Day 2 - Empowerment - Exercise

Four things I should do but put off:

• Get healthy
• Writing
• Organising Finances
• Spring cleaning my life - getting rid of years of clutter

Why do I put it off?:

**Getting Healthy**

I guess like many people I have always associated getting healthy with pain. The pain of exercise - the pain of denying myself the foods I want. Plus there is the deeper level of losing weight is somehow losing a part of me - getting smaller means getting weaker (I know that probably doesn't make sense - but do emotions every really make sense?)

**Writing**

Fear of failure. Fear of a life long dream becoming destroyed. Fear of discovering I am not who I think I am. Fear.

**Organising Finances**

Overwhelmed by all the areas of finance. Overwhelmed with all the options, sources of information, choices. It seems like such a huge task to take on - my excuse is always that there just isn't enough time. But seriously - after health what other section deserves more attention and organisation than finances. To be organised financially creates freedom. I use to know where every cent went and had a super structured saving method. I want to get back to that.

**Spring Cleaning my life**

I have moved house 19 times in the last 10 years. I have hauled massive amounts of useless stuff to each and every house. My old bedroom at my dad's house is full of stuff - the shed at dad's house is full of stuff. There is piles of stuff in my life that I just don't need.

I put it off because honestly it is just a c*appy job. It is a big job and requires a trailer and dump runs and rummaging through dust - and making decisions about things I may one-day use, but could possibly through out.... Besides once you start you have to see it through to the end - the house will get messy - it will be like moving - mess everywhere - boxes half packed - piles of things to go to different places. Days and days of sorting through junk just doesn't seem appealing!



The pleasure I have had from not doing these tasks..

**Getting Healthy**

Eating what I want when I want
Chocolate...... MMMMmmmmm Chocolate
and Pizza - and chips and drinks and desserts!

**Writing**

I can blissfully dream about how one-day I will be a writer - I can watch the dream from a far and not have to invest myself into it - and don't have to run the risk of the pain of failure.

**Organising Finances**

I can buy what I want when I want. I don't have to stick to a budget at the book store or the pharmacy (two of my favourite places) - I don't have to be restrained, I am free to shop and spend.

**Spring Cleaning my life**

I can watch another TV show - read another book - go for a drive etc etc - isn't anything better than a week long cleaning frenzy?! I don't have to decide what to do with mountains of stuff, one object at a time.



What will it cost me if don't follow through and make these changes?

**Getting Healthy**

Quality of life. Possibly complications with pregnancy. Energy. Confidence. Personal power. Enjoyment of life. Fashion will always be to cover the bits I don't like. Adventure - I'd never go to a water park in this shape - or the beach - or hiking - or play a team sport. I won't be able to enjoy time with my children in the same way as I could if I was fit and energetic. Experiences, being self-conscious about my body keeps me from trying new things. My mum died very young - perhaps it could even cost me my life and it could cost my children their mother.....

**Writing**

My dream. My sense of self. My identity. I would feel like a failure for not trying. I would have the greatest sense of regret - and a horrible feeling of what-if, what-could-have-been? I would let myself down in the worst way possible. I also think that but not honouring who I am - I would never be the best mother, wife or woman I can be.

**Organising Finances**

Piece of mind. Our own home. Stability. Real financial freedom that comes with owning your own home. The luxury of not having to move at the end of a lease. There is a constant sense of disorganisation that I hate. I feeling of not doing the best we can. I sense of letting myself down. Once we have children disorganised finances will have a huge impact on them. Lack. Lack is actually problem - it feels good to be able to buy what you want on the spot - but in the long term it costs us holidays, travel and all the big items we could easily afford if we were organised.

**Spring Cleaning my life**

It costs me financially every time I move - I have to pay to transport all this stuff. It costs me space, and it costs me organisation - something I actually love. I believe your space reflects your mind set. Cluttered house = cluttered mind. It will cost me the satisfaction of having our own home when I see it full of things we don't need. I like everything to have a home, be neat and organised (labels all facing the same way - all the same size books to be on the same shelf etc.) It costs me piece of mind and makes me feel like a hoarder.



The benefits I'll gain by taking action in all of these areas...

**Getting Healthy**

• A body I am proud of and comfortable in
• Wearing clothes that look good - not just cover things up
• Confidence - confidence is what I also need to write - so it would have a flow on effect
• Energy - the want to go out and about and get things done
• Pride in myself
• Belief in myself and in the knowledge that focus and daily action = results
• A success this big and life changing would have positive effects on every aspect of my life and me as a woman. I would be able to be the real me without embarrassment or shame or excuses. There would be no reason for me to hold back in anyway - the world would open up for me in so many ways.
• I could turn 30 and feel as though I was blossoming into the woman I have always been on the inside.

**Writing**

• The feeling of being the real me
• The ability to analyse life and myself
• Freedom to think, feel and speak from my heart
• Give myself a voice within the world
• Release tension and frustration
• Understand the world better through analysis
• Confidence
• Maturity
• Momentum

**Organising Finances**

• A life plan with clearly defined mile stones
• The ability to have the bigger things in life - e.g. annual holidays
• A sense of stability
• A sense of responsibility
• Power to make informed decisions
• Freedom
• Strength
• Lifestyle

**Spring Cleaning my life**

• Organisation
• A sense of freedom
• Everything could have it's own home
• Our own home would feel great
• A clutter free mind
• Open spaces
• Only the necessities
• Everything would be easily accessible
• Balance
• Guilt free spare time
• A feeling of everything being complete

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Well that was a bit of work - but I definitely think it was a worth while task.

I now feel a deep sense of discomfort when I think about continuing in my less than best ways. And when that is combined with what my rewards would be from doing the right thing - I feel excited and motivated about creating the life I really want.

The life I want isn't just going to magically appear one morning - it takes work. I am willing to do the work and believe it isn't as hard as I have always made it out to be. I think we just get slack and lazy and let things slide. I think with a little momentum I will be well on the way to happiness and success.

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Self analysis is never wasted in my view - the better you understand yourself and your actions and beliefs the more you have to work with.

It is like a teacher getting to know what makes a student tick - once you have the key you are three quarters there.

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Like I said the other day - never leave a decision without making a start on it's outcome. I won't go into the specifics of how I will schedule all of this - however I will make a promise to myself to get all of this done before the end of June 2009 (preferably May).