Monday Inspiration

It's a new year.  Some people believe that means it's a new you.  Personally, I don't believe in resolutions or anything, I just believe in having goals.  Like, in 2013 I want to...  Last year, my goals/plans were to get married and survive nursing school.  I also planned to lose weight and get mentally healthy.  Well, with the medications I was on, the stress, and the crazy schedule, I didn't lose very much weight, but I definitely can say I worked on my overall health and it's still an everyday task.

In 2013, I plan to continue working on my overall health (especially after learning about a possible condition I might have in which I need to go back and do some more testing), I do have a goal to lose one dress size by my sister-in-law's wedding in September, and I have a goal to graduate nursing school.  I also have a goal to be better organized in 2013.

I wrote this post for Messy.Dirty.Hair. and I thought it would be a great repost for the first Monday Inspiration of 2013!  Enjoy my sweet friends!

BLOGGING

If you want to be a serious blogger, there are a few things you "need."  Of course, every blogger will have their own definition, but the most common criteria include having a voice and having a niche.

If you are absolutely lost or even just in a place that's looking for some new inspiration, I recommend "Blog, Inc.: Blogging for Passion, Profit, and to Create Community" by Joy D. Cho, the blogger behind the fabulous and inspiring Oh Joy!  It really is a great read that covers many bases for bloggers on all levels: newbies to pros.  For only about $11 for a print copy and $8 for a Kindle copy on Amazon, it's quite a great deal if I should say so myself!  Topics include: finding your voice and niche, powering your blog, blogging community etiquette, making your blog a business, monetizing your blog, and the next stage of blog growth.  Joy also features some other blogs who talk about their blogs and businesses and what made them successul.  

As far as ways to do this, I suggest just start with getting organized, jotting down ideas, finding out what you're passionate about, and discovering the ways you most want to share your brain with the world.

BEING ORGANIZED

I am a big advocate of the latest and greatest way to be organized.  I personally am a firm believer in the good ole' fashion pen and paper.  I've tried Google calendars, using the calendar on my phone, and getting a tablet to carry around mainly to get organized.  Nothing works quite like pen (or pencil) and paper for me.  This is why I've decided to dish out the money invest in an Erin Condren notebook with monthly pages.  Why not just get the life planner? Because as a blogger / dreamer I love having blank pages to jot down ideas, to-dos, sponsor information, giveaways I’m participating in, etc all in one place.  

Erin Condren not your thing?  There is PlumPaperDesigns, Shutterfly, MayBooks, and just regular ole’ planners.  In 2012 I just took a completely blank notebook and added in the months and taped in tabs to get organized.  Being organized is purely subjective; you can do whatever you want!  Maybe you are a phone calendar gal!  But whatever you are, figure it out and run with it.  It will help organize your life and help to decrease your stress level.

MIND

For some of us, it might be hard to find intrinsic motivation.  For others, thoughts can really drag them down with feelings of inadequacy.  We need to work on retraining our brain to be our best friend and our biggest cheerleader (in case it's not already).  I know I struggle with this a lot, or I used to before I started working on it.  I would have a difficult time getting myself motivated to do things, I would be hard on myself when I made mistakes that would barely even make a ripple in my life on a grand scale, and I would compare myself to others.  

My husband likes to remind me to "keep things in perspective."   Unless I've made a life-threatening mistake to myself or others, we do have "re-dos" and second chances.  We need to stop beating ourselves up (especially all you fellow OCD-ers!) over the little things.  But most importantly, we need to stop with the negativity.  I'm trying to regain my positivity by starting with not having negative thoughts about anyone and anything.  Just letting in one negative thought just creates a window to let in more negative thoughts.  Of course you can be frustrated at an unfortunate incidence and maybe let out a "crap!" but then let it go and work on a solution.  This helps create a healthier mindset and helps fuel your brainpower to focus on solutions, productivity, and positivity.  Win-win, eh?

BODY

Your body needs certain fuel so it can function at his or her best.  The fuel consists of basics like water, nutrients, calories, and temperature regulation, as well as laughter, love, and dreams.  They all help us keep going each day.  But our bodies also need adequate amounts of sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition.  

A study performed with 80 and 90 year olds in a retirement home showed drastic improvements over just weeks of using weight bearing exercises regularly.  They were able to walk better, think better, and just had a better mood and outlook overall.  There are so many more studies showing essentially the same concept.  It's amazing how easily overlooked proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep can be.  Did you know that your body will deteriorate quicker with sleep deprivation versus starvation or water deprivation?  So make sure you get your recommended 6-8 hours or make it up on the weekends, eat a balanced diet, and once a week take the stairs instead of the elevator or park a little further from the building entrance.

SOUL

It is so important to have "me" time.  An instructor of mine in nursing school once said that her "me" time to get away from the stress and chaos of nursing school was to fold laundry.  She loved it and found that it was her 5-15 minutes of doing something simple, easy, and alone.  Of course, folding laundry doesn't tickle everyone’s fancy, but it's a great example.  

Find your "me" time every day for about 5-15 minutes then maybe for an hour or two on the weekends.  Try deep breathing, praying, getting on Pinterest, getting a cup of your favorite hot or cold beverage, call a friend, or something similar to just “escape” for a few minutes.  Then on the weekends, get some extra Z’s or indulge in your favorite hobbies.  After all, it's the little things, right?

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS...

...have a mini solo pity party for one night and one night only.  Pop in you favorite movie, curl up on the couch with your favorite dessert, and shut off other technology.  Those calories are not going to kill you're entire diet, I promise.  Sometimes, you just need to allow yourself to feel and heal.  If we always ignore our emotions, put them on the back-burner, or suppress them, we kind of lose some of who we are, don't you think?

God gave us emotions, He gave us our personality, and our characteristics.  I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve.  I've had to learn that there is not always a time and a place for some of my emotions so I've had to suppress them and put on a happy face, but every once and a while, it's good to embrace the not so happy emotions and just live your ups and downs.