Habits don’t have to be bad…

Allison’s Take:

When you hear the word “habit”, you usually think of a bad habit. A guilty pleasure even. Habits tend to be thought of as negative. Biting nails, procrastination, sleeping in, eating fast food, and even negativity are a few of the most common. They are the reason people make resolutions. To attempt to combat that habit. To change their lives by changing the “bad habits” they have developed. But what do we know about resolutions? Yup. They are hardly ever followed past January. As we get ready to start our new school year, I’ve been thinking about some things I want to change this year (some “bad habits” if you will…)

In order to change, or get rid of a bad habit you may just decide that you’re not going to do it anymore (bite your nails, show up late, etc.). Ya, that might work, if you’re determined and focused enough. But lets be honest, if you were really that determined and focused would it have become a bad habit in the first place? Probably not. So I think one of the biggest ways to “break” a bad habit is to figure out why you’re doing it in the first place. Why do you bite your nails? Probably not because they taste so delicious, but more because you’re stressed. Why are you consistently late? Let’s be honest, NOBODY likes walking into a room/meeting/situation late. It’s super uncomfortable and makes you feel bad. So why are you late? Well, if you’re like me, it’s because for whatever reason I tend to think that things won’t take as long as they do. (Also known as ‘I lie to myself daily’… )”We can be out of the house in 10 minutes!” “It will only take a few minutes to get the kids dressed” “Last week I made it to school in 7 minutes, I don’t have to leave yet!”

In order to change those bad habits, you have to replace them with something else. Find another way to de-stress other than biting your nails. Take a warm bath, read a good book, focus on deep and calming breaths, practice yoga, work out. Whatever it takes! Having a hard time getting ANYWHERE on time? Plan for the unexpected… (especially if you have kids like mine, who can NEVER find shoes 10 minutes after I ALREADY put them on their feet. And for whatever reason walk to the car in sloooooowwwwww motion) Set an alarm for earlier, not only pack lunches/backpacks the night before, but actually put them in the car, set an alarm to start loading the car 10 minutes before you actually need to…

So in summary, figure out the reason for your bad habit, and replace it with a good one. It will take time, and effort (and LOTS of alarms sometimes!), but it will not only totally be worth it, but you’ll be setting a great example for those around you…

Lezlie’s take: 

The last two blogs were about discipline and routine. Here we are at school time so it’s time to develop some GOOD habits. But first, I have to analyze my BAD habits. Why does sleeping late come to my mind first? I feel that I am a morning person, but not TOO early! I like to ease into the day, have my coffee, go for a walk.

But I read this article that states ten reasons why you should wake up early. Some of these are: using their morning quiet time for organization, goal-setting and planning out their days and weeks ahead, exercising because it boosts mood and fitness, and provides energy on the job, morning people exhibit character traits like optimism, being agreeable, satisfaction and conscientiousness, and quality time in the evenings to spend with family. Instead of bringing work home, you can relax and unwind. That is sooo important!

I am also late. Tardy. Pretty much inexcusable. It’s all about not planning out how much actual TIME it will take to get somewhere. I chronically UNDERESTIMATE how much time it will take me to get to an appointment (I see you with your hands up!). But I do dislike it, so I am going to remind myself to work backwards to get the right amount of time to be where I need to be (i.e., I need to be at school at 9:00. The drive takes me 15 minutes, walk dog? 20, shower, 15, makeup, 15, dress/gather belongings, 15. Get up at 6:30.) Does anyone else work that way? My husband would say it’s because I’m left-handed and do everything backwards…

Finally, scheduling my workouts, which includes my dog walking. Mia LOVES to walk in the morning, so that’s first on the list. And now that I’m am teaching again I need to work my exercise classes into my day so I don’t miss them.

Perseverance will melt those unwanted pounds! It’s easier with a plan, right?

Here’s to conquering your bad habits!

Essential Oil: Coriander. Such a versatile oil! Health benefits include improving appetite and aiding in digestion, helps eliminate excess gas from the body, relives nervous cramps, and helps maintain good stomach health. A must for your medicine cabinet!

To order or explore Young Living’s oils, click HERE

As always we’d LOVE to hear your take on our blog! We’re here Tuesdays and Fridays. Weekends are mostly spent looking for new adventures. Please comment below, or subscribe and we’ll go right to your inbox! If you enjoy our blog, please Follow (blue button) and give us a Like! Thanks! 

We ALL need discipline

Lezlie’s take: 

The school year is upon us! Where did our fun-filled summer go?! Being teachers gives Allison and I the luxury of filling our time in the summer with travel and adventures and sleeping late (well, her, not so much) and very little STRUCTURE.  With little ones structure is important so they don’t go completely haywire, and now that I have them for a week I have to do the same. We have settled into somewhat of a routine, and Brodie and Kendall know that right now Gigi is in charge of them and what I say goes. Ha ha! Who am I kidding? I try to make sure that they have a good time when they are with me.

The thing about discipline is it takes WORK and EFFORT. Too many people want the rewards without the work. Merriam-Webster describes discipline as

a : control gained by enforcing obedience or order

b : orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior

c : self-control

 

But it just can’t be about THEM. Sometimes it has to be about YOU! Say what?! You have to have a few plans so you know that you actually get things DONE. It’s hard in the summer, with all of the free time, to discipline yourself. You might have noticed that our blog does get done on Tuesdays and Fridays, but not as soon as I would like! So maybe saying goodbye to summer isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you need to accomplish your goals.

We wrote a few weeks ago about using our planners and how I am now on board with using mine for school and home. Here are a few things I am working on:

1. Getting back in shape. I need it for ME! Working out is not necessarily fun, but the rewards are many. Wait, here’s another:  Hahaha!

2. Blogging. I was going to make this post about being tech savvy (I’ll save it for later!) but mostly I just need to be disciplined to get this done in a timely manner. I’m not sure where it’s going to lead, but as any good writer knows, 

3. I  am the Executrix of my mom’s estate, and daily the thought is overwhelming! So. Much. To. Do. Now that a lot of the paperwork has been filed it’s my turn to get to work sorting out the details. Getting organized is key! Oh, and discipline.

4. Teaching. I really enjoy teaching at the college and working with the different age groups. But you can’t do your best work without lesson plans! And that thing, discipline.

I think I’ll stop while I’m ahead–or behind! Like I said, we all need discipline.

Essential Oil: Lemon Myrtle. I think this one has slipped by a lot of people’s radar! From the leaves of the lemon myrtle tree in Australia, this gem is refreshing, clears the mind, and improves concentration. Use it to help you get back on track!

To order or explore Young Living’s oils, click HERE

As always we’d LOVE to hear your take on our blog! We’re here Tuesdays and Fridays. Weekends are mostly spent looking for new adventures. Please comment below, or subscribe and we’ll go right to your inbox! If you enjoy our blog, please Follow (blue button) and give us a Like! Thanks! 

How Do You Get Motivated?

 

Allison’s Take:

Are you one of those people that does those unpleasant tasks as soon as you can to get it over with? Or are you the type that puts it off as long as possible, hoping that it will miraculously disappear? Here are a few ways we’ve found that help us complete those “not so fun” tasks…

1. Promise Yourself a Reward

Mom and I took Brodie geocaching this morning. Somehow we got so excited about it that we ended up 2 miles away from home. Which wasn’t so bad, except that we actually had to walk BACK the 2 miles… Which, for all of you who don’t enjoy math, was 4 MILES! So as we were walking back, pretty much the only way we could get Brodie to continue was to promise him a milkshake when we got back. And the only way I could get mom to finish was to promise her a beer. See, motivation for all!

2. Make It Pretty

We’ve also been talking lately about how one of our mutual goals is to get better about using our planners. But knowing how much of an undertaking that is going to be makes it hard to get motivated! So how do we keep ourselves on track? By making it pretty! We’ve pretty much wiped out the stores of stickers and washi tape. When I started using my planner I remember mom looking at it and telling me I was crazy to spend all that time decorating it. But not only do I enjoy decorating it, it makes it easier for me to keep up with it when I like looking at it. And although she was originally a naysayer, I think she actually has more washi tape and stickers than I do now!

3. Just Get Started

I HATE working out. I hate being out of shape, but I am totally not one of those people that enjoys “feeling the burn”. I’ve found that if I can just talk myself into getting started, maybe promising that I’ll just do 10 minutes, it’s a lot easier for me to get it done. And once I’ve gone 10 minutes it’s not as hard to keep going. And sometimes motivation comes from just getting dressed for it. There’s something about having workout clothes and tennies on that helps motivate me to at least get moving. Not fast, necessarily, but faster than if I was on the couch watching Netflix in my yoga pants…

Nobody likes doing those annoying (or painful!) tasks, but it helps to have some motivation to get them done! How do you motivate yourself?

Lezlie’s take:

Motivation is a funny thing. I am determined to lose these extra pounds that have been sneaking up on me, so what better way to do that than walk in the crisp, clean air of the mountains? It definitely puts me in a better frame of mind than walking around my neighborhood. We took off this morning on our walk hoping to not only get in a bit of exercise but also to find painted rocks. You’ve not heard of that? Here’s a link to a previous post about it. Anyway, on our walk yesterday we found some painted rocks so we were hoping to do the same, since Brodie was with us. But then we started geocaching and went looking for other things. Our curiosity got the best of us, and we ended up walking almost 5 miles! Say what?!

It’s hard to keep up the motivation, no matter what the task. How many of you can agree with that? So Allison and I are DEFINITELY on the same page when it comes to rewarding yourself for your accomplishments. Is it makeup, a new top, food? We sure do love our food! But we are also a little OCD and tend to be pretty organized. In fact, my fall planner has taken on a life of its own! And it doesn’t help (hurt?!) that my daughter is a crafty elementary school teacher. It turns out that there are amazing amounts of stickers and washi tape. If you want to be motivated to use a planner (which is one of the first things I require for my college students making it eye-catching is a must! Here’s how mine is shaping up:

So find your motivation and get yourself on the right track. You will surprise yourself with your own personal style. 

Essential Oil: Motivation

This oil helps to shut down fear and procrastination, while providing feelings of action and accomplishment! Try diffusing it when you need an extra “lift”.

If you can’t find “Motivation” EO, try blending basil, rosemary, peppermint, tangerine and wild orange.

To order or explore Young Living’s oils, click HERE