Monday’s Momentum; Jump Start Your week!

Monday’s Momentum

Let’s get a Jump Start on the week in front of us!

How we begin a week is important. If we want to accomplish things and be productive, it’s important to have a game plan and start our week off on the right path, with vision and goals in mind. When making lifestyle changes, it aides us to have a clearer picture in our mind of what it is we want to accomplish this week … things we want to add, things we may need to change that will be more beneficial  and work better for each of us. I thought adding Monday’s Morning Momentum for each week on this page, will help each of us think about, focus and set small goals on some pattern changes for each of our lives, bringing into our daily routines healthier, fuller lifestyles.

I begin my thought patterns for the week on the weekend before, I review some of the things I am doing, things I might need to change around and goals I want to meet in the new week. A friend once asked me if setting goals for the week didn’t already contribute to setting myself up for failure, not knowing what the week might bring? My answer is a resounding No! It helps me to stay focused on what I want to accomplish and things I want to integrate into my daily, weekly or monthly routines. Any steps forward are a win! If I don’t meet “ALL” of my goals, I don’t look at it as a failure, I look at the things I was able to achieve, begin or add, and then look at how I can make adjustments for the upcoming week adding those ideas and items not yet met. It’s an opportunity to fine tune things and change them around to suit my need.

Let’s face it, many of our schedules are already full, without planning, we fall short of making any inroads to those changes we want to incorporate into our lives. Some weeks there are one or two things I want to add, others the list is so long I have to narrow it down a bit to make it do-able and manageable and save the other ideas for a future planning.

With my schedule, I need to be clear about the things I want to bring into my daily life and the changes I want to incorporate. .My schedule is full; I work approximately 50 hours a week, I have a terminally ill parent and spend as much time helping to care for them as possible, I am taking 2 course loads at 2 different schools (online programs) for 2 different programs, Health & Wellness, and Christian Life Coaching, (approximately 10 to 12 hours each per week for study) add my famiglia and friend time along w/daily needs, chores, blogging, FB page and errands etc. and it makes for an already overly full schedule. If I am serious about my lifestyle changes (and I am!), I need to incorporate things I want to do and change into my daily life in small increments, one step at a time. Any lifestyle change takes time and focus … working and sometimes re-working it until it fits and is right for me. So, I begin my week with a list of short term goals with long term positive effects.

This week for myself, first off, I want to add 15 minutes more each day to prayer/bible/devotions, finding the best time of day to incorporate that addition takes some flexibility on my part … sometimes in the morning and evening, sometimes one or the other, or adding some time during the day on a break. My spiritual practice is my home base; I want and need it to flow freely into my life, so adding additional time throughout the day will only enhance my relationship with Christ.

Secondly, I want to add 3 more segments per day of Activity Bursts Everywhere, to my daily routine, getting me up and moving a bit more incorporating more movement and activity daily. (I sit at a 2 monitor screen computer at least 7 to 10 hours a day, between work and studies, I need more activity)

Third, I want to spend more time this week experimenting with healthier meals. I love to cook. It helps to soothe and relax me, and gets my creative juices flowing. From meal planning, preparation, chopping etc. to cooking and eating, bringing out as much flavor as possible in the foods prepared is extremely important to me. Many of us eat to sustain our bodies, some are happy with shakes, salads and the like … Me? Coming from an Italian famiglia that has been preparing, cooking and baking from scratch based on mega flavors? I need flavorful foods. It’s an art form J pulling all the deliciousness out of the foods and meals and the enjoyment of eating what was prepared, sharing the results with famiglia and friends … its part of my heritage.

Fourth, since spring is finally beginning a bit on the east coast, I want to try to incorporate some fresh air and walking for about 15 minutes a day if weather permits. Getting outside in the fresh air and being active helps to clear my thoughts and think through some things.

Fifth, I want to add 7 minutes more of activity to my elliptical time, 3 times per week.

And lastly for this week, I want to add 2 minutes to my relaxation/meditation breaks, twice a day. Just breathing deeply, inhaling/exhaling, listening to the ocean sounds, relaxing my body and refueling and refreshing my mind, energizing my mind, body and spirit to move forward in each day more centered and more calmly.

I realize my list of goals is longer this week, but with the weather changing, and my schedule so full already, I wanted to put more emphasis on mind, body and soul nutrients that are mush needed. It’s best in most cases to add just one or two changes or additions per week. These are after all, lifestyle changes … it takes time to incorporate the changes we want into our daily lives and routines. One step at a time, one life at a time!

What about your week?
What do you want to accomplish, add, change, achieve or get rid of by the end of the week?
What are your short term goals with long time effects for this week?

What are one or two changes you would like to add to your life this week?


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