Changing My Perspective

Last week, I shared about starting my fitness journal.  I'm almost three weeks into my journey now.  If I had known what a difference keeping a fitness journal would make, I would have started one a long time ago! 

I jot down notes throughout the day and do a summary at night.  I'm noticing trends and patterns in my behavior that I had never noticed before journaling.  I find myself stopping to check my motives before I grab a snack and pushing myself a little harder with my workouts.  I'm seeing the patterns of how everything fits together - emotions, fitness, sleep, eating habits, and more.

Even though this hasn't been a great week for me fitness wise (I haven't felt too great and have taken it easy the past two days), I know I'm gaining better control of my eating habits.  I'm being more mindful of everything I put in my mouth.  The results (as of Monday) are 1 1/2 pounds that are now GONE.  It's a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.  

It's all tying together for me - emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health.  If one is out of balance, everything is out of balance.  With God's help, I'm changing each aspect and striving for a healthier, stronger life.

Fitness Journaling

It's time to get serious.  A few days ago I was looking at myself in the mirror as I was getting ready for work, and I wanted to cry.  I'm flirting with my highest weight ever.  I don't feel good.  I'm not even close to hitting my fitness goals.  I need a new push, a new challenge, a new direction.

My friend Kristi sent me a couple of great ideas last week.  We were chatting about fitness, our goals, and our need for accountability.  She shared this awesome idea from Pinterest (where all good ideas seem to come from!) for a fitness journal.  It looked like exactly what I needed, so I decided to make my own.  I pulled out a few scrapbook supplies, printed out some of my favorite quotes and Bible verses from Pinterest, and came up with this:

It was so easy to make!  I made it small enough to fit in my purse so I can carry it to work, to the gym, etc.  After just a few days, I can tell that tracking my workouts, how I feel, and my daily calorie intake all in one place will help me see the big picture of my health and fitness.  I can't wait to share my progress and how my journal is helping me along the way.

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It's Official!

It’s official – the dental hygiene class of 2013 has a graduation date: May 10, 2013.  That’s the day all our hard work and sacrifice will pay off, when we can all add three little initials behind our last name – RDH.

It feels surreal already.  Less than a year to go.  It’s going to be 11 months ull of lots of hard work – more classes, more time in clinic, the national board test, the practical test, and more.  I’m sure it will add lots more gray to my hair and make me wonder many more times if I made the right decision.

It’s been quite a journey already, but now let the countdown to graduation begin!

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Letting Go of Pefect

I had an epiphany this week – in Wal-Mart, of all places.  Wal-Mart usually inspires a lot of thoughts, most of which I can’t put on my blog because I’m a pastor’s wife.  But this time was different.

I went in to pick up a couple of things and look for another notebook.  I’ve been struggling to find the perfect notebook – small enough for my purse but big enough to really write and not just take notes, durable enough to get tossed around a lot, cute enough to look cutesy and artsy when I pull it pull out of my bag.  I was getting really frustrated because I just couldn’t find what I was looking for, and I started to walk away. 

Then it hit me, in the aisle between bottled water and office supplies.  ‘Why does it have to be perfect?  Just write.’  I waste so much time waiting for “perfect” – the perfect time, the perfect place, the perfect notebook and everything else.  Why?  Blogging isn’t about being perfect.  It’s about being me.  It’s about finding my unique voice and letting it out.  It’s about sharing my crazy journey through life with all the ups and downs and battles.  It’s about hiding in the bathroom to write this in my notebook because if I leave, everyone will need something right now.  (Please tell me I’m not the only one who has to do this!)

I’ve been thinking and praying and agonizing over creating my “perfect” blog lately.  Now I’m letting go of perfect, and I’m embracing me.  My voice.  My quirky sense of humor. My scattered brain.  My occasional sarcasm.   My mess.  Real, imperfect me.

10 Things for June

I started the summer with a huge list of things I want to accomplish.  Since I start my second (and final) year of dental hygiene school in mid-July, I don't have a lot of time to get them all done.  My June list has some major projects to work on:

1. Clean out our dresser
2. Clean out our master bedroom closet
3. Yard sale!
4. Make a list of specific clothing and accesory items my wardrobe needs
5. Plan a monthly menu for July
6. Read 4 books (including Reshaping It All and Organized Simplicity)
7. Lose 5 pounds (or more)
8. Order my textbooks for summer II and fall
9. Continue working on/tweaking our family and home plans, including a home management notebook
10. Finish putting together my new prayer journal

Hhhmmm....I'm thinking I should stop blogging and start working? ;-)

Mind Mapping?

I found an interesting post on "mind mapping" today on Pinterest (because that's where all good ideas come from!).  I thought it was a great concept for getting thoughts down on paper.  I tend to be a little random...

...and thought this whole mapping concept might help me sort out my thoughts and ideas.  After all, I'm juggling and planning and scheduling time for a husband who is a full-time pastor, two boys, a full-time college program, an almost full time job, a home business, the children's ministry I direct, home, food, and fitness.  Then I started thinking about what my map would look like.  It might be a little scary looking...



Yeah, that sums it up...hmmm, maybe I should stick to a list.

Me, Yard Sales, and the Bermuda Triangle

I solved one of the world’s great mysteries this weekend.  It happened totally by accident.  One of my big goals for this summer is to have a yard sale, so I’ve been going through all the closets in the house and cleaning them out.  Let me just say we’re going to have a really big yard sale in a few weeks!  Anyway, this weekend it was time for the most dreaded task of all…cleaning out my youngest son’s closet and bedroom.  I knew it was long overdue, but wow, I had no idea what I was in for.

It took the entire long weekend – three days of hard work – and I’m still not totally done.  So far we’ve filled two and half huge trash bags (we’re talking lawn-and-garden size bags – you know, the 5,000 gallon kind) with outgrown toys and clothes for the yard sale, and some smaller bags of trash (broken toys, toys with pieces missing, old coloring books, etc.).  His room is looking so much better!  He can now actually find the toys he loves playing with.

In the midst of all that cleaning, as I said, I solved one of the world’s greatest mysteries.  The Bermuda Triangle.  It’s simple, really – everything that has disappeared from the earth, ever, was somehow sucked into my little guy’s bedroom.  It was all there, and it’s now either in our garage awaiting the yard sale or in the trash.  Well, okay, not all of it went to the yard sale or the trash.  My oldest son’s entire Bakugan collection was located in my youngest son’s toy buckets.  The boys’ entire wardrobe was buried at the back of the closest.  (Their idea of ‘Hang this up neatly’ needs some work.  And besides that, what are my 10 year old’s clothes doing in my 7 year old’s bedroom?)  Now, thanks to his clean room, the entire Marvel Comic superhero squad can guard my boys’ bedrooms, since they are no long MIA.

I have to admit, I’m impressed with what was accomplished this weekend.  Apparently I’m not the only one.  When he saw his younger brother’s room, my oldest replied, “Wow, Mom – I may have to hire you to clean my closet too.”  Hhhmmm…this idea just may work!

This morning, as I was getting ready to post this, I saw that Sarah Mae is hosting a challenge to celebrate her 31 Days to Clean "reboot" with daily challenges.  What could be better?  Obviously, from the condition of the boys bedrooms, my house needs it.  I'm out of class for the next six weeks, so the timing is right.  She says it's an experiment...well, count me in!  It started with one room - now, clean and organized house, here I come!