Plan for Your Best Year

I’m ready for the New Year with a game plan for my best life.
I have specific goals for the main areas of my life. My largest goal is to achieve balance. Confirming my specific desires keeps me focused on success. I have specific goals for family, spiritual development and career. The goals work together to create the balance I’m looking for.
Working on Balance
Make a list starting with the three main areas. Next write a crazy list with all your goals. Pair that list down to realistic needs and wants. Make a plan of how you will achieve specific goals. Focus on one goal from each area every month to six weeks and get it done. Divide and conquer.

Today I’m looking over my list as I make my black-eyed-peas. I’ll eat fruit and exercise today. Later, I’ll have wonderfully healthy dinner with my family (working on some of my goals) we’ll listen to music and enjoy each others company. And I’ll get a good night sleep after sharing quality time with my spouse. I’ll wake up refreshed a tackle my career goals. I just need to keep this up for the rest of the year!!!

Save, time, money and get healthy with one secret

Shop for two weeks you can shop for two weeks or more worth of meals you will save money and time. You will save time at the store, your diet will be better because you will plan healthy meals and you will save money by not going to a restaurant instead of eating at home. 

Plan a menu for two weeks The most important thing is to know what your family eats. What they really eat. You will plug these things into a list. You will create an eating map. If you work late every Thursday or the kids roll in at different times because of sports after school commitments plan for it. Don’t plan to get a bag of burgers on the way home. Plan microwave burritos with a great big salad, tuna sandwiches with can soup. You get the idea simple but healthy like meals planned around your crock-pot. Sitting down for a few minutes and making a genuine list and taking the time to shop this list will save on many levels.

Shop the list Shopping the list means don’t buy things not on the list. I usually leave one day open to fill in with a surprise item I discover at the store. I plan to buy six snacks what snacks are open but I only buy six. With my clan I usually take a few snacks and hide them so everything is not gone in the first three days. I also plan on items to carry over.

Examples

• Buy fresh OJ and concentrate juice for second week
• Fresh veggies first week canned or frozen for the next
• Fish days I plan later in shopping cycle because we buy and eat the same day on that day you can buy milk and some fruit to last until your next big shopping day.

Keep staples on hand and Buy in Bulk
Staples vary from home to home but there are some items no home should be with out. When creating your list shop your cabinets first to avoid over purchasing. Also this will guide you to create a meal for fresh food you have on hand.

I would include toiletries here like Soaps, Shampoos, Laundry soaps, cleaners. All these items should be bought in bulk or as needed to keep them in stock. Without grocery shopping I can usually prepare a meal from staples alone. The list below is comprehensive you will want to pare it down for your specific needs.
Increase your Skills The other thing I would suggest you have is a really good cook book. I have several and I do use the internet to quick reference how to cook specific foods. However, to get ideas for meals I love to flip through my books. My favorite book is broken down into food types so I can look at how to prepare carrots or just veggies. Another way to improve your list is to prepare your list from the recipes or get a new subscription. Food should be tasty, healthy and cooking should be a pleasure.

Be creative there should be a mix of fresh healthy meals, home cooked fast food and so easy a child could do it. Your schedule may dictate lots of fast easy meals at times. You can pack a weekend with great meals when  friends are in town. Try it and see if your waistline and your wallet don’t thank you.

Healthy Snack?

My families new favorite yummy item. I make Jiffy Brand muffins with a kick. I add oatmeal, nuts and double the eggs and mil. The batter is placed in greased muffin tins and cooks at Jiffy's temp. They are full of flavor and easy. In less than 20 minutes you can have this on the table. I like them because of the extra fiber, oatmeal and they are cheap. I try not to buy packaged processed cookies. I know this is processed but with a little extra time I at least have fresh and less processed ingredients.