I believe there is a better me just around the corner and I never underestimate the power of time, energy, or money invested in the pursuit of that better me. I love a life-changer. I have a lot of them. Some of them actually stick. Some of them don’t, which might periodically lead to a little bit of mockery by loved ones… On the whole, even if they don’t stick, I like the rigorous pursuit of my own continuous improvement. In honor of life-changers past, I’m sharing some of my BEST…things that really have helped me, organized into four of my most prevalent life-changer categories.
1. Levenger Circa Notebooks: Is it the quality of the paper? The fact that you can move it around (so that today’s to do list is always on top)? I don’t know, but before I discovered and purchased my Circa organizer, I bought about 4 new organizers a year. None of them worked. I love Circa. My Junior Size Zip Folio travels with me everywhere. (Levenger is a little spendy…so if you want an alternative, Office Max or Staples typically carry Rollabind. Same concept, not quite the quality, but good entry point if you want to try it out.)
1.5 3x5 Cards: I discovered these at Levenger. But reference above thoughts on spendy…it didn’t take me long to realize that for about $2.50 I could make up my own set of 300 by just running blank 3x5 index cards through my printer. I carry these with me at work and in my purse and keep them accessible on my desk. They’re great for a quick note to a friend, a reminder for my tickler file, or a thought I want to follow up on later. They might also be really good for passing notes to a colleague when you’re in a meeting…not that I’ve done that.
2. Evernote: Not every work/organized life changer for me is paper-based. One word for my electronic life-changer: EVERNOTE. Their tag line, “remember everything” and they give you a platform that works across all your devices and your desktop. If you don’t have account, sign up now. A quick web search on “how to use Evernote” should tell you why you’ve now waited too long to sign up.
3. Moroccan Oil, Dry Shampoo, and Not Washing My Hair (every day): It’s tough living in the shadow of the stylish I Simply Love creator. I try not to embarrass her…which is tough some days because I have really BIG and UNRULY hair. It took a while, but I’ve finally nailed in on 3 critical things for a relatively good hair day. I swear by the Moroccan Oil to tame this big head of hair. And there is no bigger life changer for a gal with big hair than to realize that if you only wash your hair 2x’s a week (and then supplement with dry shampoo) you can reclaim A LOT of time…
4. Running Group: It took paying a lot of money for races I never started to make me realize that as a runner, I needed some motivation to get out the door for my long runs. So 1 year ago, I started a running group. I asked a wide group of people I knew who ran (and then they asked their friends) if they wanted to meet up for a four mile run every Saturday morning. If people are training, then a few of us will tack on extra miles after the first 4. I send out a simple meet up message every week and then, we run. The camaraderie? The accountability? The fact that a 9 mile run in January is a LOT less arduous if you’re doing it with a friend or three? It’s the single best and most impactful life-changer I made in 2011. If running isn’t your thing, find a group that will help you stay accountable to the thing you want to do (more consistently).
5. Bondi Bands: No better exercise accessory than the bondi band. Adds a little flair to the workout gear AND holds your hair in place, no slipping! (They even got me through a really bad bang grow out a few years back where I might have worn them not just for working out…for about 7 months.)
6. Bella Cucina Rocket Blender: Do you love a smoothie? Do you hate the hassle of cleaning out a massive blender just for one smoothie? Wish you had a lid for your smoothie so you could take it to work with you? All these things are possible with the Bella Cucina Rocket Blender. By far my favorite kitchen gadget and I use it all the time. Anne Carlyle has even introduced me to sneaking a few fresh spinach leaves into my morning smoothie…which hasn’t necessarily been a life-changer, but I do appreciate the health benefits.
7. TheFresh20.com: it’s a new year and you don’t think a gal who loves a life-changer would pass up the opportunity for a new year’s resolution, do you? My husband and I have committed to 6 months of whole/real food eating. It’s a challenging resolution because I really don’t cook. So anything that will help me be successful in this regard is a necessity. And while I’m only 1 week in, I can say that I’m pretty sure that TheFresh20.Com will be the life-changer that sticks from 2012. (Low cost) subscription service that provides you with a shopping list of 20 fresh ingredients and then 5 (simple but tasty) meal plans for the week. You can sign up for classic (meat), vegetarian, or vegan. We’re trying the vegetarian and have made four GREAT meals this week that I never would have come up with on my own. Love it!
Thanks so much for sharing your life changers Auntie Anne!!
I had heard a lot of people say they like Moroccan Oil, but I just couldn't decide if I should splurge on it or not. So, after reading this, I'm finally going to try it!
ReplyDeleteI need to try The Fresh 20! I've been trying to cook more and cook healthier.