(Not So) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

In my last post, I talked about a conversation with my older daughter (she's 5) where she told me I never play with her and I'm grumpy all the time. I don't believe that's true and I have no intention of becoming a playmate instead of a parent to my kids. However, it did cause me to stop and think about some things I can do differently, improve upon, to be a better me.

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I'm not so good at keeping promises I make to myself about myself, but I'm pretty good when I know other people are watching and I'm responsible to more than just myself. So, I am officially starting a new project called (drum roll, please).... (Not so) Extreme Makeover: Me Edition. If you've got something you'd like to work on, I encourage you to join me. You can do so by posting on your own blog or website, or by leaving a comment here so we can take the challenge together and encourage each other along the way. Here's how it works...

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Start by making a list of things you want to work on. I know I have a LOT to work on, so I'm going to start with 3 things and add more over time. Every Wednesday, I'll post an update here to talk about my progress (or lack thereof). Once I achieve one goal (or feel pretty solid that I'm making good, consistent progress), I'll add something new to the list. Easy enough, right?

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So here's my starting list, in no particular order....

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1. Better skin care. I know, sounds odd. How did I get that out of my kid telling me I'm too grumpy? The night she told me that, I was looking in the mirror and realized I have some unattractive "grump lines" on my forehead. (Some may call them wrinkles, but I'm too young to use the "w" word.) But, the fact of the matter is that my skin does not look my age and I want to change that. My good friend Mel has been telling me about some new skin care products and makeup she's started using recently - with good results - so yesterday, I went out and bought some creams, lotions and makeup that might get me moving in the right direction.

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2. Drink more water. I am a caffeine-a-holic. I start my day with 2 cups of coffee, drink I bottle of Propel (flavored vitamin water) in the morning and Pepsi the rest of the day. I'm not ready to reduce my caffeine intake (yet), but I will commit to equal amounts of water and caffeinated beverages. So, I need to add in 2 bottles of water per day to my repertoire. I know that's still not enough to get me even close to the "recommended daily consumption" of water, but hey, it's more than I'm drinking now! I don't like plain water at all, so I will probably drink more Propel instead of the plain stuff but hey, it's still water!

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3. Grump less. This will be a tough one for me. It's in my nature to be task-oriented and too often, I let the to-do list dictate my mood. But, I am going to be more conscious of when I'm snapping or grumping and try to check myself when I feel an unwarranted grump coming on. Better yet, when I realize I've grumped when I shouldn't have (and I usually realize right away already when this has happened), I'm going to make myself drink a glass of plain water as "punishment." I wouldn't use negative reinforcement on my kids and I know I probably shouldn't use it on myself, but I really, really don't like to drink water, so the thought of it may be enough to make me think twice. And if nothing else, it'll get me moving in the right direction on goal #2!

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Looking forward to seeing what might be on your list and would love for you to share updates with me. If you're ready now, you can post a comment here. Or, come back on Wednesday to let me know your plan.