Extreme Makeover: Abbey Edition

I've been taking stock of my life recently and have decided that there is room for improvement. I've decided to blog about the changes in my lifestyle so that I can keep myself accountable and maybe help some of you who may struggle with the same things that I do.
Here are the changes that I want to make in my life and why I want to make them:

1. Get up with my alarm at 7:35 instead of lazing in bed for 10-20 minutes on my phone.
I have two reasons for this change. The first is that I can get a lot more done in the morning if I get up right away, and the second is that I don't think it's healthy for my (already bad) eyes to look at a screen first thing in the morning.

2. At night, turn my light out no later than 11:00 PM.
I'm the kind of person who needs over eight hours of sleep to function properly the following day. Lately, I have been turning out my light around 11:30; hence, getting exactly eight hours of sleep. I feel exhausted all the time. Getting more sleep may help with this problem.

3. Stop eating processed sugar.
The more I learn about sugar, the more disgusted I am with it. Not only does it make you fat, but it also messes with your brain. My next blog post will talk specifically about why I have stopped eating sugar.

4. Blog twice a week.
There is no reason why I shouldn't post more on my blog. I'm not in school. I work a part-time job. My afternoons are mostly free. So, for the summer, I plan to blog twice a week. On Sunday nights I will do an "Extreme Makeover" update, reflecting on how well I did with my goals over the past seven days. On Thursday mornings, I will post something else regarding reading, writing, or life. Sometimes, I am sure, there will be odd posts peppered throughout the week.

5. Exercise five times a week.
I want to exercise to keep in shape and to start a healthy habit for when I go to school.

6. Wash my face every day.
Maybe if I got rid of the acne, people would stop thinking I'm fifteen.

7. Plan and write stories, read, write blog posts, practice music, exercise, or spend more time with my family and friends rather than watch Youtube videos or Netflix.
Instead of spending my free time doing things to enhance my life, I spend my free time watching too many videos online. I've struggled with this problem before and I'm sure I'll struggle with it again. I don't want my automatic thought to be, "Oh, I've got ten minutes, I wonder if my favorite Youtuber has uploaded a new video?" I want my automatic thought to be, "Oh, I've got ten minutes, why don't I work on a character or read a chapter of a book?"
Strangely, I don't enjoy spending hours watching videos. I enjoy reading. I enjoy writing. I enjoy music. Yet, it's so much easier to be a couch potato. It takes effort to do things, even things I enjoy.
So, I want to train myself to stop relying on mindless entertainment to fill my spare time. Instead, I want to focus my spare time on things that will enrich my life and sharpen my talents.

Looking back at my goals for 2016 (which I made in a blog post here), I see that a lot of the changes I want to make reflect my resolutions at the beginning of the year. I did really well with my resolutions in January; but, like so many, I let my standards relax as the months passed. Now, nearly the end of May, I want to make an effort to be self-controlled and productive again. It will be good training for college in the fall.

Did you make any goals for 2016, and have you followed through with them? Do you struggle with any of the things that I struggle with? Let me know in a comment! I would love to hear from you.