Monday Re-set

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This is what my schedule felt like last week! It seemed like a raced through my days ticking off items from the never-ending To Do list – I swear it felt like the “busy elves” were adding items as fast as I was eliminating them. But I was managing to keep some sense of balance and still get some workout time in for myself.

That is….until this weekend. The combination of Christmas gift shopping, house decorating, holiday parties, snow/ice storm and helping my son with the sea turtle project from hell (OK I may be exaggerating a smidge but if  I don’t hear about sea turtles for a while, I’m good with that!) all proved to be my un-doing! I missed my long run Saturday morning – I kept telling myself that I’d fit it in later…yeah well, didn’t happen. In fact, there was minimal working out of any kind.

And while I’m feeling less than fabulous this morning, I’m not going to beat myself up over it. Time to hit the re-set button and commit to a better…more balanced week!

So how was your weekend? Are you keeping up with your workouts/runs?

 

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#OneSmallChange – Week 6 update

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Hard to believe it’s week 6 of the One Small Change Challenge! For those of you who don’t know, Marcia over Marcia’s Healthy Slice put out the call to finish the year by building some good habits. The key is to make one small change a week – adding a new change every week.

So how’s it going so far?

Week 1 – Daily plank routine

Week 2 – Keep my often-cluttered coffee table clutter-free

Week 3 – Increase my daily water intake

Week 4 – since things didn’t go so well I repeated Wk 3

Week 5 – Daily rolling of my very tight quads and hamstrings

While I’m still not getting the rolling in on a daily basis, I’m doing it more frequently than I use to so I’ll take that; otherwise I’m feeling like the other changes are becoming much more routine.

plannerMoving on to week 6, my goal is re-gain control of my day! I feel like I’ve been functioning in “reaction mode” lately, and then when I get to the end of my day I’m left wondering why I still have so much left on my to do list. So this week I’m returning to being a more faithful user of my planner. In the mornings, I get my mug of coffee and take a few minutes to my preview everyone’s schedules, identify the “must do’s” vs. “like to do’s” and set my plan/intentions for the day. I use to be pretty diligent about this in the past, and I’m hoping getting back to this routine will help settle things a bit – especially with all the added holiday madness that’s starting to creep in!

What small changes are you making?

 

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Finding Balance during the Holidays

I think many of us are on a quest to strike a balance in our daily lives. But, when the holiday season rolls around with all of its extra time demands and food temptations, it’s really easy to end up off-kilter. This week the FitFluential Ambassadors are sharing tips for staying balanced during the holidays — here are a few things I’ve found that help me stay on course.

  • Don’t forget to eat — I know this may sound counter-intuitive with all the holiday parties and treats floating around. But, I know that in your daily running around trying to cram in all that needs to get done, that it is very easy to skip a meal for the sake of time. Don’t do it! Feed your body and feed it well. You’ll be less tempted to down that extra cookie and you’ll have the energy you need to get all of those “to do’s” done.
  •  Drink up — Water I mean! I find hydrating in the winter is something I really need to focus on. Again, staying hydrated helps to keep your energy level up, helps you to feel full and helps to balance that extra glass of wine or holiday cocktail.
  • Keep moving — Commit to carving out time each day to move, whether it’s your regular run or dancing the night away at a holiday party. And, remember every little bit counts so take the stairs when you can or park at the far end of the parking lot when you’re out shopping. Got snow in your area – a snowball fight with the kids or a walk with your dog are great calorie burners!
  • Take in the moment — It’s way too easy to get caught up in the “get it done!” mentality. Remember to stop, breathe and take in the moment. The holiday season is not a race – Enjoy the time with friends and family.
  • Sleep — Just like eating well, don’t sacrifice sleep in the name of getting more done. Try to maintain your normal bedtime – your mind and body will thank you.
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Mid-week Motivation

After dealing with this head cold/cough/crud thing that got hold of me last week and hung on, I’m feeling the need to jump start my workouts. Yes I’m feeling a little behind on my ever-growing holiday to do list, but I’m also determined to strike some balance, not get distracted, and to finish this year strong and lay the foundation to kick off 2012 right.

How are you doing – are you hitting your goals? Are you finishing the year the way you want?

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27 things and other stuff

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately – nothing in particular…just that feeling that I cannot possibly juggle one more ball and then someone throws me, not one, but three more balls, and somehow I make it work. And, then as I declare again “That’s it – that’s all I can do,” the cycle repeats itself again. It’s pretty much been this way the entire month of October, and quite frankly I’ve had enough!

Time to regain some balance…for my sake and for those around me. 

So this week I’ve started meditating  in the morning again. It really helps me to slow down and focus and overall I’m a lot calmer when I meditate — my challenge has always been to be consistent about the practice.

This week I also got back on my de-clutter kick! A friend told me about a practice called “27 Things” in which the goal is to give-away, throw away or move 27 things a day for 9 days. In the process, you stop to examine what you surround yourself with and remove what’s unnecessary, what weighs you down – in turn creating space for new opportunities. Well, I’m game – so I’m starting my 9 days this weekend and plan to get J and the boys involved.

Do you think you could part with 27 things a day? How do you regain a sense of balance when things feel off-kilter?

J & I will get another chance at the local race that was postponed last weekend – and based on the forecast, it looks like Mother Nature’s going to play nice this time!

Hope she cooperates for everyone racing this weekend ~ 
Good luck to all the runners!

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