Inspire me. Have you made big changes?

[Minnie M6]

Great thread OP! Very inspiring...I'm getting some fantastic ideas. I struggle in many of the same areas- weight, exercise, clutter (this is a biggie), etc. I love to hear that people have been able to make such progress in these areas, and especially how they have done so.

 

[Neesy228]

OP here...Ok, I'm going to clean my sink!! I think I can handle that...

I also like the idea of the PP who mentioned that she's a list person, and keeps lists of everything...that might work for me too.

I'm truly in awe of everyone who's made even little changes in their life - especially impressed by those posters who are exercising and losing weight, I know how hard that is! Congrats!

Keep the ideas coming! I might get off the couch tonite if I keep reading! LOL!

 

[*Susan*]

I made a major change to my eating habits starting in March of last year after years and YEARS of yo-yo dieting. I did WW, the Curves diet & low carb. I would lose weight (while usually being miserable about the foods I was "allowed" to eat and/or being hungry much of the time) & would gain it all back.

If there's anything I've learned it's that you can "program" your brain to do ANYTHING! You CAN change your behavior once you learn why you do something & then take the steps to change. For the first time in 20 years I didn't have a "lose weight" resolution this year - I can't tell you how great that feels! I'm down nearly 40 pounds and have about 20 more or so to go. I know I'll never gain that weight back again since I totally eat differently now.

Be it clutter, spending/saving (my next challenge ) weight, smoking, whatever you CAN do it. Believe you can, get a plan (even a small one like the 'sink' suggestion) and do it.

 

[2Eskiedogs]

Making sure I do any dishes that I don't put in the dishwasher everynight, before I go to bed, and cleaning the sink just changes 1st impressions when you walk out the door in the morning, or walk into my house. I don't have a pile of dishes sitting on the stove for a day or two.

I had a hysterectomy in July, then was told that I had had uterine cancer. As soon as I was able to get up from surgery. I've started walking. I hadn't been active before, but now trying to lose the weight that I've packed on since having my kids. I'm trying to keep a log on an excel spreadsheet, how many miles I walk a day. I've stopped buying pop, junk foods and processed foods. I've started cooking/baking from scratch. Drink more water!!!

I've started cleaning out some closets. Trying to not spend on stuff. Hubby and I are talking of listing some items on craigslist. Have started the habit, of keeping school uniform items boxed together, so when we have our resale at school, I don't have to look through 10 boxes of clothes, finding items. Marking items for garage sale as soon as I put them in a box.

 

[blanq]

I think I'm suffering from the post-holiday doldrums...

I keep thinking of all the things I'd like to change this year: keep my house clean (it's embarrassingly messy), declutter, assign my kids chores and stick to it, lose weight, excercise etc etc...I am just feeling overwhelmed and unmotivated!

I have so many friends who try to "fix" the same things about themselves year after year after year and I know NO ONE personally who has lost the weight and kept it off, or stuck to an exercise routine long term, or stopped being a packrat...

SOooo, help me fellow DISer's! Have you made a big life change and stuck with it? Tell me about it! Brag about yourself and get me motivated. Prove to me that you really CAN change! I need help!

Count me in as another person who has lost weight and not kept it off...It has been, and I have a feeling will be, my life long battle. But, I have made commitments to make other changes and have stuck with them, making permanent changes. So, yes it CAN be done!

For one, you have a lot of things you want to change...that would make anyone feel overwhelmed. My suggestion is to just pick one thing to work on, and stick with that until the change sticks before you try making other changes.

Although I am battling the weight thing, one thing I have gotten down in the past couple of years is exercise. I have become a regular exerciser, walking on my lunch break at work, and going to Curves 3-4 times per week. Even though I don't weigh any less I know I am doing something good for my body and I feel better and have more energy.

Another thing I am close to managing is keeping my house clean and organized. A major home renovation, 2 years ago, pushed me into this. I went kicking and screaming, but since I had to pack up half my house it made me reflect on the crap we had been keeping. I pared down significantly, and now only bring items into my house that I need or really love, and when something new comes in, something old goes out (Goodwill). I added organization (lots of baskets and places to store things). I was blessed to be able to get all new furniture and accessories for 7 rooms in my house, and that is a huge incentive to keep things neat and clean. My house feels calm now, and that is also an incentive to keep up with these changes. I still have a harder time with keeping my refrigerator clean and organized, so that is something I still have to work on.

Give yourself a break! Take it slow. Prioritize what you really want to work on. Take baby steps. You WILL get there!!

 

[decaff38]

Start with tiny steps!! One at a time. I made a resolution last year to clean only one drawer, closet or cupboard a week for 2 months. After 2 weeks I cheated and cleaned 2 drawers. The next week I cheated again. Well , in 3 months I had cleaned out every drawer, cupboard and closet in my house. I started reading Fly lady.com and started the clean sink challenge. That took over too. I have never been a neat freak and still am not but I feel fine if someone pops over now.
This year I am a cliche - Loose weight , get in shape! I am attacking this the same way. Started with water intake increase for week one and 10 minutes of movement a day. Will start dealing with the food a bit at a time in the next few weeks. Am actually doing pretty good with the food. Not so hungry since I have started moving. I am watching what I eat by writing everything down. I am not limiting any foods , just making sure I list them. I find when I have to write doughnut , I think twice. I love the W.I.S.H board on Dis and Sparkpeople.com.

My big accomplishment was my 4 X6 pantry with 3 shelves on each wall. After Thanksgiving and Xmas, it was a disaster!!! I took out 2 garbage bags of old cereal , chips, plastic bags and paper stuff. Looks good!! Took 3 hours straight. Yeah for ME!!

 

[QVCshopper]

I've accomplished a lot of what you've listed. I lost 40 pounds about 9 years ago, and kept most off even between 2 pregnancies. However, the past few months I've put some back on, due to working more and being lazy (to be quite honest), so I'm working on that right now. Doing more exercising and eating better for a start. Hopefully I will lose it in a few months, since we're thinking about having another baby.

As far as decluttering, I've mostly dealt with that. I can park my cars in the garage and have room for more stuff in all of my closets (except for my coat closet—plan to conquer that soon). I currently just "shed" as I go along. If I haven't used it in a while, out it goes to Freecycle, Goodwill, recycling, or just on the curb, where people usually pick it up. My parents have a cluttered home, so I don't want to end up like that. Once you see it as "stuff", it's easier to shed.

As far as saving, I have done that as well. Neither my husband nor I have ever made three figures, but we live simply and have paid off our home, cars, and have a good nest egg, as well as college savings for our kids. I'm not saying any of this as bragging--it's just what my husband and I have been able to accomplish by our early 30s. I don't worry about money anymore--these goals were very important to me as I grew up fairly poor.

So, I guess I've done a lot of what you asked about. However, I'm nothing special. I do have a good amount of self control/discipline and I’m stubborn. Also breaking my elbow and having knee surgery when my kids were 1 and 2 was very life altering for me. I'm fine now, but I look at life differently, which is perhaps a very good thing in disguise. Best of luck--you can accomplish what you want. For me, figuring out what to accomplish is the hard part sometimes.

Oh, and I just do the dishes before my husband gets home and after dinner, therefore it's never a build up or difficult. He does empty the dishwasher for me. : )

 

[Mrs.Reese]

Last year I became a FlyLady. Then I fell off the bandwagon when I started working again. This year I am determined to get up just 15 minutes earlier so that I can do the morning routine/missions again. During the weekend, we do the weekly home blessing hour (dust, bathrooms, vaccumn/mop) but I find that 15 minutes extra in the morning is all I need to keep it going.

 

[Ava]

I am another person who wants to lose weight. I don't know exactly how much I weigh, but I do know that my winter clothes feel tighter than they did last year. My step one is to give up soda as an every day drink. I'll still allow myself to have one if I go out to eat, but my soda drinking really got out of control last year when we started buying it in the 12-packs "to save money." It was cheaper than me buying one at work every day, but what ended up happening is I'd drink one with my lunch, then by 3pm I'd want another so sometimes I'd buy one anyway. Then I'd drink one with dinner.

So far I am on day 3 of no soda - and getting caffeine withdrawal headaches, even though I am still drinking coffe & tea (usually 1 cup of each per day). They must put some extra-special strong caffeine in Coke, lol. Once I've been at this for a while and can walk past the soda machine without looking at it longingly, I will add the next step - don't know what that will be yet - any ideas?

 

[T. Lynn]

I've dealt with a crappy marriage for 5 years. Last year I went to a councelor to get the nerve to stand up for myself and leave. It was the hardest decision in my life because to me, my husband was my life - but the way things were going, my life & myself was going downhill if I didn't leave. In a few months time I lost 36 pounds just dealing with the stress (was getting sick, not eating, etc). He certainly wasn't going to change his ways so I had to be the one to make the situation change. I can now make a better life for myself and my precious daughter.

On Monday we made settlement on our house so all bills are paid off except for my car, which my New Years resolution is to save to pay that off this year. My divorce will also be final end of February/beginning of March.

Each day can be an emotional battle but I keep thinking that everything I'm doing or have done is for the best (eventually) so maybe you thinking the same way will help.

Good luck & best wishes!

 

[LynnTH]

I can say I finally have the clean house thing down to a science. Growing up we would always clean on Saturdays. I do not want to spend my weekends cleaning. I work full time and have 2 kids - 10 and 8 and 2 dogs and a DH.

This is what help me to stay organized and clean.

1. I vacuum the house every day ( I am a compulsive vacuumer - but with the kids and dogs coming in and out I hate all the stuff that comes in the house- especially in the winter)

2. I keep the lysol wipes in all the bathrooms and the kitchen. Just takes a minute to wipe down the counters and toilet.

3. Putting items back away right away instead of setting them on the counter or dresser. I have this instilled in my kids also. That is a big one for keeping the clutter down. Kids have to pick up all their toys/books -whatever and cannot play until they do. They are usually pretty good about it though as they have been in training for quite some time. They have commented to me how much cleaner our house is than their friends, so at least they notice.

4. I keep bins in the basement for garage sale items. I go through the kids closets and toys about 3-4 times a year. If they have outgrown items or don't play with toys anymore - they go right into the bins.

5. We are doing laundry daily - both DH and I do this. It is never ending. We are very good about doing laundry just not so good at folding it....

6. Dishes go in the dishwasher right away also.

7. Toilets, dusting etc get done as needed. I usually give the kids one or two things to do and it all gets done fairly quickly.

Once you declutter - it is not so bad keeping up with it if you just take a little time each day. I do a bit in the mornings B4 work - and then some when I get home. I really don't spend that much time anymore as everyone helps out. When my house is clean and organized I just feel so much better.

 

[Neesy228]

I can say I finally have the clean house thing down to a science. Growing up we would always clean on Saturdays. I do not want to spend my weekends cleaning. I work full time and have 2 kids - 10 and 8 and 2 dogs and a DH.

This is what help me to stay organized and clean.

1. I vacuum the house every day ( I am a compulsive vacuumer - but with the kids and dogs coming in and out I hate all the stuff that comes in the house- especially in the winter)

2. I keep the lysol wipes in all the bathrooms and the kitchen. Just takes a minute to wipe down the counters and toilet.

3. Putting items back away right away instead of setting them on the counter or dresser. I have this instilled in my kids also. That is a big one for keeping the clutter down. Kids have to pick up all their toys/books -whatever and cannot play until they do. They are usually pretty good about it though as they have been in training for quite some time. They have commented to me how much cleaner our house is than their friends, so at least they notice.

4. I keep bins in the basement for garage sale items. I go through the kids closets and toys about 3-4 times a year. If they have outgrown items or don't play with toys anymore - they go right into the bins.

5. We are doing laundry daily - both DH and I do this. It is never ending. We are very good about doing laundry just not so good at folding it....

6. Dishes go in the dishwasher right away also.

7. Toilets, dusting etc get done as needed. I usually give the kids one or two things to do and it all gets done fairly quickly.

Once you declutter - it is not so bad keeping up with it if you just take a little time each day. I do a bit in the mornings B4 work - and then some when I get home. I really don't spend that much time anymore as everyone helps out. When my house is clean and organized I just feel so much better.

All excellent ideas...I admire you for sticking with them!

 

[smkiya]

This is going to sound so crazy. But bear with me.

Last year I started looking on flylady.net. It was really overwhelming, but that's b/c I do insist on reading ALL the pages, not just the page on what to do NOW.

But I was really drawn to the whole *keeping the sink clean* part of it all. And that's what they tell you to do first. Make sure your dishes are clean (or in the dishwasher, at least) and your sink is clean every night. It sounded lovely! DH is the main dishwasher, and he had balked for months, so finally I just started doing it. This is VERY out of character for me, b/c to me, doing dishes right after a meal "ruins" the meal for me (I'm over that). He saw me washing, and on the second or third night, he joined me.

And since then, almost every night, we have had the dishes washed and/or in the dishwasher. We can't "shine" the sink b/c it's this weird black material, but we do have it clear and clean.


And...good things started happening. Well, first a big bad thing happened...DH got news of a layoff. But after 2 months of searching during the countdown of department closing, he got a contract job. Then after a month of that and realizing it just did NOT work for us, he got a new job at his old company (which we LOVE with all our hearts...when they lay people off, it's a good, preemptive, business decision that has helped them survive since the mid 90s so far). In the middle, we got scared and found Dave Ramsey. And since August of '09 we have gone from over 9K left on our car loan to 3900 as of tonight. We cleared up a bunch of old debts hanging over us. We have an emergency fund. it's been awesome.

And I hadn't really thought about the sink being the start of it until I talked to my Korean MIL, who just about fainted from joy that we'd been doing it. Why? Because it's some old Korean superstition that when you have your kitchen clean, more money will find its way to your house.

So...start there. Clean your sink; have it clear every night. Keep at it until it's a habit, until you actually mark the days on the calender when you do NOT do it, just to keep you honest. Learning that habit will help with other habits.

But for now...just clean the sink.


Told ya it sounded weird.

Wow, that really is inspirational. I hope you share this story with others.

 

[LoraJ]

My big change will be not to spend any money unless I have the cash. I have always been the "I can charge it and pay it off in 3 months type." But with that attitude, one of my credit cards got pretty messy last year when I was also putting my tuition payments on that card and then getting socked with taxes when my tuition reimbursement came. No more stupid spending. My current debt is $0 (except the house) and I plan on keeping it that way. My first step was switching to a cheaper school that I can afford and having the tuition paid out of my checking account. Instead of paying credit card balances, that money is going into savings. And I am budgeting! I must stick with it. Part of my savings is building up the e-fund and another part is being budgeted to go to New Orleans to see DH's family. After that we'll budget some more for a fall trip somewhere.

 

[pklein09]

Well, I have managed to keep my sink clean all day long....and I'm hoping it will continue! I'm also using lists so I don't forget stuff.....I turned 40 and boy did my short term memory go!

 

[lattemomof3]

This is such an inspirational thread, I though I'd pull it up again to help others (and myself!) with motivation. I had the goal of organizing my entire house this year, and I'm quite a bit behind. With just a few more months of 2010 left, I'm determined to get a majority of it done! Next year I'll finish what's left of de-cluttering & then concentrate on some sprucing up - painting, furniture re-arranging & adding a few inexpensive accessories (hello, Target!).

Dh and & I have been working on saving $ and keeping a budget (using the envelope system). We will be able to pay off dh's pickup by the end of next month, then we'll concentrate on paying off my (new to us) Aspen, & we'll be completely debt free except our mortgage. We have our DW vacation already paid for - through the DIS and a lot of on-line searching I was able to get great prices on airfare, our rental house, and car rental. This vacay will be our least expensive to-date, that's a good feeling! This year we spent several hours figuring out where our $ goes, setting up a budget, and writing down short and long term goals. We've opened up accounts for saving for braces for the kids, home improvement and vacations. Once the car is payed off we'll deposit the $ that would have gone for the monthy payment into an account for the next needed vehicle (or car repairs and maintenance).

The other goal I had for this year was to lose the 15 to 20 pounds that snuck on over the past few years. My mom & I have been texting each other our daily calorie totals every night, it really works to have someone to be accountable too! I've lost 8 pounds since August, when we started. We've had fun as a family trying to be more active, biking in town & going for walks after dinner. I'm a bit nervous about the cold weather approaching being able to continue, so the kids & I ordered the walking wii game that we can do together. I don't like traditional work-outs, but "playing" together seems to be working!

So it's time to ramp it up for the next 3 months & try to get this place de-cluttered, and for the 1st time in many years I feel like I've actually made progress on my yearly goals! Thanks for the motivating thread, anyone else trying to finish up some goals for the year?

 

[gillenkl]

I used to have a rather untidy family room - but we live in a ranch house so it's the room everyone has to enter. I'd scramble if someone came to the door to quickly put stuff away. How did I solve this? First, I make the kids put all "their" items away in their room before they leave for school (takes less than 5 minutes). Second, I usually watch one soap opera (no flames) and during the commercials I will dust or vacuum the family room at least every other day. It's no longer embarassing for unannounced company to come in. This is just one small thing I've done, but it's working. I say start with little bites and work up.

 

[pixiedustfairy]

New poster here. I think this is a great idea for a thread and we should keep it going, posting our goals and what steps we take each day to accomplish them.

 

[kinntj]

I'm new here and thank you for bringing back this old thread! I'll try to update when I can how far along I am in my goals.

My project/goal is to clean house by Thanksgiving and to be good to myself. That includes taking walk outside or on the treadmill and eating more veggies. I'm aiming to eat 3 veggies a day (I don't very much at all now) by the end of October. Once I have these accomplished, then I'll start new goals.

Todays goals:
Good to myself - walk around the neighborhood before sundown and eat 2 servings of veggies with dinner.
house - vacuum upstairs and declutter (toys and clothes) DD6's room.

It'll be great to see how others do. If you need a support buddy, I'm here.

 

[StephMK]

Thanks for pulling this back up!! It's good to revisit while there is still time left this year. I remember reading it when it first posted. I lost weight earlier this year but gained a few back. It's inspiring to read everyone's stories & I want to get them back off & lose some more. I pledge to get on the treadmill, weights or walk the next 3 days. My goal at my last bday in May was to run a 10k before next May. I need to get back to training!

The house is starting to slip & I need to clear out the garage before it gets too cold. I think we are close to an organized house but I still have some areas that need attention. I will pull out the junk/bills drawer and organize tonight during the shows.