Wednesday List: Five Changes That I'm Really Proud of Myself for Making

via All Things Amazing

Come join me on my self-congratulatory binge! It feels great!


♥ Making changes in the way I'm spending, feeling about, and looking at money. This has been a huge achievement for me. For the first time in years, I feel completely in control of my finances. Of course, there's no doubt that I'm still in debt, but these days I don't get that horrible feeling of pure dread whenever I think about it. It feels manageable, and I'm in control of it. For the first time in my life I'm actively making plans for two years in my future and they don't feel impossibly far off and dream like - I'm taking my plans seriously and not just idealising. I'm all: FUCK YEAH. I can save enough for that.


♥ Creating positive habits. The whole habit-making thing for me has been in the past a litany of "bad-habits", including but not limited to: pot-smoking, nail chewing, staying up late and looking for things I don't want on Trade Me. However, in the last six months I've worked really hard to establish some really positive habits; and I'm really proud of how far I've come. Apparently it takes 21 days to form a habit, so I mayn't be there yet but I'm definitely making inroads. The most important rule? If you slip up, just get back on the wagon the next day. My two best positive habits so far:

1. Flossing. Dudes, soz if this is TMI, but I HATE flossing with a passion (I love brushing so I'm not entirely devoid of dental hygiene). Every time I go to the dentist I get a lecture and a huge bill apparently related to my non-flossing, so I made a decision a few months ago to floss every evening (those bills are killer), and I'm finally working flossing into my life as a daily habit. I feel so responsible! It seemed so much more doable to say to myself that I would make it part of my pre-bed evening routine than telling myself that I would do it every time I brushed. And you know what - it's beginning to seem like far less of a pain in the arse.
2. Morning Routine. This really has made a positive influence in the way that I approach the day. I'm a hell of a lot more cheerful when I arrive at work (I'm actually awake) and I'm really enjoying doing something I like before I have to start my working day. It makes the day feel like it's mine.

♥ Making difficult changes, speaking up and asking for what I want. This is a huge challenge for me. While I'm very good at being opinionated when I can stand alone, I have a pathological fear of confrontation. When I feel strongly about something I tend to close in on myself instead of doing anything about it. It's still in a babysteps stage, but this year there's been a number of situations where I've had the courage to make changes that I need to make - leaving Derby for one, saying hard things in my relationships for another. It's defo something I'll have to continue to work on, but I'm super proud of the what I've achieved so far.


♥ Getting rid of my need for stuff. The lack of appropriation of stuff really stems from my need to save money, but I'm also quite obsessed with minimising the stuff I already have. Every time I get rid of a bag of books or clothes, I feel as though I'm removing another weight from around my shoulders. I've said before that I'll never be a minimalist, but I have discovered a new appreciation for having less, and really valuing what I do have. Minimising my things gives me the same frisson that acquiring things used to.


♥ Crafty patience.  At some point this year (I think during the obsessive lace making or underwear making) I discovered the value of patience in my crafty endeavours, and it's given me a whole new perspective on what I'm doing. Enjoying the process while knitting is not really that new for me, but sewing is something that has often made me INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATED - I think because, with sewing, I'm solely focused on the finished product. Patience and enjoying the process has translated into a less frazzled Ginger and far nicer finished products. Awesome.


Are you as obsessed with resolutions as I am? Do you find them hard to follow through? And are there any that you're really proud of following through on?