What about the stuff that doesn't need changing?

5^th January 2018

Never be a prisoner of your past.  It was just a lesson, not a life sentence.

In January isn’t it easy to get caught up with ‘what shall I change’, ‘what shall I start / stop doing’, in an attempt to improve our lives?  I’ve been doing it myself, particularly with my garden, I want to sort it out this year and have been looking for ideas.  With my life also, I’ve been thinking about it because I enjoyed my Christmas break so much it’s got me to thinking do I need more free time. 

Can I earn less and work less?  Oh that’s a tough question for more than the obvious reason, yeah the cost of living is ridiculously high these days, food is so expensive, I was talking to my bestie yesterday, he almost 16 year old son has gone from the junk eating lad to the health conscious young man who requests salmon for his tea and because he’s a growing boy he eats 2 pieces, well that’s not cheap, salmon tea for 4 you’re looking at over a tenner just for the fish and that’s just one meal.  I know I need to eat cheaper – my meal choices are expensive and sometimes that’s only because it’s quicker.  I remember when I left my previous job to become a WW coach, I was super skint and had to live frugally, I did it easily, I’d been spending so much money in my previous role because I was miserable, it was a way of trying to cheer myself up.  Thankfully I’m happy in my job now which also makes it tough to contemplate working less because I enjoy it so much.  This is why I’ve decided to do a time audit, I’m looking at where my time goes, how much I spend working, how much I spend wasting time, how much I spend doing things I enjoy.  Working from home can mean I get caught up in the aftercare and paperwork side of the job, I’m trying to set specific hours to do it so I don’t spend hours and hours in my office.

Whilst we’re all getting caught up in the ‘what shall I change’ thoughts, how about thinking about ‘what shall I keep the same’, what’s already really good, just how you want it?  I love how easy going my world is, simple stuff like if we haven’t got something particular to eat in the kitchen we have something else, there isn’t a meltdown if we run out of bread, we just don’t eat it.  I love that it’s okay if I don’t tidy up today or I leave the washing up until I feel like doing it.  I wouldn’t want to change the relaxed feeling I have towards my life, I almost let that side of it go last year when I took on more work, now I know I enjoy doing what I do.

I don’t want to change the less clutter theme I have in my home now, I actually ask myself before buying stuff, does my house really need that?  I am still getting rid of stuff a bit at a time too.  The kitchen stuff that when in the shed is only coming back into the kitchen when I need to use it, when the weather starts to warm up and dry up, I intend to empty the shed and declutter that next.  I love that my house is calmer, less cluttered yet still untidy and relaxed. 

Turns out my life doesn’t need changing, tweaking maybe but that’s about it.  I’m focusing on money and time at the moment, those are my two main themes, the money is helping with my weight loss too as I’m eating what’s in the house rather than going shopping, I’m eating the portions I’m supposed to, thus saving money and I’m being frugal which is always the healthier option. 

Today I’m thinking of cooking toad out of the hole!  It’s similar to toad in the hole but I’m using frozen individual Yorkshire puddings because I already have them, and chicken breast mince seasoned with sausage flavouring, again because I have it, I’m going to roll it into balls and roast it in the oven with onions, the sit them in the yorkies and have with mash and veg and gravy – mmm, could eat that now to be honest.

Yesterday I had this for breakfast, egg, chicken, seasoned chicken breast mince and bread.

 1sp for 100g if seasoned chicken breast mince

Dinner was this WW meal from freezer, it was good, I liked it. 

Then for tea I had a simple sandwich as I wasn’t really hungry, in there is Bresaola and sun dried tomatoes, mmm.

Anyway, I’m going to get on with my day, get the job work done that I’m paid to do, before tacking the kitchen which isn’t too bad to be honest as there was no major cooking yesterday.  I’ve resisted Sainsbury’s all week even though I have a £9 coupon if I spend £60, I need to make a shopping list of ‘need’ not ‘want’ stuff first, I do need to buy some stuff, I’m almost out of shampoo and the dog isn’t impressed I’m making him eat dog food – he’s looking at me in disgust!

Right have a great day, focus on what’s already great about you and your life before thinking about changes you want to make, because you are BeYOUtiful. x