zenLara's journey

[NeverThatBored]

Wow, Lara! You're doing a wonderful job!

[Owlet]

This all sounds amazing! So much progress  

[Lara]

Thanks, gals!

 

Today was workout day! I had thought about taking the bike to the woods, but it was rainy so I prefered to stay home and use the parallettes instead.

 

· push-up with one arm extension 4x4. The first 2 sets were the real thing, the 3rd set had 3 real push-ups and one negative, 4th set was only negatives. Much better than last time, when ALL sets were negative push-ups.

· tuck swing to dip 4x5. This is such a fun exercise, but I still need more control on the swing when going backwards.

· battle rams 4x5. Hard. Hard. Hard.

· L-sit. Tried to do the real thing instead of the tuck version, but I find it pretty difficult to fully extend my legs. Well, more than difficult, impossible. So L-sit with half-extended legs. 4x5'.

· mountain climbers 5x5. 

· chin-ups 2. I was really tired at this moment; I had practiced some self-defence moves to warm-up, and it turned out to be a rather long workout. But at least I did those 2.

 

I'm trying to find those 20 seconds of courage and book a lesson with a teacher I'd like to study. It is a high profile guy we're talking about here and I'm not sure yet. I've written a draft, which is more than what I've dared to do these last months. I'll give it some more thought while I revise my résumé and then will try to do the thing. I don't know what would be worst, a refusal or an acceptance 

[SymphonicDan]

I like how you are working on such interesting physical things now! It's not too long ago when you doubted whether you'd ever manage push-ups or chin-ups

 

L-sits are a combination of core strength, shoulder strength and hamstring flexibility... maybe if you do some stretches before attempting an L-sit (e.g. slowly touching your toes, and then slowly pointing your feet while you hold onto them) then you'll find them easier? They are quite hard... and then you can work on V-sits and the Manna haha.

 

Are wild boar dangerous?

[Lara]

12 hours ago, SymphonicDan said:

and then you can work on V-sits and the Manna haha.

sure, sure...

 

Thanks for the advice, I'll try to stretch before L-sit next time. 

 

Wild boars can dangerous. They usually fly away when they smell or hear humans, but they can attack you if they feel cornered, or if there are baby boars and you get too close. This one was in an area where I've never seen signs of them, but later in my walk I heard hunters, so maybe he was there hiding.

 

Update: walked 8 km.

[annyshay]

Your ACT experiments are fascinating. What book are you using again?

[Lara]

15 hours ago, annyshay said:

Your ACT experiments are fascinating. What book are you using again?

"Get out of your mind and into your life", from Steven C. Hayes.

The book is just ok, and if you're planning on buying something on ACT, I'd tell you to take a look at other books too, because it seems like there are many and that some are better than this one.

From this book there's one thing I dislike and it is that it looks too wordy, and sometimes sentences are intrincate. It could be that my english is not that good, however, but I've found myself needing to re-read things to understand the meaning of the sentence. Also, the book exposes a series of ideas that I think must be well known of buddhists, the difference being that he tries to ground all this on studies and so, then maybe there are better books out there on buddhism techniques (mindfulness). I also think that they could have added more exercises or techniques, but those in the book are useful.

And, it's not a theoretical book, but a workbook, so not much theory in it if you want to know more about the therapy itself.

 

[Lara]

On 12/11/2016 at 7:49 PM, zenLara said:

I'm trying to find those 20 seconds of courage and book a lesson with a teacher I'd like to study. It is a high profile guy we're talking about here and I'm not sure yet. I've written a draft, which is more than what I've dared to do these last months. I'll give it some more thought while I revise my résumé and then will try to do the thing. I don't know what would be worst, a refusal or an acceptance 

It's done. A friend who speaks actual english helped me to finish the e-mail and to make some retouching to my résumé, and then convinced me to send it. Now got to wait for an answer...

 

[fleaball]

Rawr, I thought I was following all your threads and assumed you were just quiet this round. I am a liar and was not following this one. Bad Flea.

[Lara]

1 hour ago, fleaball said:

Rawr, I thought I was following all your threads and assumed you were just quiet this round. I am a liar and was not following this one. Bad Flea.

Well, I've been rather quiet in fact. Old school journaling, with pen and notebook and all that...

[Owlet]

6 hours ago, zenLara said:

It's done. A friend who speaks actual english helped me to finish the e-mail and to make some retouching to my résumé, and then convinced me to send it. Now got to wait for an answer...

 

Good luck  

[karinajean]

Hi there! Good luck with the lesson application.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lara]

8 hours ago, karinajean said:

Hi there! Good luck with the lesson application.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you!

Nothing but silence by now, however. I hadn't taken in account the possibility that he may not even answer 

[Lara]

There we go!

 

[Lara]

End of year review. Questions.

 

What you've done

What have you accomplished this year?

What are you specially proud of?

What did you do that makes you smile just to think about it?

What is something you did this year you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements?

Who contributed to your successes?

 

Leassons learned

What are the 3 most important things you learned this year?

What mistakes did you make, and what did you learn from them?

Where did you not take responsibility?

What was the most challenging part of this year? What got in your way? What were the biggest challenges or barriers you faced? Did fear, failure or self-doubt take over at some point?

 

Regain focus

How satisfied are you with how you spent the year?

How was your life consistent with your values?

What do you need to let go?

Where are you feeling stuck?

How can you show your gratitude and appreciation to those who have supported you?

How can you apply your new strengths and abilities to move forward this new year?

What would you like to be different in the upcoming year? What are you willing to do to make this change a reality?

What barriers do you anticipate and what strategies can you put into place to overcome these barriers?

 

Start the new year

What are your goals for the new year?

What are the first steps you need to take to achieve these goals?

What do you want to accomplish next year, such that it is your best year ever?

[annyshay]

Oooooh. Brain food for rambles.  *steals* 

[Lara]

1 hour ago, annyshay said:

Oooooh. Brain food for rambles.  *steals* 

You're welcome  

[Lara]

Some conclusions from this year at NF.

 

First, I have a list of the things I wanted to accomplish:

 

- cartwheel and handstand ----> I managed to do assisted handstands and melting cartwheels, that's something.

- pancake and butterfly ---> butterfly improved a lot, unlike pancake

- better lung capacity ---> this is better, definitely

- push-ups and chin-ups ---> number of push-ups in 1 set went up to 5 and then went down and I am at 2  chin-ups stabilized at 2 and never went up nor down

- L-sit ---> not yet

- calm ---> oh, yes. First challenges are full of references to my sleep problems and anxiety levels. I am much better than then. I don't even use an alarm clock anymore.

- sun ---> I've spent a lot of time outdoors this year, I am pretty happy with this.

 

Second, things that proved to be helpful:

 

- logging my food at NF, because it helped me to chose from a bigger variety of foods.

- "forgetting" my wallet at home so I wouldn't use my money to buy sweets. My current version is the empty wallet, it works the same as the previous version.

- not leaving the table feeling still hungry.

- preparing for the hour change.

- meditation. The more I do it, the better my mind feels and the better my life is. I suspect it has a lot to do with my current low and manageable levels of anxiety.

- reading the self-esteem book encouraged me to meditate more.

- the concept of moral licensing (willpower book) was an eye-opener regarding how I drive my life.

 

Other valuable information:

 

I haven't used the bike, at all!

I need to eat more vegetables, it does me good.

I used to take valerian almost everyday to help sleep, and now I barely use it, once or twice a month.

15 minutes a day dedicated to  declutter and clean are enough to keep the house clean and tidy in the long run.

I like getting dirty with mud and rain in the country.

Nasty acrobactis teacher (not the neg one, the first class one) was nastier that I thought, seen in hindsight. I always have trouble to correctly understand the situations when I am living them.

The period I was attending acrobatics with the nice guy was one of the happiest of the year. I truly miss that. Having to stop going there was a harder blow than I thought.

May, june and july seem to be my best months of the year in what physical activity concerns. This seems to happen every year, so it's important information.

[NeverThatBored]

This is a fantastic list! I feel like these insights will really help you in 2017!

 

I also seem to have a season for better activity & healthy - around spring through early summer. I've been trying to figure out how to use this information, but I have no idea.

[Lara]

58 minutes ago, NeverThatBored said:

I also seem to have a season for better activity & healthy - around spring through early summer. I've been trying to figure out how to use this information, but I have no idea.

Maybe we could pack insane lots of activity there, and cross fingers wishing the body will hold on?

 

Jokes aside, we could plan our toughest goals to be achieved during those months.

[Lara]

End of year review. Answers (I)

 

What you've done

 

· What have you accomplished this year?

 

Acrobatics lessons.

Self-defence lessons. And did not despair at the beginning when I was able to do anything.

Prepared kimchi. And eat it.

Write BigGuy and ask him for lessons.

Set of 5 push-ups.

Organized the first technique fun competition for my students.

Began to walk cross-country.

Three big hikes, camping included. Visited the Pyrenees for the first time.

Slept outside in the terrace, many times.

Went to Galice and didn't have an anxiety attack (at least not there).

Kept a clean and tidy home for long periods.

Meditated for 100 days in a row (currently 147).

Drove alone in the big city, several times. Learnt the way to acrobatics.

Faced several fears: acrobatics, self-defence, e-mailing BigGuy, concerts...

 

· What are you specially proud of?

Self-defence, acrobatics and BigGuy e-mails. Because it implied facing fears.

Kept myself physically active most of the year (got a blood test recently and my doctor was puzzled at my cholesterol levels, because my good cholesterol is crazy good. She asked me about exercise and when I answered she said "ok, now I get how you got these numbers. Keep the good job").

 

· What did you do that makes you smile just to think about it?

 

The fun my students got from the competition.

Preparing this year's one.

Jumping on the trampoline and feeling like a child.

 

· What is something you did this year you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

 

Acrobatics.

 

· In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements?

 

Overall health. My anxiety levels are pretty low compared with most of my life. I sleep much better, and it's been the most physically active year of my life.

I'm learning to better understand how my own mind works.

 

· Who contributed to your successes?

 

Mainly my boyfriend and a few close friends.

My lovely students.

Nerdfitness.

[Lara]

End of the year review. Answers (II)

 

Leassons learned

 

· What are the 3 most important things you learned this year?

 

Well, not only 3:

Fear and self-improvement usually walk together. Many satisfactions and joys come from facing your fears.

To be successful you need to get out of your comfort zone. Sometimes pretty far away from your comfort zone.

I can build a better relationship with my mind and my anxiety.

A little moment of work everyday becomes piles of things done over time.

When I wake up in the middle of the night, my mind has ALWAYS a negative filter on, so there's no point to believe what it says.

 

· What mistakes did you make, and what did you learn from them?

 

When I believe some of my thoughts, my world shrinks.

Ignoring anxiety makes things worse. It has a big cost on energy and emotional stability.

I haven't properly taken care of my neck. If I want to invest more time on my practice and go forward on my career, I need to address this seriously.

Not eating enough. I can't keep a good level of activity (work, practice, exercise) if I don't take care of the basis.

 

· Where did you not take responsibility?

 

On properly nourishing myself. Many many times I don't go groceries shopping in time, or I don't eat enough or varied enough, or I get sloppy with vegetables.

 

· What was the most challenging part of this year?

 

Facing the fears from doing acrobatics.

Headaches because of neck and shoulder lesions.

 

What got in your way? What were the biggest challenges or barriers you faced?

 

Crappy trainers. Crappy schedules.

A rough physiotherapist and my laziness to do my stretches.

 

Did fear, failure or self-doubt take over at some point?

 

Yes, failure. Failing at improving push-ups and inverted press discouraged me. Finally convinced myself I will always be weak, so now there is no point to keep on trying.

 

[Lara]

End of year review. Answers (III)

 

Regain focus

 

· How satisfied are you with how you spent the year?

 

I am pretty satisfied about some things. I've done a lot.

However, I still find that I get sick too frequently.

 

· How was your life consistent with your values?

 

Pretty consistent. There are some things that were put aside, but always because I was focusing on others than seemed more important at that time.

I've worked a lot to build a better version of myself, so pretty happy, yes.

 

· What do you need to let go?

 

Self-criticism. Lack of confidence. Thoughts that are not beneficial ("tales").

 

· Where are you feeling stuck?

 

With strength training. Right now, I'm not working on it, only a little bit. It's a pity, because parallettes are so cool...

 

· How can you show your gratitude and appreciation to those who have supported you?

 

Spending more time with them, calling them more, showing support when they need it. I began to do all this a few months ago and it feels good. Also, some nice gifts for my bf are on their way, AND I'm inviting him to London.

 

· How can you apply your new strengths and abilities to move forward this new year?

 

I have a better understanding of my own self now, and I think this is the best strength I have right now.

I have learnt to face my fears to take advantage of new opportunities, and that is a good thing to know.

Also, doing little but frequently (cleaning, reading...)

 

· What would you like to be different in the upcoming year? What are you willing to do to make this change a reality?

 

I want to be stronger and more resilient, and eat healthier. 

I guess I'll begin planning menus, going groceries shopping when it's still time and not waiting until the pantry is empty.

I'll try to do 2 strength workouts a week.

 

· What barriers do you anticipate and what strategies can you put into place to overcome these barriers?

 

Mainly laziness and wanting to change everything at once.

I'll try to pace myself, but not letting procrastination draw me down.

It would help a lot to be more positive about myself, to better see the upsides of things and the good work I do, instead of criticising myself.

[Lara]

End of the year review. Answers (and IV)

 

Start the new year

 

· What are your goals for the new year?

 

I still have to put more thought on it, but:

 

- better mobility for everyday life.

- get stronger.

- eat healthier.

- outdoors activities.

- read all the books waiting on my desk.

- have a success journal.

- win more self-defence colors.

- own more clothes.

- grow my savings account.

 

· What are the first steps you need to take to achieve these goals?

 

- think how I want to work on FF.

- strength training twice a week.

- plan my meals. Have food at home.

- think of places I'd like to camp this summer.

- think of places I'd like to explore during my walks.

- reading more frequently (gradually add time)

- decide which things go into that success journal.

- attend self-defence regularly, practice at home, take note of everything new.

- go shopping. Please, go. January sales, at least twice.

- design a savings plan and keep track.

 

· What do you want to accomplish next year, such that it is your best year ever?

 

Push-ups and inverted press stop being a pain in the ass.

Do a handstand and a full bridge.

Explore new places.

Feel that I'm building my own life, and that it is a meaningful life.

[annyshay]

So many good reflections and aspirations! Here's to an awesome 2017!!!