New Year To Do's

The beginning of January Oprah interviewed her team of experts on how to make 2011 a better year. I'm never quite ready to dive into my New Years resolutions on January 1.  It takes me a while to declutter and get back into a routine after the holidays.  Therefore, I tend to follow the Chinese New Year which begins February 3 this year.  The following are some of the tips I learned from watching her show.

Dr. Oz Tips

• Get blood pressure checked yearly.  I'm already doing this because I have high blood pressure which runs in my family.  Dr. Oz explained that it's called the silent killer because most people don't realize they have it.  You could be in great shape and still have high blood pressure.  Optimal is 115/75  High is 140/90
• Measure your waist size once a month.  Your waist should be at least half your height.
• Weigh yourself weekly.
• Know your cholesterol numbers HDL should be over 50 and LDL under 100
• Know your fasting blood sugar number.  It should be 70 to 100. 

Bob Greene's tips

• Have a realistic vision for your life.  It needs to be something you know you can achieve.
• Convince yourself you deserve your vision.  Many people deep down feel they are unworthy of their vision.
• Identify the barriers holding you back.  Bob explained how barriers are an aversion or something that causes discomfort which is different from an excuse.  I don't like to get up early to exercise is an excuse.
• Break through barriers.  Examples of these would be feeling unworthy, being in a toxic relationship or an unfulfilling job.
• Put yourself first.

Bob has a new book out called, The Life You Want.  I thought he had a great point, "Simply saying you want something does not mean your motivated."  Sometimes I think things are going to magically happen because I want them, but you have to be willing to take the steps to get there.  He also has a website http://www.thebestlife.com/ that I plan on checking out. 

I have begun the process of simplifying this year and decluttering my home.  I'm a pretty organized person, but I like my stuff.  There are certain areas like photo organization that I keep putting off which just get worse year after year.  I thought his best tip was that you have to keep flat surfaces clear including the floor. This applies to every area of your home- the kitchen, laundry room, bedroom and so on.  

I love accessories.  Adam Glassman, Creative Director for O Magazine, shared the top three must have accessories for this year.  I didn't realize any of them existed until this show.

• the nomad scarf- a scarf which turns into a blanket (this would be great for travel)
• chickies- a mock cami that clips onto your bra (you wear it under low cut tops)
• boot tights- they are part tight and the bottom half is a sock

Happy Chinese New Year !