Thing #14. Alphabetize your DVDs.

This makes me sound like I’m super organized. I’m not. Ask my family. My house is always in some state of messy. When the kids were young, if they caught me cleaning house they’d ask who was coming over.

But I alphabetize our DVDs. I like it that way. It makes it so much easier to locate a particular movie. Yes, I need to shift things when we get a new movie, but it doesn’t take that long. Leave some space here and there so you have room for new movies.

Thing #15. If you have a big project to tackle, start by giving it ten minutes.

For me, getting started on a big project is often the most difficult part. I’m lazy, I’m easily overwhelmed, so I delay starting a tough job. But then, I’ll tell myself I only have to spend 10 minutes on it. Just 10 minutes. And after 10 minutes I’m usually on a roll and make some serious headway. I’m not sure how this works, because I know I'm only tricking myself. Somebody psychoanalyze me, okay?

     Thing #16.  If you are anticipating an activity with a lot of walking, don’t be afraid to wear good walking shoes, even if they’re less fashionable. Fashion is less important than your health.

I hope this doesn’t gross you out, but I once wore cute but ill-fitting shoes for a work project that required a lot of walking and it messed up my big toe nail. Permanently. It isn’t horribly disfigured, hardly noticeable. It just sits at a rather odd angle. But it was pretty stupid of me to opt for the cute shoes and mess up my toe.

And shoes aren't the only issue. Vanity once persuaded me to forgo a hat in winter. I got an ear infection.

So next time you're choosing between fashion and health, go for health.