The Weekly Chase: Remembering to Do "Me"

Last week's goal to live Fiercely Serene every day got lost in the jumble of my currently crazy life!  And if you're a regular reader, you may have noticed my blogging also feel by the wayside, which is disappointing after weeks of keeping pretty solidly to a consistent schedule!  Between hectic work schedules, weekend events, and a few side pursuits I've been working to build, this past week I sacrificed a large portion of my "me time".  This week, though some of the scheduling is out of my hands, I'd like to remind myself to keep room in the schedule for that personal time as my Weekly Chase.

I have to major me-things to which I'd like to devote more time this week.  One is obviously the blog, which is a personal pursuit that I value highly in my life.  The other is my adorable puppy, who has been cooped up in side for much of the winter and hasn't always gotten the exercise and playtime she needs when I've had busy weeks like this past one.  My parents take very good care of her when I'm out and about, so she is always well-loved, but I miss running with her regularly!  Especially as the weather slowly starts to warm up, I'm excited to make Kaalia a bigger priority once again.

What weekly goals are YOU chasing?  How well did you accomplish last week's goals?  Check in with hosts Road Runner Girl and Molly Ritterbeck to see how everyone's Weekly Chase wrapped up, and how they're all moving forward in the new week!

The Weekly Chase: Building on Intention

I am SO happy to report that I succeeded in ALL of my goals for last week!  I woke up a little earlier every day (and actually used the time productively), I took a few minutes to spruce up each morning, and I at the very least pinned a little reminder of my mantra up on my desk (though a more creative sign is still pending).  And you know what?  Doing those things made me feel very good!  So I'm going to try to carry that momentum through into this week's goals - or rather, this week's goal.  I only have one, but it's a big one!

Last week I mentioned my mantra, Fiercely Serene.  Well, I'd like that mantra to play a larger role in my life (and, possibly, a larger role on my blog as well), and I'd like to start working it in right now.  As I see it, one of the best ways to adapt myself to the future I want is to find that balance between fierce and serene - so I'm going to act out those two halves daily.  For now, I plan to be "fierce" by exercising my body every day this week, and "serene" by exercising my mind every day this week too.

Gym time and home exercises are pretty normal for me, but I've been taking a lot of needless "rest days" lately when I could be building my strength a little more effectively.  Plus, I have tons of home fitness toys that need to be played with!  I also am in need of time set aside for meditation and yoga, to maintain my emotional health.  Thanks to Spotify's Deep Focus playlist and the beautiful items I've received from Sapphire Soul over the past few months, I'm well prepared to get back in touch with my inner self again.  It's a single goal, with several facets, that will help me set true intention on a deeper level within myself.  Hopefully, I can make a daily habit out of becoming Fiercely Serene!

What weekly goals are YOU chasing?  How well did you accomplish last week's goals?  Check in with hosts Road Runner Girl and Molly Ritterbeck to see how everyone's Weekly Chase wrapped up, and how they're all moving forward in the new week!

The Weekly Chase: Living with Intention

So I pretty much failed at my goals for last week, with the exception of drinking a protein shake every day.  I didn't have any smoothies, and I only brought a lunch maybe one day out of the whole week.  Those goals will continue to be in the back of my mind as I make adjustments and try to figure out how best to accommodate better nutrition.  I think one of the fundamental issues with following through on some of last week's goals (like packing a lunch every day) stems from my difficulty getting myself moving in the morning.  With that in mind, this week's goals are all about learning to live with intention - especially at the start of each day.

• Set my alarm five minutes earlier than normal - and actually wake up to it.  Giving myself just a little more time in the morning, even if it's only five minutes, will help me work in the things I don't do as part of my morning routine.  Whether it's eating breakfast, packing a lunch, doing my hair, or even just sitting for a couple minutes to think about what's on tap for the day, that extra time will help me set the tone for the rest of the day.
• Use eyeliner every morning.  Anyone who knows me also knows I'm pretty much anti-makeup, especially on a daily basis.  I'll do a little primping for big events, but I'm not a false-face kinda gal.  However, I do like to use bright or jewel colored chunky eye pencils for a touch of color sometimes, and as I've been doing it more and more on random days, I've noticed my confidence in my appearance has increased, which has led to my overall confidence increasing.  Taking that moment each day to do something that makes me feel good about myself is a great way to get started on the right foot.
• Create a mantra image to post at my desk to remind me to always be Fiercely Serene.  I created this personal mantra last year at the Soul Pose yoga festival, and have kept it close to my heart ever since.  I'm still learning to be serene, but I have made tons of progress towards chilling myself out a bit, which has already provided advantages in daily life.  To better remind myself to embrace both my natural fierceness and my much-needed serenity, I'd like to make a sign or something that I can put someplace I'll see it frequently.  Doing so will make it easy to live my mantra every day.

These may seem so minor, but lasting change starts with small steps.  I need to make lasting changes in my life; I'm already on the right path, but by guiding my footsteps with a little more purpose and intention will most assuredly take me to even greater places.  As they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step!

What weekly goals are YOU chasing?  How well did you accomplish last week's goals?  Check in with hosts Road Runner Girl and Molly Ritterbeck to see how everyone's Weekly Chase wrapped up, and how they're all moving forward in the new week!

The Weekly Chase: Working on Nutrition

Happy to report that last week's strength goals were almost all met!  I didn't make it to boxing, as I had very busy evenings and then slept in too late on the weekend to make it to available class times, but everything else was a success!  It's a great start towards rebuilding my habits, and those goals will stay ongoing as part of my regular schedule.

This week, I'm going to try to start focusing on my nutrition a little better.  I'm an atrocious eater, and I notice more and more that it's causing huge self-sabotage issues with my fitness and body image goals.  Starting to pull my diet back in line ought to be a big step towards performing on the next level and matching my appearance to my fitness level a little more accurately.

• Drink a protein shake every day.  Protein is chronically lacking in my diet, which is unfortunate - protein breaks down slower than the simple carbs I typically eat, so a higher protein consumption will help keep me fuller for longer.  This can cut back on some of my needless snacking.  Plus, protein is important for muscle building and recovery.  More protein in my diet will only serve to augment my gym time.
• Pack a lunch for work.  My office diet is either nothing at all (causing me to overeat when I get home) or whatever junk food is in the vending machine.  Neither of those options are very healthy!  Even if it's just a time-tested PB&J and a cup of yogurt, I believe packing a lunch will get me eating in a more timely fashion, and providing more nourishment than a candy bar when I DO eat.
• Get back into smoothies.  While I'd love to say "make a smoothie every day", I know that's not going to happen quite yet.  Instead, I'd like to try to consume at least three smoothies over the course of the week, either home-made or from a decent smoothie store (no McDonald's smoothies here).  More smoothies equals more fruit and veggies, both of which are severely lacking in my normal diet.

Changing my diet habits will take a long time.  I know this.  That's why this week's goals are somewhat simple.  If I can start small, and actually forge some habits, eventually I can stack bigger building blocks on the foundation I lay now.  The biggest changes have to start small, or the shock of change will be unsustainable.  I know if I make the commitment at the basic level, I will eventually be able to make the bigger commitment of A Healthy Diet!

What weekly goals are YOU chasing?  How well did you accomplish last week's goals?  Check in with hosts Road Runner Girl and Molly Ritterbeck to see how everyone's Weekly Chase wrapped up, and how they're all moving forward in the new week!

The Weekly Chase: Back to Strong

Happy Monday!  Once again I'm checking in with the Weekly Chase linkup to set some goals for the week.  Instead of once again rehashing last week's goals (which aren't quite achieved yet, but I still have time), I'm setting a couple simple goals for my fitness regimen.  I've let a couple things slide in the past couple weeks and it's time to get back on it!

• Push ups every day!  I've already started working on this one, but I want to make it "official" as a goal this week!
• More core work.  I get a jump start on this tonight because I'm subbing a core class, but I'm trying to add some at-home core exercises to compliment my push ups every day.
• At least one day each week working on arm/upper body strength.  Historically my weakest area, but hopefully no more!  I'd been good about this before the holidays but somehow ended up slacking off the past couple weeks, so I have to get back in the habit.
• Run at least once a week.  This is a weather-permitting goal, as I can't stand the treadmill and usually want to take my puppy anyway.
• Box at least once a week.  Another habit that took a back seat over the past couple weeks, but really needs to resurface.  I went again this past weekend and remembered why I love it so much!

Some of these goals will probably carry over week to week, but as I establish better routines once again, I'll tweak and adjust as needed.  After all, that's an important part of goal setting: understanding when it's time to make a few little changes!

What weekly goals are YOU chasing?  How well did you accomplish last week's goals?  Check in with hosts Road Runner Girl and Molly Ritterbeck to see how everyone's Weekly Chase wrapped up, and how they're all moving forward in the new week!

The Weekly Chase: New Job Prep (Part 2!)

Last week I set some goals I wanted to accomplish before launching into my new job, which I anticipated starting in a week or so.  I actually do not have a start date settled yet, but it will hopefully be soon, and in the meanwhile I'm still working on those same goals.  Today, rather than setting new goals, I'm just checking in on my progress towards those I set last week.

• Ensure I have enough work-appropriate clothing in my wardrobe.

 I haven't even touched this one yet, except to kind of take mental note as to how much clothing I already have that could be considered work clothing.  The plan is to hit up discount stores maybe this coming weekend and have a little shopping spree (as much as I can afford) to fill in the gaps I have currently.

• Wrap up the old job as much as possible.

While it's not entirely wrapped up, most of the ongoing projects are just one step away from completion.  I had a hiccup this past week that we knew was coming - my replacement (who is awesome) had a family trip scheduled, so I was covering her position AND taking care of the big order that came in - but this week everything goes back to normal and I'll be able to tie up all the loose ends.

• Research the position requirements to have the best possible starting-day advantage.

There are a handful of resources I've had on the back burner for just such an occasion as this job, and I've already read through most of that information in the past week to help contextualize my upcoming work and start generating ideas for how to handle daily tasks as well as big picture items.  Though I'll definitely still be nervous on day one, I think I'm about as ready as I can be to get started!

• Tidy up my room and establish some at-home work space.

Okay, I thought this was going to be the hardest goal, and likely the one I didn't manage to accomplish.  Happy to report that I was WRONG!  My room is the cleanest it's maybe ever been, and I'm starting to come up with a better way to organize what little space I have to accommodate the items I need to have on hand.  I'll probably take some of the things I realize I don't need back to my storage unit, which will help me establish that at-home work space I'm still lacking.

I'd say overall I'm about halfway to where I want to be.  I have a little more time to get things done, then life changes again!  Hopefully this life-change is actually going to take me in the right direction after all the messes I've had to deal with in the past couple years...

What weekly goals are YOU chasing?  How well did you accomplish last week's goals?  Check in with hosts Road Runner Girl and Molly Ritterbeck to see how everyone's Weekly Chase wrapped up, and how they're all moving forward in the new week!

The Weekly Chase: New Job Prep

In an effort to keep myself writing and providing fresh content, I've been looking into more linkups for the blog.  I've had so much fun with my Wednesday Word posts in the past month or so, and I think getting involved in more linkups will help me stay on track with my writing.  Of course, finding the Weekly Chase linkup only reinforces the idea of sticking to my goals: this is a linkup all about goal setting!  Every Monday (or more likely for me, every couple Mondays) the Weekly Chase asks what you'd like to accomplish in the following week, and how you intend to achieve that goal (or goals).  I can't imagine a better linkup to add to my blogging schedule!

For my first Weekly Chase post, I'm setting the admittedly broad goal of "getting myself ready to start my new job."  Because I know vague, overarching goals aren't always the S.M.A.R.T.est of goals to set, I have broken this big goal into some sub-tasks that will help me accomplish what I need.  I'm anticipating starting the new job in about two weeks, so this "Weekly" Chase post is actually meant to last me through both of those weeks - I'll check back in on day one of the job to let you know how I did!  Here's the breakdown:

• Ensure I have enough work-appropriate clothing in my wardrobe.  I may have to sort through the storage unit to find more I already own, or hit up some of my favorite discount stores (I'm looking at you, TJ Maxx) for some new stuff.
• Wrap up the old job as much as possible.  I think I'm already on track for this, but it can never hurt to stay on top of it and ensure the transition goes smoothly.
• Research the position requirements to have the best possible starting day advantage.  Hopefully there are some resources my new employer can provide me to look into before I start, so I am as ready as I can be to get my hands dirty.
• Tidy up my room and establish some at-home work space.  This will probably be the most difficult part of this goal, as I'm still in my parents' house and there's just not that much space for me to establish an office setting.  Still, I can work a bit to organize what space I have to make it as conducive as possible to working, just in case I need a place to work from home.

I have only a couple short weeks before my life changes again in a big way, but for the first time in a while the change is intensely positive!  I'm so excited for the new position and have a lot of faith that I'll be able to pull myself together enough to launch into it with success.  Wish me luck!

What are your goals for the next week or so?  How will you accomplish them?  Any tips for creating workspace in minimal space?