This April I Will...
Replies
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MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »@MadisonMolly2017 I love that you record your process and share it with us. You are indeed following/creating your path!
@77tes thank you for this! I’ve wondered if I should or not, but I’m building this daily habit & it keeps me focused on that!
Thank you so much!💕
I completely agree! I really enjoy hearing the details of your process! I can feel the joy creating artwork gives you and that’s wonderful!1 -
PackerFanInGB wrote: »April has not been going well for me. I have gained almost 4 lbs. I was doing so awesome in March and felt so proud.
I found out almost 2 weeks ago that my stepdad has bladder cancer and has refused treatment. My mother is heartbroken. I am heartbroken for them both and myself, and I'm a "fixer" so want to help. But I live 7 hours away from them. So, I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.
I've been eating and only journaling part of the day. At night I have been mindlessly snacking on things that I know I should not be eating mindlessly.
I needed to tell you this because I need to be accountable. I know emotional eating is not going to help and has, in fact, hindered. I need to stop letting my emotions win all the time.
So, today, I have logged every single bite, and I will continue to do that until I go to bed.
Tomorrow, I will do the same thing.
One day at a time....one hour at a time....one bite at a time.
I love this group. You are all doing fantastic and inspire me in ways you probably don't even realize.
xoxo
Oh, @PackerFanInGB. I am so very sorry to hear your news. No wonder you are heartbroken and worried about your stepfather and your mother. I’m glad you shared this with us because we care about you and we are here for you! Please be gentle with yourself when it comes to your eating. You made fantastic progress in March and you will again. If the accountability and daily food logging helps give you a sense of normalcy, then that’s great. But if it’s an additional stressor on you right now, that you don’t need. 1 -
texasgardnr wrote: »1. My goal for this month (This April I will...") go to sleep earlier (starting first with before midnight) than I have been (have been... way after midnight for sure )
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal: (I don't have this figured out yet)
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit: (i also don't have this figured out yet either)
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible): 5-6 days a week to start with.
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? If it is early enough I'll read a bit, using my timer to know when stop. Maybe I ought to pick out a book that I only read at night before sleeping???
6. What help do you need from us? Your wonderful encouragement as individuals and as a group is always a blessing .
7. What does success look like to you at the end of April? To see improvements as a whole throughout this month. Eventually leading to a routine earlier bed time. And an establishment of a night time routine over the course of time.
So far: Last full week in March: 7/7 lights out before midnight
First week in April, including March 31: 4/7 lights out before midnight :yawn:
Second week in April: 6/7 lights out before midnight.
The one night I stayed up past midnight was when I was goofing off with my grand children who were sleeping over. We stayed up late laughing and talking. Then I had to get the kitchen cleaned up for Sunday morning. We had a pasta dinner and I couldn't leave it just sitting there. And with my goal being 5-6 days a week to start with it was worth the laughter and giggles.
I'm going to work towards it being by 11 pm since increasingly I've been to sleep by 11 o'clock. I'm tracking times in my calendar. It is interesting to look back on. I just found out that my daughter is working on doing the same. So we are texting about it.
Nighty night
:flowerforyou:
Staying up late having fun with your grandchildren is the best reason I can think of to stay up late. And I’m glad you and your daughter are both working on getting more sleep!1 -
The past 2 nights I have slept 8 hours both nights. So now the question is....why am I so tired. I get up and start my day...
Jonny arrives 6:15 am
We play or talk until I drop him off at school at 9
I golf 18 holes pushing my cart and averaging 7.5 miles between 9:30 and 1pm
I come home have lunch, freshen up and do chores until I pick Jonny up at 3:45 and he stays until about 5:30.
Fix dinner, do dishes and soak in tub. Bed by 8 most nights.
I feel really pooped after golfing and I am dragging butt until bedtime. I sure hope being another year older is not slowing me down. I did this last year and was not this tired. Maybe in a week or two after doing this routine weekly I will be accustomed to it again.
As to your, “Why am I so tired? question....You are packing a lot into your day. That’s a lot of golf and keeping up with your grandson. Are you getting enough recovery time? I hope you are feeling better!2 -
The past 2 nights I have slept 8 hours both nights. So now the question is....why am I so tired. I get up and start my day...
Jonny arrives 6:15 am
We play or talk until I drop him off at school at 9
I golf 18 holes pushing my cart and averaging 7.5 miles between 9:30 and 1pm
I come home have lunch, freshen up and do chores until I pick Jonny up at 3:45 and he stays until about 5:30.
Fix dinner, do dishes and soak in tub. Bed by 8 most nights.
I feel really pooped after golfing and I am dragging butt until bedtime. I sure hope being another year older is not slowing me down. I did this last year and was not this tired. Maybe in a week or two after doing this routine weekly I will be accustomed to it again.
@PinkyPan1 On the days that I have grandchildren over in the morning (not until 7 or so) I find that I'm super tired midday because I don't sleep well when I know I have to set the alarm instead of waking up naturally. AND I have to be perky (before my morning coffee) which isn't that hard because I'm happy to see them, but still... It sounds like you may just need some time to adjust to the schedule. Maybe if you try to get a short rest or 10 minute meditation time after golfing you might have more energy later in the day. One more thing, make sure you're drinking enough water. Being dehydrated can cause all kinds of symptoms. I hope you're getting some rest this weekend.3 -
themedalist wrote: »
Yes, so much THIS! Though not an artist, nor a quilter, nor a sewer, my creative outlet is my guitar. From the moment I place my music stand in front of me, to the wonderful feeling of having my guitar on my lap, I am in my happy place! Whether that lasts 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or a full half hour, it doesn’t matter. Working through the music gives me an appreciation for the song and the composer that I don’t get when I just listen to music. I can take the original piece, play it back just as it is, or change it and modify it in anyway I choose.
For me, quitting the sitting has become more than just about sitting less. I don’t want to sit out my life! I want to be an active participant in my own life and not just watch it go by. I want to create more, contribute more, help more, and consume less and watch less. Listening to music, though enjoyable, is a passive activity. The music exists without me and I can’t change it one bit. But playing music is active living. The music doesn’t begin until I start playing and it’s a blank canvas how I proceed!
To me, one of the healthiest habits we can have to to set aside a small piece of each day, rope it off with yellow “do not cross” tape and dive into an activity that makes us deliriously happy and feeds our soul.
@themedalist You could not have said this better. I especially like "playing music is active living. The music doesn't begin until I start playing and it's a blank canvas how I proceed!" Art forms are everywhere, and making music is one of my favorites that I neglect too often. I'm glad that you make time for it every day. You inspire me to do the same.
"Create more, contribute more, help more, and consume less and watch less" sums up a positive way of living that has a tremendous impact on the world. I could go on and on but will end with this. "I don't want to sit out my life" and I want to be "deliriously happy" as well. Well said in every way. Thank you, Denise.2 -
I’m keeping up with my April goal of staying under my fat goal for 3 days per week, but the rest of the week isn’t so good. We see what Easter week brings. It will be busy with a concert to attend on Wednesday, Good Friday service, and Easter Sunday festivities.
@77tes Good job keeping up with your goal as planned. Keeping track of fat intake means your are also tracking your food, another accomplishment!2 -
PackerFanInGB wrote: »April has not been going well for me. I have gained almost 4 lbs. I was doing so awesome in March and felt so proud.
I found out almost 2 weeks ago that my stepdad has bladder cancer and has refused treatment. My mother is heartbroken. I am heartbroken for them both and myself, and I'm a "fixer" so want to help. But I live 7 hours away from them. So, I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place on this one.
I've been eating and only journaling part of the day. At night I have been mindlessly snacking on things that I know I should not be eating mindlessly.
I needed to tell you this because I need to be accountable. I know emotional eating is not going to help and has, in fact, hindered. I need to stop letting my emotions win all the time.
So, today, I have logged every single bite, and I will continue to do that until I go to bed.
Tomorrow, I will do the same thing.
One day at a time....one hour at a time....one bite at a time.
I love this group. You are all doing fantastic and inspire me in ways you probably don't even realize.
xoxo
I am sorry to hear about your stepdad's diagnosis. I'm sure being so far away is hard for you, but phone calls and texts will help them know you want to support them both in whatever way you can. Hugs!
How are you doing since you wrote this post? Your "one day at a time" attitude will help you get through this time. We're not perfect, so while we strive for and hope for that, we can't expect perfection in our goals. Progress, however small, is still progress. By allowing yourself to be vulnerable by being accountable, you've taken one step towards getting things aligned again. Hang in there.2 -
@MadisonMolly2017 Your passion for art has spilled over into a passion for living...or is it the other way around?!? I believe that by focusing on what makes you feel alive and fulfilled, you bring more of that into your life. It just happens when you put in the work. You are becoming fearless and confident in your abilities and that's being reflected back to you by the new opportunities that are arising. I'm so happy for you:)2
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@texasgardner If you are getting to bed before midnight 5-6 nights a week, you are doing great! I like the idea of charting your sleep on the calendar. Do you jot down what helped or hindered you from getting there at your desired time? Time spent giggling and playing with grandkids is definitely an OK excuse...nope, reason... for staying up later than usual!2
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prgirl39mfp wrote: »Sleeping at least 6 hours but not enough. Work has been very hectic. Get home and at least spend another hour decompressing. Hoping to catch up today, my day off.
@prgirl39mfp You're right. 6 hours of sleep is not enough. There's lots of research out there that shows we just don't perform well or feel well if we don't get enough sleep. I've heard its importance is moving right up there with diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. I hope work will slow down for you soon and you are catching up on some much needed zzzz's.
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@PackerFanInGB , I’m so sorry that you are going through this stressful time. I totally understand eating when times are emotionally draining. I have recently realized that when my husband is having a stressful conversation with his brother (who is developing dementia), I find myself eating chocolate voraciously.
This last week I’ve been pretty bad keeping up with my April goal of staying under my fat goal for 3 days per week. I only stayed under my fat goal one day, and only pre-logged 4 days. But, I’m determined to do better in the coming week.
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@MadisonMolly2017 Your passion for art has spilled over into a passion for living...or is it the other way around?!? I believe that by focusing on what makes you feel alive and fulfilled, you bring more of that into your life. It just happens when you put in the work. You are becoming fearless and confident in your abilities and that's being reflected back to you by the new opportunities that are arising. I'm so happy for you:)
@nebslp Thank you so much! It’s synergistic! Both art & life fueling as well as heath, success in weight loss, vast fitness improvement, nature, great art groups (social), great art classes, a clean home, vastly less stress, sunshine, Spring, gratitude, coming to terms with all that is Life: temporary, ephemeral, beat AMAZING odds just to be here, thrilled...themedalist wrote: »MadisonMolly2017 wrote: »@MadisonMolly2017 I love that you record your process and share it with us. You are indeed following/creating your path!
@77tes thank you for this! I’ve wondered if I should or not, but I’m building this daily habit & it keeps me focused on that!
Thank you so much!💕
I completely agree! I really enjoy hearing the details of your process! I can feel the joy creating artwork gives you and that’s wonderful!
@themedalist Thank you❣️2 -
The saga continues!
4/20 purchased higher quality copier paper (in sale) for my Art Play. I love how smooth, bright white, and classy it feels.
Spent many hours:
Copying paintings & parts of paintings.The copies look great!
Coloring/augmenting watercolor backgrounds with colored pencils! Fun!
Folded one page into a zine. Not enthused, but it should look good with collage, rubber stamping, quotes/words, sketches...
Input color pencil & watercolor into my iPhone art apps & played, occasionally saving/snduplicating & playing in a diff. Direction.
Printed, cut sections, rearranged. Not completely satisfied
Went back to art apps in iPhone - played. Came upon a great section of original apps & then used 4 apps to modify.
I Love What I got to in the end! Magical image. Inspired by fairy tales...mulling over a series
4/21 watched some online watercolor instruction videos
Added many images to my Pinterest account to help me learn the compositions & styles I love the most.3 -
Thank you for the insightful tips. I am averaging 8 hours of sleep which is my goal. I am adding more meditation and making sure I am hydrated.
@PackerFanInGB, hugs and I will pray for you and your family.2 -
4/21 continued
Painted two large paintings of wisteria to take to class tomorrow for suggestions...
3 hours
4/22 went to class and worked on both & painted a copy of an ink drawing of wisteria I did when I woke up
Pleased with all 3 - learned lots
3.5 hr
The only bad news is I’m walking less although my Monthly averages are high.
Scale ticking up
As I fell back into eating out one meal.
I may have to switch my focus back to food/exercise from art/decluttering until my weight is back under 152. I am determined to figure out this balance.2 -
This was a really difficult week in a number of ways. I chose to stay up mostly to finish things that I felt needed to be done before morning. And I think it was just once to read so that I could relax to get into sleep mode. However, no late night NetFlix binging/ coloring :laugh: .
So far: Last full week in March: 7/7 lights out before midnight
First week in April, including March 31: 4/7 lights out before midnight :yawn:
Second week in April: 6/7 lights out before midnight.
Third week in April: 2/7 lights out by 11 P.M. Otherwise after midnight. :yawn:
I am going to continue to work towards lights out by 11 P.M.
:flowerforyou:4 -
prgirl39mfp wrote: »Sleeping at least 6 hours but not enough. Work has been very hectic. Get home and at least spend another hour decompressing. Hoping to catch up today, my day off.
@prgirl39mfp You're right. 6 hours of sleep is not enough. There's lots of research out there that shows we just don't perform well or feel well if we don't get enough sleep. I've heard its importance is moving right up there with diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle. I hope work will slow down for you soon and you are catching up on some much needed zzzz's.
Thanks friend! I sure hope so. It has been very difficult to adjust.
Good luck @texasgardnr 11pm sounds like a reasonable time to go to bed.
@MadisonMolly2017 balance is where I am struggling too. Hope it gets better for you as well.
Hugs @PackerFanInGB
I am still not sleeping more than 6 hours. I am overeating too, not crappy food but eating too much quantity. I guess is the body's way to compensate. Sounds crazy. Not giving up!3 -
So far this month my goal has been so neglected it's basically been forgotten. Fail!!! BUT I have continued last month's goal of having a dedicated study time starting at 12:30 every day that I am home and don't have company. Today I had to fight myself because I really wanted to work on photo sorting, but as important as photo sorting is, this study time is something I am committed to. A few weeks ago I finished learning about the Auto and Creative Auto settings on my camera. I made a list of 15 assignments and I will schedule practice time(maybe one or two days a week) or I won't get around to doing them and will forget what I learned. Once I'm comfortable with that, I will learn shooting in manual mode. The thought of that makes me shudder, it's so scary!
So next up was bird studies. I've been birding since I was a little girl but have a lot more to learn. I am a research volunteer for the international breeding bird survey and I need to continue building identification of birds, particularly by sound. Last week I studied the pesky little brown birds (6 kinds of sparrows). Today I worked on Vireos, Grosbeaks, and several other species.
My original April goal was unsuccessful because it was overly ambitious for me (45 minutes of formal exercise). I remember, maybe about a year ago, when I wanted to work in my studio more often my goal was to stand in the room 1 or 2 minutes every morning (can't remember...maybe it was 3 minutes) It was a Tiny Habit. Anyway, look at me now! I spend about 2 hours studying every day I can, I am working on another quilt in this room, and it has become my favorite hangout place in my house. It didn't happen overnight but regular scheduling has helped. I've heard so many podcasts that say successful people have habits that make them successful, one of them is having a regularly adhered to schedule. I'm trying.
Now I get to go work on photos:)
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4/23- labeled art drawers
4/24- art group & art class (worked with black lines - loose & free over a copy of an earlier watercolor) + TONS of work on iPhone apps of my pieces esp when I couldn’t sleep until 3 am😳
4/25 - watched several videos from an on-line class. Drew a sketch from a series of sidewalk cracks. Took 20 photos of road & sidewalk cracks on my walk this evening to do more random art projects. Fun!3 -
A very hectic week with my grandson. He was here sick all week and I am tending to my sons pets as well. I have been exhausted and have slept well past the 8 hours I was aiming for. In fact 3 days this week I slept just over 10 hours.3
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4/25 modified road crack photos & modules on phone. Great way to stimulate imagination & get original compositions!
4/26 modified many more crack photos on my phone. Very addictive!
Next up: make watercolor & ink
images based on my photo manipulated versions 4 -
@nebslp , you are smart to evaluate your goal and see that it was overly ambitious. Learning something every day!
@PinkyPan1 , your week sounds totally exhausting. I’m glad you got to get more sleep to power up.
@prgirl39mfp , I absolutely believe that not getting enough sleep leads to overeating. Your brain tries to boost your energy, so it tells your body to eat more. Hope you can get more sleep.
This week I’ve been doing well with prelogging and staying under fat. That really helps me keep my diary in order. I eat more fruits and veggies and stay under my calories too.3 -
@nebslp , you are smart to evaluate your goal and see that it was overly ambitious. Learning something every day!
@PinkyPan1 , your week sounds totally exhausting. I’m glad you got to get more sleep to power up.
@prgirl39mfp , I absolutely believe that not getting enough sleep leads to overeating. Your brain tries to boost your energy, so it tells your body to eat more. Hope you can get more sleep.
This week I’ve been doing well with prelogging and staying under fat. That really helps me keep my diary in order. I eat more fruits and veggies and stay under my calories too.
I agree! And good job staying under your fat target, @77tes!
I have been reading your posts and I think we made some real progress in April! For me, The two month focus on sleeping more has been very beneficial. I know how much better I feel and how much better my day goes when I get more sleep. Sure, I can function on less sleep, but I’ll see subtle indicators (and some not so subtle) that I needed more sleep. Good days can happen with less sleep, but great days require more rest.
I’ve also come to realize that the three most important daily health metrics that I need to pay attention to are food logging, my steps, and sleep.
Make it a great week!4 -
4/27 visited art museum. Painted in hotel bathroom at 1:30 AM so as not to wake Hubby when I couldn’t sleep. I will do this from now on at those times. Really relaxing
4/28 visited an amazing, huge art museum - very inspiring. Researched artists I saw & the idea of chance/randomness in creative projects. Spent hours using a random number generator to manipulate photos of the watercolors I did in the middle of night. Did it in airport & on flight. Created some lovely pieces! Inspired.
4/29 Created a Random Art Process Game, using Siri & Alexa and played it twice to create original art that I love.4 -
@themedalist , I’m glad you are getting more sleep.
@MadisonMolly2017, I love your idea of painting in the hotel bathroom. I’ve had the same problem of being unable to sleep in a hotel, and spending hours in the bathroom. I usually read or play a game on my phone. Painting is much better!
I really like my April goal, and although I went off track for Spring break and Easter week, I think it is a great way to do keep my diary in order. I think I’ll continue it into May, since I’m still struggling with remembering to pre- log.2 -
@themedalist , I’m glad you are getting more sleep.
@MadisonMolly2017, I love your idea of painting in the hotel bathroom. I’ve had the same problem of being unable to sleep in a hotel, and spending hours in the bathroom. I usually read or play a game on my phone. Painting is much better!
I really like my April goal, and although I went off track for Spring break and Easter week, I think it is a great way to do keep my diary in order. I think I’ll continue it into May, since I’m still struggling with remembering to pre- log.
@77tes I like the idea that we can carry over a goal from one month to the next. Sometimes it takes awhile to get it all figured out. I'm also glad we can choose to change every month. Looking back I can see how one goal or another has been really helpful and others that I'm not ready for yet.
@MadisonMolly2017 You are very resourceful and know how to work around obstacles when it comes to being creative. Yay!
Congrats to all April participants who tried and failed (me), tried and succeeded, and tried and just learned a little more about themselves! We are all winners!!4 -
@nebslp
Thanks so much!!
I wouldn’t say you failed at all! You’re studying and learning 2 hours a day & doing much more! Perhaps another way to express it was (as you did in an earlier post) “my April goal was overly ambitious...”
I’ve made goals like that, too. A big part of the art of goal setting (to me) is the scope & assessing if I have true motivation for that change. I’ve learned to set minimum time goals per day and to think of them as Monthly goals. So 15 mins Declutter per day, but when I get lost in it & do an hour, that counts for 4 days.
Even with my art goal, I found I’d need to do other things (laundry/bills) and/or need a day’s break from it.
I’m so glad we’re on this journey together!4 -
So far: Last full week in March: 7/7 lights out before midnight
First week in April, including March 31: 4/7 lights out before midnight
Second week in April: 6/7 lights out before midnight.
Third week in April: 2/7 lights out by 11 P.M. Otherwise after midnight.
Fourth week in April: 1/7 lights out by 11 P.M. Otherwise at or after midnight
I am going to continue to work in May towards lights out by 11 P.M. and eventually a little earlier so that I can get up earlier, and feel rested.
:flowerforyou:4 -
A strong finish to April!
I am really proud of all of you! You made a goal, rolled out a plan, and then got to work. And even if it didn’t work out just as you had hoped, as @MadisonMolly2017 said, that too is part of the process. You stuck with it and made lots of progress!
And we got rid of a lot of clutter this month! Woohoo!5
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