Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Changing my Mindset

The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that making changes in your life is all about changing your mindset - the way you think and perceive things. Is this what the Bible means when it talks about 'renewing your mind'?

Take for instance my quest to become thriftier with my finances. Since I consciously took that decision, I suddenly don't have a mad urge to go to the shops anymore. It’s not that it doesn’t cross my mind, it does, but I am not driven to act on it.

I work round the corner from a large TESCO's and every lunch time I would invariably wind up there, not because I need anything in particular but just because it's there, I’m bored and I need to take a break from staring at my computer screen. I’d walk down the isles, browsing mindlessly and, as if in a daze, I would wind up at the checkout counter with a trolley full of stuff - a bag of apples here, a box of cereal there - never mind that my cupboards and freezer are already stuffed to bursting capacity.

An aside: Hmmm, now why do we do that, because I know I am not the only person this happens to? Although, my cupboards and fridge are full of food, I still go out and buy more. As a friend, who came to visit from Nigeria, recently observed 'There is something wrong with you guys who live here (the UK). Why do you buy more and more food from the shops when your house is already so full of things to eat?' How true. I couldn't give her any answer except look sheepish.

I did visit Tesco this lunch time but I went armed with a list and I stuck to it - no extras. Plus I carried and paid for my items with cash. It makes a big difference, I find, paying for goods with cash as opposed to your debit or credit card. It's so much more painful watching the cash disappear into the cashiers till than it is to watch your card being swiped.

Another thing I want to do this month, is
a) keep a gratitude journal and
b) a normal journal as well
and make an entry into each one every single day for the next 30 days - not as easy as one might think. It takes a lot of discipline to write something everyday. Sure it does, if not then you would be updating your blogs everyday, won't you?

I have set myself these particular tasks several times before but have always failed for a number of reasons - lack of time, no motivation, nothing to write etc, etc - but this time it feels different. There is something within me that actually wants to do it, y'know? There's an inner excitement bubbling up within me at the prospect of writing something in my journal everyday. Yay! I am really looking forward to it.

This
post has been one of my sources of motivation.

I think I am on the verge of some major changes!

2 Comments:

Blogger kmtaylor said...

hmmm...I never thought about that quote in the Bible before. Maybe it is about changing perception.

I'm so glad the post was inspiring! I may start a grateful journal now.

3:38 am  
Blogger Onada - Fashion and Photography said...

good post girl! taking lunch to work is a big money saver. i started doing that and have been able to save quite a bit of money!

5:53 pm  

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