Where to start?

I am finding it hard to know where to start. There are so many things in my life I need and want to take hold of and do something about...

I have started reading a book called "How to get from where you Are to where you want to Be - the 25 principles of success" by Jack Canfield. He wrote the chicken soup for your soul books - I have never read any of those books. Despite the book talking a lot about huge financial success, big houses and great cars (none of which are on my 'wish list'), it has a lot of points I think will be helpful for me. I was going to mention something from the book here but now I can't find it - oh well, it will have to be for another time. So far I have just been reading through the book without putting any of it to practice - I am halfway through it, but I think I need to start it from the beginning again and write some notes for myself from each chapter and slowly start doing the suggestions.

I have a vision of having more time - time I can spend reviving and expanding my vegetable garden, cooking healthy and frugal meals from scratch, fixing clothes rather than just buying new, searching second hand shops for things I need, making gifts and so on - living a more self sufficient and sustainable lifestyle, and reducing my impact on our earth. I am not part of any religion - I have always believed that what is important is how we treat and look after other people, the earth and ourselves. But in my hurried life I am not doing any of those things well - I feel a bit like I have become one of the balls in a pinball machine arcade game, shuffled from place to place.

There are so many areas I want to make changes in, and I feel overwhelmed when I start thinking about them. To try to get an overview for myself, I have listed some here:

• My health. I have not prioritised my health at all, which has lead to me now being overweight and unfit, low in energy and with a sleeping pattern that is all over the place, usually resulting in too little sleep.


• My house. I have no routines for getting things done, which often results in housework being the last priority when I am out of energy. It feels like the chaotic and cluttered house steals even more of my energy. I also need and want to make my house my home.


• My garden. Or, as is the case on most of my block of land, especially the back yard - the lack of a garden.


• My finances. For the first few years after separating I had full control of my finances, I had a budget, recorded my spending, saved an emergency fund etc. This has completely slipped. My finances are not in a bad shape, but I am spending more than I should on things that are not important. So I need to refocus my goals in this area.


• My relationships with the people around me. Make time...


• My work. This is a tough one. And a scary one. But not one for immediate change.

I know there are many more. And in each category there are many things to take hold of. A lot of it is the need to build good habits and routines. I often find I start off well with new routines, but then after a little while they fade off while I start focusing on something else.

So as much as I would like to start on every category and change lots of things right away, I know that doing that will not work. So I will focus on one area and gradually start building up good habits. And I think the number one priority has to be my health, as this is something that impacts every area of my life.