A Little More than a Month Out (With a Whole Life to Go)

So, I'm not so great at keeping a blog. Or at accomplishing a goal each week. Life sort of gets in the way -- and there have been a lot of twists and turns this past year, and not all for the better. However, with 40 coming in little more than a month, I have managed to accomplish a lot this past year and make some positive changes in my life. Many of them won't be complete by the time I turn 40, but I won't be complete by the time I turn 40. In fact, many of the things I've started are things I hope to be doing and working on forever.

Some of the things I've accomplished and/or am working on over the past year include:

• Getting Abigail adjusted to school
• Completing the CSC
• Getting promoted to Senior Editor, Global Editorial 
• Trying to look on the positive side of things
• Taking up painting
• Taking up gardening
• Teaching Abigail about nature and science
• Getting my financial house in order, including getting rid of all debt
• Saving enough for a trip to Europe
• Trying to let go of the things that don't matter
• Trying to have fun and do more with Abigail during the week
• Joining Weight Watchers so that I can eat healthier and get to a healthier weight
• Eating more vegan meals
• Taking care of me -- using skin products, going to the dentist, etc.
• Moving more -- walking Abigail home from school when I can, going on hikes
• Reading more for pleasure

I'm still not vegan, I'm still not my ideal weight, I'm still not moving enough. But I've started. I feel good. I may not be exactly where I wanted to be when I turn 40 next month, but I've made some strides in the last year that I feel good about. And as I said in my original blog post 10 months ago, I was already happy and content. This journey isn't ending in a month. It's just starting. I have a feeling there many amazing things to come. 

Riding the Energy Train

I've still got my mojo! So, I'm going to work with it and ride this energy train for as long as I can.

Last week, I set myself two goals. First, to start/continue my daily gratitude emails and I'm happy to report that I have. Some days it's hard to think of things to write, but those are exactly the days that you need to write those three things that you are grateful for. It's an excellent reminder of how amazing my life is already and a reminder to notice and enjoy the little things and the little moments. My second task was to have a healthy start to the day. I've have been enjoying my overnight vegan oats immensely and they are so easy and filling that it seems like the perfect workday food. I have also been stretching before I get out of bed. But though I've been doing it I feel like I need a little more knowledge in that area. I know that the stretching will take time to work it's magic, but I do feel like I could benefit from know more stretches. I'll look into some more things I can do open up my back this week.

And with that, on to this week. Because I'm feeling so awesome and energized, I've given myself two tasks this week as well. The first is that I'm making this week Appointment Week. I've put off so many appointments for myself, putting myself and health behind everything else, that I've put off going to the dentist, having blood work done, getting my hair cut, getting foot cream renewed, etc. So, that ends this week. Each day I'm going to either make at least one appointment for the future (i.e., the dentist) or I'm going to check at least one of the appointments off my list. Many of these things will only take a simple phone call -- not a lot of work. Today, I'm getting my hair cut at lunch. Also today, I'm also sending my manager my employee evaluation and letting him know about other appointments I have (these ones for my daughter) in the future. I'll fill you on my list next week and write about what I've done.

The other task I've set for myself, which is considerably more difficult, for me at least, is to cut out my post-lunch or 3pm chocolate fix. This going to be hard, folks. Hard! But I will try. And if I replace it, which I think I'll need to do, I'll try to replace with something healthy and sugar free. Or maybe a small piece of dark chocolate? I stress Small Piece. Hm. I'll update soon. Wish me luck!

I'm back, baby!

I haven't done this for a while. A long while. I have been busy and life has thrown some curve balls. Not massive ones to be sure, but enough to make me not too focused on me. But a few good things have happened too:
- I completed the Canadian Securities Course, which is a big part, the main part, of my career goals pre-40.
- I have been making my lunch and bringing to work almost every day.
- I have been making strides in paying off debt and have been slowly chipping away at it.
- My daughter is now very happy to be going to "big girl school" and our routines around it are becoming set (and fewer meltdowns have ensued).
- I have been pushing myself do more active things and things outside my comfort zone (like volunteering for gardening at my daughter's school)

So, this week, feeling optimistic, I'm back. And have two goals for the week:

1. Start/continue my daily gratitude email.
This is something that was started by my sister-in-law more than a year ago and is a wonderful ritual. It fell off the rails a few months back, and I've missed it. Everyday you email (so you are accountable and are putting these positive thoughts out into the universe) people on the gratitude list (a few family members that also participate -- no looky-loos) three things that you are grateful for. It was started again today by my niece-in-law (is that a thing?) and I was very excited to see it in my inbox.

2. Have a healthy start
I have been waking up stiff and eating a sugary/white floury breakfast when I arrive at work. There are probably other issues with my morning routine, but these are the biggest right now. So, what I would like to be doing is spending a few minutes stretching every morning before I get going and then eating a healthy breakfast. I started this morning by having overnight vegan oats and they were both healthy and delicious. They are from a recipe by Oh She Glows blogger Angela Liddon. I love that they are simple to make and I can quickly make them the night before. I just don't have the time in the morning.

Gratitude, stretch and breakfast -- a good start to any day. Let's see how I do.

#Fail

Whenever I think of the word "fail" I picture Jack Layton in a federal debate, criticising a policy and ending with "#Fail." He would definitely have given me a #Fail for my lack of performance last week. What a week and weekend! $1500+ later and I have a healthy dog, need to find a new vet, ate out multiple times, owe my daughter some (free or cheap) fun after cancelling events and need to talk to the bank about consolidating debt and getting on a financial plan. 

So, once again, same goal but with renewed interest because we can't afford to eat out! Last night while making dinner, I also make rice and curry so I've got that for lunch, because I can't afford to eat out for lunch! So, plan is in place. Groceries are bought. No money is left. Gah. 

Last week sucked. Last week is over. Time to pick up the pieces and continue with a game plan. 

Routines, Again

I took baby steps toward getting routines in place last week. The morning and after school pick up seem to be going much smoother (though there are still lots of tears in the morning) and I'm powering through the CSC. But I've failed at a dinner routine and a nighttime routine. So, I'm going to break it down. This week: dinner routine. This week we are BUSY most nights after work (drinks with friends, a monarch butterfly workshop and a school book sale and curriculum night), so it'll be a challenge to make and eat dinner at a reasonable time this week. So, if we can do it, next week and after will be a breeze. I'm going to start today by writing out the dinners we are going to have every night this week. We have a wipe board on the fridge with the days off the week, so we already have the tools to get organized. I'm going to try to keep meals simple and healthy. We made some super healthy, veggie-packed spaghetti sauce on the weekend, that we can use in a pinch. The fridge and cupboard are filled with veggies and basics and we are ready to roll.

Next week, hopefully, we'll have dinner down and I can work on getting to bed, and getting my daughter to bed, like a civilized person.

Routines

This week, as we continue to try to settle our daughter into full-day junior kindergarten and before and after care, I'm all about the routine. As in I need to develop and adhere to some quick. Quick! I am in desperate need to develop a routine for the morning and actually getting to work on time, a routine for the afternoon and JK pick up, a routine to actually make dinner quickly and healthfully (and not eat out), a routine to get lunches made and forms filled out, a routine for bed time and a before bed routine for me thrown in for good measure (because I don't have a big enough list yet! or actually because I need to take five minutes to actually just take care of me).

I ran across this article by chance today, and I'm hoping that it may be helpful.

I've started reading my CSC text book on the streetcar on the way to and from work, as well as at lunch time -- so that portion of my life is starting to trek along nicely. And the last two days I've walked from the streetcar to work rather than taking the two subway stops south -- it's not a ton of exercise or fresh air but it's a start. And I've been cognisant of whether not I've been smiling while walking -- still working on that RBF, but it's coming along. I really do feel happier when I smile. In the evenings, I've started washing my face and putting on night cream -- which I know a lot of people would say, of course you do, but really I'm more of a fall in bed exhausted with make up on and no mouth guard in. And regret it the next day. But changes are happening. Now I need to work on a stronger routine for the mornings and get my daughter out the door dressed and with a full belly (and hopefully soon with a smile on her face eager to start the day, too). And then there's the ever-present getting dinner made dilemma. Ugh. That one may require a week or two of it's own.

Pause for Back to School

This week I've been a mess. In pretty much every way. My daughter started Junior Kindergarten. It's been a stressful, teary, guilty, not focused on me week. And that's okay. It will get better. Hopefully next week will be easier and I can get back to reading my textbook and adding new things to my list. But this week is just about survival. Emotional survival. Not thriving yet.