"This May I Will" Are you ready?
themedalist
Posts: 3,211 Member
And Hello May!
As we begin a new month and round the corner towards summer, we’ve got a question for you. Are you ready? Most of us will be enjoying a much better summer than we had last year. There will be trips, get togethers, BBQs, restaurant dining, and other activities we long took for granted before the pandemic. Hooray for vaccines and our health care workers!
But this return to normalcy can also be disruptive and stressful after a year of being mostly at home. I know I’ve let some things slide and put off, and if I’m being honest, sometimes I used the pandemic as an excuse. I haven’t seen my dentist in over a year and that’s way too long. I’ll have a checkup this summer.
There are things we can do right now to better prepare for this summer. Habits we can work on in May that will payoff in a happier, more productive summer. What will your summer include? What can you do this month to be better prepared? If you’ll be having lots of get togethers this summer and you’re feeling a little stressed about that, what stress reduction practices could you put into place or strengthen now to help you later? What small food, exercise, and sleep habits can you cement now that won’t be disrupted this summer?
That’s the beautiful part of habits. A true habit or routine is something we keep doing everyday regardless of changing circumstances. They are the anchors in our lives.
Use habit stacking to attach your habit wannabe to a habit you already do.
AFTER I ________________________
I WILL __________________________
Examples:
- After I brush my teeth, I will floss one tooth.
- After I drink my afternoon coffee, I will put on my walking shoes.
- After I put away my breakfast dishes, I will prep 3 servings of vegetables for the day.
- After I clean up after dinner, I will plan tomorrow’s dinner & move necessary items from freezer to refrigerator.
- After I weigh myself in the morning, I will drink 2 cups of refreshing, cool water.
- After I start my coffee brewing, I will stand on each leg for 30 seconds.
NEWCOMERS:
Are you new to our group? If so, welcome! Please post what you will be working on and how we can help! 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. Habits are built by doing, not by reading about what other people are doing. Post your progress, questions, and frustrations and let us help you succeed.
Let’s create, refine, or strengthen the habits we’ll need for a great summer!
🌷Denise & 🌸Maddie
@themedalist & @MadisonMolly2017
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Replies
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This is the most stressful time of year for me at work. It’s our reporting season and it starts in March and doesn’t wrap up until mid June. And I’m now increasingly stressed about returning to work this summer after a year of working at home. There are certainly positives such as seeing my coworkers in person and having a clearer separation of work and home. But there are a lot of benefits to remote work. No hour-long commute, no preparing my breakfast and lunch the night before, and no worrying about my dogs. It’s also easier to throw in a load of laundry or unload the dishwasher whenever I feel like it.
So this month I’m going to prioritize daily meditation through the Calm app. I’ve use Calm for years and it’s a wonderful system. I bought a lifetime membership when it was deeply discounted because it’s been so helpful to me.
Here’s my May focus:
“After I finish my morning coffee, I will do the Daily Calm.”
Looking forward to hearing what you’ll be working on this May!6 -
@themedalist What a great habit to work on. The more I read about total health, the more often I read the word "meditation."
I'm sure it will be just as stressful to revert back to the old routine as it was to the new one of staying home. Maybe not quite though as this was past year was something we'd never experienced before and had no way of knowing how things would work out. Zoom was a challenge for many! My daughter will be able to transition to her office as many days as she needs or wants to go in and she has been given permission to work from home the others. It's like a dream job for her! I wonder if other companies will do the same since it has worked for employees to be away from the office full time.
Here's my May focus:
Every morning before 10:00 I will sit on the bench on my front porch, close my eyes, and center my thoughts for 2 minutes.
Most likely I will stay longer because once I'm outside hearing the birds and feeling the breeze, and smelling the flowers, I don't ever want to go in!
I also plan to journal every morning before noon, and work on a sewing skill or project every day as well.2 -
I’m inspired by your “I Will’s” @themedalist and @nebslp!
Here’s my May focus:
“After I finish my breakfast, I will make marks for at least 5 minutes” (with pencil, pen, markers, watercolor/regular collected pencils, pastels, inks, rubber stamps, paints, stitch, and/or embellishments.) I will date each, and optionally reflect and write about the process of doing it.”
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For me this May I am going to get back into my morning stretches .4
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May 1 〰 🎨 🧵🌟1
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For May I am going to expand my WOE. I have been maintaining for about 3 and a half years but I think I am being SO boring. I pretty much have the same thing ALL the time with very little variety. So for May I am going to work on adding variety. My trigger to do this is to become more healthy for my Drs appts starting in June and then bloodwork. I will plan this by purchasing the items in my weekly grocery run after doing a little research online for items which are known to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. You would think as a runner my BP would be magnificent and honestly it always has been but for some reason this year when I started checking it for my Drs phone appt I saw is was HIGH (for me) so I have decided more variety in nutrients is the only option I have to change that vs drugs. I don't obviously need to lose weight or do more exercise. It was also interesting to me to see that a lot of charts show our normal BP increasing as we get older. Well I do NOT accept that normal for me should be 130's over 80's... I want it back at least to the 120's over 70s. Even if it won't be back to 100's over 70s due to age and decrepitude in my circulatory system.
May 1 - Purchased variety. WOE included baked salmon and tomato juice
May 2 -1 -
I am currently in a slump. I have regained all the weight I lost back in 2018 and I'm having some issues with my exercise plan. So, I'm ready to find a good gym for the slightly silver age group and try to limit my sugar. I have logged in to MFP regularly 1133 days or something like that but I've lost the desire to log food and exercise. Need to reclaim that.2
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I am currently in a slump. I have regained all the weight I lost back in 2018 and I'm having some issues with my exercise plan. So, I'm ready to find a good gym for the slightly silver age group and try to limit my sugar. I have logged in to MFP regularly 1133 days or something like that but I've lost the desire to log food and exercise. Need to reclaim that.
Hi @TKlepac ! Thank you for sharing!
Is there one tiny habit you’d like to do daily in May?2 -
Checking in. I’m not quite sure what to focus on this month... setting up my tracker for May today2
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Hi would like to commit to moving more. Just got second shot but since working from home challenging to make sure i get outside on a daily basis. Eat less and move more.3
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changing4life wrote: »Hi would like to commit to moving more. Just got second shot but since working from home challenging to make sure i get outside on a daily basis. Eat less and move more.
Getting outside daily is a wonderful goal, @changing4life! Could you attach it to something you already do that could then serve as a reminder? Such as, “After I finish my lunch, I will go outside and walk for 5 or 10 minutes”. Being specific really helps with building new habits.3 -
An update
May 1 - Purchased variety. WOE included baked salmon and tomato juice
May 2 - WOE included above but also about 1.3 of an orange
May 3 - sticking with above for the week as adds. But am starting to put my list together for next week.
This is kind of fun.
Hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to seeing another beautiful tracker @77tes2 -
Okay, I have decided on my goal for the month.
First, to get ready for summer I’ve got a plan to prepare for a trip to visit my sister who recently moved to another state. I will make appointments to get my car service and the airbag recall fixed. Then, I’m going to get my husband (who is afraid of getting the vaccine) and myself vaccinated.
This month’s goal has little to do with my summer plans, but it’s something I need to work on. My nails are a mess. My nails are often scraggly and I generally have hangnails. So this month I plan to routinely take care of my hands and fingernails. I might even work on my feet.
1. This May I will care for nails daily.
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal, before I put on my slippers in the morning, I’ll do something for my hands/nails. (Clip, file, lotion, etc.)
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit - putting on slippers.
4. How often will you do your new habit -every day
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? The feeling of lotion on my poor dry hands is a reward, but I’ll also admire my better groomed nails.
6. What help would you like from us? Cheer me on
7. What does success look like to you at the end of February? My hands and nails will look much better, maybe I’ll even put on some polish (let’s not get crazy😜).
May 1 - ?
May 2 - 🤚 😊
May 3 - 🤚😊4 -
Great goals, everyone!
I realized my habit doesn’t really have a hook and I was going at it backwards, so I think I will change it to AFTER my coffee is ready, I WILL sit on my bench outside for 2 minutes... and be open to hearing (eyes closed), seeing (eyes open), feeling the breeze, smelling the flowers, and tasting (coffee) to help me center myself.
My dad’s cousin turned 100 last week and was on a news show in AZ that I listened to online. We share the same name and she’s shared stories about my dad that are so special. Anyway, her secret to life is “to live every day.” 😍 Before the pandemic she swam 5 mornings a week and Tap danced. I hope she can go back to it now that things are opening up again. Also, This morning I read in one of my de-stress books that someone said their purpose in life was to “Enjoy it.” Maybe it really is that simple🤔
May 1 ⛅️
May 2 ⛅️
May 3 ⛅️4 -
@77tes that is a wonderful habit. Years and YEARS and years ago I tried out the gelish polish after not doing anything but put plain polish on and scrape it off as a nervous habit. The gel is not scrappable. LOL. So I bought the lamp. Now that I am working from home it is quite easy to do the gelish and because I am constantly working at the barn and bathing bandit my nails are in much better shape. So, something to consider. It's pretty easy altho some are afraid of the UV lamp for a few minutes to cure the gel. On another strange nail note I must have banged one of my big toes as I have had a black spot in it for literally months. It does not hurt but I think the blood is stuck in place. I just painted over it and kind of forgot about it but every once in a while I wonder why it doesn't change or grow out with the toenail. shrug. If you run out of things to do with your fingernails you could alway do your toenails but then you might not want to put on your slippers first.
@nebslp I was running today and my mind was all over the place. thinking about the past thinking about the future. All of a sudden (great minds??!!!) I thought WHY are you not just IN THE NOW enjoying the freedom the beautiful northern breeze and the sun rise? I have a LOT of trouble staying in the now so I really REALLY like your thoughts on this.
My update
May 1 - Purchased variety. WOE included baked salmon and tomato juice
May 2 - WOE included above but also about 1.3 of an orange
May 3 - sticking with above for the week as adds. But am starting to put my list together for next week. This is kind of fun.
May 4 - interesting my BP today was 118 over 73. Much more normal for me. Yesterday at the dentist it was 148/95 ok the dentist STRESSES ME OUT EVEN CLEANING. Mostly the past dailychecks have been 120's 130s / 80s. I doubt my WOE is effecting things so quickly but for next week I am thinking about some grapefruit juice or grapefruits. I was really REALLY happy to find my favorite tomato juice in a low sodium variety!!!!! It is really adding a nice variety to my day along with the salmon I had prebaked on Saturday. I do not like that the normal for BP is allowed to be so much higher as we age (130's/80 is normal for over 60s) I think that is just a cop out assuming older folks will not be as active or healthy?
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May 1 - ?
May 2 - 🤚 😊
May 3 - 🤚😊
May 4 - 🤚😊
@themedalist. your goal of daily meditation in the morning is a good one. I’m really enjoying my evening meditation habit. Morning would be great too. BTW, your under desk elliptical looks like such a great idea, especially for zoom meetings. What I really need is a treadle sewing machine! Then I could really be productive during zoom meetings. 🤣
@nebslp you goal sounds like another kind of meditation, lovely! Your dad’s cousin sounds like quite a lady. What an inspiration!
@summerskier I loved your posts about wearing your favorite earrings. Those posts inspired me to do do something daily to “pamper” myself- thus, the goal to improve my nail care. I’ll look into gelish nails. I have a friend who sells some sort of polish stuff, too.
@madisonmolly2017 hooray for giving yourself the daily opportunity to do art.
@pennysob morning stretches are a great idea. Go you!
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🎨 Palette= I will make marks for at least 5 minutes DAILY!
NEW: Marie Kondo was right - at least for me! All the decluttering of the past 5.5 years has enabled me to now really tackle our stash of old media. I already went through much of this before, but would get overwhelmed. At least there is far less to go through now! Now I know to do small bits at a time & I really love order now. I love being able to find things!
Completely finishing all of the postcards & memorabilia of an amazing trip in 1972 has spurred me onwards. These jobs take time, but it’s not infinite. They seem more do-able. I make decisions faster & with far less angst!
This next category will take some time, but I’m truly in the right mindset now!!
Media= I will do one of the following for at least 5 minutes DAILY except when family members are here visiting (I’d rather show them some of the awesome ones I’ve uncovered!!)
Top Priority 📼 Cassette tapes- Invaluable
I will screen very old cassette tapes to see if they are worth transferring to digital.
2nd priority: 🏞 Old print photos: To free up significant space.
I will declutter all our printed photos to keep just the ones we want to have scanned to digital.
3rd priority: 📽 Old Videos
I will declutter old purchased videos or screen our old home VHS to see if they are worth transferring to digital.
4th: 📹 Moderately old videos
Same as 3. Most are labeled!! Hooray!
I decided to have a priority order, but not rigidly stick to it as variety is something I enjoy.
I’m organizing the equipment I need on the newly cleared dining room table. My reward for completing the cassettes (top priority) & photos will be much less clutter, more readily accessible memorabilia, and the ability to use the dining room table for laying our monoprints and other art that needs to lay flat to dry!! The videos won’t need the space of the table. The reward there will be preserving & sharing darling early films of our son❣️
Even iif this takes until Jan 1, 2022, it will be great to have these precious items accessible & shareable. Plus, future generations will be more likely to hang on to them If they are digital, I t think!
May 1 🎨 📼
May 2 🎨 📽
May 3 🎨 🏞
May 4 🎨 📼 🏞
May 5
May 6
May 7
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@MadisonMolly2017 decluttering media is so difficult! I eliminated many of my cassettes recently when I got a new car. My old one had a cassette deck. I’m in the middle of a huge paper declutter currently. My sister was the custodian of records for the school we used to operate, and when she moved I took the files. They basically are supposed to be maintained forever. However, the files have many things not officially required. So I’m going through them, saving the cumulative records and pitching the rest. Unfortunately, anything with a birthdate needs to be shredded, so I’m trying to do 15 minutes of sorting followed by 15 minutes of shredding.1
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OH my. I do not even want to go there with the media. My brother recently sent me some digital video they had converted from old 8mm tape video (silent movies!) in the early 60's. It was really hard to watch but fun to see my siblings and mom at very young ages. I think they found these when cleaning out my parent's house. I have quite a LOT of media. Most of the photos are done and changed to digital by merely taking a picture of them on my phone.
I have totally kept up with favoriting daily and filing daily and monthly USB back ups on my digital files. It's fun and easy to take care of.
Summerchatty1 -
@77tes and @MadisonMolly2017 It's frustrating when the technology changes and we have to adapt or get left behind! I have some VHS tapes that I'd like to digitize but have no clue how to do it. I don't even have equipment to screen them. They're ones from my kid's school days and I'd hate to lose them, but there they sit
Wow! Lots of paper shredding going on there, @77tes!!! Good thing is, once you're done, you should be done.
Good for you, @SummerSkier for continuing your habit of backing up your photos. You must enjoy it and/or have found out how great it is to be so organized.
LOL! I'm stepping back in time and am printing pictures to make books for my grandkids. The reason I won't create and buy digital books is the cost. I watch for specials on Snapfish and Shutterfly and recently was able to get 250 prints for under $25. I often have to order 2 or more of one pic depending on how many books it will go into. I'm excited that I have made a decision and am following through on it even though it's slow going. I asked myself what's the one thing I would most regret not doing someday and the answer was giving my grandkids the gift of memories. I think I will have more fun making them than they will looking at them. I'll use flashdrives to save the videos and give each one one of those as well.
I'm just learning how to scan old photos (to my surprise, it's a snap!). I want to make a book for my niece but am not sure how to size the photos. There's such a learning curve to everything!2
