For Benjamin Franklin’s first tenet (temperance) I said I would [attempt to] do the following:
- Temperance: Since I’m not a drinker (and B.Frank totally was), this one was tough. Until I noticed myself reaching for the charming cookies leftover from the Christmas holidays next to my laptop. Surprise, a woman who loves sweets. Alright World Wide Web, you heard it here first: Only 1-2 sugary items per week, this includes candy, cookies, cakes, muffins, soft drinks, etc….
I set myself up for failure here. It’s nearly impossible to do that! This weekend it rained, thus my mom /had/ to bake cookies and then we /had/ to have a steaming cup of hot chocolate afterwards. I’m beginning to think these practices are engrained in our DNA because it feels so natural.
I am going to amend this tenet for the rest of the month: Only 3-4 sugary items per week. The struggle is real!!! I also can’t wait for menzies to rear its evil head.
To offset this minor failure, I started taking Cardio Barre classes. I didn’t know [*insert body part here*] could hurt so much after an hour of exercise. I took the class on Saturday morning and before going to bed that night I actually thought, “I should take an Advil before I go to sleep.” Yet I didn’t take an Advil that night because I was really warm and comfy in my bed. I am an idiot. By the next morning my body was screaming bloody murder and turning over in my bed was impossible. The state I was in made it impossible to even walk to the Advil pill bottle sitting 30 feet away from me.
I digress. perhaps this goal was a bit too lofty, however, recognizing your weaknesses and trying is a step in the right direction. My goals I make should be attainable, not impossible. Therefore I am sticking to the 3-4 items per week, since that is what’s realistic.
The next one:
- Silence: I’m skipping this one since it mirrors Sincerity below.
Alright, then it’s:
- Order: Here’s another surprise in terms of a female stereotype, my room is a mess! Clothes strewn about my bed, my closet bursting at the seams, and shoes that I regularly trip on but don’t pick up. Therefore this tenet was fairly easy to arrive at: Clean out my closet, shoe rack, and room in general by getting rid of items I don’t wear or don’t fit. Also hang up my clothes on the daily! No more draping over my foot board or laying them across my desk for weeks at a time.
*Deep Sigh* It’s the moment I have /not/ been waiting for: the closet purge. Goodwill will never see it coming. Here are my guidelines for giving up an item:
Have you worn it/them in the past 3 years? (yes/no)
–>If not, would you wear it within the next 6 months? (and I plan on being completely realistic with this answer)
Yes: Keep it
No: Goodwill it
That’s all she wrote folks!