Habits

So... it has been a while since I've posted anything.  I won't try to blame it on being busy- I haven't been.  I just seem to not be in the mood to blog during my many hours of free time. As my last blog explained, I've moved to an itty bitty town in Middle-of-Nowhere, New Mexico.  I'm suffering withdrawals from my friends and the loneliness seems to not lead to blogging. Odd.

I've come to the conclusion that in my twelve weeks of almost-solitude I will have a lot of "me" time.  I'm going to use this time to really apply myself to my goal of becoming a better person every day.  One of the ways I hope to develop myself this summer is developing uplifting habits that will make each day of life better.  One a week for 12 weeks, or sometimes two because one is really easy. Of course- I'm already in Week 3, so I should report on what I've done so far...

Week 1- This week had two goals because one was super easy.  Throughout my mission and for a good while before that, I was very diligent at taking a multi-vitamin every day.  Somehow, my multi-vitamins got lost in my bathroom drawer while at school and I haven't taken them since I returned home a year ago. My first goal was to begin taking these on a daily basis.  I keep them on a table right next to the bathroom- I figure I walk past there enough times a day to see it at least once and remember. I've done a really good job with this habit.

My other habit for Week 1 is work-induced.  I'm a night time person, this is why I intend to do night time astronomy. My summer research position is at a solar observatory.  Work starts not long after sunrise and, if the sky is clear all day, ends about an hour before sunset.  This has created the need to return to another habit I haven't had since my mission- an early bedtime.  I'm actually really impressed with how well I've been doing with this one.  I get in bed at 10, and I get up at 6...kinda (my alarm goes off at 6, and I don't stay in bed too long after that).  This is a wonderful habit which probably won't last a day after my internship ends, but it makes life easier while I'm here.

Week 2- Making my bed every morning.  The first week, I was far too tired at 6 a.m. to think long enough to make my bed.  Making my bed starts the day with the attitude that I will be clean and organized.  This attitude prevents dishes from piling up in the sink and my work place stays really neat.  I like this habit.

And Week 3- My goal this week is to get back into the habit of daily exercise.  You've heard me say a dozen times that I will start exercising, but I have a good excuse this time for why I stopped. Middle-of-Nowhere, NM happens to be at an elevation of 9000+ feet.  My body needed time to adjust to the lack of oxygen up here.  I let myself have two weeks to adjust and now I'm getting back to work. I went jogging today... I made it about 1/6th of a mile before I was way out of breath. But I pressed on! I alternated between walking and jogging and then came home and did a "Psych workout", one of those fancy workouts you find on pinterest with things to do based on commonly said phrases.  I'm feeling good and looking forward to tomorrow!