I've been working non-stop for the past few months trying to sort out my life.

TW: Loss

If you didn't already know, I lost my precious mama last November... we were the closest of friends, more twins than mother and daughter.
(I want to dive more into this topic one day soon but not today.)

But ever since that happened, I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. 273012983_4851324601580011_6270588863459972109_n

All of my plans shifted, rearranged, or disappeared.

So I've been doing a lot of thinking and strategizing and planning in whole new ways.

And I think I've finally found a routine that works for me.

A life that still incorporates all of the things I love the most, while allowing me to heal and breathe.

It's taken many hours of, "What do I want to do?" and "What do I have to do?" to finally land here.

It got me thinking... what if I never asked myself those questions?

So this is what I want to encourage you to do.

Take an evening and think. Don't watch TV, put away your phone, grab a good old fashioned pen and paper, and just be with yourself for awhile.

Considering if what you're doing is really what you want to do.

And if it is? Keep on keepin' on, my friend. But also toss around a few ideas as to how you can do what you're doing better - how could it make you happier or make your job easier. I bet you'll come up with a few things pretty quickly.

And if it isn't? Change something. It doesn't have to be drastic, it just has to be. We all know the dramatic ways to make changes (moving, applying for a new job, etc.), but what if I told you it could be subtle?

Carve out 15 minutes each day to go on a walk.

Teach yourself how to bake cookies, like I did!

Set your alarm 5 minutes sooner to give yourself some 'wake up' time.

Splurge on a coffee just once a week to make it feel more like a treat.

Get a video game both you and your far-away friend can play together over FaceTime.

And then watch yourself change.

Just make a 1% change and you'll be amazed by how different your life can feel.

I can tell ya that I needed help sorting myself out. And I couldn't have done it without my dad's pep talks.

(I'll brag on him in another post.)

But he suggested that I start listening to/reading some books that might help me and the whole "1% change" thing came straight from James Clear's Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results. It made a huge difference in my life and I think it might help you, too.

I feel more ready to tackle life than ever before.

Ironic? Perhaps.

But here I am. Facing a life I never expected to be living, but ready to take it head on.

(Yes, I'm an Amazon affiliate so if ya order something from my shop, it's a mini gift to me! So thanks lol)