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Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare

I've read a million times before, "going zero-waste does not happen overnight and in reality is not even 100% possible".  Of course that did not stop me from jumping in with both feet.  However, I'm a very analytical person (I mean I am an engineer) so I tend to do quite a bit of research before committing to something.  I like to research the pros, the cons, different tips, the best way to do it, etc. When I bought a new phone case it took me 2 weeks and hundreds of reviews later to decide I wanted the first one I looked at (yeah not my best moment).  But to get to the point, there was one piece of advice I think stuck out to me more than any other and that I have tried to completely implement into my life, "Be the Tortoise, Not the Hare". 

A tortoise realizes that the journey is long, but the reward is great.  They stay focused on small goals and don't get ahead of themselves.  For me, that is key.  I always get sucked up in different "hobbies" and going zero-waste was no different.  I had to realize I won't be buying the pretty safety razors until I used all the remaining old razor heads I have left.  Or that there is no need for me to infuse vinegar at this time to make an all-purpose cleaner because I still had Clorox wipes and about a million sprays left.  The hardest one for me is that I will not have an "Instagram worthy" pantry because I want to reuse what I already have.  So I try to stay focused on what I think is the most important, reduce all the plastic I possibly can, try to reuse what I already have instead of going directly to Amazon, and lastly recycle/compost everything possible.  Hopefully one day I will be able to look around my apartment or house and see no plastic, but I'm in no rush. I'm enjoying the journey, I'm the tortoise. 

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