Small, Daily Changes with a Lasting Impact

I know all of my posts have started this way recently, but HOORAY 2017! I love this time of year anyway for the fresh start, but after 2016 it feels even better. This year, I want to get my sh*t together. Well, more together.

Last year was my first year making resolutions and I kept most of them! So this year, I'm not calling them resolutions but I'm making changes I plan to keep all the same. I technically started making them in October, but I'm seeing some amazing differences in my life so I wanted to share them for inspiration for your resolutions!

For one, I recently started incorporating a more steady vitamin schedule into my routine. I use Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides every day, and am working on a protein cookie recipe with their Whey and collagen peptides combined. I definitely recommend you check them out--it's a flavorless powder that delivers a power punch of collagen peptides to whatever you add it to--I put it in coffee most often, but also add it into my Gatorade and BCAAs. And yes, it's genuinely flavorless. Check them out here!

Additionally, I take five vitamins daily: two probiotics in the morning (they need to be taken on an empty stomach), Big Chill (rhodiola rosea root extract) once I get to work, and calcium and omega 3 in the evening with dinner. I get all of my monthly vitamins from HUM! If you use my code, 10BAF1, you can get $10 off your first order! You can find them here! I use their Beauty Sleep Melatonin, Big Chill for stress, Daily Cleanse (probiotic), Gut Instinct (probiotic), Pimp My Calcium, and OMG Omega the Great. Next month, I'm also going to try Base Control (a multivitamin) and Killer Nails (Biotin) and see if I see any results. In addition to my HUM Vitamins, I also take two Emergen-C tabs when I start to feel run down. I have the chewable variety (here).

Another change I've made is planning my meals. This saves me money, time and makes sure I'm actually eating properly. No more morning McDonald's runs. Not late night pizzas. I'm eating actual food that I prepare. I'm not big on actual meal prepping, but I do get everything ready the night before. I like my meals to be simple (this: salads, homemade smoothies, bruchette, etc) and that keeps me committed to my schedule. I'm using bits of BBG and Run Fast, Eat Slow. (Including their superhero muffins, which are on their blog, here! I make mine with chocolate chips, as they mention as an option in their Runner's Wold interview.)

Two things that are absolutely free: I've been drinking more water and getting more sleep! I was refilling a liter SmartWater bottle at work and drank a ton of Essentia alkaline water while home over break, but I recently (read: finally) got my Hidrate Spark Smart Water Bottle in the mail. If the second one ever gets here, I'll do a giveaway with it...but only one arrived. The bottle itself is really easy to use and very sturdy and attractive, and the app is awesome. Their customer service, however, is AWFUL and the seem to have paid a shipping provider to ship things, rather than doing it themselves, because it's a total CF and the method used is VERY slow. They're a startup, so I'll cut them a little slack, but this is version 2.0 so I expected them to have it together by now. I digress. The bottle does make it more fun to drink water! In terms of sleep: getting more sleep allows me to accomplish one of my other goals, which has changed well, everything, because it changed my attitude.

The goal that is greatly assisted by getting better sleep is my goal of being prepared. This is a huge, multi-part goal that seeps into all of the other goals in one way or another. It's the glue that holds all the small goals into the big goal of getting my sh*t together.

What "being prepared" means to me is waking up early enough to take my dog on a long walk, (which leads to him being happier and better behaved) early enough to catch the bus (which saves me money) and early enough to get to work and assemble my breakfast and to-do list. It means that I label files better, sort emails, ask for help, and stay on task at work. It means that in the evenings, I go for a run or do my BBG 1.0 workout, take Ollie on a long walk or to the dog park to play, prepare my own dinner instead of ordering it, and get my lunch together for the next morning. It means doing dishes as soon as I use them, vacuuming as needed, and tidying up before bed. Really, if I'm not prepared, the other pieces of my goal become infinitely more difficult.

Additionally, I'm trying to spend more conscientiously (fewer ubers/lyfts/cabs, fewer delivery fees, fewer meals out. More money into savings, paying off credit cards, traveling) using Mint to track spending, call my parents less (I call a LOT), spend more time with girlfriends, drink less alcohol (that ties in with saving money) and to actually follow my marathon training plan. Like, 100% follow it, no excuses.

All of those are small and attainable (well, the marathon program one is HUGE) but they make an enormous, lasting impact on your life. I do want to share an enormous goal for 2017: I want to qualify for Boston. I'm hoping that as I slowly start to pull all of these positive changes together, and as I become more focused, my Boston goal will come closer into reach as well. Maybe I won't BQ this season, but there's always 2018. To quote the crazy mean girl who ranted at Michael's: "we're all a work in progress." Here's to 2017 and reaching your goals!

-B

Here's an amazing photo from 2016 to propel us into 2017!