Plan Today for Success Tomorrow

Time for another Monday post – if you are new here, welcome! On Mondays I like to share posts that are more geared towards lifestyle and mental health. In particular for women 40 and up – although the topics can apply to any age! I tend to write what I know about and as a woman in her late 50s, I have found there are some common themes in our lives; things we seem to all relate to. Maybe no one mentions them or you think you’re alone in your feelings. I can almost guarantee that you are not! Today let’s chat about how we set ourselves up for success and do things that our future selves will thank us for. Sound good? Read on!

I have been a Licensed Mental Health Counselor since 1997. I do not currently practice as I work in school counseling but I’ll never let my license expire. My Monday posts have a little more of a mental health theme designed to help you think a little differently. While I am certainly not dispensing advice or treatment, I do hope these posts help you. Initially I started blogging as a creative outlet and as a way to empower women in midlife and beyond to dress and feel like the best version of themselves everyday. I have come to realize that a big part of that is how we feel about life circumstances. Hence the reason for these posts!

Building on last week’s post about clutter and mental health, planning and organizing today sets us up for success tomorrow. The little things we do on a daily basis help make our lives run more smoothly. I’ve never been one to wing it when it comes to the things that are most important to me. I set my intentions well ahead of time. I have learned that when I do things today that my future self will thank me for I always feel better. I have the sense of winning – winning at what I’m not exactly sure. The only person I am competing with is myself, yet it feels victorious!

Some of the easiest things I do regularly: I schedule all of my workouts in advance and program my coffee pot for the next day, These may sound trite, however, they are important to me. When my kids were younger and I worked in a physical school building I made a weekly meal plan for our dinners. I planned what I was going to wear the day before; and I always had my lunches made ahead of time. In fact, most of the time I batch cooked my lunch and brought it to school with me. I never minded (and still don’t) eating the same thing each day. It’s a personal preference of course but I am someone who enjoys consistency and routine.

Tackling What Troubles You

Maybe you already have routines established that serve you well. Maybe you don’t. There might be an area of your life you wish ran smoother, or maybe you wish you had more success in that area. Can planning today help you tomorrow? Will your future self be grateful you put in the hard work ahead of time?

A few areas come to mind from talking to women in our age bracket. Most are usually health related – either wanting to lose weight or get in shape. Both require work and sacrifice. However, as I have stated here on multiple occasions, if it is important to you then YOU have to do it. And don’t try to do the same thing as you tried before – it didn’t work. How do I know? Well, if it worked then you wouldn’t still be trying to achieve the goal. Whatever you are willing to do has to be sustainable.

Many women wish to lock down their style and dress better. They say things like, ‘you always look so put together’ or ‘I wish I had your closet’ – listen, if you want to look more put together, you can. I am a true believer that one of the best ways we show ourselves love is how we take care of ourselves – from our health to our style.

Decide what are of your life you want to make better. Focus on it. Write down what success in that area looks like. Then make a game plan – are you willing to do the things it will take? How will your future self feel if you start working now?

Try This

What would happen if you spent a little time at the beginning of the week planning what you will wear? It doesn’t matter if you leave the house to go to work or not. Unless you are bedridden, you have to get dressed. Take a little time to put together outfits you like. Colors and textures you enjoy. Mix and match what you own and come up with new combinations and ways to wear what you have. Look at Pinterest, blogs, and Instagram to get ideas. If you have room, grab a garment rack that rolls (so you can move it around if necessary) and place the outfits there. It will look like a boutique! This can get you excited about getting dressed each day! Take the time when you have the time because you are worth it.

I Know This to Be True

Here’s what I know: this week my youngest son turns 25. That’s a milestone birthday for him but it’s also significant for me. You see, it’s been 25 years since I started a journey of being healthy and I never looked back. With each of my two pregnancies I gained over 60 pounds. I was also bigger to start with so this left me feeling very unhealthy. All of my friends had babies and they looked cute – me? Not so much. I looked and felt awful. I tried a few things on my own and then joined the gym. Long story short, I accepted the fact that I was going to have to work to get healthy and give up some things. I had to get up and get my two babies out the door with me to get to the gym each day. The hour I spent working out while they were in childcare at the gym was the only me time I got and I used it to get healthy. It took a long time but I knew if I kept going it would eventually be worth it. Where were my friends? At home. Watching talk shows, sipping coffee and enjoying slow mornings. I made my choice and my future self is thanking that young mom who sometimes felt exhausted and resentful.

I bet you can recall something you worked hard for and later enjoyed the fruits of your labor. We possess the skill, we’ve used it before. Let’s apply it to other areas. Why not? Mid life really can be the best life and I’d say time is not on our side like it used to be. So do it NOW. Stop putting it off.

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Plan Today for Success Tomorrow