by Vicki Peel | Apr 9, 2023 | Organize |
It’s true. I have been ahead of the HGTV curve for years. And today I’m going to show you the evidence to prove it.
Click on the image below to see my Trending Top 10 HGTV and H.E.R. kitchen storage and organization hacks. In this vlog post, HGTV kitchen hacks are shown on the left side of the slide and my kitchen hacks (H.E.R.) are on the right side.
Be sure to subscribe to my channel before you leave!
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Mar 1, 2023 | Food |
Welcome to March, which is National Nutrition Month. This is a good time to learn more about making informed food choices and developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. This year’s theme, “Fuel for the Future”, highlights the importance of eating with sustainability in mind.
So what does eating with sustainability mean? It means consuming food with a low environmental impact, helping reduce gas emissions, pollution, and chronic diseases in humans. And that means eating more organic fruits and vegetables. (I wish I loved vegetables!!)
Why eat with sustainability?
Eating with sustainability in mind is not only good for the environment, but it is also a great way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life. Here are some reasons why:
1.It’s better for the planet
The food choices we make have a significant impact on the environment. By choosing sustainably produced food, we can reduce our carbon footprint and help protect the planet. Eating a plant-based diet, for example, is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources.
2. It’s good for our health
Choosing nutrient-dense, whole foods that are sustainably produced is good for our health. These foods are packed with vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients that help keep our bodies healthy and strong. They are also typically lower in calories and higher in fiber, which can help us maintain a healthy weight.
3. It supports local farmers
Choosing locally sourced food is a great way to support local farmers and small businesses. It also helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with transportation and distribution.
4. It can save us money
Eating sustainably doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, choosing whole foods and plant-based meals can often be more affordable than buying processed or packaged foods. By choosing seasonal produce and buying in bulk, we can save money while reducing waste.
Although, some foods, such as organic fruits and vegetables and grass-fed meats may cost more initially. But careful planning and better use of leftovers can even out the cost.
Tips to eat with sustainability
So, what are some ways we can eat with sustainability in mind? Although there is some overlap between why we should eat sustainability and how to do that, here are some tips:
1.Choose plant-based meals
Eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact. This means incorporating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds into your meals.
2. Buy local and seasonal produce
Choosing locally sourced and seasonal produce is a great way to support local farmers and reduce your carbon footprint. It also means you’re getting the freshest, most nutrient-dense produce available.
If you’re not sure where to find locally sourced food, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can help you find that information. Just click on the link or click here.
Here are two more sources to find good locally sourced food in your area:
The Local Harvest website has search capabilities to insert your city and state for these options:
3. Choose sustainably produced meat and dairy
If you choose to eat meat and dairy, look for products that are sustainably produced. This means choosing products from animals that are raised in humane conditions, with minimal environmental impact. Search for Meat Processors in your area at Local Harvest.
4. Reduce food waste
Reducing food waste is another important way to eat with sustainability in mind. This means planning your meals, using up leftovers, and composting food scraps.
In conclusion, eating with sustainability in mind is an important way to nourish ourselves during every phase of life and protect the environment. By choosing plant-based meals, buying local and seasonal produce, choosing sustainably produced meat and dairy, and reducing food waste, we can make a difference in our health and the health of the planet.
Is it easy to change how we eat? No. But we don’t have to change everything. Simply making small changes will help. We can cut back on meat consumption, add another vegetable to the menu, and plan to use leftovers in appetizing ways.
Happy National Nutrition Month! What one thing can you do to implement any of these suggestions?
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Jan 5, 2023 | Home, Lifestyle |
Does your home evoke “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being”?
In other words, is your home a haven from the chaos of the world, a place that nourishes your soul and uplifts your spirit?
If so, your home has hygge!
What is Hygge?
And your first response may be “what the heck is hygge”? (It’s pronounced “Hoo-gah”, by the way. I know – how can something spelled like that be pronounced “Hoo-gah”!?)
“Hygge… is a Scandinavian way of life that celebrates coziness, shared meals, and companionable interactions with loved ones. Emphasizing warmth, kinship, and an appreciation for the little things, hygge is a perspective on life that started in Denmark and has contributed to the nation’s consistently high happiness ratings. Now, Americans are turning to hygge as a way to find happiness from within.” ~ Brinton Parker, (December 10, 2019),11 Ways to embrace the hygge lifestyle this season. PopSugar
Hygge is a great way to embrace self-care that extends to all family members. Think about all the things you love about your home and the things you like to do there that provide that much-needed extra layer of comfort.
How to Get Hygge
While there many ways to create hygge in your home, here are a few ways my home has hygge, supporting and comforting me:
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- Time alone in the comfy leather chair in my office for journaling my thoughts and renewing myself spiritually
- Sipping on a warm cup of cocoa with mini-marshmallows
- Decorating my home with items of personal family memories (I’ll show you around sometime and point out all the “old things” that are so special to me!)
- Watching HGTV – any shows on HGTV (personally, I love Ben and Erin on Home Town, among many others!)
- Putting on an eye mask and listening to soothing music as I take a short afternoon nap
- Curling up (OK – I mean metaphorically curling; it has been a long time since my knees allowed me to actually curl up!) with my iPad to play Candy Crush, Soda Crush, Spades and Castle. (I’m ashamed to tell you how high I’ve gotten on Candy Crush. I am working to curb my “addiction”.) And I love playing Sudoku and Kakuro. There is just something satisfying about being able to solve one of these puzzles.
Now, how about you? What makes your house hygge, even if you don’t call it that? How is your house a haven from the outside world. Comment or email me at vicki@herlifehacks.com and let me know one or two things on your hygge list
Want to know more about hygge? Here are links to a couple of resources about hygge.
Coloring books are very comforting activities on the hygge list of a lot of people. Check out this hygge coloring book:
Think about your home and hygge. Is it hygge in its current condition? What could you do to make it more calming and comforting?
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Dec 8, 2022 | Preserve |
When we think of legacies, our first inclination is to think about what we leave behind for future generations when we die.
But a legacy is not about death. It is about life. It’s about how you are living your life right now.
Most of us would prefer not to think too much about creating a legacy. Why? Because thinking about creating a legacy makes us think about death, and that is too dark a concept to consider right now. After all, we’ll have time to think about that later. Right? Maybe, maybe not.
“Don’t be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don’t have to live forever; you just have to live.” ~ Natalie Babbitt
What is a Legacy?
Whether you think about creating a legacy or not, you’re doing it anyway. You create a legacy by simply living your life. Everything you do or did is creating your legacy. So, the question becomes – are you living your life with intention so you will be remembered the way you want to be remembered?
“Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” ~ Lin Manual Miranda
Most of us think about a legacy as something passed on to the next generation after our death. And we may even think that legacies are built and transferred by people who have a great deal of money or influence. Great people in history may come to mind. And if that is how you think of a legacy, you’d be wrong.
We don’t have to do spectacular things or have great wealth to leave an important legacy.
A legacy can be built by simply living a life of kindness. Just showing kindness to people we love and people we meet can have rippling effects that we may not even be aware of.
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” ~ Maya Angelou
A legacy is built day by day in the little things we do and say that define who we are. A legacy is about memories – sharing memories of what you know about your parents and grandparents and the memories they passed down to you. A legacy is about creating memories with your family in the present so your children and grandchildren will know about you and previous generations, how you lived and what you lived for.
It may also include possessions, which don’t need to be possessions of great monetary value. Their value comes from the meaning they have in your life and what has been passed on to you by previous generations. It is about connections. Connections about where you came from that help to define who you are.
Why is a legacy important?
Simply put, people need to know that life matters. That they matter. That you matter.
Legacies are about hope. Hope that the future for your children and grandchildren will be even better than today. That is especially important today – right now. The world has experienced monumental change. In just the period of a few years, we have seen changes we never dreamed we would experience as the result of a global pandemic. Even the word pandemic wasn’t on our radar before we were in the midst of it. These experiences alone make us think about the fragility of life, it’s meaning, and what the future might look like.
Preserving family histories is valuable. Learning about who came before you and what they were like and what they experienced helps you know who you are. Understanding how previous generations sacrificed and paved the way for the next generation provides a sense of security.
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
How do you build a legacy?
The short answer is to live every day with intention, doing the things that matter the most to you and realizing that how you live is a model for the next generation.
People have a need to know where they came from and what that means to them. And while there are many things you can do to create your own legacy, the focus for this article is learning about the legacies of previous generations and preserving family histories.
How do you do that? How do you learn about and preserve family histories? You ask questions.
My daughter gave my mother a lasting gift one Mother’s Day – a journal to record the details of her life. And thanks to my niece, she did just that. My niece asked my mother every one of the questions in the journal and recorded her answers. When my mother passed away, I copied every page of that journal to give to my sisters so we each had a copy to keep and treasure.
My daughter also gave that same journal to my mother-in-law, her paternal grandmother. And my husband planned to ask his mother the questions and record her responses. However, she passed away before he got around to it, and he regrets missing that opportunity to know his mother a little better.
Even though I have treasured memories of my parents and grandparents, I also regret not having asked probing questions about their what their lives were like growing up. What was it like growing up through the Great Depression of the 1920’s? What were their homes like as a child? What do they remember about their parents and grandparents? And so many more questions that I will never know the answers to.
I realize that youth is not the time to ask questions about the past. Youth is a time for present reality and future dreams. The process of aging creates time for reflection and remembering and wanting to know more about past generations.
And that is why I created “My Life, My Legacy” – a journal of questions for anyone who recognizes the value of passing on their personal history before passing on. It may be something you want to complete for your children and grandchildren, who may not recognize the value of preserving oral histories of their family until it is too late for them to ask the questions. Or there may be a family member whose memories about their life you want to record.
Just take a look at My Life, My Legacy Journal- Teal
Or My Life, My Legacy Journal – Leather.
Tell your story now – the way you want it told.
(Contact me for a coupon code.)
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our October through December focus on HOME STYLE!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Nov 11, 2022 | Preserve |
Are your Christmas holidays full of family tradition? Mine are. And I’ve realized through the years how important it is to preserve traditions and memories and pass them on.
The Christmas Legacy Planner and Plus Bundle provides the tools to capture traditions and memories for future generations.
Click on the image to see all the tools available to help you do this!
This is a lengthy video, so I’ve broken it down into parts. The numbers are for times where you can locate each section.
Start: Introduction and content files
1:10 Christmas Legacy Printable Planner
4:55 Christmas Legacy Digital Planner
12:01 Christmas Legacy Plus Bundle
And HERE is where you can see the entire Christmas Legacy Planner and Plus Bundle!
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our October through December focus on HOME STYLE!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Oct 25, 2022 | Clear Clutter, Home, Organize |
I am intentionally embarrassing myself with this post. Read on…
Even though I have some excuses – or rather explanations – I won’t list them here. This post starts a series of BEFORE videos and pictures of the condition of my house, which is basically a mess.
My plan for my messy house is to regain control by decluttering, cleaning, organizing and creating a system for maintaining by the end of 2022. And then sharing it all with you.
What you’re going to see is the worst of the worst place in my house. The utility room – where stuff goes to lanquish until I find a place for it. Where the door can be shut, and no one is allowed to enter.
Here is the BEFORE condition of my utility room. Pre-decluttering; pre-cleaning; pre-organizing; pre-establishment of a system for maintenance. Click on the image below and come on in! (The background music is incongruent with the current status of the room!)
While this is an embarrassment, you won’t believe the transformation. Tune in later for the AFTER! I can’t wait to see it myself!
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our October through December focus on HOME: seasonal home decor and BEFORE and AFTER videos and pictures of me regaining control of my messy house!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Oct 11, 2022 | Home |
Interested in fall decor with big impact and little effort? Try this fall pumpkin topiary! Easy, fun, beautiful!
Click on the image to see how it’s done!
What do you think? How are you decorating this fall?
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our July through September focus on LIFESTYLE!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Sep 27, 2022 | Lifestyle |
What do you want? What do you really, really want?
Can you answer that question, or is it one you don’t dare to even think about? Maybe you think you can’t have what you want. Or you don’t deserve more than you have. Or maybe, just maybe, your religious upbringing tells you that you are selfish to want things when others are suffering. Or is there another reason?
I remember daydreaming a lot when I was a child. I would go into a rarely-used room in my home, lie across the bed and look out the window, and daydream. Or I would climb upon the roof of the chicken house and look at the clouds and daydream. I thought about what my life would be like as an adult, who I would marry, what my children would be like, and the kind of house I would own. I even picked out names for my children!
Did you daydream as a child?
But what about as an adult? Do you still daydream? Or do you dare?
I admit that dreaming about what I want is something that I would not allow myself to do for most of my adult life. I thought it would be selfish or that it would be wrong to ask God for things I merely wanted and didn’t need.
But why not have dreams and expect them to materialize? And how can you do that?
Visualization
First, you need to practice visualization.
Connie Ragen Green wrote this in “Morning Routines and Visualization”.
“Visualization is the technique of picturing a goal in your mind in detail so that you can manifest this change in your life. Sound hard? Really, it’s not.”
Visualizing what you want is a major first step in getting what you want. See yourself in the future and how you would feel having achieved your dreams.
The Visualization Process
The Visualization Process is this simple:
- Start with a goal
- Imagine the goal
- Revisit the goal
- Accept the reality of the goal already completed
- Experiment with different techniques (meditation, vision board, etc.)
A great way to implement the visualization process is to create a Vision Board. Vision boards are how you can use your creativity to let your dreams grow.
What Exactly is a Vision Board?
The most basic definition of a vision board is just this: It’s a collection of images, quotes and symbols that have meaning to you and which bring out feelings of joy, peace, love and happiness. They represent your dream life.
Vision boards come in many different formats, both digital and physical.
Images. By far the most common item to find on vision boards, images can be photos, drawings, mind maps, sketches or anything else that has some meaning for you.
For example, if world travel is one of your goals, you might include photos of historic landmarks you want to visit, or airplanes or ships (imagine the feeling of freedom associated with those). If you dream of retiring young, then a photo of you and your family relaxing on the beach will serve as a happy reminder of what life will be like when you no longer have to work.
Motivational messages. You’ve seen those motivation posters that say things such as, “Challenge: Always blaze the trail; never follow the path.” For some people, these messages can be extremely powerful. When you face a rough patch, simply remembering that phrase can be enough to get you fighting again.
Inspiring quotes. Inspiration is different for everyone. For some, the greatest source of inspiration is the Bible. For others, words of encouragement from industry leaders or historical figures is uplifting. You can have fun with these, too. Maybe your best inspiration comes from the notes inside a Dove candy bar or a fortune cookie. Whatever makes you smile or brightens your day is a good fit for your vision board.
Everything else. What else inspires or motivates you? The blue ribbon your grandmother’s quilt won at the state fair? A small vial of sand from that secluded beach you’ll retire to someday? Your daughter’s baby shoes? Vision boards can include these treasures as well, you just might have to be a little creative when it comes to adding them.
The Power of a Vision Board
That which we focus on we attract more of. We’ve known for decades that daydreams have power, and that purposeful visualization is the key to greater success in every area of life.
If you spend all your time worrying about money, it seems to slip right through your fingers. If you obsess over your weight, the pounds stubbornly hold on. And if you daydream about relaxing in the Caribbean sun, well, you’re a lot more likely to find yourself on a beach chair in the near future.
Like anything though, effective visualization takes practice. A vision board can help kick start those creative visualization skills.
When you create your vision board, regardless of which of life’s aspects you’re focusing on, be sure to look for images and words that make you feel the way you imagine you’ll feel when you achieve your goal. It’s not about what you want to have. It’s about how you want to feel.
Creating a Vision Board
Creating a vision board can be as simple as cutting photos out of a magazine and tacking them up on your office bulletin board, or it can be as complex as a hand-made frame with personal photos and trinkets.
- Digital: Created with software designed for the task. Ease of use is the obvious benefit with this kind of vision board, because you can quickly add and edit your board.
- Physical: Paper, bulletin boards, whiteboards, or even a wall in your home with hanging pictures. Your creative options are endless here, but your vision board will obviously be less portable.
- Mobile: Created on an app made for tablets and phones. The advantage here is that you’ll have your vision board with you everywhere you go.
Before you begin though, here are the most important things to remember about your vision board.
- It’s yours. There is no right or wrong way to create your dreams.
- Dream big! Your vision board should not be filled with things that you could easily attain next week. A new cell phone has no place on your vision board.
- You have to spend time with it. A vision board is a living document, and it will work better when it has your attention for at least a few minutes every single day.
Whether you choose to create a stunning collage of individually framed images you carefully collect over the course of a year, or you build it on your iPad from stock photos, give vision boards a try. You might just be pleasantly surprised at the power they can wield in your life and your business.
Here’s a beautiful printable journal to get you started: “My Life – My Vision”. Click on the title or Image below to get your FREE copy!
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our July through September focus on LIFESTYLE!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Sep 12, 2022 | Lifestyle |
How happy are you with your life? Did you know that anything that isn’t making you jump for joy can be fixed or changed? The key, however, is that only YOU hold that power to make your life joyous. It’s not up to your spouse, kids, parents, or boss.
To the extent that anyone’s life can be controlled, you are the one with the most control. And you deserve to live the life of your dreams. So how do you do that?
Your brain is crucial and food either enhances and sustains your brain or food slowly kills your brain and your body. But that is another blog post for another day.
Today, we are focusing on the brain and the mindset you hold. Having a growth and positive mindset is a critical foundation upon which we can build tiny habits that help you to put that positivity into action, and thereby change your life.
Sometimes it seems as though we have been stuck in “Groundhog Day”, the movie where we live the same day over and over. After a while, you don’t even know what day it is. It stagnates the mind.
Mindset (coupon code CARE50 for 50% discount!) and mindfulness are buzz words we hear a lot about. They refer to those learned attitudes we hold about absolutely anything. We have a money mindset, a career mindset; in a business setting you’ll hear terms like ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’ mindset. Starting with a mindset (coupon code CARE50 for 50% discount!) that works for you is certainly important to how we perceive life and being mindful of how we think affects what we get from life.
As I’ve said in previous posts, to make real and lasting changes in our lives, we need to embrace the development of tiny habits. Tiny habits that combine over a period of time become automatic habits that we don’t have to think about. These automatic habits compound into many small successes, which can also help change our mindset. It’s a huge cycle but one which can be changed at any point.
How to Add Tiny Habits to Your Day
Since every person’s goals will be different, so will every person’s tiny habit choices. These are just a few ideas and certainly not a comprehensive list. Choose whichever tiny habits make you happy and more fulfilled (and moving toward your goals) and continue building on those.
To begin, decide what exactly makes you unhappy then think of a resolution. Now, what is one small thing you can do to start to change the situation? It’s not enough to just THINK about a resolution; you must then take action. Creating tiny habits one at a time will change your life.
Some general tiny habits that anyone can add to their routines include: meditation, yoga, cardio exercise, writing a gratitude journal, journal about all areas of your life or your goals, listening to empowering podcasts, praying, and healthy eating.
If you’re specifically unhappy at work:
- Spend 5 minutes a day looking for a new job; apply for a new position inside your current company; rewrite your resume; seek a mentor for advice; get active with business networking groups; upgrade your skillset; write down a daily work goal and cross if off the list when achieved.
If you’re unhappy with your relationships:
- Start venturing out with groups of friends; reconnect daily with spouse or partner; go on regular date nights where you don’t talk about work or kids; try a new hobby or activity together; reconnect with old friends or family members.
If you’re unhappy spiritually:
- Start keeping a Bible planner, such as My Bible Planner (click to see + coupon code CARE50 for 50% discount!); create a meditative morning and evening routine; spend time every day doing self-care routines; seek advice from religious or spiritual leaders; listen to spiritual podcasts or music; volunteer to help the less fortunate.
If you’re unhappy with yourself:
- Start taking better care of yourself. This is something I’m consciously trying to do. I often find myself sitting and working on the computer hours upon end. Then when I get up, I realize I need to move my body more. And my “addiction” to sugar is contributing to the “fog” in my brain. Here is a methodical way to guide this self-care process: Taking Better Care of Me in 30 Days journal. And here’s some incentive to get started! Use coupon code SELFCARE10 to get $10 off the already low price!!
As you can see, there’s no magic wand that can change your level of happiness. It’s up to you to take the action and to implement these tiny steps toward your ultimate goals. Need a system to work through this process of creating tiny habits to change your life? Here’s an excellent book that helps you define the exact process that works for you – Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B.J. Fogg. You can do this! Time to get your life on track and come out of the fog (no pun intended, B.J.) of living by default.
Disclosure: My blog posts sometimes contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase, which is at no additional cost to you. Thank you!
I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our July through September focus on LIFESTYLE!
https://HERLifeHacks.com
by Vicki Peel | Sep 4, 2022 | Lifestyle |
Think back to the last time you set New Year resolutions. How did it go?
So many times I’ve written out elaborate goals of what I wanted to achieve. But it usually meant I had to basically change who I was for that to happen. And the outcome was most likely what you expected. I failed.
But I recently established a habit of which I’m very proud. I decided I needed to drink only water – no Pepsi, Coke, or the Southern lifeblood of choice – sweet tea. I used a simple habit tracker to keep up with my progress.
Each day that I drank only water, I colored in the box for that day. And guess what! I have not had a Pepsi, Coke or sweet tea for over 2 months!! After a while, I didn’t want to break the streak of coloring in the day’s box on my habit tracker. Now I don’t even think about drinking anything other than water. I never would have believed I could do that! But I did.
“Our brain circuitry is actually wired to adapt to incremental changes and repetition. If you start taking small steps toward a bigger goal, your brain will begin to develop new neural pathways that make achieving that goal easier. As these pathways are created, you’ll notice that what once seemed difficult becomes more routine.” Small Habits Lead to Big Changes by Connie Ragen Green.
And that is exactly what happened to me. As you start to establish a habit, it becomes easier and easier to do until you don’t even have to think about it anymore. Just being aware of this process helps us stick it out.
While we’re in that transition period of establishing a habit, we can use tools to make it easier. Use a to-do list or set a reminder to help stay on track. Find an accountability partner so the two of you can motivate each other and help bolster that willpower when it starts to fade after the first enthusiasm wears off. Even something as simple as laying out your running clothes the night before and keeping your sneakers by the door will make it a little easier to go out for that run.
And that’s the simple version of creating a new lifelong habit. There is much more to creating new habits that stick. Interested in more? Then check out Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by B.J. Fogg. Over 77% of over 5000 readers rated this book with 5 stars on Amazon. If you’re serious about developing better habits, this book needs to be your guide.
And to track your progress, pick up my free “My One Thing Habit Tracker”. It is what I used to develop my habit of drinking only water daily. You can get it HERE!
What habit or habits do you want to develop? Just a tiny step with one habit can change your life!
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I’m Vicki Peel, former home economics teacher and educational administrator. If you are not receiving my emails, coupons, and freebies, look for the Subscribe block (below right) and submit your contact information. I will not share your information with anyone, and all the content you will receive as part of our community is free. I may occasionally promote someone else’s paid content, offer a product for your consideration or share an item that I think might be of use to you. However, you are under no obligation to purchase anything – ever. So, sign up now so you won’t miss anything during our July through September focus on LIFESTYLE!
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