By MARY BETH MAASSEN
Los Alamos

Last September I embarked on a rigorous 30-day plan to get healthy and simplify my life. A best-selling book explained the step-by-step process in great detail. It was simple, all I had to do was follow each step as described and in less than a month my chaotic, demanding life would be chiseled down to a joy-filled, meaningful existence, and I would be living my full potential.

Awesome.

It has been nearly year and I can report I have progressed to day nine of the thirty-day plan. Except for the days when I slide back to day five. One day I skipped days 10-15 and enjoyed day 16. But, mostly I am about one-third of the way through. I know that might not sound like much of an accomplishment, but I am confident the changes I have made are now well established habits and this is not a 30-day whim.

I have bought books in the past that promised “Thin Thighs in Thirty Days” or “Sixty Days to Financial Success” or “Three Days to Tame Your Toddler” and, they all lied. The lesson I have learned is that everything happens in its’ own time, in your own time.

Since I am the one taking the journey I get to decide at what pace to proceed. No one else cares. At all. And, taking my time is a perfectly reasonable way to proceed. It is still about moving forward, mostly.

When juggling the needs and demands of family, particularly children, pets, a job and work relationships, health, and of course the day-to-day tasks of managing a home … it can easily be overwhelming. Making any change at all can seem nearly impossible.

What has worked for me was to decide three things I wanted to accomplish in three years. Not 30 days, but three years! By making slow but substantial progress I am finding myself nearly a third of the way there, which is one-third of the way closer than I was a year ago.

Awesome.