It’s no big thing…

Broken heart in “text speak”

Valentines and elections,

Marriages and lives …

All are lost from little things, not big.

Each decision we make impacts our lives for the long haul.

We are the only person in the world who is 100% impacted by every single choice we make.

My dad would say, “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, how will you have time to do it over and fix it?”

It’s the little things:

The bill you forgot to mail

The brake you forgot to set

The alarm you forgot to change

The vote you didn’t bother casting

Little things eat up our relationships and our lives:

The I Love You that wasn’t said

The birthday card you didn’t send

The gas tank you didn’t fill

The hug you withheld

 The wedding invite you forgot

  The thank you note you didn’t write

When things slip our minds, our lives become chaotic:

The fish dinner trash that didn’t make it outside before a trip

The oven left on overnight

The hose that ran for hours straight

The tire you didn’t check

The oil you didn’t change

The keys left in the ignition

The candle left burning

Some little things we do and regret

The texted rant

The email we shouldn’t have sent

The snarky comment that shouldn’t have left your lips

That one extra donut, day after day

The “one more for the road” that caused the crash

Answering “just this one text” that rolled your car

“They will never find out…” and they always do…

Try these Solutions:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit.” Aristotle

• Create habits to keep you on track.

˜      When you get out of your car, hold your keys in your hand and say “Keys.”

˜      Write a checklist for your trips and use them every time

˜      If you have events that repeat, create a checklist for them

˜      Put your house keys, car keys, glasses, phone and any other item you frequently misplace in the same spot.

˜      Get in the habit of always putting things away as soon as you’re done with them.

˜      Get a large black metal clip. As each bill comes in, using a black sharpie pen, write the date due in the upper right corner. Clip the bills together in order of due date.

˜      When you get an item for your inbox, put a date due in the top right corner and keep all inbox items in order according to that due date.

•  Use Rituals to remind you of values that are important to you

˜      11:11 – when you see this on the clock, stop for one minute and do your “gratitudes.”

˜      Develop a trigger question: “How will I feel in three days if I do/buy/say this?”

˜      Save every “complicated” message or email in a draft folder for 24 hours before hitting the Send key.

• Use Rituals to get and stay healthy

˜      Stretch in bed before you get out of bed

~      Practice deep breathing at least once a day

~      Do face exercises every day.

Carole Maggio Facercise (R) (Revised)

˜      Have at least one “tv-free” day a week (if you have no tv, then make it one internet-free day.)

˜      Set a timer and make sure you get up and move around at least once an hour.

It IS a big thing because it’s your life. Take care of yourself this valentine’s week whether or not you’re in a relationship –  the biggest relationship you have is with yourself. When you’re healthy, we all win.

Cheers,

Beth

© 2014 Beth Terry, CSP • All Rights Reserved