Thursday Rant

Do you ever feel like you can almost taste big, positive, delicious changes in your life, but you don't know how the heck to get to them? I feel like that pretty much all the time these days. I think it's because I'm actually close, but I honest to goodness feel so overwhelmed and swamped by other people's bullshit at work (and quite possibly my own!) that it gets snatched away at the last minute.

Now my dreams aren't lofty by any means, and yet I find myself treading water more often than not. I'm also not in denial or being negative. I know I have made incredible leaps toward getting things back on track since I lost my job nearly five years ago. However, sometimes I get...ugh! I get so frustrated!

I need to leave my current job because it drives me absolutely effing insane. See this article for reference. And this post. However, I haven't been able to find a job that pays nearly enough to make the move doable. I don't even know where to begin to look for something that isn't linked to crappy job-hunting websites and takes seven months for a response (I'm looking at you, State of Florida jobs and PeoplesFirst) and y'all all remember this from a few weeks ago! It can feel so depressing and daunting, yet I know there is a clever solution somewhere. I know there is a way I can hustle my way into (my idea of) greatness!

But where to start?! I detest this feeling of impotence. Drastic measures may be in order.

Rant completed...for now.

I hope you have a truly wonderful day and if any jobs you don't want fall into your lap, help a sister out!!

For the win!

Post yard sale glow...and celebratory breakfast time!

Well, we had the yard sale on Saturday. Boy, does it ever feel good to have that over. I feel like I could get rid of a whole lot more too. I reckon I'll be making a few more passes through the ole storage unit over the next few weeks.

This was the storage unit before we loaded it up. I have to say even after eleven boxes, an enormous painting, some furniture and some odds and ends- it didn't look as empty as I'd hoped. I'm getting back in there over the next few weeks because I really want to downgrade.

Two truckloads of stuff! I also have a cute photo of my sweet friend who helped me, but the sun was shining right in his eyes and I didn't want to put a picture up without his approval ('cause I lurve ya hunneh).

You see...it was SO busy so early, that by 9:30 a.m., we had almost sold out of everything worth anything. When it died down, we called a local charity and they picked it all up for us while we went and had cold beers. Anyway, I wanted to get a picture of the hullaballoo, but this is what I got instead.

And then I made that cheddar y'all! It was my 3rd most successful yard sale, but I'm grateful for it and I'm thankful to be rid of so much stuff. I think there had to be at least an actual ton of stuff we got rid of. It feels good! And ridding myself of the unnecessary is rather addictive!

So what did y'all do with your weekend? I'd love to know! I hope you have a wonderful day!!

New Day

Hey y'all! First things first.

My apologies. I have been so busy with the new house, the KonMari "great purge"and subsequent yard sale, work-related stuff, and all-round feeling unorganized that I haven't given the blog as much attention as I would like. It's my sanctuary too, you know. And I know that if I pay more attention to it (i.e. my gut and heart and mind) then clarity comes forth and I feel better in all those above departments. Der. Easy to say, not always easy to do, amiright?

Anyway, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. In fact, I'm trudging through it all like I'm in a tough-mudder. And I promise more frequent posts and a Friday Happies this week too.

Hang in there with me, y'all.

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

The adventures of Lulu & the KonMari Method!

Progress, baby!

For those of you who read pretty regularly, you will remember that I have mentioned this book several times in the past. Well, funnily enough, my Mom bought it for herself and immediately became motivated to reduce her belongings.

Last week, she loaned me the book to read. I knew I would love it, because the book Scaling Down was a huge influence on me in the past and a motivator to do this tiny house experiment. I didn't realize how illuminating and special Marie's book would become to me (and funny too!). It has motivated me to try the "great purge" experiment, in order, and follow all the steps to find my "click point". That is the point in which you discard, donate, remove by identifying the items that "spark joy" instead of just throwing stuff out. By identifying the joyful items, "the getting rid of" becomes sooooo much easier and more rewarding and you find your personal level (click point) in which you are joyous by your home and belongings and don't feel the itch to acquire more. All I could think as I read that idea was... I want that.

I have been on the quest for balance and peace for years and most recently have made great strides in figuring out ways to make it happen for me. My favorite part of the read was where I am asked to envision the life you live in your head and solidify it. Descriptive and clear details as if you already have that life instead of dreaming of it. I did so (I won't share, as those kinds of things are kind of personal). But basically I kept finding a pattern in the words I used. Clean, peaceful, sanctuary, well-appointed, cosy, bright, happy. I felt so good reading over it that I wrote this down in my notebook: "May 12, begin the project by going through your clothing and loungewear. Be ruthless."

As the week dragged on and the book got better and better, I started becoming anxious and little kid- excited about pulling all of my clothing into one place, identifying whether it sparks joy or not then removing it if it doesn't (you also must thank each item you get rid of for teaching you something or fulfilling its duty- hokey but it totally works psychologically). Yesterday was the day (and my day off incidentally) and I happily took my hiney to the storage unit (my ultimate goal is to reduce that bad boy by 2/3 and get a smaller, less expensive unit this summer) and pulled out all of my clothes (not jewelry or shoes). I brought them to my little cabin and spread it all out on the front porch.

It was quite the ride to hold each item in my hands and find the joy (or not). It felt good to grow the pile of donations piece by piece as well. In the end I counted that I owned 154 items (scarves, belts, tops, bottoms, dresses, lingerie, layering pieces, coats etc.). Here are the stats (now be aware that I have much less than I did a year ago as I have been getting rid of stuff actively since then but even after all that, I was still shocked by the excess):

Tops: 43

Bottoms (pants, skirts): 13

Layering pieces: 15

Scarves, Hats & Belts: 24

Lingerie: 17

Dresses: 11

Coats: 3

Swimsuit/Robes: 4

The halfway point!

After I took a good look at everything, I added a few more things to the donate pile and threw a few things away too. In total, I ended up giving away 40 clothing items (and three hangers) and throwing away 21 for a total of 64 items removed from my house/storage. I kept 93 items (three of which I can only keep if I get them repaired).

I have a feeling I'll get rid of even more as the process goes on. But still! 40% of my wardrobe has been removed (in an hour and a half) and I don't feel like I am missing a single thing. Seriously! There isn't one thing I miss or have thought about since and I'm a sentimental fool, y'all! I also know every single item by heart that is in storage (fall/winter) and anything I forget about will get tossed or donated as I come across it throughout this process.

All in all, this feels incredible and I am so excited about going through more and making space for my life to blossom to new potentials (can one pluralize 'potential' I wonder?). I'll post more about it as it goes along!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

April Challenge Recap and Something New!

One of my favorite pictures I've ever taken. Morning sunrise walk at the lake. 

Well y'all, I did it. I happily skipped through four weeks of this Paleo experiment. This last week was a tough one due to the final stages of the move. However, though I imbibed more wine than usual and processed convenience foods did show up here and there, I'm happy to say I stayed about 60% Paleo (and that's low-balling it).

That being said, I chose not to weigh or measure myself this week. I decided that I was happy with the experiment regardless of this final week's results. I also decided this is something I'm going to stick with for a while. Staying 90% Paleo every day, with plenty of fun exceptions because life is meant to be lived. Oh! And I also got in 46 miles this month too. That's four miles shy of my goal, but I still think it's superb considering I only got in 18 miles in March! Snaps for me!

I enjoyed this challenge very much for several reasons. 1. It was something I wanted to do, not that I told myself I had to do. 2. It offered plenty of creative outlets to get the job done, so I didn't feel stuck. 3. It nourished me, both physically and mentally. I didn't feel restricted or bummed that I couldn't have this or that. I found that approaching changes of any kind (especially health-based ones) require a sense of kindness to oneself. An inner-shift in perspective that leans away from "I've been bad today" kinds of mentalities to "How can I nourish myself better?".

Keeping that in mind all month really did help. Did I eat sweet treats? Hell yeah. Did I eat all of them because I felt I "deserved" it. Nope. I deserved health and nutrition and gave myself that as often as I could. Could I have done better/made better choices? Absolutely! I'm not going to feel bad that I ate Rice Dream ice cream bites. I'm not going to feel bad that I had delicious fried chicken either. Or that that new wine I tried was deee-licious (though I admit that sticking to one glass is probably best for me- hello mid-30's wine headaches!).

All in all, I'm thrilled to keep this going for the month of May. Now that the hubs and I are finally moved in and getting organized, my kitchen is once again my sanctuary. I have scores of recipes I want to try and now I have the chance to do it. Yay!

I've also decided that I want to try a fun challenge every month. For May I want to commit to 5 minutes of arm exercises every day. I dream of having Angela Bassett arms, but I'm perfectly happy toning up my little spaghetti noodles for some confident sleevelessness.

May also ushers in my return to regular blog posts. It's been so weird not having this place to go to for random thoughts, philosophies and what-nots. So, you'll be hearing a lot more from me from now on.

Well, What do you think? Wanna try my May challenge with me? I'd love to know!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day, y'all!

Week 3 Update!

A picture I took in Apalachicola in August, 2014.

Hey y'all! I'm brighter eyed and bushy-tailed today than I was yesterday, wowsers! We are in the home stretch (no pun intended) of the moving game and I'm loving my new little house. We're trying to make it feel as much like a little beach cabin in The Keys as a little shotgun house from the 1940's in North Florida can feel. It's less than 800 square feet (but feels even smaller somehow). Ha!

Anyway, I wanted to give you guys an update on the progress I've made with my experiment with Paleo and getting into better shape physically and dietetically. Week three had its major challenges for various reasons. One, the moving. My stuff is everywhere and then some. Two, it was a really busy week at work and I got to help my mom with an art show (which was awesome, but busy). Three, going going going and not taking time to just be takes its toll on you. And it did for me last week. But, I digress.

Day 15: I did great all day, had dinner with a friend (which included some yummy potatoes, tofu and wine). I was also a cranky little B so apologies (again) friend for being such a party pooper!

Day 16-18: I did great all day, though I wish I had prepared more meals for myself. I mostly snacked all day throughout the week. The difference being: WINE. Not much, but I had one to two glasses every night. Oh and a small portion of fried chicken because I'm a human being.

Day 19: Tornado watches and severe storms. We ordered a pizza and cinnamon sticks and it was magical. Though my tummy did not agree! However, instead of blowing the whole day like I did the first two weeks I planned a "fun day", I let myself have a little treat every night. I could have done less, but whatevs.

Day 20: I had one beer with dinner and the rest of the day was terrific and easy.

Day 21: I did terrific all day and evening and had a half a beer, but it tasted gross so I gave it to my husband in exchange for my big fluffy bed that was calling my name instead.

So what are the results?

I lost major inches this week! Mind you, I walked/jogged every day (even the days I was working the art show, I still got some miles in) and it rained all weekend too (still did it! Proud of myself for that).
I lost two inches off my belly and a quarter inch of my arms as well as a half inch from my legs. I gained a half a pound, but I'm not worried about that. Hormones, plus a little more wine than usual and a half pound gain is a fair price to pay.

I'm thrilled to be in the fourth week of the challenge.

My goals:
Walk/job 17 miles (that will put me at 50 miles for the month!!).
Get back to my nightly yoga (I did zero yoga this week and I can feel it. It's probably another reason I've been feeling like I need to sleep all the time).
Make at least two meals for us this week. I made this (with no coconut flour) last week because of chocolate cravings and they were better than delicious. YUM!

Any goals for yourself for this week, guys? I'd love to know! I truly hope you have a wonderful day!!

Hey!

It's Wednesday and I actually do have an update about this awesome Paleo experiment. I'm still loving it and having some great results... however, I'm also in the final (harrowing and hustling) days of moving and sort of living in between both places at the same time. I know I will be rereading my time management series again very soon!

I promise the update will happen either sometime today or tomorrow morning bright and early!

Be well, friends! I truly hope you have a wonderful day!

Checkin' in!

Early morning at the lake!

Hey y'all! How's your week going? Mine has been eventful (tummy bug- ew and still moving). Today's all about the updates, baby and here we go!

Day 8: I did pretty great considering it was my B's birthday and we all went out to dinner. I had a yummy salad with grilled chicken on top (though it had a marinated that I'm sure had sugar in it), everything else I did was on target!

Day 9: Sorta kinda did okay except I had the longest day at work (open to close) and resisted the first offering of a glass of wine. Upon the second offering, I gave in. I had two glasses of wine and ended up with the worst headache in the morning (aw, I'm growing up!). Still was totally worth it in the moment.

Day 10: I gave in a little for dinner. I did great up until the offer for homemade Chicken Parm came rolling in and it was lovely! I nixed the extra cheese and didn't eat the pasta (so I didn't go totally nuts). I even skipped dessert.

Day 11: Being so busy and exhausted this week prepping for inventory, I really didn't nourish myself very well. I packed healthy snacks, but failed to really make any quality meals the whole week. Therefore, by the end of a very busy day I was spent and basically just drank water and fell asleep.

Day 12: However...my non-Paleo day was so fun but I learned a lot. First things first, I had such an INSANE craving for chicken and waffles one may have thought I was knocked up (I'm not). So, I planned a brunch with friends and proceeded to devour said chicken and waffles and mimosas and it was all I could have asked for. The problem came when the hubs and I also went out to eat again and had a couple beers (again, amazing). By the end of the night however, my body was like "Um, excuse me...you done being an idiot yet? Nope? Let's see about this!"

Day 13: I get a stomach bug that I feel fairly confident in saying I would not have gotten it if the hubs and I had dialed it back a bit. We had eaten fried food, bread, dairy, sugar, and booze! I know the sudden influx of all that shocked my body and the bug that was going around work last week found me. Barf. Literally.

Day 14: I did well, though my appetite wasn't really back yet. I've been depending on my trail mix a lot (unsweetened coconut and unsweetened cranberries with almonds, pepitas and sunflower seeds) and carrots because that's kind of all I can keep down and it keeps my blood sugar more stable than other snacks seem to. However, I made the time to make sure meals are prepped in advance for next week so I can better nourish my body instead of just getting by (which is really what it felt like this week- surviving).

All in all, I lost an inch (accidentally wrote a pound! ACK! No thank you!) from my bust and no weight. That's okay though, last week's results were pretty damn amazing and I did get a little loosey goosey this week. I managed to walk 1.8 miles every day regardless of all incidences of which I am so incredibly proud, I can hardly stand it! An increase of over 4 miles from the week before!!

My daily yoga sessions (online) got a little derailed but I made it 4.5 days out of 7 and will exceed that heartily this week. Anyway, my measurements say I haven't budged an inch, but my workout pants and leggings kept falling down yesterday which makes me think my body is just lava-lamping. You know, moving the curves around to new places...I'm totally cool with that. I'm a sexy lava lamp lady!

I'm still feeling so motivated and happy and inspired that I can't wait to see next week's results!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day!!

200!!

Spring sunrise at the lake by my house.

Hey friends! Today is my 200th post on P&PPS! That's so bananas, because it feels like just yesterday I was writing the first, then the 100th! I'm so grateful to y'all out there who read this and have been hanging out with me on my pursuit of balance, peace and positivity! A big kiss on the forehead to all y'all!

Things have been pretty hectic on my end with a wedding, Easter, work stuff and moving into a new house. However, I'm here to post an update on the "Paleo" experiment (and apologize for no Friday post last week, after I teased it and everything! Mea culpa mea culpa!). I promise to have one whiz-bang doozy of a Friday Happies this week to make it up to ya.

To the update!

I thought last week was going to be more challenging than it was, I really did. The first three days were the easiest. The challenges came in trying to eat out or grabbing something quick from a store when my blood sugar plummeted while moving. I did okay, but it sure seems like EVERYTHING has added sugar in it these days. Geesh.

I made Pineapple Pulled Pork in the crock pot earlier in the week and it really was a lifesaver. The hubs ate it on bread and I devoured it as is for my lunches at work. I also made this Enchilada Stew which satiated both our appetites and was completely on track to boot! Daily smoothies and non-dairy, crustless mini quiches kept me going in the early parts of the day as did having an avocado or banana with honey for snacks in that weird between time before dinner. Carrots (being my favorite snack) and a Paleo'd version of these Pumpkin "Cookies" were my go-to for sweet treats, which surprisingly really did the trick!

The 4th was my cousin's wedding and I stayed true all day until the dinner reception in which there was nary a Paleo option to be found. It wasn't one of the days I had planned on loosening the reigns, but it was okay. Flexibility and a positive outlook are super important in a life change such as this. I had a champagne toast, a couple beers and a Southern-style dinner topped off with one bite of each wedding cake. All in all, not too bad (and zero guilt).

The 5th was Easter and was my total fun day. I stayed on point until I got to my Mom's (which was my plan), and the meal they had planned was like 80% on my track anyway (handy for me!), so other than deviled eggs, wine and dessert, that day was nailed and thoroughly enjoyed.

Then the 6th day came. I had no trouble with sugar or cold beer cravings until this day. I guess because the sugar was still in my system, my body went into HEROIN mode. The wigged out cells in my body kept telling my brain that I wanted- nay, NEEDED sugar when I really didn't. I found myself craving the weirdest, sugariest stuff that I haven't had in years! I didn't give in (though the cravings were intense, needless to say) because inside I knew it wasn't real. However, that really made me pay attention to the shock my body goes through whenever I eat/imbibe processed foods/sugars.

Yesterday was the 7th day and other than having had to fast for a blood test, my cravings were pretty much silent again. I did make the mistake of going to the grocery store hungry and without meaning too, my eyes grew wide at the sight of fried chicken; but I'm Southern. My eyes always do that because I was brought up right.

All of this is to say friends (and drum roll please)...I lost five and a half pounds in the first week, a half inch off my thighs and bum!!! Now, I'm no dummy. I've also been walking 20 minutes every morning and taking a 30-day yoga challenge every evening. But it's all added up to a pretty stupendous-feeling success!

I'm geared up for week number two! Care to join me?! I'd love to know!

I truly hope you have a wonderful day! Also, a HAPPY 54th BIRTHDAY to my B! I love you!

Announcement

Little Pink Houses for you and me.

Sometimes you just have to take time for yourself. Right now is one of those times, but don't you worry! I'm just codependent enough to still post every Friday (and once or twice a week too). For the next 2-4 weeks, the hubs and I will be moving into a new (very tiny) house and well- things are nuts at work too...so's I need the headspace!

We will be reducing our possessions by two thirds. That alone is daunting and terribly exciting. I'm also taking this time for some personal experiments (more on that later). All in all, I will be posting intermittently until May. Then I'll be back to my old hijinks. So don't touch that dial, or do, but dial it back here at least once a week for your dose of positivity!

I can't wait to share this upcoming adventure with you guys!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

3 questions.

Sometimes the decisions aren't that tough to make after all. What will you let go of?

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Thoughts on Time (Part 2)

Through the Looking Glass

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope your weekend has been wonderful! Hopefully you didn't have to go to work today (I've been told it's a holiday), but if you did- you have my sincerest sympathy and understanding!)

Well last week, I wrote this post about the more "bigger picture" aspects of time management. Today, I'm breaking down a few organizational aspects of time management. Some of these ideas are super simple, some are common sense and others are maybe not fun, but they pay off. Here we go!

Keep it simple, Sister!

#1. Write it all down & Utilize a calendar.

Contrary to popular belief (particularly in the world of "time management" research), one does not need anything fancy or expensive to do this (even that stuff seen above). It's fine if that's what helps you feel more productive, but it doesn't work for me and in reality is so completely unnecessary. To me, it is a way to distract from the real tasks at hand by occupying my mind with the project that has to occur before being able to do the real work of organizing. 

To rephrase: I can't organize my time better because I don't have a $300 Filofax organizational system. I'll spend two weeks compiling everything I need to be organized then I'll really get started."

Ugh. Just write it down. Write down all the things you need to do. Write down your daily stuff, write down your short term goals, write down your long term goals. Write down important bill dates etc. project/event/appointment dates too. Stop avoiding it. Get out a calendar and a steno pad and just do it. After you get it all down, you can organize it however you want. First things first, though. 

Also, you must remember that to manage your time better, you have to tend to it regularly. You have to sit down five minutes a day or a half hour a week (whatever works with your headspace) and update, change, move around, rearrange and re-prioritize your goals and tasks etc. Which brings me to the next point.

Dr. Evil loves air quotes just as much as I do.

#2. Determine what is urgent (versus personal priority).

Sure it will be scandalously gratifying to spend three hours tending to a project on your to-do list. Crossing it off the list feels so good! But if you did that and didn't go to the grocery store before a busy week ahead, you are setting yourself up for time management failure. Balance is paramount.

Determining what is urgent (sitting down and doing your taxes, making sure your car is cared for before a road trip, getting the week's groceries purchased and prepped for that long week ahead, getting your kid's school play costume started (instead of binge-watching House), getting a just rough draft of your Great American Novel completed etc.

Those are bigger picture items that get you to a better place so that you have the time to work on other things like: making your bathroom cabinets look Pinterest-worthy, learning how to do a perfect fishtail braid, watching the latest episode of Downton, or spending a few hours delving into the backstory of a character you're workshopping for that Great American Novel. You get my point? No? Let me put it another way:

Party on, Wayne!

#3. Get the no-fun stuff out of the way first and earliest in the day.

Otherwise said by no lesser a sage than Wayne Campbell from Wayne's World (paraphrased of course): "It's like rushing home on Friday after school and getting all your homework done early so the rest of the weekend, you're free to party."

Simply stated: You'll feel buttloads better getting the no-fun stuff done early which makes the rest of your day feel so conquerable! It is a positivity snowball that gives you piles and piles of more time at the end of the day for the things you want to do; the things that make you happiest and bring you the most satisfaction and joy! 

That's what we're all after in the end, isn't it?!

Yep.

#4. Plan. Plan for tomorrow, then have a contingency plan (or two).

I can tell you hardly no other thing about time management that helps more than this simple idea. And yes, I'm familiar with the colloquial saying "the surest way to make God laugh is to tell Him your plans".

However, planning has gotten a bad rep. It seems to be associated with mouse-eyed Type-A's that can't seem to remove the stick from their ass no matter how badly they need to. Real life planning isn't like that.

This is what planning is:
*Making a meal plan for your week, allowing for wiggle room in case a last-minute celebratory outing with friends, family or kids pops up. This kind of planning frees up major money so more fun life stuff is possible.

*Planning is keeping a bag in the trunk of the car that has bottles of water, granola bars and a change of clothes in case there is an emergency or your car breaks down in July and AAA is delayed due to a bizarro pickle truck flipping over on the opposite side of the interstate.

*Planning is keeping a spare box of pasta noodles and spaghetti sauce in the pantry in case one week you have an unexpected bill and can't afford your typical fare. Or a friend is sick and you want to do something for her family while she's stuck in bed. Boom. No extra money needed and you've done a nice deed for someone you love.

Planning isn't filling every single moment of every day and evening with some task, project, event, sport, hobby, etc. The goal of planning is to simplify- to quiet. Not to occupy or busy oneself.

 And that's another thing! Planning is just taking the time to anticipate what can't be anticipated so when life happens (AND IT ALWAYS DOES, Y'ALL!), you aren't derailed. You aren't standing on the side of the interstate waiting for AAA in 100 degree weather, ready to pass out from dehydration (I use this example because I've had that happen and thank goodness I had water in the car)!

If you plan properly, you can be super flexible and enjoy all (or at least more) of life's little curveballs. Sometimes curveballs are the best thing ever, but only if you can manage your stuff enough to be able to glean the positive from each situation!

Alright, okay. That's enough of a lesson for today. I do have a lot left to say on the topic though, so stay tuned for Wednesday's update. Time management doesn't have to be daunting if you approach it with good headspace. Seriously. A little goes a long way toward having the life you want. I know because I'm doing it myself after years and years of struggling.

Check ya later, pals! I hope you have a truly wonderful day!

Sunday

We all have something we put off or use an excuse for a lack of progress. Why do we do that? Start it. Begin. The tiniest thing is a beginning. Start somewhere. Simply do it!

Have a truly wonderful day!

Thoughts on Progress

The moon from my back yard.

How about that Full Moon last night? Did you catch the lunar eclipse on Wednesday (morning, approximately 3:25 AM)? I just love this time of year so much (I know, I know- I only say it every day)! There really is something some special and basic about getting out under the beautiful Fall moon and sky and letting it wash over you.

This season is a great time to evaluate the progress you've made over the year, as I've mentioned earlier. It's a time to cull from the mistakes made over the year and really begin to formulate an action plan to make progress for the future year. Sound bonkers? Well, in many cultures this time of year is the time of ancestors. Who better to help you learn from your mistakes than your ancestors, right? I can practically hear my grandmothers giving me "helpful" advice as I type this. Just kidding with the air quotes, my late grandmas were awesome (and so is the lovely one I'm fortunate enough to have left, love you Bev!)

But seriously, progress is something so fascinating to me. It exists not only in the major actions, but in the minutia. If you read every Monday, then you know that I believe in the teeny incremental things we do that further our progress.

I've mentioned lately that I've been overwhelmed. I've been feeling a bit "cart before the horse", a little "static in the brain", and quite frankly- a little bit failure-y lately.   I'm trying to recalibrate. I've been trying to remember all the little things do add up and that I'm in that middle part of progress where it feels stale and burdensome to continue the actual work of making changes. Basically, I'm writing this as a reminder to myself and to anyone out there reading who experiences the same or similar, that its worth it. That real change is on the way if you work on it every day, even if it feels a bit burdensome sometimes.

I know I can do it, and you can too. It takes determination for a better life. It takes dedication to the goal you have set. It takes faith in yourself that you can do it. Take some time tonight, really think about the goals you set at the beginning of the year. Think of the progress you've made, and do just one thing to further your progress today.

I hope you have a truly wonderful (and progressive) day!

Thoughts on Balance

Five tips for finding balance in chaotic times.

Ironic I am writing about balance today, considering that I have been several steps behind for about a week and a half now (or maybe it's just about time). I let my stuff get on top of me and thankfully I don't have work today, so I can take the day to evaluate, recalibrate, meditate and all-round reboot.

I've noticed a pattern with myself, one that I'm seriously working on breaking. I get super balanced and start kicking major ass and then BOOM! I do something or I let something in that distracts me. The distraction starts small, one little thing gets dropped off the to-do list and then it snowballs. Within a week or two (as in today), I find myself wondering what the hell happened.

I'm not sure what it was this time, but I am sure I'm going to catch it now before I relapse into old habits. I've never been a particularly extreme person; however I have found myself in the midst of extreme behaviors in the past and when I analyze those situations, I find that they all started out the same way. Something small changed and instead of adapting, I reacted. I snowballed. All of the times I have crawled out of the mire of grief, depression or whatever else was going on, it began with an adaptation to a situation and not a reaction.

A small tweak can make a really big difference. I'm sure it's common sense, but it isn't the easiest to implement in the moment, now is it? Well, that's what I'm working on this week (and my entire life). Autumn is a great time for finding balance (equinox after all...equal), and today's the day to make a change.

Is there something out of balance in your world? Take some time to think about it today and perhaps come up with an adaptive behavior instead of a reactive behavior. Maybe just maybe it will be a turbo boost for your engine of change. I'd love to hear all about it too!

I hope you have a truly wonderful day!