As recently as last week, this was me:
But it’s amazing what a change a week can make.  As I sit here, delaying going out into the cold, windy morning to start my gym routine again, I find that my perspective is more like this.

animated happy dance photo: happy Dance (Small Animated Bodyshot) mz_4309081_bodyshot_175x233.gif  What a difference a day, makes!

In truth, Mondays were less and less like the “before” picture above since I gave my notice at work. Instead, I was starting to say “Only 3 more Mondays…only 2 more Mondays…and finally, this is the last Monday I’ll have to wake to an alarm, get up, get dressed and,   commute!”

Now granted, my commute, compared to that of others, was not too bad.  20 minutes through beautiful, tree lined highways on a good day, 35 on a bad one, and occasionally, over an hour when idiocy stalked the route between my house and my office.

But being able to get up when I feel like it (Toby, the feline alarm clock notwithstanding), drink my coffee leisurely, catch up on email and such, and then head off to the gym as one of the many items on my growing To-Do list is, frankly, a little slice of heaven!  Granted, my To-Do list could be daunting if I let it.  But I figure that all I can do is mark things off one at a time, so I’m not going to sweat it if I only mark one or two things off today.

I know that I’ll have days when I am lucky to check one item off my list, and others when I’m a productivity ninja, and both are equally important!  What I will try to remember, though, is to give myself lots of attagirls every time I do check something off of that list!

And I’m feeling pretty good about today.  I got the comforter Scooby horked on washed, the first of two loads of clothes through the washer, my desk completely cleaned off (a two hour job all by itself!), my first gym workout done, and got groceries and vitamins!  Pretty good for my first day of no work, and I got this post started early in the day as a bonus!

I’m feeling very confident that I can and will be able to maintain the schedules I’ve set for myself, and that I can be organized and efficient when necessary.

The only thing I seem to be missing right now is an appetite!  (not that this is a bad thing, really!)  It is nearly 6:30 and all I’ve eaten today is a couple of small pieces of cheese before going to the gym, a bagel with cheese and onion and an apple for lunch, and lots of water.  I’m currently debating whether or not I even want to bother heating up some turkey soup.  Guess I’ll just listen to my body on this one!

For now, I’m grateful for the things I did accomplish, including a leisurely gym workout with lots of stretching at the end.  I’m also grateful that tomorrow’s regime includes both a massage and a manicure!  I could definitely be a productivity ninja in between the two, despite the fact that the uncluttering of my office is, for now, limited to the desk.  But since that is the most important place for clutter to be gone, I am very pleased.

My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful for my ever-growing to do list.
2. I am grateful for the things I was able to remove from said list.
3. I am grateful for the excellent start I made on my new life.
4. I am grateful for the picture of daffodils I found during my cleaning, to remind me of the rebirth of me!
5. I am grateful for so much to do to fill my days, while still being able to follow my own schedule.

Love and light.