I feel like June just passed in a blur. I actually had to look back over my planner and to-do lists for the past month because I remember very little of it. Is the year whizzing by or is it just me?
In terms of accomplishments, I finally decluttered two big areas using the KonMari Method — my stationery and the kitchen. You can read the stationery post here and/or watch the video on YouTube here. The kitchen post is going live on Thursday so keep an eye out for that! Both were long and sometimes painful processes but, overall, they were big wins. The kitchen, in particular, will make a positive impact on my life, given that it’s where I spend a large part of my day.
And right now I’m reaching for as many positive things as I can because my ulcer is still giving me grief. I’ve been on tablets for almost 5 weeks now and there’s still no improvement. If that’s still the case in another 3 weeks, I have to go for a scope. Not fun. So right now I’m doing all I can to reduce stress and keep my anxiety levels as low as possible. In light of that, I wrote a post about how damaging stress can be and some ways to overcome it.
As well as that, it made me acutely aware that the things we think are important rarely actually are. You know the way they say you don’t really realise what matters to you until you’re on your death bed? Well my post on priorities hopes to solve that problem by helping you discover what they are right now, so you can stop wasting time and energy elsewhere. It was a big eye-opener for me to discover that the things I thought were my priorities turned out to be masks for something else. Is that the case for you too?
Obviously health has now become an important one for me so, with that in mind, I’ve also been trying to improve my exercise habit by running every weekend. (And by “running” I of course mean “slowly huffing and puffing around the block before returning home a big sweaty mess”.) I’m sure many of you can relate to the fact that I very rarely want to exercise. But sometimes you have to put aside your wants in favour of your needs and, for me, I need to be healthy, not just for my own sake but for my daughter’s too. So I wrote a post on how to get shit done when you just plain don’t want to do it. It’s such a simple trick, and it’s been keeping me motivated ever since.
One thing that’s working in my favour as far as exercising is concerned is the good weather we’ve (finally) been having. Not only is it lovely not to have to run in the rain (people who like that sorta thing aren’t to be trusted), but it means that, in general, I’m outside more. Which means I have to get dressed. Being a stay-at-home parent can sometimes breed laziness (at least, in me) and it’s so easy to sit around in pyjamas and slippers all day. But when the sun is shining, I’ve no excuse not to get out and about. Which is handy, seeing as the simple act of getting dressed can be incredibly beneficial for your productivity.
Summer also means holidays! We took our first family mini-break of the year this month when we went glamping. First time for everything! My husband actually booked it as a bit of a surprise. I’ll admit I was skeptical at first (read: anxious about not having a WiFi connection) but I got to have a minor digital detox (I say ‘minor’ because I could still get the internet on my phone) and we ended up having some lovely quality time together so, all in all, it was a success.
And, on top of that, we’ve a proper break coming up soon so I thought it was the perfect time to write up a holiday checklist. As you know, I’m a list-maker, and holidays for me are always preceded by making two — one for what to pack, and one for things that need to be done. I’ve shared it with you in the hopes it will take some of the stress out of traveling for you. No more wondering if you left the oven on!
And that’s a wrap for June. Phew! Looking back over everything I’ve done, it’s no wonder the month flew by! And I’ve even more exciting things planned for July, including some great new YouTube videos with great tips and practical advice to help motivate and inspire you to get your shit together.
