Resolve To Be Awesome

Happy New Year!  In the grand scheme of things, I rarely make resolutions.  I don’t want to disappoint myself when I move on to something new in February.  But this year, I had to make just one and I am hoping to keep it for many years to come.

My goal for 2017 is just to be totally awesome.  Granted, this is a very big goal.  However, I have baby steps built into the resolution.  I know that there are three things that are preventing me from being awesome.  The first is that I don’t take great care of myself.  The second is that I have too much virtual mail.  The third is that I need to reduce the amount of stuff that is all around me.

Inspiration for Eating Right

To keep myself on track, I purchased a brand new lunch bag (just like the one I lost last year) and pledged to stay on track at least for breakfast and lunch Monday to Friday.

This is a pretty big bag.  However, I was able to fill it pretty easily.  Since 2017, my daily bag usually includes 2 boiled eggs, a container of yogurt, humus or guacamole with gluten free crackers, a salad, an energy bar, a piece of fruit and 2 bottles of water.  Before I go to work, I make a bowl of grits or oatmeal and brew two cups of coffee.

Staying on Top of Email

Since I like to hang onto stuff that I don’t need and, sometimes, may never use, I have decided to let go of some of the things that create clutter in my life.  One of my first commitments was to get rid of the trash in my inbox.  This turned out to be a daunting task that required far more than 20 minutes of time each day.  So, I just pledged to empty my junk and spam folders; unsubscribe to email news that I never read; delete some threads; and on a daily basis, delete emails I don’t need.  However, email isn’t my only source of clutter.

Organizing My Closet

My closet had gotten to the point where there was stuff on the floor.  I don’t function well if my closet is not organized.  If my closet isn’t organized, I begin to leave things out.  Jackets and shoes lose their space.  Laundry remains in the basket.  Stuff is just everywhere.  So, I set out to clean my closet.

Get Rid of Stuff You Don’t Use

Here is what came out of my closet:

• t-shirts that I loved but were falling apart–the ones with holes, rips and stains that were only good for inside of the house
• 4 large bags of clothes that will be donated to a local shelter–the clothes were either too small, too big, or no longer worn
• 10 pairs of shoes, boots, flip flops that were nearly new
• another bag full of large purses and overnight bags (some people like designer purses, I like tote bags)

The closet organization helped me to clean out an aisle that makes it easy for my to walk into my walk-in closet and easily retrieve things.  I also assembled some miscellaneous shelving for my shoes, scarves, work t-shirts (both long and short sleeve), and sweaters.  I was able to use decorative boxes to fill six cubbies with scarves, knit hats, gloves and belts.

Giving Everything A Place

By consolidating, I also moved seasonal clothes to clear plastic bins.  I have one box full of heavier sweaters and jackets that are rarely used (I live in Louisiana where it is cold like 10 days per year).  I have another box full of shorts and t-shirts (because I love summer). Finally, one more box full of clothing of sentimental value.

Here is how my closet is now organized:

• Top shelf–handbags, folded jeans, folded leggings & yoga pants, folded t-shirts
• Left corner–cubbies for accessories
• Clothing rack–jackets, pants on hangers
• Middle of wall–12 pair shoe cubby
• Clothing rack–hanging sweaters, long sleeved shirts, long dresses, etc.
• Clothing rack–shirts, short skirts (not really short by most standards)

Here's hoping that these changes pave the way to awesomeness in 2017!