A Human Doing

A couple of weeks ago I noticed little signs that I needed a break. I kept feeling like I was coming down with a cold and feeling really tired. So in honour of listening to my body I am taking next week off work. I wasn’t going on an exciting holiday. The plan was to use this time to relax and read some books and also to work on my Thermomix biz and catch up on my Lifestyle, Food and Wellness coaching studies – instead of trying to balance everything on my plate.

Then I had a really busy weekend that flew by too quickly. It made me think about my upcoming week off. I didn’t want to feel like I had wasted the week. I wanted to make the most of it. So I started planning my week.

I was going to schedule in rituals for self care like going for a walk, meditating, reading and taking long hot baths.

I was going to allow myself a day of doing nothing – just binging on my favourite TV shows.

I was going to block out time to study and time for personal development.

I bet you’re thinking that’s a lot to do. I was thinking there wasn’t enough time in each day. Especially when I put the call out for volunteer wellness coaching clients. I didn’t know how I was going to schedule it all but it was still my plan, even though it was starting to stress me out. But I felt good.  I felt like I was ticking a box in every area of my life – health, business, study, relationships, personal growth. I felt like I was making time for all the important things. I already felt like a success.

But what is success? We all have different ideas of success and because we all live different lives success can mean so many things. What does success mean for you?

Happiness in the eye of the beholder

2014 wasn’t the best year for many people I know, myself included. I was not happy with where I was at and regretting many choices I had made. I managed to move past my resentments and started making changes and choices for a better 2015. I just re-read my New Year, New You blog that I posted in January and it’s funny that I’m not doing all the things I intended to. I’m not saying that in a bad way. My priorities have shifted. My intentions have changed with each lesson I have learnt so far this year. I still can’t believe we are already half way through this year!

While I was sick last month I felt really flat and started feeling depressed. This brought up past feelings of resentment and questioning the choices that were made. I am dealing with stress due to my current circumstances and while I thought I was managing it, it was obvious I wasn’t when my body gave up. My circumstances aren’t going to change anytime soon but they are on the path to improving so I just have to keep moving forward. The struggle is trying to maintain a positive mindset and managing stress levels. And that is why I just love this print I downloaded from The Daily Guru because it is so perfect for me right here, right now!

Fish outta water…in water

My 8 week training for the corporate triathlon starts on Monday. I haven’t done any swimming since I completed the corporate triathlon in 2014. Which is a real shame because I had worked really hard to ‘learn’ to swim. It wasn’t that I couldn’t swim, I was just a weak swimmer. I had been that kid that was too scared to put their face in the water. And after 10 weeks of swimming lessons last year I had made it to the point where I would be able to survive the 400m swim in the river. And survive it I did!

Even if it was the most traumatic experience of my life! I was hyperventilating and the water was gross and I had to swim most of it survival backstroke because I couldn’t get my breathing right! So this year, as much as I don’t want to swim in the river again, I am up for the challenge to do more than just survive the swim. This year I am challenging myself to swim the whole 400m, no more survival backstroke. And I want to swim freestyle and breathe on both sides.

It was 38 degrees yesterday (thats 100 Fahrenheit for any Americans reading) so it was the perfect day to head down to the pools and get started with my swimming.

Mindset is everything

I was on a training course today and mentioned how this year had been a journey of self discovery for me and it all started with my weight loss. During the Maxine’s Challenge I really felt like it was transforming my mind and soul more than my body.

Maxine’s wasn’t my first 12 week challenge. In 2013 I did the Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation (12wbt) – I’ll write a review about this challenge soon. I registered for this challenge when I was at my heaviest. I had been exercising a bit and was eating 6 meals instead of 3 big meals but the weight wasn’t shifting. The 12wbt helped shift my mindset to change my lifestyle in terms of food and exercise. But I didn’t get the results from 12wbt like I did with Maxine’s. Today I was asked why and I think it has more to do with me and my mindset than these actual challenges.

Both challenges are very similar. They are both for 12 weeks and provide meal plans and workout guides as well as weekly mindset motivation. 12wbt does offer more for the meal and workout plans, which it should because you have to pay while Maxine’s is free, because it is a competition.

I think 12wbt helped lay the groundwork that prepared me for pushing myself further with Maxine’s Challenge. I was in the routine of working out about 5 times a week. So the strict 6 times with Maxine’s wasn’t such a shock. And when it got stricter and rest day was cut out it was just another adjustment to make, not an excuse to quit.

As for the food, 12wbt provides a customisable meal plan with a huge selection of recipes. Maxine’s provides a meal guide with some recipe options. I was doing 12wbt when I first found out about Maxine’s and I thought the meal plan was so boring compared to 12wbt. But now that I’ve done the 2 challenges and know more about food and my body I know the Maxine’s meal plan wasn’t boring, it was about taking it back to basics and eating clean.