Better Living For $.59      by Emil Baldwin, Jr., LSW

I have a great tip to pass on to you today and I can almost promise you that if you do it...wonderful things will happen. You can save bunches of money, help or repair relationship problems, lose weight, stop smoking, and cure world hung....well, maybe not that one...for an initial investment of $.59 or so. Interested?       It's simple...buy a notebook small enough to fit into your pocket or purse, decide what your project is going to be, how you are going to achieve that goal, and carry it with you everywhere. For example, many moons ago, money was very tight in my family and I thought there was no "extra money" in my meager paycheck. However, like most people, I had no idea where my money went after I paid the bills. I did know that the money was gone two days before payday. So, I decided I would take my checkbook balance (after the bills were paid), write it in a notebook as a beginning balance, divide it by the number of days left before the next payday, and that would tell me approximately how much I could spend each day and not run out of money. Then, I wrote down every cent I spent...hey, extreme problems call for extreme actions.       What I discovered was that I not only had a very clear idea of where every penney was going but I somehow started making it to the next payday with money left over! Why? Several factors swing into action here, some of which are: (1) You have solid information on which to base your actions--ex. on 1/1/2000, I spent $2 on cookies. (2) The act of writing it down makes you more aware of the goal. (3) By doing #2 most people focus more on the goal, sometimes without even being aware of it. (4) An impossible problem seems to have a solution, so an element of control is created. (5) By writing it down, accountability and a more formal approach (a system) is established. (6) Most people "gear up" to tackle a new project, therefore, initially your energy, drive, and commitment are higher. (7) Because of the entries in the diary, you establish a more interactive environment (because of the instant feedback/documentation). (8) Often when you "have a plan", a feeling of hope and optimism is generated.       As mentioned above, this technique also can be applied to the management of other behaviors by selecting what you want to change. For example, if your goal is to lose weight, write down what and when you eat. If it is to zoom in on the behaviors of others, write down information about what happened and when, etc. For smoking, write down each time you smoked. In addition to the obvious documentation of how many times a behavior occurred, you will probably find that it is helpful to add supplemental facts as well. What information you want to include is basically up to you and may change as you use it.       Other things to consider are: who was with you when it happened, how you were feeling at the time, where you were, were there "trigger" behaviors at the time (for ex. smokers sometimes "reach for the pack" more often when drinking coffee, soap operas=chocolate, overdue nap=irritable kid, temper outbursts at certain times of the day, etc.), and so on.       Another good use of this technique is to record all of the good or right things that you or someone else does every day. Sometimes, we all get to a point where we become sad or depressed over what we have not accomplished in life. This simple documentation can serve as dramatic evidence for those who claim that they never do anything right or nothing good ever happens to them that they are mistaken. The things to note are the simple things that we take for granted and forget. These things might be: getting up in the morning, taking a bath, brushing your teeth, going to work, reading, smiling, being pleasant, standing up for yourself, etc. There are many among us who cannot or do not do these things on a regular basis...so those that do should hear about it! Obviously, if you cure world hunger, launch a satellite for under $100, or something really unusual, you might want to note that as well but my guess is that not many of us will be making those kind of entries. The weird thing is that many of us think that this IS what we should be doing.       Keeping a diary like the above is a therapeutic tool but using diaries or journals for personal reasons has been around for a long time. Many females are very familiar with the concept and have used it since childhood. However, most males have not and may have more trouble figuring out how to use it most efficiently. One final thing about this tool is that the sheer act of writing down your feelings on paper can bring them from the inside to the outside in a constructive, confidential, way and sometimes that simple act can be a great stress reliever.       So, there ya go...all for .$59 and a little bit of effort. I think it's a heck of a bargain! Back To Emilville High School Back To All About Emil