Secrets of Adulthood-Day 27

 “By doing a little each day, you can accomplish a lot.”

This bit of advice is really good, but sadly not one that I do naturally. I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person, so doing just a small amount is hard for me. I don't have the patience required and want instantaneous results. 

However, I do remember a time when I saw this very Secret of Adulthood work beautifully. When my husband was recovering from major surgery his doctors told him to walk one minute around the house on his first day home. They told us to increase the walk by minutes each day. Six weeks later he was walking at the mall at a fast clip for a full thirty minutes. 

It was pretty remarkable the progress he made literally step by step. 

This is a skill I want to develop. If I want to walk more, then adding on a few extra steps each day will result in more walking. Adding a few extra minutes of reading each day will result in more books read. 

I can't help but be reminded of Aesop’s Fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. The perseverance of the tortoise helps him win the race. Of course, the arrogance of the hare contributes to the win. 

A friend of mine reminded me, “Yard by yard, life is hard. Inch by inch, life’s a cinch.” 

Secret of Adulthood- Day 26

 

“Don't do something to make yourself feel better if it ends up making you feel worse.”

I suppose this is life's classic push and pull. 

Something upsets you, and you look for something to lift your spirits. It could be a myriad of things that make you feel better in the moment. 

Sadly, later on, you might regret the choice you made. That extra scoop of ice cream or missed day at the gym might seem like the thing to do at the time to make you feel better. Except if it changes your momentum toward a healthier lifestyle, then was it really worth it?

A slip-up here or there happens, but don't make it a habit when you are feeling down. 

Have a few pick-me-ups that you don't regret. One of my favorites is watching old videos of my grandkids. They are growing up so fast, and seeing them as little again always warms my heart and brings a smile to my face. 

Secrets of Adulthood- Day 25

 “If you're not sure how to have fun, ask yourself, “What did I do for fun when I was ten years old?”

I learned this Secret of Adulthood years ago. This nugget pairs nicely with “You can choose what you do, but you can't choose what you like to do.”

It turns out what you liked to do as a child often stays with you as you grow older. Of course, it may require a few tweaks as an adult. 

One of my favorite things to do at age ten was to color. I even remember having coloring contests with my friends. Today, I still enjoy coloring. At night, when I'm watching TV, I use nice-quality colored pencils and grown-up coloring books. The paper in these new coloring books is much better.  

I always enjoyed reading as a young girl, and I still do today. I loved riding my bike, but country living has made that almost impossible. That's probably a good thing!

I have a friend who loved to dance, and she still dances to this day. You may have enjoyed sports when you were young, and although you might not play them anymore, you can always attend a game to cheer on your favorite team. 

I remember my best friend and I writing mystery stories for fun when we were ten. Today, we both still write. 

What were the things you enjoyed doing as a child?

Secrets of Adulthood- Day 24

“Keep mementos that are small in size and few in number.”

I can’t say I have few in number, but my thimble collection definitely fits the small-in-size requirement. 

Forty-one years ago on my honeymoon to the Bahamas, I picked up a small thimble as a souvenir. Little did I realize that over the years I would collect many more from all the different places we would visit. 

I've even had friends and family bring me back thimbles from their vacations. 

Sadly, what I'm discovering now is that souvenir thimbles are becoming a thing of the past and they are difficult to find now. You’ll be happy to know that souvenir shot glasses are still plentiful and relatively small in size. 

Secrets of Adulthood- Day 23

 “If there’s something you want to do, make it more convenient; if there’s something you want to resist doing, make it less convenient.”

What simple advice, and yet why do we seem to complicate things?

I've noticed on social media that meal prep has become a really popular practice. If you spend a Sunday afternoon prepping your lunches and snacks for the week, you are probably going to have a better chance of eating healthy. 

If you place a bowl of Halloween candy on your counter, it's probably going to be hard to resist. Maybe not bringing it into the house in the first place would have been the better move, but at least storing it in the pantry might not make it quite so obvious. 

Along this line, I've heard of people literally freezing their credit cards to make them less easy to use. Of course, I'm pretty sure this was prior to online shopping. LOL!

Recently, I’ve learned about something called The Path of Least Resistance. Think about water trickling down the side of a mountain. Somehow water finds the path of least resistance to follow. 

The same thing happens to us as our brain is always scanning for ways to conserve energy and keep us safe. So it's easy to fall back into whatever requires less effort. 

So what do we do with this Secret of Adulthood? Look for ways to make the habits you want to develop more automatic. Don't make it so difficult that you give up. 

And see if you can make the things you don't want to do a little less convenient.

Secrets of Adulthood- Day 22

 “Things look better when arranged on a tray.”

I've noticed a trend on Facebook-arranging things on a tray. 

Each time a new season or holiday comes around people are making the cutest arrangements just by putting them on a tray. 

Why would something so simple make such a difference?

I'm thinking because it causes your eye to focus on the boundary of the tray. Then you really can enjoy checking out the different objects placed there. 

If you need some inspiration check out Pinterest or Facebook to come up with some ideas. Challenge yourself to use what you have to decorate with. Of course, you might need to invest in a tray. I like the round, wooden ones. 

Secrets of Adulthood- Day 21

 “Cheerfulness is contagious, and crabbiness is even more contagious.”

This is so true! Especially the crabbiness. Why is it so easy to complain?

I once taught with a teacher who was always cheerful. She looked for the bright side of everything and refrained from gossiping. When you were around her, it was difficult to complain. 

One time, someone was telling a story about her son climbing onto a roof. My friend interjected with, “He must be brave.” The other woman looked at her for a moment and said, “No, he’s stupid!”

We all got a good laugh out of that remark. 

They say in life you are the combination of the five people you spend the most time with. If you find yourself more on the crabby side, check out your friends. Maybe you can be the one to encourage cheerfulness. Both are contagious.