Did anyone answer the questions that I asked in regard to creating a routine? To refresh your memory, the questions were:

1. What NOT currently in your routine do you want to ADD?
2. What currently IN your routine do you want to KEEP?
3. What currently IN your routine do you want to CHANGE, and how?

I’ve been making an effort to incorporate some new routines into my life, and for the most part I’ve been very successful. Ever since writing that blog post I’ve flossed everyday, and yesterday I did up a budget for myself. Upon doing the budget, I realized that I was not making the money that I needed, and so I decided to come up with a way to make the money that I need and deserve. Last week I ended up making several visits to the grocery store, and although I wasn’t eating out an enormous amount (except for the occasional visit to the Sushi Bar across the street) I realized that I was spending a lot of money on groceries. The reason for this over spending, is I didn’t have a plan. I was buying food without any idea of the kind of recipe I wanted to make. So, yesterday I came up with a detailed plan for what I would make for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every night this week. Breakfasts for the most part are always going to be a Shakeology smoothie (with peanut butter and banana). Then for lunch and dinner I will be making the following recipes (each recipe makes enough for multiple dinners).

White Bean Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Zucchini Lasagne

Santa Fe Stuffed Red Peppers

Quinoa stuffed rice wraps dipped in peanut sauce

Tomato, cucumber, and Avocado Salad

I made the chili last night. It cooked all night in the slow cooker. I put it in my tupperware container over some spaghetti squash pasta and served it with a dollop of greek yogurt (in lieu of sour cream). It was absolutely delicious.

Creating this sort of routine feels really good to me. I feel like I am at the top of my game right now, and I am excited to see what’s going to happen moving forward. The adoption of good habits can only be a good thing. It’s like exercise. As you muse about the prospect of getting off the couch and running on a treadmill, the idea of sweating and experiencing some level of discomfort does not seem desirable… but don’t you always regret the decision to not exercise, and never the decision to______ (fill in the blank: run, do the workout dvd, etc).

So again I want to reiterate this challenge, only because it has been so beneficial to me. Answer those questions for yourself, and PLEASE share.

Also, stay tuned for my next post. I want to discuss the topic of mind-mapping a little further. It’s a very intriguing technique for arranging your thoughts in a way that allows you to put your ideas to good use. It could also potentially aid in the manifestation of your dreams. It will be worth a look – BUT FIRST: answer the above questions. Trust me.