Lent 2015 - working on transforming my world

I'm not sure where this will take me, but the journey always begins with a simple step - so here goes with some simple steps.....

I know I titled this Lent 2015 but these challenges are steps to a bigger change for me.  These may start with Lent and give me a time frame to track things, but this is bigger, much bigger than Lent for me.  Some challenges are more Lent specific than others.  All are steps in the right direction for me.

So here goes!

There are 6 and half weeks in Lent - 40 days if you don't count the Sundays.

1) Participate in 7 Lenten / Spiritual activities.
There are a ton of things that fit into this category - Stations of the Cross, walking a labyrinth, attending the Zion Passion Play, going to confession, etc
I think I can average one a week if I focus and make this a priority.

2) No purchasing of chips 

This is hard for me, and to be clear this is not no eating chips - it's no purchasing chips.  I can eat chips if it comes with a meal or at a party, etc -- but I can't buy them and bring them into my house.

3) Limited candy to the skittles on hand
I split the skittles into 7 containers and I can have one a week through Lent.  No purchasing of new candy - with the exception of some things for St Patrick's day.

4) 9 bags of frozen veggies 

This is a crazy non standard Lent challenge.  But like most Americans I don't eat enough vegetables. I first thought 2 bags per week but 12 bags in 6 weeks sound crazy, especially when it's just me eating them and a bag of peas can easily have 6 to 8 servings.   So I compromised and went with 1 1/2 bags per week - total of 9 over that Lent period.  Still a lot, but the point is to try to add them into more and more of my meals - replace snacks with veggies.  And to be clear, listing these as frozen veggies is just an easy way to count - but fresh veggies will count towards the total.

5) Be good to myself at least 7 times
Similar to the first challenge, I'll try to average one per week.   I tend to be too hard on myself and too cheap on spending on myself.   This is one of those longer term goals about needing to be good to myself and celebrate the small victories and celebrate the now (celebrate the season).  I need to make sure this is not only food treats and special meals, etc - just needs to be something I like to do or want to try.  

• There is at list one that is a food item I want to include - having a shamrock shake.  It's been years (maybe 10 years or more) since I had one.  I hear they are really different and very good.  Its time for me to try one and not worry about the calories - just to enjoy the very infrequent treat.  
• I also want to include a couple of movies - aiming to going to the theater 3 times.  That seams like too much and I'm not sure I can fit it 

5) Training

This is is the big one for changing my lifestyle into the type of person I want to be.  And is so very critical for the June hike with Luann.   I'm not sure how to start this.  I worry if I do too little I won't be prepared, and I worry if I try do too much I'll injury my knees and not be able to do anything.  So I'm taking a leap and committing to 4 times per week - that is 3 times with the Couch to 5K program and then 1 additional activity.  I think that is doable, if I keep focus on it.

So that's the plan - wish me good luck

I'll keep you posted on progress as time flies,

 

My 'Year of Reduction'?

I normally do an annual review and set goals for the coming year.  I never got around to it at the end of 2012 because of a bad cold that kept me from doing almost anything more than I absolutely had to, plus this introspection is hard for me to do while I have a house full of guest staying with me for the holidays.  So I'm a little late in getting around to it but you'll see more about this in the next few days and weeks.

From one of my favorite bloggers, JD Roth at More Than Money, I found a link to Chris Guillebeau's The Art of Non Conformity and his guide to doing an annual review.  I plan to take some time and follow his approach - its not just setting goals but doing a meaningful plan to accomplish them.  And as he says, people tend to understand what they can accomplish in a year.  Planning can make it happen.

His review consist of a Review of the Prior Year - looking back what worked, what didn't work, and Outlining of Goals and Focus for the New Year, and finally Make Decisions in Support of the Goals and Focus.  My question mark on the post title is because I'm jumping to the Year's Focus already - year of reduction - without having done the other steps.   He warns that it is better to work through the process and see what goals you are excited about before you set your focus and push goals to fit it.

So I'm knowingly jumping the gun, but I'm expecting I'll develop goals for health (with weight loss being a reduction), goals for decluttering (ie, a reduction in stuff), possibly a reduction in mortgage debt (obvious reduction goal).  These are areas that have been on my mind and active in my todo lists so its reasonable to think this will dominate my goals for the year.

The other key goal, that doesn't fit so well into this theme, is working with Zeus.   Things have improved tremendously between us this year, but there is still so much to go.  Let me be up front about this - the problem is more with me than it is with him!  He is a very sweet and well behaved dog.   The problem is he is a dog.   And dogs take time and effort that cats do not.  I don't yet know how to live with a dog and still do the things I want to - for example, today the Ice Age Club was hosting a snowshoe hike through Laphem Peak State Park - something I would love to have joined.  But it was from 11 am to 2pm with socializing / bring your own lunch afterwards - so I would not have been home till about 3pm and then needing to leave almost immediately for a Rose Bowl party.  If I had a cat pet, then no problem.  I could have easily make these times work for me.   With a dog, not so much.  At somepoint in between those I need to feed him and walk him.  And actually getting out of the house this morning was delayed by two walks cause not all the bathroom business got done on the first walk.  It's not overwhelming and certainly other people have much bigger problems (in life and with their own pets) but its inconvenient and I have not yet adjusted my thoughts and actions to take living with a dog into account.   Some of this is my own doing - I haven't trained Zeus to go out by himself and I don't have a fence installed to allow it.  So I envision some goals and major actions on my part to make this better for both Zeus and me.   It needs and deserves some focus - this is the area that is keeping me from being happier.  It brings me down often so need some serious review and planning for 2013 to be better, especially because this has long term impact as I expect Zeus to live another 10 years or so.

Another potential goal that doesn't quite fit into a year of reduction is to blog post more - I'm thinking 50 post this year. Fifty sounds like a lot - last year was only 39 and a good 10 of those were directly related to the New Mexico trip and storing directions and links.   I feel compelled to have a goal like this to help push me to get both more open about sharing things and also to help maintain good writing skills.   I have that vague ideal job of being a movie critic so posting more seams to moving in the right direction.

Guess I will have to go through the process and see where my focus and interest really lay - because while I started with the what's been current on my to do list - with all those reduction items, at first glance I think I'm more focused and excited by these last two goals which don't fit the year of reduction. 

Just keep swimming!!!

I'm stressing myself and I try to get everything ready for the trip and all the house stuff and volunteer stuff I wanted to get done before I left... so in the immortal words of Dory: Just keep swimming, Just keep swimming!!!

St Walter Pray for us

I started to call Wally "St Walter of the Patio".  Image my surprise to find out there is a St Walter (of Pontoise) and that one of the reasons to pray to him is for invoked against job-related stress - and to think my Wally was my main stress reliever.  No matter how bad things were, the mere presents of Wally would lower my frustration level dramatically.  A few minutes with him and all was right in the world again. Oh how I miss him and his calming affect on me. 

As a gift to myself I plan to get St. Wally medallion as soon as I reach my next weight loss goal - this is very appropriate since Wally's death was the catalyst for restart on the weight loss.  Wearing the St Wally medallion will be a physical reminder for me, something tangible to help me stay focused on my priorities. Wally will always be a priority for me.

Friendly Reminder