Category: upgrading

Here's some great advice from a woman who inspires me, Meg Hourihan:

I'd keep bottles of wine and treasure jars of jam for so long they'd be
no good once I got around to using them. I decided life was too short
and that it was important to use the good stuff. And now I do, mostly.
I saved a beautiful birthday gift of 1989 Laurent-Perrier Champagne too
long (no situation ever seemed good enough to justify its drinking) and
when I opened it, it was passed and I was so sad. It was just the kick
in the pants I needed to remember to use the good stuff.

There is one thing that can really make a difference in your day: how well you slept the night before.

Cut corners on other things so you can have a better bed. A good mattress is a truly wise investment.

No matter your mattress, though, what you really need is enough time spent with it. Get to bed at a reasonable hour, get a good night's rest, stretch when you get up in the morning, and then face the world with a bit more (bed)spring in your step.

Over time your opinions and tastes change. Today is the day for getting the music you don't really like or listen to anymore out of your way and make room for more.

– Delete all the music on your computer and/or MP3 player that makes you say "Meh." There is better stuff out there for you.

– Go through your CDs, records, tapes, wax cylinders, etc. and gather together all the things you don't care that much for anymore. Sell them or give them away.

A good place to turn old CDs you don't like into new ones you do is the newly launched lala.com where you'll receive as many CDs from your Want List as you send out from your Have List. It costs $1.49 each time you get a new disc, which is a better rate of trade than you'll usually find selling CDs and buying used ones.

– Find new music to stretch your brain. Go listen to local bands. Check out music recommending services like Pandora and last.fm. Ask your friends to make you a mix.

Today, check over all your kits and replace any old items.

• travel supplies
• emergency kit (home, car)
• personal supplies in your desk at work
• sundries in your backpack or purse
• …

Don't forget to rotate out the water bottles for your emergency supply.

Also test your smoke alarm while you're confirming the batteries in those flashlights.

I bet you have a tool you use every week, maybe every day, that bugs you. It's adequate which is why you haven't replaced it, but it is sub-optimal and it slows down your day or just doesn't put you in a good mood.

Replace it with the good version.

Maybe that means having to do without something else for a little bit, but as you skip that fancy coffee drink or pack a lunch or don't go out to dinner, think of all the days ahead where you won't have to put up with that leaky-spouted teapot, low-suction vacuum cleaner, nose-slipping eyeglasses, bendy-handled measuring spoons or streak-leaving windshield wiper blades anymore.