Accountability Sunday: Resolution Progress for the Week v.4

We are approaching the end of January (that flew by), and I've been practicing my resolutions now for 26 days.  Habits are formed through repetition, or if you want to get scientific about it, when our synaptic pathways get worn in through repeated behavior.  So how close to forming a habit am I with my resolutions?

• eat better:  start cooking more and eating out less
• exercise more: practice yoga/Pilates again, use a standing desk at work
• declutter house
• no buy on makeup/beauty items Jan-March:  can develop a wish list and purchase one or two items from it in April

I've definitely cooked more and eaten out less this month, so that's good!  I wasn't in the mood to cook this week, however, so I relied a lot of some nutrition bars that I recently bought for breakfast.  I'll be making slow cooker oatmeal again today, as I don't want to get in the habit of relying on processed food, even if it is relatively healthy.

The first thing of I thought of when I unwrapped the Raw Revolution Spirulina Dream bar was "Soylent Green".  I'm guessing that 9 out of 10 people who read this post will have no idea of what Soylent Green is.  I won't ruin it for you, but if you don't know, this is worth a look.  It got imprinted on my mind many years ago.

Fortunately, I like the taste of Spirulina Dream, even though it doesn't look very appetizing!

I'm happy to report that exercising no longer feels forced and I actually look forward to it each morning.  I've been researching scoliosis and exercises to help out with the muscle tightness I've been experiencing on the right side of my body, and everything I've read indicates I'm on the right track with the yoga and Pilates.

The Pilates Power Ball Sculpt Workout s kicking my butt - I still can't do all the reps for each position, but I can tell I'm getting stronger.  The exercise depicted on the cover actually reinforced what I've been reading regarding the muscle imbalances that result from a misaligned spine, as the muscles on my "loose" side were very sore afterwards, almost like a muscle pull or spasm. 

Before

I'm also continuing to make small strides in decluttering my house.  This week I tackled the area in my bathroom where my skin and hair care items have taken over.  Kind of like Tribbles.  I'm just full pop culture references from the 60's and '70's this week, aren't I?

After

I also went through all my open mascaras and threw out more than a few.  Here's the combination of the mascaras and items I weeded out of the mess that was in my bathroom.  Some were expired, some were empty or nearly so, and some I didn't care for.

Now you know why I'm on a no-buy until April :-)  Speaking of, my no-buy is going strong, although two items are being added to my wish list:  Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush and Clinique's Cheek Pop Blush.  I'm not sure what colors I want in either yet, but I've got plenty of time to decide.

Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat (source Hourglass)

Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Peach Pop (Source Clinique)

Are you happy with how your January has gone?  I'm pleased that some new behaviors do appear to be taking hold, although I know backsliding can happen in a heartbeat.  So far, so good though!