Sometimes I feel like my life is a long, long, long “to-do” list…
I woke up at 4:30 am and went to 5:15 Spin. Check! I lingered a while after class to chat with my friend Jen, who is a real gift to me. She is one of those people who is kind, encouraging, inclusive and generous. She is just the person I needed to help me get a jump start on my day.
I came home and made two eggs, toasted one Joseph’s pita, and 2 ounces of Boars Head Ham (fried with a spray of Canola oil in the pan with the eggs), 1/2 cup cherries, and 1 medium banana ( 3sp ). Check! Amazing, right? That’s a lot of food. After breakfast, I went on to hit my next “to do” on my list. I am a creator and moderator of a weekly Twitter Chat, #G2Great. That means every Thursday night for an hour I host an educational chat. Check!
Notwithstanding, tonight will be different, I pre-tweeted my answers to the questions that I wrote with our team about Homework. Check! I won’t be able to be there in person as I have another engagement…
I am going to see the Avett Brothers tonight! WOO HOO!
It’d be too easy to fool around all day and just have some fun ahead of this show that I’ve been looking forward to for quite a long time.
However, I have a full day of work ahead of me. I’ll be going to the library to check out some new book titles that my good friend and book guru extraordinaire, Jennifer Sniadecki @jdsniadecki recommended (if you’re a teacher, follow Jen on Twitter, she’s amazing). Then I”m back home to write more lessons. Future Check!
Obligations. There are so many and maybe that’s why weight loss efforts get pushed to the backburner. There is just so much to check off the list! How in the world do I take the time and energy required to focus on weight loss? To that I say, how do I not? How can I possibly be my best self if I don’t value my health? How do I compete if I don’t feel confident in my body? Gratitude begins with the most basic of things, like the body I live in.
For every “check” there needs to be some “balance”. Being inspired by friends, creating something new, appreciating art (yes I think the Avett brothers are real artists), heck eating a good homecooked meal, all of this is as important as anything else. After all, it was really never a list – it’s my life. A life well lived begins by looking around and trying to get a sense of it all.
I’ve said, that I turned it all around when I began to write every day. I believe I’m rewriting my life’s story right here on this blog. Writing pushes reflection. So why do so many of us try to avoid it?
When I got serious about changing my life and taking on my issues with weight, I began learning how to self-reflect. I read this great article by Jennifer Porter, Why You Should Make Time for Self-Reflection (Even If You Hate Doing It. Everything I read, rang so true with my experiences. This is a powerful quote to think (and reflect) on:
“Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning. This meaning becomes learning, which can then inform future mindsets and actions.” Porter. I write this blog to think about my journey, make sense of it, and make a plan of action. This is all true!
She goes on to examine all the things that get in our way when it comes to reflection. Then she suggests some open-ended questions that are a great way to get started. I plan to revisit this article because it inspires me. Check it out.
Getting to Goal 