{consistency}

its not too often that i feel compelled to write, but this week i saw an instagram post from my new friend from the healthy living summit, heather.  her photo (shown below) really made me think. alot.   

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recently, i have been feeling a little overwhelmed.  okay, a little may not even begin to describe it.  

this 'challenge' from @mariatrains is set to allow you to make a few goals and try to stick with them for a full 30 days.  they say it only takes 21 days to create a habit, right?!

here's the deal.

i work long hours, commuting almost an hour each way, rotate between day and night shifts.  i work out 4 days a week (training for a half marathon & body pump a few times a week), i try to keep a clean house, keep up with laundry, grocery shop and meal plan, and still fit in being a wife and momma.  frankly... i'm tired.

and from time to time... my house starts to look like this.  and when that happens, typically my brain starts looking like this too.  i find myself coming home about 9 pm, exhausted and starving after working a 12-13 hour day.  during that day, i typically haven't eaten much and don't drink nearly enough water.  that of course leads to me eating what ever i can get my hands on, before falling into bed.  all to get up and do it over again.  this is a recipe for disaster.  

my type a personality needs order is the culprit here.  i need order, routine, schedule, consistency.  i think that is why i like marathon training so much.  knowing what to do and when to do it works well for me.  i think that i need to implement the same system into the rest of my life...

i use my erin condren planner daily. it helps keep me mostly sane. i know who needs to be where, and when. whether i work days or nights, and who is picking up b from school.  we have monthly (or sometimes weekly) calendar meetings with me and hubby to make sure we both know the plan.  

i find myself wishing that my hubby and i both had jobs where we had a set schedule, where we could be home for dinner together, and didn't have to plan our lives weeks in advance.  but i have come to accept that we will never have that kind of "normal".  so, i must make the best of the schedule we have. 

here are my goals:

1. meal planning:

hopefully, having meals prepared so i can just heat them up will help to keep me from eating junk when i get home after a long day of work.  also, it is crockpot season.   thank goodness.  also, prepping fruit and veggies into snack size portions... i need to eat better for me food. 

2. make a housework routine.

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systems like flylady implement zone cleaning in order to keep you from spending an entire day cleaning and doing laundry.  i have implementing these techniques before, i just need to modify it to make it adaptable to my adjustable schedule.  i think this one is going to be key for me!

3. make a workout plan:

i don't have to be training for a marathon to stick to a workout program... however, there is a late fall marathon (nov 24th) that i need to make a decision on, and quick.  my plan needs to include running, strength training and YOGA!

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4. establish a skincare routine

now that i am getting closer to my mid 30s, i feel like it is high time to establish a skin care routine that works for me.  both morning and night.  my skin is in the worst shape it has been in since i was a teenage.  most likely, that is related to stress, lack of sleep and not making the best dietary choices.  

so this is how i am going to attempt the 30 days of consistency challenge.

any advice for me?! wish me luck!