So, it's 2010. A new year. A new decade.
A clean slate? Perhaps.
All morning long, I've had the chorus of "Man in the Mirror" running through my head. Now, I'm not a Michael Jackson fan; never have been, but that song has a good message. Maybe someone's trying to tell me something by planting those lyrics in my brain, and playing them on an endless loop.
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror,
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make The Change)
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
I've fallen off the wagon. The health wagon. And it shows. Since the end of September, I've packed back on 14.5 pounds. I can no longer squeeze myself into the size 14 jeans that were so comfy in November. I haven't so much as taken a walk in three months, and food... well... let's just say my diet leaves much to be desired once again.
I've also let the household spending spin out of control again. Which goes hand in and with the diet issues, since much of that spending has been in the form of fast-food stops, pizza delivery and take-out. And I went overboard on Christmas for the kids. Nice for them, but the credit cards took a hit.
Then there's the house. All the rooms I had cleared of clutter, are once again covered in crap. I'd like to say it's not dirt, just clutter, but the fact of the matter is that no one can clean around all this stuff. No one. Ironically, the cleanest room in my house right now is probably the master bathroom... only because we managed to acquire two new kittens, who have been living primarily in that bathroom to keep them separated from the other animals as they are gradually integrated into the family. And because they constantly spray litter everywhere, that room has been swept and wiped down on an almost daily basis for the last three months.
So, it's time for change. I can't control anyone else in this house, but I can control me, and my actions. Starting next week (because I need some time to get my shit together and plan) I'm back on South Beach and starting over on the Couch to 5K program. My sister has agreed to do C25K with me, so at least I'll have an exercise partner.
Starting TODAY, it's time to conquer the clutter. The living room is first. The remainder of the Christmas decorations will be put away, and taken back up to the attic. Then, the mountains of laundry which have been waiting for me in a chair for the last week will be folded and put away. If I do nothing else today, that will be a vast improvement on the primary living area of my home. Tomorrow, the kitchen. Again. And during the course of the rest of this week, I plan on eliminating the boxes and bags of out-grown children's clothes which I finally pulled out of my closet and dragged down from the bonus room; some will go to a friend with a new baby, some to a second-hand store, and the rest to Goodwill.
That's my plan for the start of this new decade. One day at a time, one task at a time, one meal at a time, I will get back on track. Starting with me.
