5 Steps to a Better Tomorrow

It's so so easy to blow things off -- like eating healthy, doing your workout, getting to bed on time, drinking enough water, taking time for yourself... -- by saying "It's ok -- I'll be better at it tomorrow". Turns out that's not how that works. You're only to start seeing progress if you set it up today.

Here are the 5 things I do every day that have made a world of difference for me:

1. Write out my week the "old fashioned way" (pen to paper). Don't get me wrong -- I LOVE my tech and all of the things I can do with it. But when it comes to planning out my week, I seem to always come back to my paper planner, pen, and highlighters. I still put appointments in my Google calendars but when I need to block out time for the little things or plan when I'm going to get big tasks done, it's nice to be able to hold it in my hand. I use the Passion Planner and I love it -- in fact, I'm on my second one! If you love it too, would you add my email address when you order? (gabriella at addictedwithgabriella dot com)Thanks!
2. Speaking of planning..Block out time for your workout. Every. Single. Day. Everyone talks about "time management" or "not having the time" but in reality, we all get the same 24 hours that go by at the same speed. What matters is SELF management. Put your workout time in your calendar and make it non negotiable. If something comes up that cuts into that time, reschedule but make sure it's on there!
3. Plan, prepare, portion, and pack your meals. How many times have you rushed out the door in the morning without your healthy food, swearing that you'll only get the salad when you make a lunch run, and instead end up ordering "whatever sounds good" because you've had a rough morning and deserve a treat. Yeah -- we've all been there. Prep your food over the weekend or your day off. Use the crockpot, bake, make 1 pan meals to make it easier on yourself and portion out each serving. That way all you have to do is grab the containers you need and go go go! I also like clearing out a shelf of the fridge and lining up my meals so that each day is one line front-to-back. That may sound a bit anal (for lack of a better term) but it helps me quickly see what I need to grab each morning and for me, that's totally worth the 15 minutes it takes to get that part of the fridge cleaned out and my food lined up.
4. Write notes for yourself and leave them where you'll see them. Dry erase markers work wonders on mirrors and we all know the power of the sticky note. Leave positive words, encouragement, and reminders of your goals in places that you'll always see AND the places you tend to be when you're ready to fall off track. For example, if you're always reaching into that drawer in your desk for change to grab a sugary snack from the vending machine, leave a note saying "You deserve better than junk food" over those coins!
5. Make. A. To. Do. List. I can't tell you how much a swear by this. Again, it probably sounds anal but I'll tell you what...My stress levels have actually gone DOWN since just throwing things into a to-do list because it means I don't have to constantly remind myself of that thing I just have to do later. Plus there's the added fun of getting to check something off your list! Use something simple but effective that works with the way you organize yourself and think. I love rememberthemilk.com because of it's clean interface and because it syncs easily between my desktop and cell phone. I recommend this but also encourage you to find what works best for you because that's what you'll actually use!

Each of these steps might not sound like a lot but when you put them to use every day, you'll start to notice a difference. Make it a habit and let the compound effect do the rest of the work!

What tip would you add to this list?