Let's try this again

I've not been very good about posting lately, and there's really only one reason.  My to-do list is making me crazy and super stressed!  Initially, I felt really good about all of my goals, but after I took the time to think about the expectations I created for myself, I became completely overwhelmed.  What was I thinking?!

I needed to take a step back to think about what was really important.  Instead of trying to do everything all of the time, I need to prioritize and spend my energy on the most important things.  So here's the revised list.

1. My health
2. The fiance
3. Family
4. Good Friends
5. Career Goals

Everything else is just a bonus.  Looking at my list through a new lens has helped me to focus.

Plus, it is definitely helping with the "be less stressed" goal!  If I feel good about these aspects of my life, the other little things will more easily fall into place - and if they don't, no big deal!

I got started today with a little qt with #2 and #4...

Being silly with the fiance

Who doesn't love a good snowball fight?

A mini photo sesh with the cutest family ever!

It didn't take much to realize that THIS is what life's really all about.  Do I want to work on my goals?  Sure.  And I will.  But this is where real happiness comes from.

Cheers!

-jill

A bump in the road

I was so motivated and excited to get moving on my "yikes, I'm 30!" goals, when BAM!

Source

100.4 degree fever.  After having a horrible flu less than a month ago (beginning on Halloween, actually) I could not believe that I was sick AGAIN!

It was the strangest bug, too!  Without getting into too many details, I woke up early (around 7am on a Sunday!) with excruciating pain in my face and jaw - which led me to believe I had a sinus infection.  Somehow I managed to get back to sleep, only to be woken up a few hours later by the fever and icky body aches which totally confused my self-diagnosis.  Whatever it was, it was a huge bump in the road to getting started on my goals.

Source

Not surprisingly, my Sunday consisted of lying in bed while twisting, turning, moaning, and groaning - and none of these activities are on The List.

After a painful Sunday and a day off of work to recuperate, I am finally feeling about 80% better.  Time to get back to The List....tomorrow. :)

-jill

PS - I actually did get started on one to-do today!  I emailed my former professor about doing some reading tutoring again in the spring.  Take that icky virus! :)

And the List Goes On

So, I woke up this morning feeling rather overwhelmed, but inspired and ready to get moving!  I knew there was no chance I'd be able to run this morning (running outside in 20 degree weather = not my thing), so I thought I'd throw in a pilates DVD that has been gathering dust on the shelves.

"YES!!  I'm getting moving!  I'm actually following through with my goals today!" Well, that's what I thought, until...

FAIL.  There are an infinite number of places this DVD could be - including still in the DVD player that I gave away to Goodwill years ago.  Oops.

"Alright, I'm not going to let that stand in my way."  Enter:

Perfect, the DVD that came with the exercise ball we bought a year or so ago.  It was 30 minutes long, which by this time, was all the time I had before I needed to jump in the shower and get ready for some bridesmaid dress shopping with the girls.  And then...

SERIOUSLY???!!  There is no chance I knew where the cables for this DVD player were, and even if I did would I know how to set it up.  The fiance was still sleeping, and I would never live it down if I woke him up for this.

After a few minutes staring at the DVD player and wondering how I was going to get a workout in today, I gave up.  I decided to move onto something else - the goals I hadn't yet added to my list from yesterday.  (Really, more than 11?  Yes, I know - a bit excessive, but apparently there are a lot of things I want to do!).

After my post last night, I couldn't stop thinking about a few other things that are on my "life to-do list."  It was driving me crazy, so I had to write them down.  My list started like this:

Wow! 5 more items to add to my 11 previous?  As if that weren't bad enough, the list evolved (after only about 10 minutes, might I add) into:

Yikes!  Time out.  This is getting a little crazy.  No one can possibly work on all of these goals at once.  I need to prioritize - and then I need an action plan.  But before I can do that, I needed to get working on one goal - being on time.  So I jumped in the shower, grabbed a quick breakfast, and off I went out with the girls - only to be confronted with this darn blog when arriving home.



What's the saying?  Tomorrow is another day?  Yes, I think so.  Let's hope I do better tomorrow.  In the meantime, I'll be thankful for the qt I got to spend with some of my favs today.

(ps - neither are the winning dress :))

-jill

I'm 30 and I need to do something...

This was the fiance's first suggestion for the title of my blog.  It makes sense since this was my response when he asked me why I was writing it, but it just wasn't going to work.

• First, I'm not going to be 30 forever (unfortunately!).

• Second, it was just a little too long to type into the address bar.

• Third, it makes me sound super boring and although I might be, who wants to broadcast that to the world (or right now, just the few friends I tell about this blog! :))?

• In all honesty, though, it doesn't really speak to the purpose of my blog.

So what is this blog all about anyway?  It starts with, "I'm 30, and I need to do something..." but it goes far beyond that.  Turning 30 yesterday marked a new decade in my life, and important life events, like the big 3-0, always make me stop to reflect on where I'm at.  What I discovered was that I'm really happy with a lot of things in my life:

• I have an amazing family, and I'm very blessed to have them.  I feel so lucky that I was given this family.  I know you can't choose your family, but if I could, I'd choose them!

• I have found the love of my life, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him.  He spoils me more than he should and he is (almost :)) always there to listen to me!  If he's not listening, it's because he's straightening me out, which I need!

• I have a great group of close friends.  I used to think I need to have a LOT of friends to be happy, but I've recently realized it's having a few really GOOD friends that means the most.

• I love being able to make a positive difference in the lives of my first graders everyday.  I feel so lucky to be surrounded by 17 little smiling faces 5 days a week and call it "work."

• I found a passion in my career - reading.  I LOVE learning about teaching reading and spreading the knowledge through my students and co-workers.  I am so proud to have finished my reading master's last year and I can't believe it, but I want to learn more!

• I feel good about how I've evolved into a more body-conscious and eco-conscious eater over the last year.  It all started with Cook This, Not That: A Kitchen Survival Guide, a book that the fiance suggested we pick up at the airport while waiting for a flight.  I started thinking about what I was actually putting into my body everyday, and I wanted to learn more.  Eventually, I read Food Rules: An Eater's Manual and 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth among countless other books as well as a few blogs, including Healthy Tipping Point and The Fitnessista and that's it, I was forever a changed person.

I'm sure there are a hundred more things I could think of to add to the list above, but let's be honest, this post is already getting long (especially for a first post - yikes! lol).

Truthfully, though, I thought more about what I WASN'T doing and what I WASN'T happy with in my life yesterday than what I was happy about.  (This blog is already working!  I am thinking more positive today :)).  Here are just a few goals I have:

• Be more active!!  I always have some grand excuse for not getting to the gym, going to yoga, going for a run, or otherwise being active.  The truth is, I just don't do it and I need to.  I feel good about what I'm putting into my body, and now I need to feel good about how I'm treating it.

• Be a better partner.  I don't always feel that I pull my weight in my relationship with the fiance and I need to improve on this, and asap!  At times, I am self-centered and don't see how my actions (or lack thereof) are affecting him.

• Manage stress better.  I think I'm already on a good path here.  I am absolutely less stressed now than I was even a few months ago (yay!).  I know, however, that more stressful situations will arise, and I will need to be able to handle them without making myself (or the fiance!) crazy.

• Be more organized at home.  I'm super organized at work (FINALLY, after 7 years of teaching - ha!) but I just can't stay organized at home.  When I come home from work, I pick up the mail and throw it on the counter, not to be seen again until weeks later.  We still haven't gotten our second bedroom organized and we've been here over two months now.  I know it's a bigger place, but, um, it's still only 2 bedrooms!

• Clean more often.  I hate this one.  I totally despise cleaning, especially the bathroom.  I know this one sounds kinda silly, but I need it on here or I won't do it!

• Make music.  This is a tough one.  The last time I really did this was in high school - over 12 (really??!!) years ago.  I loved being in choir in high school and it brought about a kind of happiness that I haven't been able to find in other things.  I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish this one, but it's definitely on the list.

• Dance.  See music (above).  It just makes me happy! :)

• Be more positive. Sometimes I can be a "negative nelly."  Nobody likes her!  Time to work on that. :)

• Be on time.  I'm the late friend.  You know that person - the one you always tell to be there 30 minutes earlier than everyone else, knowing they'll be 30 minutes late.  Yup, that's me!  Time to change that - I hate it and it's actually a big cause of stress for me.

• Be more patient.  I am incredibly impatient (which seems odd since I'm always late, huh?).  I've definitely never been one to live by the phrase, "patience is a virtue."  I mean, it's just not in my genes - my mom loves to remind me that I used to scream as a baby in between bites when she was feeding me.  She just couldn't get that little spoon into my mouth quick enough.  jeesh!

• Just do it.  No, I don't need to buy Nike products (although they could come in handy for my first goal!).  One of the main reasons I started this blog was because I had so many things I wanted to do, but I just have never done them.  Time to start!

So that's it, for now.  I don't consider this a final list, and it will always be evolving.  Hopefully I can get moving on a few of these goals and replace them with new ones!  We'll see... Having this blog, though, will be a way for me to stay motivated, be accountable, and chart my progress.  If I know someone is keeping an eye on me (which right now will just be the fiance unless someone randomly happens upon this site!), I am much more motivated.

Speaking of the blog - back to the name.  Yesterday I turned 30 (remember? ick.).  Rather than feeling "ick," though, I decided I needed to DO something about the things in my life that weren't going so well.  This is my journey to finding the BALANCE I have always been striving for.

Hence, 'get the balance rolling' was born.

-jill