Ensi - Road Map 2017

[Ensi]

 

Hello friends, new and old! A new year has arrived, and it's time to have a fresh start keep working harder on the things that worked last year, and drop things that didn't

 

In hindsight, 2016 was challenging. I accomplished a lot, but there were many brain bugs that kept me down. I got help for my issues in September, and things started to get considerably better. Taking care of one's mental health is never going to be over, and this year, I'm going to embrace the journey. 2016 was hard, but I believe it made me a stronger person. I know myself better, and I am now going towards accepting myself as I am

 

 

THE ROAD MAP OF 2017

 

All the destinations (this is a map, right?) are written in "I am" etc. form, because it's part of my positive affirmations strategy.

 

Health

 

• I'm at 68 kg / 150 lbs
• I see food as fuel, nothing more, nothing less
• I see difficult times as challenges that are given to me to make me stronger
• I feel physically good and calm because I avoid excess grains, dairy and sugar
• I work towards my goals with both my mind and my body
• I understand that health and fitness are only a part of who I am. Success / failure don't determine my value, but I can be proud of my achievements
• I am proud of myself, because I practice what I preach
• I set a healthy example for my other family members

 

 

Studies & Work

 

• I finish my master's degree
• I complete the remaining courses for my degree
• I GRADUATE
• I find a summer job
• I land a job in the autumn in my home town
• I make a plan to pay back student loan
• I create a website and an online portfolio

 

 

Adventure

 

• I swim in a lake, a river, and a sea
• I visit a town I've never been to
• I travel to Sweden

 

 

Personal development

 

• I read a book that I've avoided for being "too long and boring"
• I read and translate one text in Swedish, Russian and French every week
• I watch one movie in Swedish, Russian and French every month
• I ask for help, when I need it
• I write and draw a short comic book
• I go try bouldering

 

 

**

 

That's it, for now! I will probably fill in a few more destinations

 

My accountability group has inspired me greatly. The Doodlies have introduced me to Road Map, and also Bullet Journal, which I'm going to keep for this year. I've felt a bit overwhelmed by everything that's been happening in my life, and I am not as active in my group as I'd like to be. I'm gonna be more active this year, and I'd also like to have accountability buddies for some quests every now and then  I believe that extra accountability helps you to get things done. So, if you feel like you need extra accountability with something, hit me up!

 

I will have goals for every month. This goes well with my Bullet Journal, in which I track everything.

 

Starting stats

 

Age: 25

Height: 170 cm /5'7"

Weight: 74,5 kg / 164 lbs

 

Here we come, 2017!!

 

 

[Ensi]

January

 

(Notice how the weekdays are marked "M T K T P L S"? My BuJo is a happy mixture of Finnish and English )

[deftona]

LET'S SLAY THIS BEAST WE CALL.....

 

 

2017

[Ensi]

34 minutes ago, deftona said:

LET'S SLAY THIS BEAST WE CALL.....

 

 

2017

 

 

game on!!

 

**

 

Oh gosh, my parents' scale told me that I weighed in 78 kg, which made me scream internally  But my own one here at FF told me that I'm at 74,5 kg, which is 2 kg more than before the holidays began. I take that, and am now working on a sugar detox for the next couple of days  My parents' scale gave me a push that I needed, though!

 

My brother needs help with controlling his sweet tooth, so we have a deal: we can have one portion of sweets every two days. Today's a sugar free day, but tomorrow we can have a small chocolate bar. I'm going to use this to get rid of my Christmas chocolates, which brings me to my goals this month:

 

1. I don't buy protein / chocolate bars

2. I eat sweets only every two days

3. I visualize my success daily

 

I have a tracking page in the BuJo, which I will put up in the tracking post

 

It is Sunday, I've done my grocery shopping, and I'm going to plan my studies for the spring. A big realization I had yesterday was that my habit of snacking on cabbage isn't healthy. Cabbage itself is healthy, but the snacking part isn't. I just suddenly realized that I just eat it, even when I'm not hungry. I have this idea that my stomach needs to be full at all times, and that feeling hunger is bad. I'm gonna pay attention to those beliefs this month, because if I'm eating just for the sake of it, well... That's not how I picture my ideal self! I want to be someone who deals with emotions with other ways than eating.

[Terah]

Following

Have a great 2017!

[Alarion]

Keeping an eye on you, as usual.

[Ensi]

20 hours ago, Terah said:

Following

Have a great 2017!

 

15 hours ago, Alarion said:

Keeping an eye on you, as usual.

 

 

So many stalkers, and it's only the second day of 2017. Hurah!

 

**

 

... it's only the second day of 2017 and I've already dragged my ass to the library to do some studies  I was able to mark down everything I had on my bullet journal yesterday! I spent a couple of hours making plans for my studies, a list of assignments I need to complete, and a budget for January. And now it's all in one place, in my BuJo. I also did groceries, and I have enough food in the fridge to last me for a few days. I'm gonna eat tuna salad at university restaurant today. Yum...!

 

Curiously enough, my brother seems to be serious about this deal we have... I proposed that we do this for January, and come up with something new for February. He also wants to do more stretching, and said that he's gonna do 2x20 minutes every day. I advised him to set a minimum of 10 minutes a day, because 40 minutes a day is a lot to do every day, and he'll get enough benefits with just 10 minutes. He hasn't responded yet, I'll see what he thinks about it. It would be wonderful to get my brother to understand what a huge difference small changes can make...! There's this "all or nothing" mentality in my family, which causes a lot of anxiety. I used to have that mentality, but NF has had a huge impact on my way of thinking. (It's only the second day of 2017, and NF has been praised. Haha )

 

Talking about stretching: Adriene started a new 31-day yoga programme! I'm gonna follow it through this month to get my body back to moving. I'm super stiff after sitting still and eating a lot of Christmas foods...! Going back to eating a lot of sugar and processed foods was a wonderful reminder of why I'm trying to make healthier choices: my body feels so much better when I eat the way I usually do! It's only the amount of food that goes wrong, and I'm doing my best to delete the glitch of buying and eating protein bars from my system. These two changes should make a big difference

[Ensi]

A tracking page for yoga:

Lähetetty minun SM-J500FN laitteesta Tapatalkilla

[Ensi]

It's Shark Week! I woke up last night, and I felt so sick that I thought I was gonna pass out x__x I had pain in my lower stomach and chest, my legs and hands were cold, and I felt extremely nauseous. I almost called Mom, but it was 2 AM, so I just sucked it up and sent a couple of messages to def instead (which obviously kept me from dying). I took a painkiller, drank some water, and had a small portion of yogurt to get my blood sugar up a bit. I stayed up for an hour and a half, and managed to sleep well after that. I'm still a bit weak, but doing better. I think this is a Shark Week related issue. Good news, though: it's been four weeks since the last Shark Week, so my cycle is getting longer again.

 

Despite the sickness last night, I'm proud that I didn't eat chocolate, but chose yogurt instead. I easily pick some chocolate to make myself feel better, but chose differently this time around. Breakfast was OK, as well  I went for a morning walk to pick up some avocados and more yogurt, and also a new watercolour paper sheet! I'm very intrigued to try the paper out. I don't have much on my to-do list today, so I'm going to take some time to paint and relax

 

Having a to-do list every day is super helpful, and I see it as a quest list. It makes it funnier I looked up a few internships I could apply for, and I sent a message to a friend who works at university's communications division. I hope to get some inside info about possible ways to get a job there...! Finding so many possible and interesting job opportunities is encouraging. I just need to apply to them, and I'm going to get my CV checked next week at the university's services. I'm also going to create my own website, where I can show my art work, photography and coding skills. Small steps

[deftona]

16 minutes ago, Ensi said:

 I just sucked it up and sent a couple of messages to def instead (which obviously kept me from dying).

 

Dr Def works in mysterious ways, my dear <4

[NeverThatBored]

Following!

 

I just tried bouldering for the first time last week and it was a lot of fun. 

[Ensi]

15 hours ago, NeverThatBored said:

Following!

 

I just tried bouldering for the first time last week and it was a lot of fun. 

 

Welcome! Ooh I can't wait to try out bouldering! Are you gonna go again?

 

Tried to hit the gym this morning, but I was so exhausted that it didn't go well. I don't know if it's the Shark Week or a slight flu, but I just ran out of breath all the time and my body felt heavy and tired. Nevertheless, I got some movement, and I'm gonna study at home today and rest  The dermatologist is going to call today and tell me the blood test results. I think my symptoms have been easier this month, and I'm curious to hear what the blood test says!

 

I had chocolate for breakfast, left for the gym, and had a light second breakfast afterwards. This deal with my brother seems to work pretty well for me! I barely think about chocolate or getting a protein bar on the days we're not supposed to eat sweets. Even if I'm eating chocolate every other day, I'm still eating less than in the autumn. I didn't have a clear policy about eating sweets despite a vague "should eat less sweets", but now I do I might switch to two days a week next month, but I'll see what my brother has in mind

 

The university is looking for two interns for the communications division. *heavy breathing* I'm not too optimistic, since they favor the students with financial aid (I used mine on the library internship), but I'm still going to apply and hope for the best  I'm happy I have my graphic CV and an Instagram account with photographs and all, I think they might prove that I'm interested in this sort of stuff...!

 

I bought a new watercolour paper sheet yesterday, and it's so good. It absorbs the colour and just... *happy artist voices*

[NeverThatBored]

7 hours ago, Ensi said:

Welcome! Ooh I can't wait to try out bouldering! Are you gonna go again?

 

 

Yeah! I want to get better at it so I'm thinking about maybe trying to go once a month or so. 

 

Good luck with the internship! 

[Ensi]

OK, friends, it's cold outside. Maybe -20 degrees Celsius, and the wind is making it feel so much worse... I'm gonna stay put in Fort Foxy, until I can tiptoe on flowers again  Well, maybe that's slightly impossible, but I'm not going outside, unless it's for a good reason.

 

I've kept to my goals, surprisingly. I'm saying surprisingly, because I've felt slightly down, but that's probably Sharks talking. Daily visualizations and affirmations are doing me good, especially "I am wanted and loved"  Oh, another surprise: my brother is super pumped about our project O__o The fact that he's so motivated helped me over my need to feed the Sharks some chocolate, so it's been a successful day. I'm proud of my brother, I hope this project could help him with his low self-esteem! Yesterday, he wrote me "I can do this! " And I'm just telling you, my brother doesn't talk like that very often.

 

 

Morning weight is still 74,5 kg, but I'm bloated. Better wait until the Sharks have swum away before I step on the scales again. Uuuurgh

 

Another surprise: I found a big television in the stairway the other day! Someone had moved away and left it behind  It couldn't find the channels, though, so I posted an update on FB and reached out for someone to give me some help with it. HC did. I'd lie if I said that I didn't freak out for a moment, but since I decided to stop thinking about our non-existent future relationship last month, I made myself calm down and act as if he was just helping out a friend in need (as he was, goddamnit). He told me that the TV might need a digibox to work. Luckily, another friend of mine has one, so she and I are gonna test the TV out some day! It's an older television, but the screen is so big that I really really REALLY want it D': It also punched me in the neck when I lifted it up on the table. Feisty!

 

So uhh. I've done yoga and walking, but Sharks have made me sluggish. And the weather is cold.

 

 

I shall rise with the spring flowers!

[Shello]

On 1/2/2017 at 2:40 AM, Ensi said:

A tracking page for yoga:

  Hide contents

Lähetetty minun SM-J500FN laitteesta Tapatalkilla

I love this tracking page!  I totally want to steal it for my bujo.

 

 

 

[Owlet]

On 1/6/2017 at 8:39 AM, Ensi said:

it's cold outside. Maybe -20 degrees Celsius, and the wind is making it feel so much worse...

 brrrrrr! 

 

Found you, following  

[Ensi]

12 hours ago, LadyShello said:

I love this tracking page!  I totally want to steal it for my bujo.

 

 

Go ahead! And oh: your cookie package arrived in Winterfell two days ago! I had already left, so Mom's sending the package to Fort Foxy. Can't wait to get it!

 

9 minutes ago, Owlet said:

 brrrrrr! 

 

Found you, following  

 

Welcome aboard!

 

A change of plans: I can't control myself, if there's a big box of chocolates in the house, so I threw away all the Christmas chocolate yesterday. I'd rather have them in the garbage than in my body  I'm going to buy my daily portion from now on... The bloat is starting to go away, and so is the energy and the hype I had at the beginning of this project my brother and I have. Now I'm pulling through with my brother's support O__o I wanted to get him on board to help him feel better about himself, and I didn't imagine that he could help me this much...! The goals always get boring at some point, and now I just need to trust that what we're doing works. The visualization and affirmations are sure helping me to believe in what I do. Gotta remember that patience and love were my big themes this year

 

My throat is a bit sore, but I did the NF beginner bodyweight workout yesterday, and I walked to get some groceries this morning. Now I have some herbal tea I'm gonna write an essay today, and ask my friend if she could read my job application and help me improve it.

 

I've been thinking about the summer... If I can't get an internship or job, I'm going to contact the cleaning firm I worked for two years ago and ask if they could have a summer job for me. Taking a break from my studies for the summer could do me good, and I could keep looking for a job in the meanwhile So, I'm not too worried about not finding a job right away. Besides, I can graduate in the autumn: there's no rush, no "get everything done this spring or die" thing going on  I can relax, do my best, and stay at Fort Foxy. That's what's been bothering me: I'd love to stay in my home town, but most of the internships are in Helsinki. I wouldn't want to move there, but stay in my home town and enjoy the summer without constant travelling between cities. Things will be OK

 

Gonna do my daily visualization and affirmations now, and then start working on my essay. Maybe I should visualize myself writing it, because I'm super lazy to get going with it :'D Have a lovely Saturday!

[Shello]

10 hours ago, Ensi said:

 

Go ahead! And oh: your cookie package arrived in Winterfell two days ago! I had already left, so Mom's sending the package to Fort Foxy. Can't wait to get it!

 

 

I'm glad it made it though you'll probable end up with a box of crumbs. 

[Ensi]

12 hours ago, LadyShello said:

 

I'm glad it made it though you'll probable end up with a box of crumbs. 

 

We shall see...! It'll be the best Box of Crumbs ever, I'm sure. I'll just sprinkle them on some yogurt. Or chocolate. Haha

 

 

OK, still sick! I'm tired and my throat is sore. I'm gonna believe it today and just stay in bed  I wish to get well by Wednesday, because there's a superhero themed party and if I can't dress up like Steve Rogers for a good reason then what's the point in anything???

 

Ahem.

 

Not sure what costume I'm gonna pick. I want to go look around in a costume store and maybe create a Shepherd Fox outfit

 

I could have some sweets today, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna walk to the store just for that. I had some banana, and I have cantaloupe melon in the fridge. Maybe I'll use my sweet day on fruit? Also, I told my friend about the deal with my brother, and she wants to join us! She starts on Monday The more, the merrier!

 

Maybe it's the sickness, but I miss summer. A lot. Just being able to think less. And how the trees outside my window have leaves, and they filter the sunlight against the wall in the morning. And how the blackbirds sing in the trees, and I can just wake up in the weekends and have some coffee. I do want to stay at Fort Foxy this summer. I'm gonna make it a priority, though it seems that the universe sometimes has other plans for me. We'll see

[deftona]

Urgh I also really really miss summer. The smells, the warm breeze, the way everything is just that little bit easier.... 

 

Soon, my friend. Soon.

[Ensi]

1 minute ago, deftona said:

Urgh I also really really miss summer. The smells, the warm breeze, the way everything is just that little bit easier.... 

 

Soon, my friend. Soon.

 

The sunny mornings, when there's dew everywhere. Summer rain. Flowers. Cold drinks, iced coffee! Needing to eat less food, because it's so warm and there's more light. Not needing to put on fifty layers of clothes when you go out.

 

Soon, indeed. On the other hand I also love this struggling, because it makes me feel alive. But sure, summer. You're very welcome!

[Ensi]

A new plan! I am attending an online weight loss programme that lasts for 6 weeks  I really wondered whether I should do this or not, but I could really use some extra support. I have a ready menu for every day, and it's really simple. I can modify it to be dairy and gluten free, and I can eat only clean foods - no processed foods or protein powders are required. This should help me with meal prepping, as well, since I have a ready plan  The list actually looks really similar to what I currently eat, but now I have the portion sizes I can follow, and support. I am also pretty motivated, because I paid money for the plan

 

Most of all, I do this because I deserve this extra support. I don't see this as a restricting diet, but a guide to help me with my eating habits. I've come a long way, and now I just want some extra accountability to help me reach my goal weight. The programme starts tomorrow, and I'm gonna go pick up some groceries that I'm gonna need

 

Well, being sick has been very bad for my essay writing efforts. I just can't right now :'D I hope that I will feel better tomorrow morning and write before deadline. Yaiks!

[DrFeelgood]

Hope you get to feeling better soon. I think the extra-curricular diet plan is a great idea. It should help reinforce the good habits you've already been developing.

[Ensi]

Just now, DrFeelgood said:

Hope you get to feeling better soon. I think the extra-curricular diet plan is a great idea. It should help reinforce the good habits you've already been developing.

 

Thanks! I've felt a lot better today, and I was given another week to complete my essay. I'm gonna relax this evening  And you're so right about reinforcing the good habits! That's what I'm taking from this, instead of expecting it to fix me and all my problems 

 

Day 1 of the programme is now behind me. What's different to what I usually do? Well, very little! It's a mass programme, but the food choices can be modified according to your goals and allergies. All the foods are simple and available in most Finnish stores, which makes this easy (in theory...). Every meal also has healthy fats, which I appreciate. So, the foods I eat are very much the same that I usually eat (minus most dairy), but now I have the portion sizes decided for me. I did some meal prepping, and I'm all set for the next few days. The idea is that we will eat more this week, and cut down the calories as the weeks go by (six weeks in total).

 

I ventured this morning and tried to have oatmeal for breakfast. Bad decision: I haven't had oatmeal in a loooong time, so my stomach was very shocked  I felt very tired and heavy, and I got hungry in a couple of hours. I asked the staff, if I could replace oatmeal with something else, and they recommended fruit or some other form of grain. From now on, I will have some fruit when I wake up, and an omelette a little later  Even if this is a diet programme, it's so similar to what I usually eat that I think this could be sustainable in a long run. I think it will help me change my snacking habits: even though I was hungry today (the oatmeal...), I kept to the programme, and noticed that being hungry isn't all that dangerous. I kept positive by telling myself that being hungry means that I'm changing, and it's alright. I'm expecting a less dramatic hunger tomorrow, when I don't have oatmeal, though!

 

I attended a lecture, got home, and completed a Yoga with Adrienne video I skipped yoga for a couple of days when I was ill, but I'm getting back to it. Let's keep it going!

[Shello]

On 1/8/2017 at 2:38 AM, Ensi said:

 

OK, still sick! I'm tired and my throat is sore. I'm gonna believe it today and just stay in bed  I wish to get well by Wednesday, because there's a superhero themed party and if I can't dress up like Steve Rogers for a good reason then what's the point in anything???

 

 

This is an excellent life goal.  

 

47 minutes ago, Ensi said:

 

Day 1 of the programme is now behind me. What's different to what I usually do? Well, very little! It's a mass programme, but the food choices can be modified according to your goals and allergies. All the foods are simple and available in most Finnish stores, which makes this easy (in theory...). Every meal also has healthy fats, which I appreciate. So, the foods I eat are very much the same that I usually eat (minus most dairy), but now I have the portion sizes decided for me. I did some meal prepping, and I'm all set for the next few days. The idea is that we will eat more this week, and cut down the calories as the weeks go by (six weeks in total).

 

I ventured this morning and tried to have oatmeal for breakfast. Bad decision: I haven't had oatmeal in a loooong time, so my stomach was very shocked  I felt very tired and heavy, and I got hungry in a couple of hours. I asked the staff, if I could replace oatmeal with something else, and they recommended fruit or some other form of grain. From now on, I will have some fruit when I wake up, and an omelette a little later  Even if this is a diet programme, it's so similar to what I usually eat that I think this could be sustainable in a long run. I think it will help me change my snacking habits: even though I was hungry today (the oatmeal...), I kept to the programme, and noticed that being hungry isn't all that dangerous. I kept positive by telling myself that being hungry means that I'm changing, and it's alright. I'm expecting a less dramatic hunger tomorrow, when I don't have oatmeal, though!

 

 

Great job on day 1.  You tried something and problem solved for a healthy solution.