It’s imperative that you take care of your body. It is absolutely the only one you’ll get on this earth. So let’s live to the max and feel good while doing it                                                                                                                                                             Be Intentional

“If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always have what you’ve already got” Susan Clark, Prioritize Organize The art of getting it done

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in the common hours.” Thoreau

Be Committed                                                                                                                                                  Feeling disappointment physically? The only one who can change the disappointment is You!   Choose to be committed to making a change.  Set Goals. Goals are the desired change and written objectives are the specific steps within a plan that will to desired change.  The committed goals are identified by our priorities. When the goals are reached is determined by detailed planning in the setting of Short Term goals and Long Term goals. Staying mindful and committed to the sprint accomplishes the short term goals. It’s the marathon that accomplishes the long term goals.  Staying committed will bring fulfillment. For this reason alone, we need to be committed to physical excellence. Women we need to take care of the body that God has given us. This is vital. Because the Holy Spirit does reside in us, we need to do our part in keeping this temple (our body) healthy. God has created beauty in us. So now is the opportunity to let all His beauty shine through us.                                                                                                                                                                                              Scripture Memorization:

“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven.” Luke 6: 23

Commitment to excellence means “no compromise”. It means that you deliberately apply action to what you believe. It is a pledge to do what you set out to do, no matter the sacrifice it requires. It is a lifestyle of integrity, consistency and purpose. It is being connected to something bigger that yourself and intentional in all things.  Commitment is staying strong in your conviction when it’s no longer convenient.

The Study

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”

Genesis 2:15

We were created to serve God.

I have been guilty of being physically critical of myself but finding it difficult to make improvements, Yes, anything worth pursuing takes Sacrifice. And most days the sacrifice seemed way too big and too hard especially when it meant giving up Sugar. After several years of routinely fueling my body with healthy foods and giving up the beloved sugar-filled sweets; I feel great.

Three Simple Nutritional Keys to A HEALTHY YOU

1. Stay hydrated…drink 64oz of water daily. (or half your weight in ounces of water per day) Measure your intake. Many times we feel hungry so we eat when we should be going for the water bottle because we are actually dehydrated.

Try drinking only water;  infusion water is the best ( I love adding lemon or lime, cucumber, orange slice, or several strawberries) and of course a cup of coffee in the morning.

2. Choose Whole Foods with lots of color. Focus on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also our bodies need a modest amount of protein to function well. (5-7 oz daily depending on age and level of activity)

 I love my smoothies!

3. DO NOT SKIP MEALS: Breakfast being your largest meal, Lunch being a moderate-size meal and Dinner being a lite bite especially if you are choosing to loose weight. Another options is to eat smaller portions 6 times daily instead of the traditional 3 meals daily. Recently dietitians suggest drinking water 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after meals and not during the meal. They suggest that it allows for digestive enzymes to process the food effectively resulting in the body benefiting from the antioxidants and nutrients that the whole foods provide.

YOU NEED REST If you struggle getting adequate rest, consider these 8 key strategies.                                                                                                                              

Treating sleep as a priority rather than a luxury could be a Huge Step to your Health.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”Matthew 11:28
1. Pray. Giving all your cares to your Heavenly Father.
2. Stay away from caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or stimulants that interfere with sleep.
3. Turn your bedroom into a sleep-friendly place: quiet, dark, cool, and a bed that is equipped with a comfortable mattress and pillows.
4. Establish a soothing pre-sleep routine that includes bath, soft music, diming all lights and reading God’s Word.
5. During the day, expose yourself to natural light in the morning and during the day; this maintains your internal clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
6.Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day which sets your internal clock assuring a higher quality of sleep.
7. Eat healthy with No food after 7:00pm and balance fluid intake eliminating your need for a bathroom trip or feeling thirsty during sleep hours keeping in mind it takes 90 minutes for the body to process liquids.
8. Exercise daily keeping your workout at least 3 hours before bedtime

                                                                                                                                                          Permanent, deep, full purpose of your very being is only found in a right relationship with God for Whom you were created.

Not only is your being created for God, but your doing is created for God also. You and I were created for commitment to serve God. In everything we do from curling our hair, feeding our family, cleaning our home, serving at church to volunteering at a soup kitchen; we do it to service to Him.

Commitment is easy to talk about, but challenging to put into action. It takes an incredible amount of discipline to stay on course. Knowing this, get an accountable partner to hold you to your goals; this will lead to personal success. Be a finisher of the goals you put in place and serve God whole heartily in all your doings.

Complete pages 114-115 in Excellence with Simple Elegance: The Study. Both books can be purchased easily on this site under the widget Bonnie’s Books. Order today and begin your journey to Excellence with Simple Elegance.                              http://www.bonnieliabenow.com 

Promise

“We are joined together with the true God through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the life that lasts forever.”

Blessing

“May God bless you with his love.”

Time is the most precious commodity we possess.

Women of excellence recognize it’s value so they use it wisely!

“Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. Time management may be aided by a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals complying with a due date. This set encompasses a wide scope of activities, and these include planning, allocating, setting goals, delegation, analysis of time spent, monitoring, organizing, scheduling, and prioritizing. Initially, time management referred to just business or work activities, but eventually the term broadened to include personal activities as well. A time management system is a designed combination of processes, tools, techniques, and methods. Usually time management is a necessity in any project development as it determines the project completion time and scope.” Wikipedia

Scripture Memorization:

“There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

A morally excellent woman is disciplined, organized, and orderly. A woman of excellence has a prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior that is productive and above reproach. Time management is the key to achieving a life of excellence, and being disciplined is the key to time management. Lets get started in putting a time management system in place. Choose one of these methods given below.

1.  Get Organized

2.  Protect Your time–insulate, isolate, delegate

3.  Achieve through being Goal focused

4.  Recover from Bad Time Habits–e.g. procrastination, ADHD, ADD

• Setting of priorities and goals

     Carrying out activity around those priorities: ABC analysis

            A – Tasks that are perceived as being urgent and important,

            B – Tasks that are important but not urgent,

             C – Tasks that are neither urgent nor important.

• POSEC process :      A process of reducing the time spent on non-priorities…

1. Prioritize – Your time and define your life by goals.
2. Organizing – Things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful. (Family and Finances)
3. Streamlining – Things you may not like to do, but must do. (Work and Chores)
4. Economizing – Things you should do or may even like to do, but they’re not pressingly urgent. (Pastimes and Socializing)
5. Contributing – By paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference. (Social Obligations).

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THE CALENDAR and FAMILY’S WEEKLY SCHEDULE                

Complete page 100 and 111 in Excellence with Simple Elegance: The Study. Both books can be purchased easily at http://www.bonnieliabenow.com by clicking widget Bonnie’s books.

Your monthly calendar should include categories:

The Menu, Appointments/Events, Exercise/Recreation, Quiet Time, Spa/Salon, Decorating Home, Date Night with Spouse, Family Time and Family Vacations.

Promise

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

Blessing

“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”