Welcome to: Deliberate Days ...

Some time ago I read that a person could possibly achieve "more successful weight loss/maintenance" if they wrote down every single food that went into their mouth.  Further, if one wanted a chance at even better success one could try planning every thing they would eat ahead of time AND then cross off the food as they ate.  (By the way - if you hadn't already put the pieces together - the "one" I'm referring is yours truly!)  :-)

So -- what does that have to do with "Deliberate Days"?  Welllll ... I'm glad you asked. 

This past weekend I was realizing how much time passes without my being aware ... (in other words, as I was thinking back over the weekend I realized I didn't have much to show for the time when Sunday night rolled around and Monday was, once again, at my door).  Where did the weekend go?  (Sounds a little similar to, "Where did that pound come from?")  I figured if deliberate eating could help achieve more successful weight maintenance ... maybe deliberate [planning of] days could help achieve more successful living.

To that end I decided that, during the month of May, I am going to be paying special attention to how I spend the 24 hours I am granted each day.

The days 'schedule' may vary from one day to the next but I just want to be more aware of how I spend my time.  My purpose is 4-fold:

1. I want to spend deliberate time exercising daily.  Not excessive - just intentional.
2. I want to spend deliberate time reading.
3. I want to spend deliberate time writing.
4. I want to deliberately spend less time mindlessly watching tv and/or surfing the net (Facebook/Pinterest).

The goal is not to feel deprived or unhappy - the goal is to use the time I am given in a more purposeful manner.  The goal is not to stop watching all tv or sitting in front of the computer -- the goal is to pay better attention to the time spent doing so. 

At this point there are certain "must do's" already planned into my day and those are as follows:

  6:00-8:00 AM      Awaken, Shower, Breakfast, arrive at work, begin workday
  2:15-3:15 PM       Lunch Break
  3:15 -  5:00 PM    Workday continues
  5:00 -  6:00 PM    Prepare dinner, serve dinner, eat dinner, clean up after dinner

  6:00 -  7:00 PM ...
  7:00 -  8:00 PM ...
  8:00 -  9:00 PM ...
  9:00 - 10:00 PM ...
10:00 - 11:00 PM ...

I feel those five hours above [6PM - 11PM] have been somewhat unaccounted for.  I do things, yes, but what?  I just feel I could spend my time so much better.  I could PLAN to walk, I could PLAN to read, I could PLAN to write, I could PLAN to watch tv on some nights but not on others (Tuesday night 'NCIS' is a must, Wednesday night 'Survivor' is a must -- some things will not change! ha).

So -- Deliberate Days during the month of May involves being more mindful of what I do between the hours of 6pm and 11pm. 

I'll keep you posted ...

Deliberately!  ;-)