5/15 Monday Day 15 SLBC
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themedalist
Posts: 3,212 Member
Theme: What’s On Your Bucket List?
Chances are sitting less, losing weight, and becoming a fitter and healthier person aren’t your ultimate goals. It's more likely that they are a means to achieving the goals and dreams you have for your life. It's hard work changing ourselves and our daily habits and routines. Sometimes the "why we're doing this" can get a little fuzzy. Today's challenge is going to help us sharpen our motivation for change!
Most of us have items on our "Bucket List": things we'd like to do, places we'd like to visit, and goals we'd like to achieve. Too often, our current health status keeps us from pursuing our goals and aspirations. But good news -- sitting less and moving more are a great foundation for pursing our dreams and making them a reality!
My friend Anna is a shining example of this. Anna participated in one of our first Sit Less Boot Camps and she continued to sit less and move more long after Boot Camp ended. Her active lifestyle just made her feel better...more energetic, less achy, and it was a clear factor in her continued weight loss. She felt so good that she decided to pursue her long-held dream of learning to figure skate! She took skating lessons, practiced over and over again, and guess what? A few weeks ago, she entered her first ice-skating competition and received a gold medal!
Today’s Challenge:
So what's on your bucket list? What goal would you like to pursue and accomplish? Today's challenge is to take a small, but concrete step toward achieving one of your goals. If you are like Anna and want to learn a new skill, your concrete action for today might be to find out who teaches that skill near you and where you can take lessons. Do you dream of taking your kids to a themed amusement park and riding with them on the roller coaster? What small step could you take today that would move this goal closer to reality?
And if your goal is to simply spend as many happy and healthy years as you can with your friends and family, why not choose a favorite "moving" activity to do today while you mull over all the fun things you'll be doing with them that your better health will make easier?
Bucket lists shouldn't be distant, unattainable dreams. Dream it and then find a way to do it! I can't wait to hear what's on your bucket list and what action you took today!
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On my bucket list is a trip to the UK. My action item for today's challenge is to check out walking tours of London!6
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While this isn’t related to sitting less, it does relate to our theme this month that small daily habit changes can have a big impact on our life. Since it was also an item on my bucket list, I wanted to share my story.
For as long as I can remember, I wanted to play the guitar. I have cerebral palsy and I have limited use of my left hand. Small muscle movements using my fingers are hard for me to do, such as picking up coins and moving them a couple of inches. So my lifelong, "I wish I could play the guitar" was always met with, "I can't play the guitar because I don't have full use of both my hands." Which is a perfectly reasonable response, but it wasn't getting me any closer to playing the guitar!
After learning something about habits, particularly how the brain wants to take any action that we do over and over again and turn it into a habit that will be automatic and easier for us to do, I decided to take a different approach. I decided that for one year I would practice the guitar 15 minutes a day. Not occasionally, not when I thought about it or when I was motivated to do it, but every day as a personal commitment and promise to myself to try and put the "I can't do this because…" mentality behind me, once and for all.
I missed two days of practice in 2016, but otherwise, I was persistent, consistent, and I showed up every day and did my best. Some days my 15 minutes became 20, or even 30 minutes or more of practice. When we make a small and reasonable “ask” of ourselves, it's pretty easy to do more. My 15 minutes a day guitar habit grew and compounded to more than 100 hours of practice in 2016, plenty of time to learn the fundamentals and develop a small range of chords that I can play.
Nineteen months after I started this daily habit, I can now say something that has eluded me for 50 years: "I can play the guitar!" No, I can't play it as well as someone who has full use of both their hands and fingers, but that doesn't change the fact that I can indeed play the guitar. I can't begin to tell you the joy, richness, and deep sense of satisfaction that this has brought to my life! One unexpected benefit has been that the fingers on my left hand are more nimble and dexterous than they've ever been, because of the daily strumming. If I keep practicing (and I will) my skills as a guitarist will only improve. My goal is simply to be the best guitarist that I can be. Thirty years from now, I will be ROCKIN’ my assisted living facility!
We become what we repeatedly do. The smallest habit nurtured every day will have a wonderfully transformative impact on your life! I hope you set aside a few minutes each day pursuing something that gives you joy…something that is on your bucket list.
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Thanks for your inspiring story. I don't have a bucket list. *blush* I guess my action for today should thus be to make one.4
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Thanks for your inspiring story. I don't have a bucket list. *blush* I guess my action for today should thus be to make one.
Yes, great idea, @Silinde! If you don't have a bucket list already, identifying a goal or two that you'd like to achieve is a terrific action step for today. Thanks for the suggestion!2 -
@themedalist thanks for sharing your inspirational story! For the last three years I have been working extremely hard to lose almost 70 pounds. I should be there this week or so. Then my bucket list goal for me is to sculpt my body into you what I want it to be. I will be starting a recomposition on June 1. One place I want to build muscle is my glutes. Today I will be researching what types of weight training exercises will work best for that.4
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@themedalist Thank you for this inspiration! You are amazing!
My husband is training for the Way of St James ( El Camino) in Spain. I told him I wanted to do it with him next year. It is only 100 miles. My goal is to be able to share that experience with him and to push myself out of my comfort zone.
My "why" am I doing this is very simple: both my parents were sick people and died pretty much horrible deaths due to very bad health. I want to be as healthy as I can, mobile as I can when I reach that stage in life. I want to be able to walk, sit, stand and enjoy my life to the fullest or as much as I can.
Thank you for this group and all the support and tips you share. It has helped me tremendously.4 -
My goal is to be healthy and strong. One thing I know about anything that you want to accomplish is that you have to WANT to do it and be consistent in it, as much as possible.3
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prgirl39mfp wrote: »@themedalist Thank you for this inspiration! You are amazing!
My husband is training for the Way of St James ( El Camino) in Spain. I told him I wanted to do it with him next year. It is only 100 miles. My goal is to be able to share that experience with him and to push myself out of my comfort zone.
My "why" am I doing this is very simple: both my parents were sick people and died pretty much horrible deaths due to very bad health. I want to be as healthy as I can, mobile as I can when I reach that stage in life. I want to be able to walk, sit, stand and enjoy my life to the fullest or as much as I can.
Thank you for this group and all the support and tips you share. It has helped me tremendously.
You have a great "why" @prgirl39mfp and your "only 100 miles" comment made me smile. Whether you are walking, running, biking, or swimming, 100 miles is a long distance!
Is there an action item you could take today in support of your El Camino goal?2 -
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Well, one of the reasons I finally made "getting fit" a priority is my struggle with depression and anxiety. It has been a lifelong struggle, and lately, it was getting out of control. I have very small children, and I don't want my depression to affect them.
Since I've started back with a regular fitness program and made steps toward being more active in general, it has really made a huge improvement in my anxiety. But, I do find I need to do more than a casual walk here and there. It takes a consistent, more moderate-high effort to give me relief from my symptoms.
Managing my anxiety and depression is the first step toward accomplishing anything else in my life, from being a better mom to accomplishing my work goals or even thinking of a bucket list. I've put my exercise schedule in my calendar, and I'm looking ahead to my week and making sure my exercise for the day fits.
I think I'd really like to get back into teaching yoga and get back to being a runner as a next goal. This means continuing with my fitness schedule, including some rehab I need to do to prepare my body for running again (I've had some injuries).
My small step toward the goal of running and teaching, is completing my physio exercises every week. To sort of go along with the more active theme, I'm going to try adding my physio exercises to my movement breaks throughout the day. I think I'd also like to lose 10 more lbs before starting a running program. That means sticking to my logging here on mfp and sticking to my weight loss plan.3 -
@jlbay I also struggle with anxiety (resulting in depression!). You can do this! You are on the right track. Good luck to you!
I have a couple actually... (1) I want to be able to go on walks and hikes without getting winded. (2) I want to get anxiety and stress under control and get off medication for it. (3) I want to get as physically fit as I can to try to prevent disease from returning. (4) I want to be able to wear cute summer clothes without being embarrassed.
Today, I plan to take a walk when I get home and maybe add one of the streets with the long incline to it. I will try to implement meditation during my walk to clear my mind.
I don't know if this is what you mean, but I think doing this will help me perhaps get in better shape so I can go hiking on our road trips... ?2 -
OConnell5483 wrote: »@jlbay I also struggle with anxiety (resulting in depression!). You can do this! You are on the right track. Good luck to you!
I have a couple actually... (1) I want to be able to go on walks and hikes without getting winded. (2) I want to get anxiety and stress under control and get off medication for it. (3) I want to get as physically fit as I can to try to prevent disease from returning. (4) I want to be able to wear cute summer clothes without being embarrassed.
Today, I plan to take a walk when I get home and maybe add one of the streets with the long incline to it. I will try to implement meditation during my walk to clear my mind.
I don't know if this is what you mean, but I think doing this will help me perhaps get in better shape so I can go hiking on our road trips... ?
@OConnell5483 and anyone else who had similar questions, yes, that's what I mean. My hope with this challenge is two fold: 1) that people reconnect with their "why" as a way to boost their motivation. Personal change of any type is hard and in the thick of it, I think it helps to keep the why and your end goals in sight. 2) Whether your goals are specific "bucket list" items such as Anna's ice skating goal or my UK trip, or a broader goal such as your "hiking and not being winded" aspiration, the common denominator in making these things a reality is ACTION. Not wishing, not hoping, or even planning (though these have their merits)... it's in the DOING. The smallest action taken today is disproportionately powerful because it increases the likelihood you'll take another step tomorrow.
Sit Less Boot Camp is rooted in action steps and oh my....has this group been moving forward! My hope with this challenge is to personalize it a bit: an action step for today that will move you closer to what you want out of life.2 -
themedalist wrote: »On my bucket list is a trip to the UK. My action item for today's challenge is to check out walking tours of London!
Wow...there are a lot of walking tours in London (and London is just one of the UK cities I want to visit and walk around in). There are Harry Potter tours, Jack the Ripper tours, historic London pub tours, evening strolls around London, and even graffiti walking tours. And this is just scratching the surface. I can't wait!2 -
themedalist wrote: »themedalist wrote: »On my bucket list is a trip to the UK. My action item for today's challenge is to check out walking tours of London!
Wow...there are a lot of walking tours in London (and London is just one of the UK cities I want to visit and walk around in). There are Harry Potter tours, Jack the Ripper tours, historic London pub tours, evening strolls around London, and even graffiti walking tours. And this is just scratching the surface. I can't wait!
OMG...I've always wanted to go to London...now I REALLLLLY want to go to London!!
But next on my bucket list is to play tennis. I hope to achieve that goal this summer!!
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I'm going to push forward with walking greater distances. I'm going to Hawaii next year and the plan is to find multiple walking tours.3
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@themedalist, @HappyAnna2014, they have walking tours for Sherlock Holmes, too, if you're into Conan Doyle. It's amazing the variety of options there are!
It's not quite on my bucket list, but I just went to ComicCon and dressed in a geeky TARDIS shirt and constellation leggings and brought my sonic screwdriver, etc. By next year's ComicCon, I want to be comfortably maintaining and feeling confident enough to cosplay someone specific and invest in a costume. (Not sure who yet, but I'll get there.) I'm focussing on eating right and moving a lot to shift those last pounds, as well as incorporating strength training to maintain/gain muscle while losing the fat.
I've got a walking challenge at work this week, and I'm a captain for one of the teams as well as the main organiser in our department, so I've been working on walking up an extra storm as well as sending out motivational emails, making sure everyone has a step counter, making a tracking spreadsheet, etc. It's fun to see people working on getting healthier! I've been the reigning walker for the last two challenges, and this has motivated some people to push extra hard to try to beat me, lol--I'll take it since it means that they're getting a lot of extra activity in.
I'm going to be linking to a lot of the material listed here--it's so great for emphasise the benefits of walking and being more active to counterbalance our desk jobs! Thanks for all the resources.
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@prgirl39mfp, my mom did the Camino a few years back now, and she said it was amazing! Training is definitely a good idea, though, as it's days and days of walking over a variety of terrain (and in the rain and with blisters, etc.) But there's a real community feel doing it with so many people from so many walks of life. Such an experience!2
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fitphoenix wrote: »@themedalist, @HappyAnna2014, they have walking tours for Sherlock Holmes, too, if you're into Conan Doyle. It's amazing the variety of options there are!
It's not quite on my bucket list, but I just went to ComicCon and dressed in a geeky TARDIS shirt and constellation leggings and brought my sonic screwdriver, etc. By next year's ComicCon, I want to be comfortably maintaining and feeling confident enough to cosplay someone specific and invest in a costume. (Not sure who yet, but I'll get there.) I'm focussing on eating right and moving a lot to shift those last pounds, as well as incorporating strength training to maintain/gain muscle while losing the fat.
I've got a walking challenge at work this week, and I'm a captain for one of the teams as well as the main organiser in our department, so I've been working on walking up an extra storm as well as sending out motivational emails, making sure everyone has a step counter, making a tracking spreadsheet, etc. It's fun to see people working on getting healthier! I've been the reigning walker for the last two challenges, and this has motivated some people to push extra hard to try to beat me, lol--I'll take it since it means that they're getting a lot of extra activity in.
I'm going to be linking to a lot of the material listed here--it's so great for emphasise the benefits of walking and being more active to counterbalance our desk jobs! Thanks for all the resources.
@fitphoenix, your ComicCon event sounds like a lot of fun and great job leading one of the teams at work on a walking challenge! I'm glad the resources are helpful to you.
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fitphoenix wrote: »@themedalist, @HappyAnna2014, they have walking tours for Sherlock Holmes, too, if you're into Conan Doyle. It's amazing the variety of options there are!
It's not quite on my bucket list, but I just went to ComicCon and dressed in a geeky TARDIS shirt and constellation leggings and brought my sonic screwdriver, etc. By next year's ComicCon, I want to be comfortably maintaining and feeling confident enough to cosplay someone specific and invest in a costume. (Not sure who yet, but I'll get there.) I'm focussing on eating right and moving a lot to shift those last pounds, as well as incorporating strength training to maintain/gain muscle while losing the fat.
I've got a walking challenge at work this week, and I'm a captain for one of the teams as well as the main organiser in our department, so I've been working on walking up an extra storm as well as sending out motivational emails, making sure everyone has a step counter, making a tracking spreadsheet, etc. It's fun to see people working on getting healthier! I've been the reigning walker for the last two challenges, and this has motivated some people to push extra hard to try to beat me, lol--I'll take it since it means that they're getting a lot of extra activity in.
I'm going to be linking to a lot of the material listed here--it's so great for emphasise the benefits of walking and being more active to counterbalance our desk jobs! Thanks for all the resources.
How. Awesome!! I think I'm going to need to make multiple trips to London to see all this fabulosity!!1 -
After traveling to Paris this year, I feel like I HAVE to go back to see the things I didn't have time for and to see others a second time. I didn't climb the steps at Sacre Coure but I might try it next time. There is so much history there, as there is in London. I want to take my girls (2 daughters and 2 daughters-in-law) and I have to be able to "run" in the airport and the metro if it's anything like the last trip! Maybe next year I can make it happen and I am preparing now. I'm walking the hills around my house and find I get less winded than I did in previous years. My heart rate gets up to 150 bpm occasionally.4
