Boring old goals made new and announced publicly(like you care about my eating habits!)

I love to swing. We have a makeshift swing hanging from one of the trees in our yard that I love to use as much as my kids do. I don't get too many turns, but I guess that is just a circle of life sort of thing. So, anyway, I was swinging this past Saturday afternoon and in the euphoric state that I was in, I came to two conclusions. 1- I think Spring is my favorite season and 2- I think this is going to be a year of great change for me. I didn't even really stop and try to figure out why, I just went with that positive buzz. Just a few days later I got invited to be part of a local group that is reading a book called: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. She spent a year trying to become a happier, better person and then wrote a book about her journey. She dedicated each month to a different area of growth. The group I joined is reading along month by month and making changes in their own lives using her story as inspiration. I think that it is a fabulous idea. I eagerly dove into the book(I'm behind a couple of months) and was pleased to find out that I like her goal for month one and I have already been working on a similar goal in my own life. Trying to get through February and March goals before the next meeting might be a little much, but doable. I intend to blog about the process. I'm hoping that that combined with accountability from the group meetings will help me stick with it. (I am terrible about starting major projects and not finishing them.)

**Side note- Apparently it takes me about 3 minutes to change the "average" poopy diaper. I know this because I set the timer for steeping my green tea(3 minutes), gathered the supplies, changed the boy, washed my hands and was drying them when the timer went off. I have no idea how it will help me in life to know this, but you never know.

Back to my own Happiness Project... I'm not even sure I want to call it that on my blog, but I haven't landed on a title to reflect my own collection of goals yet. Anyway, the author's goal for January was to boost energy. She reasoned that starting with that would give her more stamina to make further changes in her life. I mentioned that I had already been working on something similar: I want to improve my overall health. I decided a few years ago that I was going to get through the naughty season(Oct. through April or Halloween through Easter) without gaining any weight and actually be healthier than I had been before. I decided all of this and then I got pregnant and I quickly undecided all of it. It's time for me to get back to that goal. Although this time I am starting after naughty season (because it was a particularly naughty one and I am suffering from it). Maybe if I have several months of good habits behind me when next October comes I will do a little better. We shall see. My issue this year isn't so much weight loss... I do have a few I could loose, but I am mostly struggling with health issues that are controllable with diet. I just don't always have enough will power to stay away from the foods that trigger symptoms. A couple of weeks ago I got serious about it and I already feel better. Now I just need to maintain. I am adding on a couple of other healthy habits that I need to work on as well. I don't want to just avoid negative symptoms but push myself toward all around better health. Here is my list:

1. Severely limit sugar. Dessert 2-3 times per week, made with wholesome stuff, and only after a good meal(with the exception of my daily square or two of dark chocolate). Also, watch the areas where sugar can creep in disguised as real food.

2. Limit dairy and grains. They just make me feel bad. Why would I want a moment of pleasure followed by agony?

3. Water. Drink it. My goal- the big 8.

4. Exercise. I love exercising but, for some reason, I have a hard time motivating myself to do it. Not sure why. I'm starting simple and cheap. Exercise in some FREE way(walking, biking, swimming, t.v. aerobics etc.) for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week.

5. I am adding one more: Take my vitamins every day. They really do help! Why not keep it up. Besides, it will help with that water drinking goal.

There. That does it. Those are my first Happiness Project goals. I'm doing great for now. It's a few months down the road I'm worried about. Oh well, one day at a time.

Tomorrow I start on, what should have been, February's goals.