What are my top priorities right now? If I think about it, these are the things that I make sure happen every day in my life:
1. My kids are taken care of. They are fed. They are safe. I know where they are. I know what is on our schedule today, so I know where we need to be and what I need to have with me when we leave home. Definitely - that's my number one thing on my mind.
2. My dog. I make sure she has what she needs - from snuggles to water. I also make it a top priority to check around when I leave to make sure that destructible items are out of her reach...(let's hope I don't have to pay for a THIRD library book that was eaten by the dog...)
3. Work is a priority. Am I a workaholic? No, not by a long shot. But I make sure I go to work, I do a great job. I'm lucky enough to have a job I like, so that makes it easier.
4. Washing my face and brushing my teeth. Of all the personal habits that should be daily, these are the ones that are the most consistent. If I don't wash my face... I get zits. (Even when I do wash, I still get them - but it's not a certain thing.) If I don't brush my teeth - they feel gross.
I'm sure I can list more - but the above things are the ones that have been such a priority to me, that I put them above other things, and I do them without thinking about it. I just do it.
So - how do I make exercise and eating right a part of this list. Is it a matter of saying it should just be on that list, and that makes it so? Wish it was that easy, but we know it's not. I think I have to start small. Make things become a habit so I don't even think about it. I think I have started small... the other day - after my first dietbet win was verified, I went to my kitchen for breakfast. I saw the frosted flakes - and decided I deserved a treat. I poured a bowl of the frosted flakes. It was the bottom of the box - so basically - I poured myself a bowl of sugar. I dumped it in the trash and had a handful of almonds instead. (WIN!)
Yes, it will take awhile. You know how people say it takes like 21 days to form a habit. I don't know if I agree with that. I think it can take much longer. I'm fighting almost 40 years of bad habits. Slowly but surely, if I tell myself that I need to include myself in my priorities (and not just my skin and teeth) - then I'll make those right decisions. And with more right decisions under my loosening belt - they will become easier.