{Five steps for changing things for the better}

Not too long ago while rummaging through a bunch of papers from my office, I came across these Five Step ideas for changing things for the better. I have no idea where they came from, but they are so delightful and easy to do, that I felt they should be shared.

Five Steps to turning a bad day into a good day

1. Exercise. If you don't have time to change, break a sweat, and shower, simply go for a brief, brisk walk.
2. Make an investment in something that will pay off later. Study for your licensing exam. Double tonight's dinner so tomorrows is already taken care of. Transfer $20 into a rainy day fund.
3. Vent the bad stuff to a friend, a therapist, or a journal.
4. Make time to do something that you love. Play racquetball. Gossip with your sister. Watch Desperate Housewives.
5. Remember that you'd never appreciate the good days if it weren't for these days.

Five Steps to making your home your castle

1. Do a complete spring cleaning. Recruit a friend to help and then treat her to dinner as a thank you, hire a cleaning service, or make it a husband-and-wife-weekend-togetherness even...whatever it takes to do a bang up job. then keep it clean by straightening up every night before bed and swiping all all-in-one wipe across everything every other day. Think: clean house, clear mind!
2. Bring the seasons inside by bringing in new pick-me-ups every few months: pumpkins and Indian corn in the fall, poinsettias and silver candles in the in winter, freshly cut wildflowers in the spring, hand-picked seashells in the summer.
3. Have loads of creature comforts on hand for regular use: footrest, light dimmers, herbal teas, fluffy pillows, a pile of magazines, aromatherapy candles, cozy blankets, neck massager.
4. Leave your job stress at work. Avoid bringing your work home with you. Work at home? Then designate a specific work area for yourself that you can walk away from at the end of the day.
5. Warm up your castle by having frequent housewarmings. Not necessarily big soirees, little tete-a-tetes do just fine.

Five Steps to making Mondays a little bit better

1. Set your alarm for half an hour earlier and take a brisk walk before starting your day.
2. Meet a friend for lunch. Preferably one whom you haven't seen for a while.
3. Designate Monday as your official take-out day. There will be no cooking tonight!
4. Open your journal and jot down five things that you're grateful for that are specific to today and two things that you'd like to achieve within the next week.
5. Schedule in a spa-like treat. Get a massage. Give yourself a manicure. Take a steam bath. And as soon as it's over, put on your most comfortable pajamas and spend the entire evening in chill-out mode.

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