Day 1: Learn To Say NO
As women, saying no to things can be a foreign concept. But if we said yes to every obligation, we leave no time for ourselves and our family, and will find ourselves feeling tired and overwhelmed. Hmmm, guilty!!
"If we want to say goodbye to survival mode, we need to make time for what really matters. This means we have to clear out the nonessential commitments. The fastest way to do this? Learn to say no."
Crystal goes on to suggest that we look at our list and cross some things off. Not by completing them, but saying NO. I, for instance, have had one large item on my to-do list that I have been dreading for quite sometime....the family budget. We recently met with our financial planner and got a swift kick to the gut when we crunched the numbers for college and retirement saving. We needed to take a hard look at our spending and make some changes. Not only is budgeting not my area of expertise, I just simply don't have the time to devote to it. So I have passed that task along to my hubby. He works so hard, and often travels so I find myself just adding items to my list in order to take them off his. Once we talked about it, however, we not only agreed that it was not a good use of my time, but that he would be much more suited for this task. Saying no to something from my list was a good lesson, but asking for help when I needed it was just as good. Cheers to that!
Day 2: Focus On Your Strengths
It's no secret that I am lacking in the self confidence department, but I'm working on it (and making major improvements, thanks to this book!). So I have to admit this was hard for me. But when I sat down, I used this as a helpful reminder:
A Word of Caution: Beware of your negative language. It’s very sneaky, but can do so much damage. You know, you may be sitting in front of your computer trying to beat the clock and meet a deadline and think, “I’m so slow. I wish I were as productive as Jenn. I’ll never be able to finish this on time.” Stop right there! Remove from your vocabulary sentences that start with, “I can’t . . . ,” “I’ll never be able to . . . ,” and “I’m not good enough at . . .” These words don’t set you up for success. They only trap you in self-sabotage and eventual defeat.
After 10 minutes (and maybe recruiting some help from my hubby) it was refreshing to have a solid list of strengths I could begin to focus on. And I have found a special place for that list as a daily reminder until I no longer need a reminder!
Day 3: Budget Your Time
This is one thing that I struggled with as a new Homemaker. It was so easy to get into bad habits, and oh-so-hard to get out of them. The biggest problem was (is) our morning routine. I call myself the Queen of Excuses lately and this was definitely one of them. Cooper likes to get up before the sun comes up, so that was my excuse to skip or put off so many things. It was so much easier to curl up with him on the couch, and often fall back asleep. A morning workout? Skip! Laundry? Delay! And so on. Not to mention, I would wake up feeling more tired and cranky than I did when I originally woke up at 5:00. Talk about a total day-killer! Crystal agrees:
I usually am most productive in the mornings so I make it my goal to go to bed by 10 p.m. and get up between 5 and 6 a.m. This way I have plenty of uninterrupted time in the morning for everything on my list. You might be the other way around. Do what works best for you, but by putting rest high up on your priority list, I guarantee you’ll feel better, have more energy, and be more efficient during the day.
Instead of taking one day, I took a few days to complete this part of the challenge. That is one of the things I like most about the book. There are so many suggestions to fit your needs and Crystal encourages her readers to always do what's best for their situation. Taking a few days was a major help to ease me in, and I am now ready to start my morning routine. So here it goes...
- Wake up (by alarm clock known as Cooper)
- Read a daily devotion
- Physical activity (run/yoga/strength)
- Make breakfast
- Get Cooper ready for school
I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but it sure beats dozing off on the couch, don't you think? :)
So here is a look at the first 3 days of the challenge...I don't want to overwhelm you with too much information all at once. Or spoil the surprise!! :) So if you think this can work for you, I encourage you to sign up for this FREE challenge yourself and let me know how you do. And stay tuned for days 4, 5,6 & 7 coming up on the blog soon as I 'Say Goodbye to Survival Mode'. Also, if you pre-order your copy of the book you can get tons of freebies and discounts. I promise you won't be disappointed!
