Practicing what I read

Sometimes I just need a jumpstart to get into a project, something cataclysmic, like a public declaration to change my life. Not that my life isn't great, it's pretty darn cool, (I love my family! My friends! Where we live! What I do!) But every machine needs a tune up once in a while, and I'm due.

I've decided to challenge myself to follow - for three months, the season of spring and new beginnings - the credos of seven of the self-help books that have been cluttering up my shelf. It's a crazy bunch, but nearly every word rings true for me, at least. Some I have read and devoured, others are new and I'm just starting to go through them. But they cover the bases of what I'm looking to improve.

In alphabetical order:

Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, by Karen Kingston, 1999.

Getting Things Done, The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen, 2001.

Healthy Cooking Basics, WeightWatchers Momentum Program, 2009.

the not so big life, making room for what really matters, by Sarah Susanka, 2007.

Sidetracked Home Executives, From Pigpen to Paradise, by Pam Young and Peggy Jones, 2001.

The Complete Tightwad Gazette, Promoting Thrift as a Viable Alternative Lifestyle, by Amy Dacyczyn, 1998.

Your Money or Your Life, Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, 1993.

It's a list that will keep me busy, trying to improve my physical, financial well being and give space for the spiritual to bloom.

Those are pretty vague goals, so here's where I hope to be more specific:

Physical - Lose extra pounds and get my BMI below 25. Learn how to hit a softball just over the third baseperson's head.

Financial - Get my taxes done, income up, and spending below income. (Short sentence, very long procedure.)

And whatever else comes up. Wish me luck.