I don't believe it's Monday today, the day my new life begins. Behind me are long hours of conversations with realtors, homeowners, video calls that shattered all my dreams of a cozy country cottage. I've made my choice, and it seems I've found the perfect option. It turned out to be a bit more expensive than I thought, but it’s worth it.
Now I am a resident of the village in the upstate region. It's a small village located 10 km from the nearest big city.
The house is relatively new, with good renovation. It was built by parents for their children, but they decided to conquer the capital and never lived here for even one day. There are only two bedrooms, a large living room with a flat-screen TV, and – most importantly – a huge bookshelf. The only pet is a dog named Pumpkin – my new friend and, incidentally, my guard. But what impressed and captivated me the most was the glass veranda, where I plan to drink coffee every morning in the company of Rіch and an interesting book.
When I first woke up in my new home, I realized what a crazy step I had dared to take. I was even a bit scared. Firstly, I accepted that silly bet, and I have no idea how to change my life. Secondly, I have no single day off and now I'm spending money that I could have saved for a car – not a Volvo, of course, but some old sedan for sure. And most importantly – I moved to a village where I know no one, where I have never been, and where I will be alone 24/7. No friends or acquaintances, everything is new. And here I am, starting life from a blank slate.
After coffee on the veranda (it really is charming), I took out my notebook and decided to write a plan according to which I will live.
What do I want to change in my life?
Start exercising
Become more beautiful
Find the man of my dreams
Find the job of my dreams
Find a hobby
Start communicating with like-minded people
Establish a sleep and daily routine
Spend more time outdoors
Find the meaning of life
Become more confident
Become happy
Learn to love myself and my life.
Of course, the list is not short. Four months contain exactly 122 days. It seems like a lot, but to change a life that you have lived for a whole 27 years, it’s not much.
For convenience, I grouped my changes into the following categories: “Lifestyle,” “Personal Life,” “Appearance,” “Leisure,” “Psychology,” and “Work.” I have exactly 20 days for each of these points. And two days for rest and force majeure. Damn! I didn’t think about resting – what if I get very tired and some day drops out of my schedule? What if I don’t meet the man of my dreams? And how am I going to find a job in a quiet village that’s also very far from home? Why am I so foolish? Why did I agree to this?
I pour myself a glass of wine and decide to reflect a bit. And it doesn’t matter that it’s 11 in the morning; I’m on vacation!
Two hours into my relaxation, I realized that I had started my new life with old habits – alcohol and procrastination. This also needs to be fixed. So I decided to create a plan for my life for the next four months.
Every 20 days will be dedicated to just one point. So, first, I will focus on exercise, then on appearance, then I will start dating, and only then will I look for a job. I don’t know how smart this idea is, but at least I can approach the changes in a structured way. Moreover, Iren works using the same methodology. She’s certainly not my ideal woman, but she makes a lot of money, so it makes sense to listen to her advice.
I decided to report daily in my new notebook. Who knows, maybe I still have some remnants of a journalist in me? So, let’s go.
“Lifestyle”
To radically change my life, I decided to start with small but consistent actions. For example, to quit alcohol. Yes, even the bottle of beer while watching my favorite comedy show on Friday night. I think this will be very difficult. Not just difficult. Very, very, very difficult. After all, even Rіch has been sippin' beer! Oh, my feline son, it will be hard for us.
The second thing I decided to change is sports. In my "previous" life, the only sport I had was the “Intersport” channel on television. Now, however, Cinderella will become a sporty Cinderella – I will go for daily walks in the city where I am for the first time in my life. I will work out at the gym – perhaps even drink all sorts of beta-carotene supplements. Or maybe I’ll even become Miss Bikini?! Who knows.
The third point is nutrition. Here, I am stable – I consistently eat food from delivery. I wish I could boast that it's healthy food delivery – vegetables, salads, fruits. But it’s “Margarita” with double cheese and sausage from the nearest pizzeria.
Next up – daily and nightly routines. I don’t know if they say “night regime," but I used to lead a real owl lifestyle. Waking up at 12, starting work at 12:05, pushing the poor women into Iren Shchaslava's courses, ordering pizza, having breakfast around three. Then I worked, worked, worked, then relaxed with a bottle of beer under a TV series (I adore “Gossip Girl” and “Desperate Housewives” – must watch!) and fell asleep around three in the morning. Now I want to be like all health enthusiasts waking up at 6 in the morning and going to bed by 12 at night.
I think that’s enough for the first block. So, Cinderella, let’s go?
P.S. I forgot one more important thing – meditation. My colleague Susan said that when she started meditating, she lost five kilos because she focused on her weight being 55 kg. Maybe I can also enhance the effect of the gym and proper nutrition.
Day 1. (Day 1/122 of the experiment)
What’s the purpose of this experiment? Who gets up at 6 in the morning? I think it’s all a lie – no psychologically healthy person will wake up at six willingly. It’s absurd! Our ancestors worked so hard, invented the electric kettle so we wouldn’t waste time making coffee in the morning for ten minutes instead of one, and we simply disregard all these achievements and wake up at six to wander around the house mindlessly for another two hours?
Well, I got up at 6:05, walked around the house, fed Rіch, and went back to sleep. I wonder if it counts as completing the first point of the plan? When I woke up later around ten (of course, I set an alarm), the world seemed kinder and brighter.
While drinking my coffee, I found an advertisement online for zumba group classes. Right in the center at two o’clock. As it turned out, it’s just fine – I’ll leave my house, take a bus for a few stops, and then walk – after all, being outdoors and walking is another point of the "Sporty Cinderella" plan.
I opened the fridge, was resolutely set on a vegetable salad, but the leftovers of sushi (which I overpaid for because I live outside the city) winked at me and happily made their way to my stomach.
Damn! For now, my day resembles my "old" life more.
I put on my sports leggings, slipped on comfy loafers, and set out for a 3 km trek to the gym for zumba. I walk and am immensely proud of myself. What a good girl I am! I'm off to a workout, I’m WALKING, breathing fresh air, admiring the architecture, and getting to know the city.
Where's the gym already? I'm so tired and I think I've gotten three blisters. My legs hurt, my breath is heavy, I'm getting anxious, and my desire to go to zumba equals zero. My head is also starting to hurt.
-Hello, Julia?
-Yes, good day!
-Good day again! This is Cinderella; I called you earlier today to sign up for zumba training; remember?
-Yes, of course! The class starts in 10 minutes; we’re waiting for you! Are you lost? I can come out to meet you.
- Julia, I'm afraid I can't come. My blood pressure rose, and I'm feeling unwell at home and can't get up from bed. I’m really sorry.
-That’s okay! Get well! Cinderella, I have to warn you that zumba is an intense workout and people with hypertension shouldn't attend. So, I recommend you choose something more relaxing. Maybe yoga?
-Yes, yes, thank you; I'll think about it.
When I hung up, I saw the waiter with my “Margarita” and a half-liter glass of beer. That’s okay; today is just the first day. And the first day, like the first pancake, always comes out wrong.
Upon returning home (I called a taxi and decided not to torture my poor legs anymore), I was overcome with guilt and started searching YouTube for psychologist videos on how to change your life. Riding this wave of motivation, I made the smartest decision today – I went to sleep at 11:30 PM.