Working on a "Clean Slate"...

For the past few months, the tools I use to manage my financial stuff was pretty much out of whack.  Apparently, Quicken and Chase had some issues and due to that, I had issues downloading my data and making sure everything was reconciling.

Add insult to injury, when the situation was cleared, all of my data was out of whack on the Quicken software side.  I was so frustrated that I had given up and blown away a year's worth of data for a new file.  However, the software would not recognize Chase as my financial institution.  If I was going to have to reinstall the software, I figured I would do it on this year's upgrade.

Luckily, I got 40% for purchasing the upgrade.  I was able to reinstall and get my data up to date.  While I am happy, I am still irritated that Chase and Quicken have issues.  There is no reason why that has to be.

I have not been motivated to do much this weekend.  I think I wore myself out with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day stuff.  I am about to get up and prepare something for lunch, re-rinse a load of laundry, then run the dogs out for a potty walk.  I sat down and made out my plan for the week - for work and home.  

It may be difficult to achieve, but I am going to work on it.  I can tell my monthly exhaustion is starting to drag me down, but I need to be stronger than it.

I think, sometimes, you need to work with a "clean slate".  Just clear all of the cobwebs and such out of your head and refocus - make a decision on what you want to do and how to achieve it. 

One of the things I read over the weekend about making a plan - do not announce what you are going to do unless you do it with a negative slant.  I thought - it made a lot of sense because when you start and you act all proud, one has a tendency not to do it.  So, rather than be all psyched up, go with what I know and do it.  There is no need to tell everyone.  Otherwise, you are setting yourself for some sort of expectation.  One's peers have a tendency to help bring you down.

When I lost about 50 lbs after I found out I had type 2 diabetes, I said all of the right things and did them as well.  When I said something to my friends about it, I had one friend tell me "You know, you have only lost water - now the rest will be harder to do."  Not that it is that person's fault, but that stuck in my head.  I felt like a failure because I was having a harder time to lose the weight.  To compound matters, I finally gave up - it was too hard.

I should have never announced that to anyone.  I was doing great before telling anyone.  I loved the support, but it just took something negative to stick in my head.  This way, I do not prove someone right or wrong.  I need to be selfish and make it about me - not other's opinions.

This last time, when I lost 35 lbs in 2014, people were wanting to know how I was doing it.  Then, I got all of this information on "You need to do this."  "Oh, I cannot do that"  "You should eat more"  "You should not eat bread or drink milk."  

In the end, it was all too much for me.  I ended up gaining that back and it was frustrating.  So, I am clearing the slate - all of that stuff is out of my head.  I am starting again from scratch - financially, emotionally, and physically.  

If you are having trouble in any of those areas - clean the slate!