This September I Will...

MadisonMolly2017
MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
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Hi Fellow Habit Builders!! 💪🏻🎉😃

I thought I’d send this out a few days early! I know many of us like to brainstorm different habits & some even like to create trackers. That way we can “hit the ground running” on Sept 1st!

It's a brand new month! What's your favorite part of September?

What healthy habit would you like to work on this month? Is it something new or a continuation of your August focus? Whatever it is, let's dive in and make it happen!

If you are new to our group, welcome! Please let us know what you will be working on and how we can help! Just a suggestion: set a reminder to check-in periodically with us. Check-in daily, weekly, or as often as works for you, but let us know how you are progressing! We're here to support and encourage you, but if you don't post, we can't cheer you on!

You might frame your goal along these lines:

1. My goal for this month (This September I will...")
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit
4. How often will you do your new habit (daily is best if possible)
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? (Small positive feedbacks reinforce the habit you are trying to build.)
6. What help do you need from us?
7. What does success look like to you at the end of September?
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Replies

  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    Sneak peek!
    The flame-like things will get a dot at the end of each one for each time I do the 4 items:
    Bottom left: yoga, PT, strength exercises
    Top left: gratefulness, mindfulness
    Top right: imagining, creating, making
    Bottom Right: Cleaning, decluttering, organizing

    I see now that these cover:
    Physical
    Spiritual
    Imaginative Mind
    Organized Life

    I also make sure to learn at least one new thing a day AND I contact a friend or family member. Intellectual, Belonging

    Slowly I’m learning the balance I need!!!

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    PS I’ll track weight etc in my usual ways on my apps

    PPS The new one is the yoga-PT-strength exercise. I’ve mostly just been walking as my doc said to get 10K steps. Hoping I can get back to that PLUS 20-30 mins strength/flexibility
  • texasgardnr
    texasgardnr Posts: 2,658 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 You are so very imaginative, creative, and able to make what you have imagined! Your tracker is very amazing. I really studied your tracking plan/chart for September. It is so thought out, and indeed, it will definitely help you find the balance in your life that you are aiming for. Well done!

    Thanks for starting us off for September 💖

    🤠🌺
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    @texasgardnr

    Thank you so much! Funny thing is I created it not knowing what my I Will would be. After I added in the yin/yang symbol, it began to fall into place.

    I look forward to seeing if you continue your August I Will or if you create anew!

    Best,
    Maddie🌼
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,779 Member
    OH MY GOODNESS MADDIE!!!!!! that is totally incredible and just jaw droppingly talented creative and fabulous. I am in awe of your ingenuity and this chart allows you to grow and gives you the flexibility to do it in any way you need to... Thank you for sharing your talent with us! <3<3<3 And as Mary says the yin yang shows the balance you are working on. WOW!!! you OWN the tshirt this month.

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  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    OH MY GOODNESS MADDIE!!!!!! that is totally incredible and just jaw droppingly talented creative and fabulous. I am in awe of your ingenuity and this chart allows you to grow and gives you the flexibility to do it in any way you need to... Thank you for sharing your talent with us! <3<3<3 And as Mary says the yin yang shows the balance you are working on. WOW!!! you OWN the tshirt this month.

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    AWE @SummerSkier !!!!!
    You are too kind!!!

    It was fun how it emerged... !!!

    I’ve been trying out my plan today to see if it’s too much... so far, I’ve...

    (on chart):
    cleaned/decluttered ✔️
    Gratefulness/mindfulness ✔️
    Created : not yet
    Yoga-PT-strength : not yet

    (Not on chart):
    Learned something ✔️
    Connected family/friends ✔️
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    I think my plan for Sept might work!
    I did yoga, ✅mindfulness,✅ cleaning ✅each for 30-60 minutes.
    Created✅ a collage of a Xmas tree from the Xmas stamps I saved from Xmas cards we received last year. Maybe a beginning for our 2020 holiday card?

    Yoga
    Mindfulness
    Cleaning
    Art
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,779 Member
    WOW! Hard to believe it's Sept already!! OK everyone chime in and check in.

    @MadisonMolly2017
    @texasgardnr
    @nebslp
    @77tes


    Me - I think our weather is about to change because E V E R Y S I N G L E B O N E in my body is complaining. Either that or it just realized hey.. SIXTY TWO!

    Work has been a total nightmare today. Tried to run and not only the injured knee started whining but then the other "good" ok "used to be the bad" knee chimed in and I must have looked like a freak out there. But hey. I walked it in for 4 miles and over a hr... So. screw you weather change!!!

    I still haven't figured out Sept and I might never except to continue to let my knee (s) recover and not over push things. Apple watch gave me an impossible goal of mileage this month so I am "letting" that go. I think just staying off the food rollercoaster again and working on rehab is going to be it. No tracker except as usual Apple watch and MFP for cals in and out.

    SummerabouttobeFallIthink......

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  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,728 Member
    I’m all set for September, calendar printed out. New tracker and goal all set up. My goal is one I’ve tried many times unsuccessfully. I really want to write and I know that daily writing/journaling is the best way to start. I have a bunch of journals I started and did a few pages and quit.

    So, I’m using what I’ve learned from James Clear’s book Atomic Habits. I’m stacking this habit with my strongest -reading. I pretty much never skip a day. In the past I tried in the morning or at bedtime - neither worked. I’m making it easy, In fact, TINY, asking for only one word and keeping my journal right next to the chair where I read.

    1. This September I will write in my journal daily.
    2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal. I have my pretty little journal and penci next to my arm chair, the place where I read.
    3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit. As soon as I finish reading, I will write a least one word in my journal.
    4. How often will you do your new habit - DAILY
    5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? Fist pump
    6. What help do you need from us? Encouragement and Accountability
    7. What does success look like to you at the end of September? 30 words. A full journal- best case scenario
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,728 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 , WOWZERS 🤩! That tracker is incredible. Beautiful, clever, amazing!

    @SummerSkier , sorry that you’re feeling so bad! Don’t let Apple determine your goals! Those little cyber gremlins are bullies! 🤣
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,728 Member
    My September tracker. I’ve eliminated a couple things which are pretty automatic, like logging and water.

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    And here is the journal next to my chair with the book I’m reading. Pretty volume, isn’t it? My sister loaned it to me. Sir Walter Scott’s Waverly. v4j5af73klc1.jpeg

  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,645 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 Your tracker is so zen! The colors are gorgeous and the center looks like it's popping out at me! It's perfect for finding the right balance in your life. The shirt in the post several posts up is also perfect for you! Before I forget again, I meant to tell you the spray baste I have is called Sulky KK2200 Temporary Spray Adhesive. I can't testify as to whether it lives up to its claims, but it says it's eco-friendly and bonding disappears within 2-5 days without staining. It's also very expensive at the quilt shop (IMHO).

    @SummerSkier So sorry to hear about your knees. It seems when we compensate with the good one, we get nothing but complaints. I think your plan for September is a good one. No need for planners or charts unless you're like me and can't do anything without making one. I think it's my way of procrastinating sometimes (too often :# ). What we do or don't do should be individual and Apple can go fly a kite...oh wait, that's one thing Apple can't do! And I will keep my eyes peeled for that voodoo doll and give it a swift kick if I see it...oh no, I just realized the result of that!!!! OOPs! I would definitely take the pins out first, and then give it a hug <3

    @77tes Your planner corner books are so cool! Did you draw them? And your "journal" reminder is a great trigger...love the curl <3 Isn't it great to be able to eliminate things because they have actually become HABITS! Without reminders!!! YAY! I think it's the triggers that jolt the mind into doing what it hasn't done routinely that are essential to success. BTW, Medicare has been pretty awesome for me even though I haven't really needed it (Praise be). Coverage of the annual wellness checks is nice.
    And that is a nice journal. Enjoy using it one word at a time :)

    Hi to @texasgardnr ! I'm sure we'll be hearing from you soon :)

    Also, hello to others who are checking us out here and just need to take the plunge and join the fun.

    It's late so I'll catch up tomorrow. I'll have to use my iPad to post my chart which is fine. At least it has more than 16 emojis to choose from unlike this computer :D
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,779 Member
    Another busy day at work but I am anxious to hear what the first "word" was @77tes B)

    For Sept so far Day 1 "stayed off the rollercoaster and managed CICO due to reduced energy spend. That's a tough one always in maintenance of course but necessary to closely keep an eye on.

    @nebslp I agree we have to get the lurkers out of the woodwork early on!! LOL. And please do NOT kick the voodoo doll. Yesterday someone put ANOTHER pin in the hand and now the back of my hand hurts too. (ok perhaps the cat punctured me while we were playing and apparently in pushing down on my hand to stop the bleeding I bruised it worse. jeez.) Would love to see your chart.

    Summerit'ssupposedtorainfor3daysHALLELUHAH!!!!
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,728 Member
    @nebslp, no I didn’t draw the picture of the books. However, I did find it on the internet, crop it, and attached it to my tracker, so I figure I deserve the artist’s credit. 😉 JK! I did color them, though.

    I actually wrote more than one word. 🤣 But I did list three words from my reading that I wanted to look up. The first one was manège, I think it has something to do with horsemanship. I actually wrote about 3/4 of the page. I‘m only required to write a minimum of one word.
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,645 Member
    @77tes not only an artist, but tech savvy, too!
  • texasgardnr
    texasgardnr Posts: 2,658 Member
    I so enjoyed catching up with everyone here. Last night got waaay to late so I finally just went to sleep. Yes, I am going to continue with my reading / coloring I will. Even though it looks like I have it down pat, I don't because I have yet to figure out when to do these during the day. Often I am reading right before sleep and then the next day I have to re-read what I was starting to snooze a bit on. The point of making these my wills is to find balance. But at least I am doing them!

    I am also wanting to add something additional that either needs to get back into being a habit again, or that I want to do every day with even greater focus, but not to the exclusion of other needed things to be done.

    But in the meantime, for today:

    I will read my book and/or color some every day. 📖 = reading a book for fun, 📜= coloring

    September 1: 📖 📜
    September 2: 📖 📜

    🤠🌺
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,963 Member
    Sept 1 did all items + 12 mins of 5 mins LOL on Medicare

    Sept 2 First 90 min walk (my regular exercise) in over a week due to smoke. It got better, so out we went!

    Didn’t do yoga - rethinking. If I do 90 min walk, I might not do yoga.

    Will do mindfulness now. Or I might just sack out. LoL

    Decluttered over 90 minutes of a 15 mins minimum: collage papers

    Medicare - made the phone call (left message) & called Soc Security & got disconnected but fouls website too be excellent. Figured our a LOT!
    My 5 mins turned into 1 hour & 20 minutes!!!

    Art: whoops Well I watched over an hour of one of my online art classes AND I collected dried leaves & a few fallen flower petals for my current, ongoing art project. I think when I moved my leaves to make room for collage sorting & Medicare folders, I forgot about my art project. LOL

    Rethinking. I certainly had a great day.

  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,728 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 , I’m making my Medicare goal be no more than 5 minutes.😊 I probably should have picked up when the rep that handles my husband’s policy called yesterday, but didn’t want to take the time and give him too much encouragement, for fear of being besieged with calls.
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,728 Member
    77tes wrote: »
    @MadisonMolly2017 , I’m making my Medicare goal be no more than 5 minutes.😊 I probably should have picked up when the rep that handles my husband’s policy called yesterday, but didn’t want to take the time and give him too much encouragement, for fear of being besieged with calls.

    Don’t let the Medicare black hole swallow you up - it’s so frustrating.

    I also suggest that you just do a little yoga. Don’t make it have to be a half hour routine.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,779 Member
    Just checking in. That medicare black hole is something which is just crazy. I remember when I was dealing with a lot of my Mom and Dad's stuff - trying to work thru those phone calls was so frustrating. I finally assigned that task to my older brother who is much better and more patient than I am on the phone with working chains.

    I am laughing at the wrote more than one word. I guess once you actually OPEN the journal and pick up the pencil the hard part is done.

    Sept I will continues. it is really hard to me to "let go" of being the little energizer bunny I love so much to be, but in the interests of long term benefits I am accepting that for a little while (day 18 since wrecking myself but who's counting?!! ;) ) I am quite happy with how it is going and am quietly and shhhhhh not announcing that perhaps the voodoo doll has been located and put in a safe place without any pins for the rest of the month.

    Yesterday was a rainy day and today continues (I can hear thunder and rain right now). I did get a nice period of time to go to the barn and let my horse out to play in the mud since he had not been out to graze during the day. It is so enjoyable to me to watch him play and have a good time and the cooler weather got him moving for sure!

    Hope everyone is doing well!

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  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,645 Member
    @SummerSkier That is one beautiful horse! He looks VERY happy to get to play in the mud.