So, week 1 of my Month of No Ma'am was pretty great. I was expecting to feel exceptionally deprived, but instead, I felt almost indulgent in taking care of myself!
No Spending: I did well with this. It was so much easier to pass up little shopping trips and snacks since I told myself no about anything that wasn't groceries. I did spend quite a bit of money at the little mart next to our house, but mostly because we've started eating real food everyday, and buying fresh fruits and veggies will always be more expensive than stocking up on instant noodles. Also, I realized I don't begrudge myself the spending when it comes to eating more delicious and more healthy foods.
No TV: I also didn't have any problem with not watching TV. However, I have decided that no TV is a weekday thing. Rather than abstaining from so many things all the time for an entire month, I've decided that moderation is a better choice in this area. On the weekends, Kenny enjoys watching TV and I'm not going to tell him he can't. I also started crafting again, and I enjoy doing so in front of the TV. I decided to put No TV in June because it was sucking up the time I could use to do something else. But because I am actually doing something else, I find it's much easier to turn off and stop watching when I'm finished with whatever project I'm working on. So, success in this area, with a little compromise where needed.
No Eating Out: I made lunch everyday for us and even prepared us both dinner boxes to take to school. There are three little boxes that fit in our carrier cases. So every day, I stuffed one of them full of fruits and veggies. I'm really a fan of carrots, watermelon, and grapes right now! This week, I've branched out to include apples and kiwi. The other had a half a sandwich and a banana or some cheese and crackers or something like that. And the final box was stir-fried tofu, or pasta with veggies, or some rice dish I'd thrown together.I was really so proud of myself for cooking everyday. It's something I'm getting more comfortable with and I'm learning how to throw things together quickly with what I have in the fridge. I'm also learning how to keep the fridge stocked with the things we need on a regular basis. However, we also decided that No Eating Out could be modified to be weekday only. On the weekend, we did cook our own meals, but ate out on Saturday for lunch. Again, this is mostly because this month is about making better choices for ME, not forcing Kenny to go along with me in everything. It's called No Ma'am, not No Sir for a reason.
No Excuses: Actually, I made a few excuses. I had a coffee on Friday, I ate out on Saturday, and I also watched TV while I worked on some handmade cards. But I'm okay with those. Mostly, I'm really glad that I'm learning to compromise and to keep on working to achieve my goals. Before, I would have decided the minute I drank that extra coffee on Friday that my entire Month of No Ma'am had failed, which would have promptly been followed by a shopping spree and a mindless TV marathon of giving up. But compromising is OKAY! I'm not perfect. I'm never going to do anything perfectly. But I'm realizing that it shouldn't stop me from trying really hard. I'm not going to get discouraged that I missed one run. I'm going to be encouraged because I ran twice when I planned to, despite the heat and not really having much extra time in the morning.
This week is going well, too. I'm getting more creative with lunches and dinner boxes, really loving the numbers in my bank account, and just feeling so much better about the way I'm spending my free time. So many times, I feel this nagging sense of guilt pulling on my ankle, whispering in my ear that I'm letting myself down, I'm being too lazy, I'm not accomplishing anything. But I'm learning to tell that guilt to SHUT IT. Because I've made a few boundaries and limits for myself, and they're working really well! I might decide to make No Eating Out except on weekends an entire summer thing. Or heck, an entire life thing. I'd like to be just that comfortable in the kitchen. And the running thing? Definitely something I'm hoping to stretch beyond the measley month of June. I'd also like to ultimately tell myself no about most things I want to buy. Before this month, I bought any little thing that caught my fancy because I could. And I looked and saw that my spending was just making me unhappy later. I've never been one for delayed gratification. But I think it's time.
I just feel good. What about you?
