1001 Days Later

Wow, that sounds like a long time, and it is and it isn't. In my 32 years of life (12005 days) it is only a glimpse. Why am I even talking about it? It was a goal setting exercise I took part in - the Day Zero Project (101 in 1001). There are other similar ones, such as #100happydays that I have also done - I enjoy accomplishing things, I'm a doer, so getting things done helps keep me happy and healthy. Obviously not everyone is wired this way (I think few people are similar to me, the more that I learn about personality traits), but goals work for me.

I tried, I succeeded, I didn't complete (yet!) my 101. I am trying to be okay with completing 82/101 (81.2%). I am also deciding that at some point I will complete the remaining 19. I'm trying to not make excuses and to still keep these on my radar. I definitely wasn't solely thinking about these, as I have accomplished other goals over the last 1001 days. A lot has changed in my life since June 7, 2013, that's for sure, so this is even a great mindfulness check-in. I've travelled, became a mom, moved into a new house, and survived into my 6th year of self-employment (among other things).

However, the ones that remain are (because having them in one place will help me focus!):

6 - go on a girl's weekend trip (non-work related...)
7 - play a round of golf with my husband (summer 2016?)
10 - put aside $10 for each task accomplished (82/110)
15 - meditate every day for one month
31 - create our will (I jotted notes)
32 - create our health directives (I jotted notes)
33 - try snowboarding
34 - go skating
35 - go cross country skiing
47 - build a sand castle (summer 2016?)
64 - update my 'places I've been' Pinterest board (ongoing...)
77 - visit a new country...(summer 2016?)
80 - learn where all 50 states are on a map of the USA (working on it, I know all 50 now at least!)
81 - don't watch TV or Netflix for a month (summer 2016?)
82 - don't eat out for 2 months (summer 2016?)
84 - complete the 365 project (a picture a day for a year) (I may have done this, but it wasn't intentional)
86 - don't complain for 1 week ( hope I did, but I wanted to be aware & track at least one...)
96 - kiss in the rain (again, I probably did, but not mindfully for this list!)
101 - get a second tattoo (have it picked out)

I think I can knock a few off this summer if I keep them on my mind or add them to my endless to-do lists. I also have new ideas, such as a one sentence journal (suggested by Gretchen Rubin) and I've learned to focus on gratitude, being curious, being present, and unplugging more often - so those will stay with me forever, sort of my pillars for health, happiness, and habits. I still have stacks of books that I intend to read, movies to watch, blogs to write, recipes to try, places to see, and basically lots of life to experience!

How is your 2016 going? Are you working on a goal(s), how's it going?

Cheers,
Here's to you and all you dream of accomplishing :)

Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Offline - On Purpose & By Accident

We went away for a quick family holiday mid-November. Since we left the country, I turned my phone roaming off and didn't use it for about 5 days. I was disappointed with myself that it felt 'weird' to not be checking my emails, texts, facebook, instagram, etc. Shouldn't it feel normal to not check your phone and be online?!

I have mentioned a few times that I feel it's good to unplug, to live the life in front of us. I make a conscious effort to be present and with my daughter while she's awake. I do admit though, sometimes I fall down the rabbit hole and am checking statuses, likes, updates, etc. Sometimes it's work related, sometimes it's personal, sometimes it's just out of habit.

Being away for a mere 5 days brought forth this revelation and realization as to how much time I must actually spend (waste) on-line/plugged-in. I was reminded of an image I saw recently:

This also made me think about habits. Often we're trying to start new habits or break old ones; often it's a choice. I felt like this was a habit change that was forced on me, for a positive reason. Once we returned home and I had my phone again, I tried to be on it less. I blogged less, I checked emails less, I posted on instagram less. Then I accidentally killed my phone (water damage beyond repair), so I was without a phone for another few days (while I tried to revive it). So here again, the world was showing me how much time I spend on my phone.

I now have a new, fully functioning phone, but I still want to live my real life, not my on-line one. I may not become internet famous, I may not have the most followers, but that's okay, I don't think I'd be a good celebrity anyway. I've also read accounts from people that became obsessed with social media, people that spend hours staging a photo to look like they just snapped it in a few seconds, and I know many successful/happy people that don't even attempt to keep up with the social media trends. This falls into my love of mindfulness (consciously using my phone less, consciously being present), minimalism (less use) and moderation (less use).

I still have a long way to go to be the best version of myself, but I do believe that unplugging more often is part of it. I am competitive, I expect a lot from myself, and I am a perfectionist, so I struggle to not compare myself to others online, even though it's just an image of their life, left open to my interpretation. Take this as you will, but the life I live beyond this screen is a pretty great one, whether you think that or not :)

I hope you find time to be with family and friends as the year draws to a close.
Cheers,
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com

Day 24: Modern Convenience

I often feel that technology takes up a lot of our time. We watch television, check facebook, post to instagram, text a friends, send an email, etc. and don't always seem to actually be living the life in front of our eyes. The lives we see on-line are only snapshots and are open to our interpretation. I am obviously guilty, as I sit here typing this post. However, the other day, when my 'maid' was vacuuming the house, I was grateful for time to be with my daughter. I think of my roomba vacuum as my 'maid' because it cleans for me.

Since it's the weekend, I figured this was an appropriate post. I have been away for work for 2.5 days and 2 nights, so it's family time. My husband will be happy that I'm looking forward to relaxing. I do find the weekends are a time to clean and get ready for the week ahead, but right now I need to recharge and renew myself. That is why I'm thankful for things like my washing machine, dish washer, and vacuum. I can't imagine having to do more things by hand and still fit everything into my day.

We live in a 'busy' time, but we've developed that. It's up to us to decide where our priorities lie and if we're in the moment, perhaps we won't feel as busy. We could also free up a lot of time by not constantly checking our notifications and social media. The 24 hours we get each day can seem to go by really fast or really slow, so make them matter.

I am grateful for: technology that gives me time to do other things

I'm keeping this short so that I can unplug and live my life beyond a screen. I might not capture and share it all with you, but I'll be creating moments and enjoying it none the less.

Have a great Saturday!
Steph Langdon, RD
www.nutrishus.com