And it helps me to justify my lethal cookie habit)

Money habits: My money is so tight. Almost two years ago I moved to the cities and started paying rent. Living in the cities in general is more expensive than Brainerd, and living around my friends has certainly made things more expensive. Add rent and entertainment money on top of a huge mortgage payment for the “cabin” and I am strapped. I’ve already made some changes this year with putting a little money away each month, but that doesn’t keep up with general house repairs, boat repairs, summer fun, etc. This is the one area where I haven’t set goals and I don’t really know what to do. I already don’t spend extravagantly, but I know I can make some up in the eating out area. I don’t buy many new clothes and I don’t get everything I want at Target. But the good news is that my church is offering the Financial Peace University this fall. The announcement was made on Sunday (after I had already made this list), so it was an easy decision for me to sign up and see what I can take away. I’ll keep you up to date. Interestingly enough I was also contacted on Monday (TOTALLY out of the blue) about possibly renting my cabin through the winter to a family needing to relocate to Brainerd. Praying about that possibility.

Last, but really most important: Devotional habits: I am so sporadic with my devotions. I know that I need to be in the Word each day but it doesn’t happen. GOAL: Devotions each day (preferably in the morning). I’m not a morning person (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE CENTURY), so that will be a stretch, but if I save it for the end of the day, it doesn’t happen. Again, I have some things in place that will help this along: I am starting a Precepts Bible Study with women at my church. From everything I’ve heard about it, the study is intense and time consuming, so you have to really do your homework. That will force me to put my time in. Also, the study is on Numbers, so it will force me to the OT, a place where I don’t spend much time. My small group at church is memorizing Galatians 5, so I will also have a place in the NT to spend some time.

So there it is. It’s a lot to change and I know that not all of it will “take” right away. I am a perfectionist and if I don’t live up to my standard of what “perfection” is for that day (usually it means getting the to-do list done) then I can be pretty hard on myself. Ultimately I know that my joy in getting a list done is not God’s joy. I need to remember to simply accept each day for what it is and be satisfied in Him. "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him" (not “when HB completes her list of things to do”). I hope I don’t become too legalistic with this list, but rather that it cultivates more discipline and a more healthy lifestyle. If you have thoughts and input, I am interested and open to ideas!

Happy Fall! I love the turning leaves.