You Really Should Get Skinny

Not that kind of skinny (who do you think I am?!). This kind of skinny:

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how The Skinny on Time Management influenced me to create an awesome, useful dry-erase to do list. Both "skinny" books are written by Jim Randel. His easy, interesting, to-the-point approach is fantastic. You can bet that you'll get through The Skinny on Willpower in under an hour! Now that's a book I can stand behind. 

I've never considered myself someone who considerably lacks willpower, but I have been pushing myself to be more productive, wake up earlier, and live with attainable goals in mind. This book was just the boost I needed. Randel writes about easy ways to increase willpower in order to accomplish goals and live the life you want to live! I highly recommend this book. Give it a shot!

Any other Jim Randel fans out there?

How I Became a Morning Person in 1 Month

Back in May, I blogged about my goal of becoming a morning person by the end of June. I really, really, really wanted to start getting up earlier and being more productive in the morning hours. I am pleased to announce that I did it. Yup. We're in July and I've never gotten up so early so regularly (and so happily) ever! Woah, that was a lot to handle. Let me rephrase that: I get up early. Everyday. And I'm happy about it.

How I used to feel:

How I feel now:

(No, I didn't change skin tone too. I wish!--still pale and freckled!)

Here's how I became a morning person in one month (by following these wake-up early guidelines I set for myself back in May):

1. I established a nighttime routine. Nothing rigid and strict, after all, it is summer! Just a general order and timeframe for hittin' the hay. (I'm working on making a bit more rigid!) Most days, it goes something like this:

9:30pm Brush teeth and wash face, put on PJs
10:00pm Get in bed, read on my Kindle
11:00-11:30pm Zzzzz...

Of course there were days when I didn't even brush my teeth until midnight, but for the most part I go to sleep between 11:00 and 11:30pm each night (sometimes even earlier!)

You may never find me with a dog any animal in my bed, ever, but he sure does look cozy!

2. I established a morning routine. Not quite early enough to catch the sunrise, but still early for me. My original goal was to wake up daily around 8:30am naturally, without an alarm clock. I easily wake up then, and am currently in the process of pushing that time back even more to 8:00am (by the end of July). My ultimate goal is to wake up on my own around 7:30am each day (by the end of August). Anyway, my morning routine goes something like this:

7:30-8:30am Depending on how late I caught my Zzzs the night before, I wake up [naturally] at varying times. Typically my alarm is set to 8:00am; some days I'm already up and at 'em, others it's snooze a few times. Hopefully making my bedtime routine more regular will help!
8:30am Brush teeth and get dressed
9:00am Breakfast and coffee

Good morning world! Let's do this.

3. I went to bed and woke up around the same time each day. This I could improve upon. However, in my defense, my bedtime window is usually around one hour as is my wake-up window. This isn't too bad considering my typical schedule has been turned upside down for the summer months.

4. I stopped pressing the snooze button. If ever I were to be convicted of anything, it would have been that I am was a serial snoozer. Snooze no more! It really just prolongs the inevitable. Instead of 15 alarms at five minute increments, I set one when I want to get up and another five minutes later, just in case I sleepily turn off the first and don't get up. I also put the alarm clock across the room, forcing me to get out of bed.

No longer a friend of mine!

So there you have it--I am a morning person. I get up most day merrily and excited to get goin'! This is a far cry from my previous feet-dragging out of bed only to be drowsy all day attitude. I have more energy, I'm more productive, and I'm just happier.

I will keep you posted on my morning person-ness. Anyone else breaking old habits?

Wake up and be productive, too! All the best,

*All images linked to their original sources.

How To Create a Reusable To Do List

I recently finished reading The Skinny on Time Management by Jim Randel. It is a fantastic, easy one-hour read that definitely made me think about how I manage my time now, and how I would like to manage and spend it in the future. I highly recommend it!

Randel wrote this book after reading hundreds of books on time management; it is a compilation of all of the ideas and thoughts on the subject. Even though it seems so simple, Randel's main advice for managing time more effectively is to create a to do list every day. The reason behind it is that visually seeing what needs to be accomplished each day is a bigger incentive to actually do it than most people realize. He even urges list haters to give it a try...ah! I'm telling you too much. You need to read the book! It's awesome. (I also highly recommend The Skinny on Willpower by Jim Randel, blog post coming on that one!)

Being super type-A, I always create to do lists when I have a lot on my plate or feel stressed about completing everything. I had never thought about making a to do list every day regardless of the importance of the tasks I needed to complete, but I thought it was excellent advice, so I created a reusable dry-erase to do list that I can update daily.

I headed to Walmart and bought a few inexpensive supplies:

1. A standup sign holder, about $3

2.Scotch Reclosable Hook & Loop Fastener Squares, about $4 (I'll use them on other projects, so it was worth the money.)

3. A dry-erase marker, pack of two for $2

When I got back home, I created a to do list printable on the computer. I made sure to leave space at the top of it so that there would be room to put the pen! Here's what it looks like (you can download it if you'd like!...

Then, I assembled the whole thing. Here are the instructions if you'd like them:

1. Print out the to do list and slide it into the plastic holder.

2. Put the hook side of the velcro on the plastic (the rough side) and the loop side (the soft side) on the marker. That way it's comfortable when you write!

3. Velcro the dry-erase marker to your list...

4. Write what you need to do! And bask in the glory of your pretty new reusable list :)

How do you manage your time? Have you read any of Jim Randel's books?

Going to cross things off my list, 

My Attempt at Becoming a Morning Person

I'm the type of person who does a million little things all day (but nothing gets accomplished), and then buckles down and finishes up assignments, essays, and that e-mail that should've been written yesterday after the sun goes down. I guess I'm what they call a night owl. And I hate it.

This is what I'm missing! (Okay, maybe a little dramatic. This photo was taken in Sunset Beach, NC. Not exactly what I'll see out my window in Baltimore. Still, I am missing out on some productive time.)

I've always wanted to be that girl who jumps out of bed, begins her day with a wholesome breakfast, gets in a killer workout, showers and gets things accomplished all before the clock strikes noon. And what's life without goals? I'm on a mission to become a morning person.

Once I'm awake and out of bed, I love to be up early. There's something about crossing things off of my to-do list before everyone is awake. It kind of feels like you're beating the system. But it's the act of pulling the covers back, putting my feet on the cold floor, and stumbling into the bathroom to brush my teeth that gets me every time. It's just so warm and comfortable in my bed, with all the blankets and pillows and...Okay. This isn't helping.

So here's my goal: become a morning person by the end of June.

No good goal is complete without a plan though, right? I read a few articles (Great Tips for Becoming a Morning Person, How to Be a Morning Person, 25 Ways to Wake Up Early), and have decided on my action plan. Here we go...

1. Have a nighttime routine. I already put on my pajamas, wash my face, and brush my teeth each night before getting in bed. But I usually end up checking my e-mail or Facebook, watching an episode of The Office or Modern Family on Hulu, checking my Facebook again, and generally procrastinating going to bed, too.

2. Have a morning routine. This won't be easy for me; there's not much that motivates me to get out of bed in the morning. Maybe a hot cup of coffee and a yummy breakfast. Maybe.

3. Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Obviously, in the summer, it will be more difficult to stick to a strict bedtime and wake-up time. But my current bedtime can range from 11:30pm to 3:00am; my wake-up time anywhere from 8:00am to 1:00pm. Change is comin'!

4. Stop pressing the snooze button. In a dream world, my body will adjust to waking up early and I won't have to use an alarm. Instead, I'll drift out of a pleasant slumber and awake ready for the day. Key words: dream world. For now, an alarm will be necessary. Pressing the snooze button really does just prolong the inevitable--I need to get my behind out of bed!

Okay, so there you have it. My plan to become a morning person by the end of June. Anyone else making life changes this summer?

About to purchase some strongly caffeinated coffee,
~B