Heidi: Do. Do Not. (Stop Trying So Hard.)

[Heidi]

Howdy, Druids. I'm a Ranger who has to refocus a bit on the center, so I'm teaming up with you guys for inspiration and hand-holding. It's wicked-difficult for me not to do everything-all-the-time, and over the last year I have driven myself into the ground, so this challenge is about focusing on what I need to do and what I need not to do in order to get and stay grounded. This is all about outlook and keeping the negativity away while I nurture my center.
 
I can't do anything if I don't take care of myself, and that lesson came to roost this year in a big way.  I know now what I need to do (and not do) in order to stop destroying myself with stress and anxiety. Having no job does indeed suck, but wearing myself out about it will only make me incapable of working. So here's to a meditative, balanced challenge.
 
Do Baby Steps: I always feel as though if I haven't gone to the gym and biked five miles or lifted hundreds of pounds or done hundreds of crunches that I'm somehow Not Doing Anything. This is malarkey. I am in fairly constant motion, and that counts in its own right. So I got a fitbit zip to measure the number of steps I take. My goal is to walk ten percent more than my baseline every day, without really going ballistic about it. (Something tells me I do this just trying to figure out where I left my coffee, my pen, my book, my purse. . . ). So at the end of the day, if I notice I'm a few thousand steps behind my goal, I can walk around the block or do a load of laundry or whatever to get those extra steps in without feeling like a complete failure. And frankly, if I walk four miles and not five, it helps me know that I'm still making progress. (Note: if you want my fitbit account information to help cheer me on and keep me accountable, send me a message -- I love encouragement and support!) I'll set my baseline in the pre-challenge week, then update the number of steps to be baseline plus ten percent.
NNNN steps a day. 36-42: A 29-35: B 21-28: C 14-20: D STA +3  Final Grade: A- Stamina +2.75

Week 0 was an average of 3200 steps a day, with a couple days at very little above 2000.

Week 1 goal is average of 3550 steps, with no day below 2500.
Week Two goal: 5k/day,with no day less than 3500.

Week 3 goal: daily average of 7,500, with no day below 5,000.

 
Do Not Stress: Finding time for being alone and focusing on myself is difficult with two teenagers, a toddler, a live-in brother, and classes. But I'm going more-than-slightly mad without time to myself, and this makes me fragile and anxious and inflexible. This goal is about carving out time for myself and making self-nurture a priority no less than food or water or anything else. I matter, and I need and deserve tending. 
Meditation 5 minutes a day. 36-42: A 29-35: B 21-28: C 14-20: D CON+3 Final Grade: A Constitution +3
 
Do Healing: Taking care of my health is mandatory, and part of that is acknowledging the damage that has been done and addressing it. My body has lots of trauma spots, and only a long-term program of healing is going to fix it -- no one shot is going to address the underlying problems. This is expensive, but perspective is everything: surgery, lost work, migraine medication are all expensive too, and they don't really heal the system.
Massage or acupuncture every week. 6: A, 4-5:B, 2-3: C, 1: D CON+3 Final Grade: C Constitution +1
 
Do Learning: I'm in limbo as I switch career tracks from IT Project Management to paralegal, and it's an anxious time for me. As a breadwinner, it's difficult to be without work and not to have multiple offers on the table, but I simply can't continue in the high-pressure zone that I have been living and working in. I'm a big fan of immediate results, and working slowly toward my certification, applying for a job here and there and letting the application go free without expecting any return is beyond difficult. But this is the path I'm on, scheduled to receive my American Bar Association paralegal certification in September, and my Master Black Belt Six Sigma Certification in April. It will take steady, persistent work, and no flash of brilliance will be able to take the place of dedication and consistent effort of at least an hour a day.
Classes and Classwork each week.  36-42: A 29-35: B 21-28: C 14-20: D WIS +3 Final Grade: B Wisdom +2
 
Do Not Break: Pilates / Yoga every week. 6: A, 4-5:B, 2-3: C, 1: D DEX +3 Final Grade: C Dexterity +1

[robinhoodie]

Hi Heidi! I'm new to the druids too, but I wanted to say hi, and good luck! I hope you have the meditative, balanced challenge hoping for!

[alienjenn]

Baby steps for the win

(sent by the phone. .. all mistakes are the phones fault)

[jedi_mind]

Wow you sound like a motivated successful type and I'm sure you'll nail this challenge.

I'm curious what are your plans for "me time"?

[Radulf Wilhelmson]

Hi Heidi, welcome to the druids. Have my good wishes for your challenge here and your challenge in your business life!

 

M.

[NikkiB]

Wow, do I ever hear you on the desire for "time to myself."  Good luck!

[Heidi]

Wow you sound like a motivated successful type and I'm sure you'll nail this challenge.

I'm curious what are your plans for "me time"?

So far my plans are meditation, reading and just being still. Maybe a nap. Definitely nothing computer or class or work related, as those are energy vampires of a different stripe.

[Terinatum]

Your title alone is great. Have a great challenge.

[Heidi]

Your title alone is great. Have a great challenge.

Thanks!!

[Heidi]

Today was good in goal land. 

 

I had some nice quality time with my daughter, then had some time to myself to read and rest, including meditation. I finished Fannie Flagg's The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion and totally loved it. Highly recommended.

 

After that, I did classwork and went to class, and I feel pretty on track, even if I'm a little tired.

 

Tonight's class was Legal Writing and Research, and even though I wasn't motivated to leave the house, I loved the class when I got there, per usual. I turned in my homework, had some good discussion, and generally left feeling better than when I went in.

 

The Six Sigma Black Belt class is a little scary, since the project requirements haven't been posted yet and I tend to stress over the unknown. First two tests (of 16) are completed, though, and that feels good.

 

Even though I was "a complete slug" today, my fitbit tells me I have walked over a mile, so I'm pretty content.

[Bekah]

Wow yeah Me Time to the rescue!!! Give yourself epsom salt baths if you can, they clear away toxins from your body and leave you feeling great, and you can justify privacy in the bath too!

[Terinatum]

Wow yeah Me Time to the rescue!!! Give yourself epsom salt baths if you can, they clear away toxins from your body and leave you feeling great, and you can justify privacy in the bath too!

I stole your Epsom salt idea, thanks!

[Heidi]

Headed to a massage.

Also meditated for a bit this morning and made quiet time for myself.

I'm having to retrain myself and my thinking about quiet time. It is not wasteful or indolent. I am not neglecting others or responsibilities and duties.

[Sunmage]

Welcome here. This is interesting.

 

I do struggle with my job before I even finished university. Everything is about money and one year bonuses. 

I want so solve problems not hunt bonuses....

 

So I understand you. And I have great respect that you "risked everything" even with family. 

It will work. =)

 

The deal seems to be to find out what you love to do and then look how you can live of that. Not the other way round. Right?

 

I remembered a lession my KI-Master taught me from your title.

 

Do not is not doing nothing. It is not doing.

In German not and nothing are nicht and nichts, so there is just a small s that makes a huge difference.

I hope you understand what I want to say with that. i still get just 10% of what he wanted to teach me with these words.

[Erick the Red]

Your walking goal is good.  I had set up a goal to walk from Hobbiton to the Lonely Mountain to celebrate "The Hobbit", and I used an application on my phone that tracked steps.  I still had to get up more often to make my three miles per day goal, but it wasn't so hard.

 

I have done some of the six sigma classes.  Our office practices Lean Six Sigma, but I am just up through green belt.

 

I like each of your goals, but there are too many for me to hold in my head at the same time.  But I am a bear of very little brain.

[Heidi]

Welcome here. This is interesting.

I do struggle with my job before I even finished university. Everything is about money and one year bonuses.

I want so solve problems not hunt bonuses....

So I understand you. And I have great respect that you "risked everything" even with family.

It will work. =)

The deal seems to be to find out what you love to do and then look how you can live of that. Not the other way round. Right?

I remembered a lession my KI-Master taught me from your title.

Do not is not doing nothing. It is not doing.

In German not and nothing are nicht and nichts, so there is just a small s that makes a huge difference.

I hope you understand what I want to say with that. i still get just 10% of what he wanted to teach me with these words.

Not-doing is exactly what I am after here.

Your walking goal is good. I had set up a goal to walk from Hobbiton to the Lonely Mountain to celebrate "The Hobbit", and I used an application on my phone that tracked steps. I still had to get up more often to make my three miles per day goal, but it wasn't so hard.

I have done some of the six sigma classes. Our office practices Lean Six Sigma, but I am just up through green belt.

I like each of your goals, but there are too many for me to hold in my head at the same time. But I am a bear of very little brain.

It's okay to be of little brain. I am small, and wear pink striped shirts. But neither of us has pants. Why is that?

[Heidi]

Today I meditated, then massaged, then soaked in the tub. And water.

And now green beans and roast beef and cheddar cheese.

And a book.

And more water.

[Heidi]

I need to add:

Do Not Gossip. Negativity is bad, mmmmkay? And gossip is the worst, being so destructive. I am usually pretty good about it, but the siren call of sniping was attractive over the holiday and I gossiped pretty focusedly. So now I need to stop this and be thoughtful of what I say. And to respect the gift that is the sharing of one's self with another. That should never be used as a weapon.

[Heidi]

Micro-facial before bed.

And water.

[Terinatum]

Micro-facial before bed.

And water.

Teach me how to drink water! I am always dehydrated. Today is an all water day, but I am already reluctant and it's only 1:30 pm.

I hope your water intake is better.

Sent via my phone b/c my laptop is out of reach. Cheers!

[Heidi]

Teach me how to drink water! I am always dehydrated. Today is an all water day, but I am already reluctant and it's only 1:30 pm.

I hope your water intake is better.

Sent via my phone b/c my laptop is out of reach. Cheers!

i use a half-litre bottle that I carry everywhere. It's practically glued to me. And then it's easier to fill it up or sip the water that I have instead of getting / making something else. Laziness is my ally in this.

[Heidi]

Yesterday's massage is being felt - totally achy and resistant to everything. I had to *force* myself to start moving and even then had to bribe myself to leave the house. Many thanks to my son Graeme who was my errand pal on this. (it helps that he got to partake of the bribes.)

All that so that I could make myself get dressed and pick up a prescription from the pharmacy down the street. It's rougher some days than others.

But the white chocolate raspberry scone and passionfruit Mate were wonderful. Now I'm sitting down to do some major homework that I have been avoiding (briefing a case - tedious).

[Heidi]

Ok, brief done and studying for Monday's test is complete. There's some homework left still, but it's break time.

And water.

[cavemom]

Hey Heidi!  We both have step counting goals this challenge, although mine is with a Striiv and not Fitbit.  We'll have to keep each other accountable.

[Heidi]

Hey Heidi! We both have step counting goals this challenge, although mine is with a Striiv and not Fitbit. We'll have to keep each other accountable.

Cavemom!

*hugz*

Good to see you again. Hope you liked the shore leave.

Did you get me anything? Raspberries, maybe?

Also, wlove your goal of incremental increases in the Steps per Day thing. I think I might have to steal that.