Where Does The Time Go?

I’m typing this on a Sunday morning in mid-January. For the life of me, I can’t remember what I’ve done for the last four months…they have gone by in a blur. I wasn’t in a coma or struck with amnesia. I think I’ve just been in a fog that is now starting to lift.

So, my Dad passed away in September. I had been his caregiver since 2010, and the last three and a half years he lived with me. It was not an easy task, but nothing I would have changed. During the seven years, I sacrificed plenty…my personal time, time with friends, my career/business, travel. While in the thick of it, I just kept thinking of all the things I was missing out on.

On the day my father passed, I just happened to be coming down with a really, REALLY bad upper respiratory infection. In retrospect, it was a good thing because I needed rest and the pain and trauma of being with my Dad when he passed was lessened a bit because I was just sleeping so much.

The months went on, and I can remember events – my sister and I at our Dad’s memorial service on his birthday at the senior center that he frequented. I remember traveling to San Diego for Christmas with my sister-cousins – where all 30 of us came down with the flu over the course of the week. I returned home, sick, and stayed in bed for New Year’s. I remember that I had been looking so forward to this New Year’s – as I felt it was really a new beginning for me…but couldn’t even get out of bed.

Now, finally feeling like myself again and ready to take on the world, I looked back and realized these past few months are like a blank page in my notebook, which got me to thinking…how many of us have days, weeks, months that go by in a blur? Will we be sitting here next year talking about how fast 2018 went and nothing changed for us? I hope not!

What do you want to change in 2018? When 2019 rings in – what do you want your life to look like? What changes are you willing to make to get there? In sailing a boat, just a 1% change in direction can put you on a completely different course. What one SMALL change could you make that would put you in a completely different place at the end of 2018?

My friend added a 15 minute walk to her day – either after lunch or dinner and ended up losing 40 pounds. A client cut down on his sugar intake and his triglyceride number dropped by 60 points. I had another client, who, after leaning she was going to receive a raise, decided to put that raise directly into her 401k retirement plan and increased her retirement savings without even feeling it. Another friend just added an extra $100 to her mortgage principal and will be able to pay off her house years earlier.

This isn’t about resolutions – that quickly fall by the wayside. This is one small change that you can make that could have a huge impact on the rest of your life. What would an extra 30 minutes sleep do for you? A 15 minute walk each day? One less cigarette or glass of wine? What would taking off your makeup each night and using sunscreen each day do for your skin?How much would you save if you gave up one coffee house coffee per week…per day? This isn’t even about giving up things — what would one extra compliment or kind word to a loved on each day do? How would that make them feel or change your relationship. What about a kind word or sentence to yourself? We’re often so much harder – and harsher to ourselves than we are to our friends and family.

2018 will pass and 2019 will be on us in no time. What will you be thinking about your life one year from today? One small change can make a huge difference. Will you be sitting here and saying “Where did the time go?” or will you be excited about what you have accomplished?

One small change

Until next time,

xo Jamie xo

#gohappyyourself