One week and counting. I’ve impressed myself.
I’m on a budget and sticking to it. I thought for sure I would have splurged on a little something extra by now – but I guess my desire to own property AND travel is beating out the instant gratification of shopping. This is my new mantra — “this time next year I could be moving into a home of my own.”
And while I’m not shopping or splurging on cabs, I’ve logged in almost 75,000 steps around my wonderful city. It’s amazing the things you notice while on foot. Now if I can only make time to get to my gym three + times a week, I’ll be on the way to fit and healthy in 2007.
As for my home, I managed to put away my suitcases, clean out my kitchen and – while I was working my way through five loads of laundry – noticed that my neighbor Jen was selling her comfy red reading chair for $25. The same chair I had been looking at online for $99. And since she is a meticulous person, the chair was in primo condition and the perfect update for my living area.
Television is turning out to be a little harder to give up cold turkey. I’m still watching the TODAY Show in the morning but rely on the internet for all my other news. It’s been a little weird not to have the background noise on at night, but I also find I’m able to get more done without the distraction.
Between blogging on my family’s site and here and projects for work, I have been writing about 25 pages per day. That’s lots and lots of typing – with the added bonus of my not looking down at the keyboard so much anymore. I’m beginning to feel like a pro-typist. Pretty cool!
I bought one of those Spanish word/phrase a day desk calendars and am listening to the Quick & Simple Spanish I Pimlseur CDs. By next month I hope to have graduated to the regular Pimsleur Spanish lessons and on my way to being conversational.
And while giving up meat and chicken has been no big deal so far – I still haven’t managed to kick the caffeine habit altogether. I’m down to one morning cup of Java but am fast working on replacing that with some soothing herbal tea. And this is Restaurant Week so it’ll be interesting to see what vegetarian fare is offered by The Caucus Room, Filomena, Neyla and Butterfield 9.
A wise friend once told me it takes 15 days to make a new habit, so I figure, I’m just about halfway there.
malaland.net 
9 January 2007 at 9:09 am
that’s funny. we have that chair in white (awful for cats, but removable cover makes for easy washing). we really do have similar taste in furniture.
9 January 2007 at 5:33 pm
Yay Mala!!
So far, I’ve walked or rode a bike for 5 days in a row. When I reach 7, I’ll feel proud.
I’ve always heard it’s 30 days to make a habit. Feh, must vary according to self-help books 🙂 Unfortunately, there are no really interesting walks around here — leaving the subdivision means fairly dangerous, no sidewalk, drivers-who-break-25mph, no shoulder roads or a 6 lane highway. Ah, the joy of living in the sticks.
15 January 2007 at 9:25 am
I didn’t read in your previous posts that you’d decided to give up meat and caffeine. What was your motivation behind that?