My first
three resolutions are the rules for the program I’ve been doing the last three
years:
1. Eat my allotted calories for the day
and no more.
2. Exercise with measurable improvement
daily.
3. Drink 8 glasses of water/day.
I keep track
of my food and exercise in a journal but since January 1, I also have a
calendar in the front of that journal where I make an “X” through a perfect
day. Not-so-perfect days, this can include days I didn’t exercise or days I
went over my calories (even by one measly calorie or by an unmentionable
amount!), get a “O.” I have five “O” days in the last month. It’s a good visual
reminder to see at-a-glance how I’ve done. However, those days, good and bad,
are done. I’m working on this day now.
The remainder
of the resolutions were mostly new this year:
4. Learn how to do yoga and meditate.
5. Journal one happy memory daily.
6. Perform random acts of kindness daily.
I have been
doing yoga (3-4 times/week) for the last two weeks. I’m in love with it. I miss
it on the days I don’t do it and I wish I had started years ago! I knew the barrier
to doing it would be getting somewhere to get it done, even 3-4 times a week,
so I elected to start with a video. The one I started with can be found at Yoga for Runners. It
stretches all of the areas of my body that need lengthening – even the soles of
my feet and my toes! It’s rejuvenating and strengthening. Did I already say I’m
in love with it? ‘Cause I am. Journaling one happy memory daily has not been an
issue, though I’ve missed a few days of that too – I got most days. I’m having
trouble with random acts of kindness. I will think of something and wrestle
with myself about whether or not that was really random and/or kind…was it just
the usual run-of-the-mill “nice?” I have some work to do there yet!
7. Sleep 7-8 hours per night
I really,
really like closer to 8 hours of sleep per night. If I can get that AND get up
at around 5:30 am to workout, I’d be in business! It would be so much less of a
struggle to get everything accomplished every day. More to come on this…
8. Spend more time being creative: write,
draw, craft, cook and photograph.
9. Organize as a hobby: one room at a
time, weekly meals, finances, work office, photo albums.
10. Make and keep preventative medical and dental appointments.
I’ve done
more blogging in the last month that I’d done in the last quarter of 2013.
That’s something! The rest still need work. Organization will come soon – the
boys have a move-out date of March 1. For over a year, we’ve had too many
people and too much stuff for one house. There are so many things to organize,
plan and make overall improvement on in #9…<sigh> that’s a big one. More on that one later, too. I’ve
had my annual exam/mammogram in January. Next month is the dentist.
11.
Spend more time looking at the people I love with my undivided attention.
12.
Elicit the help of others when I feel like I'm on overload.
13.
List 3 new things I'm grateful for every day.
I’ve made a
conscious effort to put the phone, tablet or computer down when I’m talking to
my family. I could do more, better. I’m asking for help when I need it before
I’m to the point of implosion. And I’ve documented three new gratitudes nearly
every day.
14.
Reward myself for small goals I've achieved in order to keep the momentum
going.
15.
And, the personal mantra I developed in the class I just took: I will
carry courage, compassion (including
self-compassion) and connection with me
in my heart on the
journey of this one life...even when things get scary.
I lost 10 lbs
in January! That’s my first small goal and I’ve got a spray tan to schedule
right before our Florida
