Day One: The Clean Up My Life Challenge

Some days you wake up and you want to see some improvements in your life. You feel like the time for a revolution has come and you’ll do anything to do it. It’s like you want to see real change  - which you know only happens when you put in small, incremental changes in your life. There’s a rush of energy when you know that you’re working towards something.

This appears to have happened this morning.

Pandora is going to revolutionise her life. Well that is the plan.

I know there’s a lot going on at the moment. I’m four weeks into my first Master’s subject. I started a new role at a large telecommunications firm on Monday – a gig which will be as challenging as it is boring  - but at least I've made a mate and there is work that will keep me busy. Thankfully I don’t have any big bills this month, though there is Christmas and the joys of my income protection insurance to pay – mandatory to have as a contractor.

No, the time has come to really have a big clean out in my life – get things back on track. Make a bit of room for all sorts of things. Get rid of the stuff that never gets used, never gets worn, never will be read again, gets looked at or saved for a rainy day some years ago and is still sitting around the place. This is not to say I’m a hoarder – but really, why do I have all of these gift bags, saved for a rainy day? Or why do I have so many pairs of boots when I really only wear three pairs with any regularity?

So Clean up Challenge Number One: Dispose of at least five things every day for the month of October. This might seems a bit brutal, but I reckon this is an achievable goal. Gives me something to write about too. Whether disposal means bin, send to the Salvos, shove on Ebay for sale or give away, it’s a good goal. Made a bit more pertinent, my landlord is threatening to renovate my bathroom in the near future and I need to get the place nice for Craig the tradie. Not sure when this is happening, but it’s a good time to start spring cleaning.

The next challenge is an exercise one. Now that the weather is better, the goal is to walk to or from work at least have the time – either in or out. I’m lucky. I live about 45 minutes walk from the front door of work. This is doable – as long as it’s not raining, it means that I get exercise. Five times during the working week. Shouldn’t be a too hard a challenge.

The other exercise challenge I’m setting myself is the 30 day Abs Challenge. Jay, my training partner has done this twice now and if she can do it (and she’s like 9 years older than me) I can do it. Wouldn't let anybody do this – my abs are in reasonable shape, even if they’re covered in a bread basket of lard. I managed an eight minute plank a few weeks ago. This is different. Three days on, one day off you have a set number of sit ups, crunches, leg raises and a timed plank at the end of it  - starts off easy and ends up a bit insane. But it’s a few minutes out of the day and if Jay can do it like twice, I can do it once.

There’s a financial goal for the month – save $300 a week. I need to get on top of my tuition fees for next year (which reminds me, must send back that tax form) as well as save for a holiday which will be well needed by February next year. Again, it’s an achievable goal – make a bit easier with me having no big bills for the month. Even better if it gets me into some regular savings, something I’m okay at, but nowhere near as good as I should be.

As for the health goal, I've putting myself on a green juice challenge. We've all been hearing about how good green juices are for the body, knowing that I need to get more green stuff into my body, I bought myself a Nutribullet a few weeks ago. A great decision. So every day I’m up for a green drink of some descriptions. My current favourites are spinach, cucumber, celery, mint and apple – though beetroot, pineapple, celery, apple and ginger are good too. I’m curious to see how this impacts upon my health.

Thanks enough for the moment – also gives me something to blog about in October – well something more than trying to write a literary short story for my Masters Course – my chosen topic being “The consequences and ramifications of “Comfort Womens” plight not being recognised, apologised to or compensated by the Japanese Government”. I’m currently wondering why I didn't decide to write about kittens and puppies.

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Day One Update:

Walked to and from work - that makes it four times this week already.

Green Juice: Spinach, celery, mint, cucumber and half and apple.

Ab Challenge: Done (15 sit ups, 5 crunches, 8 leg raises, 10 second plank)

Five things thrown out - including all but two pairs of wooden chopsticks that have been sitting at the back of my utensil drawer for the last five years, a couple of fans from a friends wedding, some rags and a heap of takeaway menus from shops that aren't there any more.