Thanks so much for your encouragement with The Welcome to Now Project and welcome to all those who have decided to join in - I'm sure it'll be worth it. Yesterday was a positive start for me and I feel full of motivation to get moving with the 4 areas. So here are my plans for week 1. It's all about dipping my toes in and then taking the plunge.1. The-once-and-for-all-declutter. This week I'm teaching 3½ days so I won't have much time to declutter. However, on my full day off I'm going to go into the loft and remove the large, easy to clear bits of clutter (unused furniture, cardboard boxes etc.). The reason I'm going to attack the loft first is because it's probably the most cluttered area of the house and according to feng shui (which I'm beginning to read about) it's best to tackle those areas that are most disorganised first. I also have half empty boxes from our 2012 house move so I'm going to consolidate those boxes. My visit to the loft will also be about assessing what's there so that I can plan what to declutter next. Afterwards I'll visit the tip/recycling center with the debris and also my favorite charity shop as my son has returned from uni and has willingly edited his clothes (he has more clothes than anyone else in our family). On work days I'll aim to do a 30 minute declutter each evening in the kitchen attacking drawers, cupboards and any paperwork that's lingering. At the weekend I'll spend a few more hours with my husband streamlining our kitchen crockery, pans and glassware.
2. Be Fabulous. My mornings will start with a drink of hot water and lemon and a short meditation (2-5 minutes). These are habits I've been forming over recent months that I want to establish as daily practice. Hopefully, healthy morning habits will lead to good choices throughout the rest of the day such as drinking plenty of water. This week my aim is to walk for 25 minutes a day either with my husband during his lunch break (he works from home) or after work before we eat. Walking is gentle exercise but also a really good way to unwind. We walk most days but not everyday so this week I'm going to be more disciplined. I'm going to increase my running sessions from 2 to 3 times a week but I'm going to make this 3rd run a short one (15 minutes) to avoid injury. I'll also try and plan some healthy meals for later on in the project. I'm working on ways of reducing sugar and have already ditched artificial sweeteners, diet drinks and tomato ketchup.
3. Finding Focus. I'm not the most organised of people and often keep my to-do list in my head. For week 1 of The Welcome to Now Project I'm going to try to write manageable to-do lists and power through these items before I allow myself any time online. I'm going to put my laptop to bed earlier and and give myself at least an hour to unwind before bed.
4. Try Something New. I'm going to read a book about mindfulness meditation Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn, find out more about feng shui and plan something fun for the weekend. I'm not quite sure what but I I know there's enough mint in the garden for our first mojito of the year.
Have you any plans to get started with decluterring or build new habits this week? Is there anything you can't wait to cross off your to-do list? Please share and don't forget to reward yourself and allow time for rest too.
Welcome to week 1 of The Welcome to Now Project. I'll be back with an update later in the week and will be using instagram to track my progress too.
