{Lessons} 30 Chic Days – The Fourth Series: Day 30

Today, for the 30th Day in my 30 Chic Days Series I am going to share with you ten things I've learned over the past month.  I have a mixed relationship with 30 Chic Days - on the one hand I love the connection and momentum that gets going when I post daily; I also find I can do more and write more than I think I could have.  On the other hand, posting daily does require a lot - a lot of commitment, a lot of creativity, a lot of energy.

So here's my lessons learned during this, the fourth series of 30 Chic Days.

1. Self-care is important.  Giving yourself time to relax, read, groom, be, is not self-indulgent, it's a necessity.  You will have more to give to your loved ones when you feel filled up yourself.  Having 'white space' in between things to decompress is nice too.
   
2. Drink lots of water - I've been drinking more since reading the comments in yesterday's post because I don't want to get dementia when I'm older!  And I plan to go back to my old habit of drinking a big glass of water before I go to sleep.
   
3. Don't go overboard with the baking.  I gave myself a week's worth of off-and-on headaches from indulging in my desserts (it was the icecream I had with them - dairy and sugar are a lethal mix for me).  Everything in sparse moderation is the key.
   
4. Turn off the electronics.  I've been more in front of my laptop screen this month, however yesterday, when I finished my 'Boudoir Time' post in the afternoon and did not open my laptop after I arrived home from work, I actually practiced what I preached and enjoyed a soothing hour of boudoir time before turning the lights off just after 9pm.  It was just what I needed.
   
5. The comments are my favourite parts of each post.  There is so much collective wisdom and sharing from chic ladies all around the world.  Thank you for contributing!
   
6. As with a previous 30 Chic Days series, when you think you can't do something, you can.  Committing to an action and following through with it is very satisfying, and it builds your 'completion muscle'.  When I quickly ran out of meal and outfits to post about I had the choice to quit early or change what I was posting.  I wanted to be a finisher so I changed the format of my 30 Chic Days posts.
   
7. Enjoy your wins.  I am so thrilled with how popular my new book has been, both with how many ladies have purchased a copy and also the reviews.  I'm not one to go out and buy something big and fancy to celebrate, but every so often I'll just take a moment to say to myself 'well done you'.  And sometimes a win is as simple as being able to tick off your last to-do listing of the day or know that you've honoured yourself by eating in a healthful way the whole day.
   
8. Partake in fun stuff - every day!  I worked a lot the past thirty days, both in my actual job, plus on my blog and writing (which doesn't feel like a job but it's still something I need to get done because I said I would).  But I also had time every day to read something interesting, watch something fun like Gossip Girl (oh my goodness... Chuck Bass, so hot!), and take photos of our cats doing silly things.  I also love that my mum, sister (and sometimes brother too) often start a 'round robin' type email which progressively gets sillier and sillier the longer it is passed back and forth.  The topic starts out as a normal email, but then disintegrates very quickly, often with hilarious results.
   
9. Move your body.  I know this sounds totally boring to say 'exercise', but now that I am in the habit of walking daily, I love it so much and really miss it if I have to miss a day.  Some days I only go out for twenty minutes and some days it's an hour.  In the past thirty days I've missed less than five days total and I can live with that.  I honestly never thought I'd see the day when I looked forward to exercise.
   
10. And finally, be good to yourself!  Even though I'm much, much better about talking nicely to myself than I used to be, I still found I was being mean to myself every so often.  I would sometimes treat myself like a workhorse and give no thanks either!  There's only so often you can put up with that before you start rebelling against yourself.  Now I treat myself just as I would anyone else i.e. nicer.  When we consider what is reasonable by applying it to a loved one, we very quickly come to see that we have way higher standards for ourselves than we would ever expect from someone else.  It's exhausting!  I think that's when I procrastinate, self-sabotage and resist too, so it actually is counter-productive.

Thank you so much for being a part of this series of 30 Chic Days, I hope you had fun too.  I'd love to hear of your takeaway(s), either from one of my posts or the many fabulous comments.

We have to give Margaret P a merit award for 'most comprehensive comments' too.  Step up and take a bow, Margaret!  This series of 30 Chic Days wouldn't have been the same without you.