exercise

Day 365: 1 year Check In

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Well I mostly abandoned this blog for the past few months, but it’s been a year since I started realized I was unhappy with my life and so it’s time to check-in again.

  1. Work on my Novel – I’m done! I’m just researching and querying agents now. My goal was to already have queried agents and to have a stack of rejection letters. I currently have neither, so we’ll have to keep this one on the docket for next year.
  2. Ballet – I’ve been going to ballet and pilates on a regular basis. Bad news is my ballet class moved farther away from me so it’s going to be harder to get there. I don’t know if it’s feasible for me to continue going there since it takes up a good chunk of my day. Maybe I can find a way to make it work for me.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt –  DONE!!
  5. In a relationship – Still online dating. It’s kind of taken a backseat to my work life right now, but after I complete this one project, I should be free for a little while.

I’m not entirely unhappy with how this year went. I read a lot of books about women or men who make up their minds to do something and then by their self-imposed deadline, it’s somehow magically done (with a lot of hard work). Life doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes it moves forwards in stops and starts, or sometimes it moves forward in great big leaps, or sometimes we slide back into the places we’ve already been. All of which happened to me in the past year.

So the big question. Am I happier now than I was on this day last year? Yes and no. I feel like I’ve made some big strides in my life, but I also feel it a little lacking still (I think this is a trait of my personality and not because my life is bad). If I don’t feel happier, then I at least feel more content.

Until tomorrow. (And Next Year!)

 

Day 244: Monthly Check-in Pt. 8

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Time for check-in number eight. I’ve felt in a funk for the last month-ish, so I’m don’t really feel I’ve made any progress. Let’s have a look-see though.

  1. Work on my Novel – I’m editing my book again and it feels like things are getting there, although I’m often still unhappy by a sentence or paragraph. Well, I’ll continue editing away and see how things go. I also didn’t make a list of agents or start a query letter or anything. I did break down those tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks today, so hopefully I can make some progress next month.
  2. Ballet – I didn’t go at all this month. Or to yoga. It was a bad month for exercising. I’ll try to get back on the wagon this week.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – This is going really well still! I paid off a large chunk of my debt and am continuing to pay off my credit card at a steady rate. I wish it would go faster, but unless I win the lottery or sell my book I’ll have to continue paying it off one week at a time.
  5. In a relationship – Bumbling away. I haven’t met anyone in person though and most people don’t respond to my messages. Maybe I’ll delete the app finally. I’m tired.
  6. Meditation – I know this isn’t part of my big five, but it’s my monthly goal. I meditated pretty much every day last week and I’m pretty proud of myself. I get fidgety and anxious sometimes, but I think I’m getting better. That’s all I can ask for really.

So what is that? Two and a half out of five. That’s not bad. Not great, but I’ll try to better next month. I’m always thinking about ways to improve my schedule (definitely needs some improvement).

Like I said, I’m feeling in a funk. I haven’t been exercising so I really need to make that part of my life and maybe it’ll make me feel better. We’ll see.

Until tomorrow.

121 days to go.

Monthly Check in Pt. 7

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Time for my seventh monthly check-in! Gosh I really do need 30 day challenges to continue blogging. There’s just so much to do and not enough time and not enough will power. Blah blah blah. All the usual excuses. I’ll try to do better.

  1. Work on my Novel – Finished my third edit! (forth edit? – I can’t keep track). I’m letting it rest for the month of February and then I’ll edit it again in March. It’ll all come together…hopefully. In the meantime I’m compiling a list of agents I can query, learning how to write a query letter, writing a TV pilot, and working on a few essays to submit. (Gotta work on that rejection muscle too!)
  2. Ballet – I had to work a bunch over the weekends, so I sort of fell out of going to yoga and ballet, but I’m back at it! I did not do my 30 days of exercise like promised, but I think it was too much too soon. I’ll try to work up to just exercising 4 days a week and then we’ll see.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – This is going really well! I got my tax return and my bonus, so I was able to pay off a large chunk. I still have debt, but I think I’ll be able to pay it off much sooner than anticipated barring any major expense. I may not have it done by the time this “project” is over, but definitely by the end of the year.
  5. In a relationship – Not bumbling and didn’t go on any dates. I’m thinking of trying to find a club or activity I can do which will introduce me to more people for both friends and dates.

Seven months in and I feel a bit as if I’ve stalled on a few things, but this is why check-ins are good. I can snap myself back into working on the things I want to work on. And it’s important to note that just because I can’t cross everything off, I’m still moving forward. I’m working on my finances and my writing pretty consistently. Exercise is always going to be an issue for me, but I’m working on that too and I’m going more often than I used to. Progress not Perfection.

Until tomorrow.

149 Days to go.

Day 200: Quick Update!

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Quick update! I have not been exercising because I’ve been working all the time. When I get home at 7:30 or 8:00 and only have two hours before I go to bed to get everything done, it’s really hard to exercise. I need to find a better way to get out of work on time and to also make sure I do my yoga or ballet. But this has always been a struggle for me. I have some thinking and planning to do.

Until tomorrow.

165 days to go.

 

Day 194: 30 Days of Exercise

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Eep! Happy February! I meant to start 30 days of exercise on the 1st, but I had to get to work early (and worked late) so it threw off my whole schedule. It’s hard to do things when you work overtime. (Also it’s hard to do things when you don’t work overtime because work is tiring.) So I’m starting today! Because it’s only the 3rd and it seems nice and neat to start 30 day challenges on the first of the month, but really you can start anytime!

The Plan: For the next thirty days I’m going to exercise every day

The Mechanics: The original plan was to do 30 Days of Yoga with True Yoga with Adrienne. BUT I already have a yoga class I go to on Sundays and I try to go to ballet several days a week so I don’t want to add on more things to do if I’m already exercising. So the days I don’t have class, I’ll do Yoga with Adrienne. And maybe I’ll finish the whole series even though I’m only exercising for 30 days. We’ll see.

Check-ins: Every goal needs an accountability system! So I’ll check in on Saturday of every week to see how things are going.

Let me know if you also have goals for February! And if your New Year’s Resolutions are going well! I need an 18 in 2018 check in soon.

Until tomorrow.

171 Days to go.

Day 174: Gratitude 14

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Gratitude of the Day: Exercise!

Yesterday, I wrote about the knot in my stomach of anxiety and stress. Not good. I haven’t found much to combat it yet except maybe less work (Ha!). Meditation made me aware of it, but I discovered today that exercise can keep it at bay (predictably). I went to ballet class yesterday (yay!) and yoga today(double yay!) and while I could still sense the bubble of stress, I was focused on something else, so it felt diminished. Another reason for me to go to ballet and yoga. Not only do I feel great after I go, but now it’s also helping dissipate my stress knot.

Until tomorrow.

191 days to go.

Day 140: Reframing

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

rawpixel-com-369775.jpg

 

Hellooooooooo!

I’ve been MIA again for awhile. This time I haven’t been working so many hours, but I have been doing a great many things. December is a busy month with the holidays! Everyone is trying to cram in last minute get togethers and there’s holiday parties and shopping galore. So basically I’ve been busy, which isn’t always an excuse but sometimes it can be.

But I wanted to share something I discovered recently which I’m pretty excited about. Podcasts!

Just kidding. I know all about podcasts, but I haven’t had a chance to listen to them since I switched jobs. There’s just too much to do and I can’t really concentrate on the podcasts unless I’m cleaning or sorting laundry or doing some other mindless task.

Enter driving to ballet. The class I like is pretty far away, especially after work when it’s rush hour. It’s been a definite issue in the past with me not wanting to drive half an hour after work to go exercise. My willpower is low in the evening and the commute doesn’t help.

Then while I was listening to Happier with Gretchen Rubin they were talking about reframing. Basically you take a negative task or idea and frame it in a different light so it becomes a positive. And then it hit me! The perfect time to listen to my podcasts is during my dreaded commute to ballet class. It’s a good chunk of time, so I can listen to the longer podcasts and it’s something I look forward to, so I’ve finally found a way to overcome the commute obstacle. A perfect solution to a thorny problem. 🙂

Until tomorrow! (Podcast & ballet day!)

225 days to go.

Day 123: Monthly Check in Pt. 4

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Time for my fourth monthly check-in. Everything sort of fell by the wayside since I got my promotion. Not only did I start a new job and have to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing, but several people were out of the office for various reasons and it was A LOT of extra work. My schedule has just been work, sleep, eat, repeat. It’s terrible.

  1. Work on my Novel – Like I said, everything fell to the wayside so I haven’t worked on my book at all. But I have several days over the Thanksgiving holiday to work on it and get back on track.
  2. Ballet – I went a few times at the beginning of the month, but then fell off since I was working a lot of overtime. Classes are cancelled for the weekend, but I’m aiming to be back on track next week. Hopefully….
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – This is actually going pretty well! With my promotion, I have a higher salary, but I’ve also been working a ton of overtime so I have more money than anticipated. Good for the holidays too. 🙂
  5. In a relationship – Still Bumbling. Since I started working more, it’s been harder to date. It didn’t really pan out earlier, but I know I have to keep trying. I often wonder if I’ll ever meet someone, but that’s another thought for another day.

So there’s my fourth monthly check-in. I feel a little discouraged since I feel like I haven’t done much since last month. I have to remember things take time and I can’t get everything done all at once. It’s only been four months and I’ve already accomplished a few things. I have eight more months to get everything done.  Plus, as they say, you have to plant the seeds for the trees to grow in the future.

Until tomorrow.

 

Day 97: Ballet Life

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Well sort of…not really. This has been my most challenging “challenge” so far. I. just. can’t. seem. to. get. to. class. It’s a struggle every weekday and weekend. I’ve tried all the tricks, but I think really I just need to make it into a habit and do it. Also, thinking about how I feel bad if I don’t go is pretty motivating since I feel bad often.

I did manage to go yesterday even though I’ve been feeling under the weather. It was much more challenging than I remember and I felt a little left behind, but I’m happy I went (always am). Whenever I get discouraged, I just have to remember to “Be Terrible”. After all it’s better to go, be terrible and get some exercise than to not go and just lay in bed.

I’ve been thinking about trying some other exercise classes to get myself into shape. Just for fun. Maybe a boxing class or aerial yoga (or regular yoga) or barre class or just some other random kind of work out to kick me out of my exercise funk. I used to go hiking more too. I’ll try to this week.

I’ve also decided that once I cross off another goal on my list, I can pick up another one. Four seems like a good amount.

Until tomorrow.

268 days to go.

Day 91: Monthly Check in 3

~ joypetite ~ Leave a comment

Time for my third monthly check-in! It’s been three months since I started this self-improvement plan (project?) and I think I’ve done relatively well so far! The holiday season is quickly approaching so it’s best that I come up with a few ways to stick to my goals (next post!)

  1. Work on my Novel – I finished my novel (again!) after cutting out the whole middle section. Now it’s just time to edit again (and again and again and again. Will the editing never stop?) I do think I’ve learned a lot in this process and hopefully my next book will not require so much cutting and rewriting and editing (but it probably will.) I’m hoping by the end of the year I can have a solid book and begin sending query letters to agents.
  2. Ballet – The cycle for the beginning of class started again, so hopefully it’ll stick this time! It’s definitely been a struggle (clearly), but I’m always hoping to do better.
  3. Promotion –  DONE! 
  4. Get out of credit card debt – Blargh. Still working on this and I will be for quite some time. Hopefully with my promotion I can start paying it off more aggressively (plus that bonus and tax return next year will hopefully help!)
  5. In a relationship – Still Bumbling. I’m not sure if anything is going to work out. Usually I get irritated with people by the third or fourth week and I can feel it happening again. There’s just an expectation with online dating that everyone wants to either just hook up or jump directly into a relationship. And I don’t want either of those things so I feel people are often disappointed.  And I’m resistant to both so we get nowhere in the end.

So there’s my third monthly check-in. Ninety one days in and I’m a little farther along with all my goals except Ballet. Perhaps November will be Ballet month, just like October was meant to be Ballet month.  Eventually I will figure out a way for it to stick!

Until tomorrow.

274 days to go. It’s a lot of time and it’s no time at all, right?