Life Off Of Auto-Pilot

As you may or may not know, I joined Weight Watchers 10 weeks ago (on a side note, I've lost 16 pounds and feel great!). I have had more than one person ask me why I joined - I was never that heavy. While that may be true, I have know for a long time that I have had some destructive habits when it comes to my relationship with food. It had gotten to the point where if I hadn't asked for help, I would have watched my weight spiral. I was heavier than I ever had been and I made alot of bad choices when it came to eating.

When I joined and started tracking what I ate, I found that I had to be much more conscious about what was going in my cake-hole. I had to plan and think ahead. No more auto-pilot. I remember one evening shortly after starting, we were at Freckle's year-end piano recital and afterward there were desserts and snacks out for people to eat. I looked around the room and watched as people mindlessly filled their faces.

Now, don't get me wrong. I have nothing against dessert! I had pie twice last week! However, it drew parallels for me as to how we live our lives. Auto-pilot. Reactionary. Buy now, pay later.

I wrote earlier in a post about switching to a cash-only system. This was taking control of another area of our lives that also operated on a non-thinking system for the most part. Ooo - I like that so I'll buy it. No planning, no control. Now I have a grocery budget and a meal plan in tow when I head to the store and we are much happier.

The more areas of our lives that we can take back the reigns, the better. There are small and simple steps we can take each day in whatever arena needs attention.

Weight? Start writing down what you eat or eliminate one bad habit now.
Money? Move to a cash-only system. It is truly the best way to see where your money actually goes.
Time? Do a to-do list and stick to it. Don't overwhelm yourself with 50 items. Make it achievable and enjoy the feeling of checking things off.
Personal time? Schedule it in. That's right - mark it on the calendar as "me-time" and don't make any other plans. Make it as high a priority as any other appointment. If you had a doctor's visit scheduled, you wouldn't choose not to go because there was too much laundry. Treat yourself with the same importance!
Cooking? Make a meal plan for the week - this will actually overflow into several arenas - you'll save time, money and end up eating healthier! Check out Sandi Richard's books if you need help. These are great books with family-friendly recipes that are easy to prepare.

Take control of your life. You are not a zombie or a robot so don't act like one. Don't let emotions or lack-of-planning control your day. Feel how it feels to soar with the controls in your hand. Trust me, life is much better in the driver's seat!