A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

This week's theme is about simple steps to make your life easier. Today's lesson? Pre-sorting takes almost no time on the front end, and saves you tons on the back. Here are a couple of places where pre-sorting can help you keep ahead of the game and keep your sanity intact.  

1. The Dishwasher. My mother hates unloading the dishwasher. I don't know why, but it may have something to do with that pesky utensil caddy. Plates and bowls are easy to stack and put away from the dishwasher because they're neatly arranged when you put them into the dishwasher. Do the same thing with your utensils--forks in one bin, spoons in another, etc.-- and unloading that little caddy will be a breeze, too. Just grab all the forks at once, and put them in their designated spot in the drawer. 
2. The Laundry. Laundry's a pain in the rear to do in the first place, and especially so if you're constantly having to dig through hampers to sort out the colors. So here's my approach: I have 3 laundry hampers. One for whites, one for medium colors, and one for dark colors. Everything gets put into the appropriate hamper when it's dirty, and to wash a load all I have to do is move the hamper to the washer and dump it in. No sorting necessary, and I always know when it's time to  start a load.

Resolve to be Resolved: Tips for Keeping Your New Year's Resolutions

It's mid-January, and by now everyone who makes New Year's resolutions has already made them, and two weeks into the New Year, some have probably already fallen by the wayside. Not everyone I know makes New Year's resolutions (I'm actually one of them!) but for those who resolve to change, whether at the onset of a new year or at any point within it, here are a few tips for making your changes permanent.

#1: Set realistic goals. Whether you're trying to lose weight, take on a new hobby, or learn a new skill, experts in the field will all tell you to keep your goals grounded. Healthy change is nearly always gradual change, and while a handful of people may be able to quit smoking cold-turkey, if you're not the type to make a decision and stick with it to the end, don't expect to be one of the lucky few. For example, instead of telling yourself, "I'm going to lose 50 pounds this year!" try setting smaller short-term goals, like "I'm going to lose 5 pounds in the next two weeks" and go from there.

#2: Have a plan. As one of my college professors was fond of saying, "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Goals are great, but they're only going to get you so far. I can tell myself that I'm going to become proficient in Latin (again... it's been about 6 years since I've picked up my Latin books) but if I don't plan to set aside time in my daily or weekly schedule to read and practice, my lofty goal doesn't get me squat. Again, be realistic. If your plan is overly ambitious, you won't stick to it and it will be about as effective as not having a plan at all. Take your long-term goal and break it up into smaller short-term goals, then build them to fit into your available time frame.

#3: Work the plan. This was another of that same professor's famous dictums. "Make a plan. Work the plan." There's a reason we end up with the same New Year's resolutions every year. Without step 3, steps 1 and 2 are pretty pointless. Allow yourself enough flexibility to account for life's unexpected little bumps and dips in the road, but remind yourself periodically that the plan is good, and face the fact that it's the only way you're ultimately going to be able to meet your goal.

#4: Be accountable to someone. If you're trying to lose weight, you're going to have to make some changes. Eating quality nutritious food and exercising about 30 minutes a day is recommended for everyone, and it's the only way you're going to get to your optimum size in a healthy manner. But you'll be much more likely to keep on your diet and exercise routine if you have someone doing it alongside you. Not only does it help keep you accountable, it makes the entire experience more pleasant.

#5: Don't give up, and don't beat yourself up. Realize from the beginning that everyone has bad days, that emergencies happen and sometimes there's nothing you can do about it. If you miss a day of your workout routine, don't badger yourself about how you're never going to be able to fit into that bridesmaid's dress for your cousin's wedding. Acknowledge that it happened and get back on track as soon as you can. Did you give into temptation and dive into that birthday cake someone left in the conference room? Don't sabotage your diet by trying to starve yourself in retribution. Just vow (all over again) to make healthier choices from here on out.

#6: Reward yourself regularly. When you meet a short-term goal, reward yourself appropriately. Keep things within reason, and you'll stay on track. In fact, decide ahead of time what your reward will be, and you'll have that much more incentive to meet your goal. Trying to put more money in savings this year? Make your plan foregoing your typical mani/pedi routine, or that daily Starbucks run, and when you've reached your short-term monetary goal, buy yourself some cute new nail polish or a cup of your favorite coffee. That way you'll have something to look forward to, and won't feel guilty for splurging all those precious pennies you were trying to save.