This October I Will ...
Options
Replies
-
SummerSkier wrote: »Ok - in case yall are new and don't quite get me yet, my previous post was pretty much just some humor to start us out.
For me I actually DO have a tracker this month. And IT IS COLORFUL because I could see @nebslp how much of a HUGE difference it made versus the little spread sheet. And for $4 I invested in some colored highlighters which I can use on my daily planner. The first attempt in Aug I made at a tracker was basically just keeping track of a whole bunch of things and altho some of them were habits I wanted to encourage a lot of it was just busy work because I already was doing them. So, it was a learning attempt. In Sept I went with just the one goal of "staying off the rollercoaster" because of injury and just in general like a few others here trying to survive. But for Oct, I am going with 5 habits which I want to inplement. I hope that all of them will be ones which I can incorporate into my life.
1) Extra weight training - 5 minutes. I have always done a little bit of heavy hand stuff after my run along with situps and pushups and stretching but I know that Osteoporosis is REAL in my family and I already have the Osteopenia so the barn work and my little stuff needs to be reinforced. So, I want to add a habit of just taking 5 minutes in the evening when I am watching TV or doing extra weight training of some sort. Maybe arms, legs, abs etc.. planks. WHo knows. The idea for me is just to start....
2) Record meds - I am AWFUL about taking meds. I hate it hate it hate it. I only regularly take 1 baby aspirin and synthroid. But I need to convince myself that it's not a BAD thing to take the odd IBU or T3 every once in a while. By recording for a month or more what "extras" I take I think I can prove that I am not using them as a crutch but rather as a tool.
3) Write in weekly planner - I like this because I already sort of do this each week and I had one of those post it pads which I wrote down just a task or two I wanted to do every day. Putting them in a planner is the next step and then I can use my colored highlighters and actually also have room to put a note each day about what made me smile.
(today I am pretty sure it's this rose the first bloom since the summer) And it smells lovely too.
4) Revew photos and flag favorites. I have gotten behind in doing this on my MAC but I am starting small. Not trying to file or go back months but just look at week or day's photos and flag one or two I love most. At the end of the month I will copy all the favorites again to the thumb drives which go in my 2 digital picture frames so they will be updated with a whole fresh batch!!
5) Getting running back on track. So this is going to be a difficult one which will probably take the entire month. My goal for the year is to run 1700 miles. So far I was actually WAY ahead until boom, injury, in mid August. Now I am behind and finding it difficult to catch back up to schedule and at the same time not reinjure. So, I am giving myself the entire month to slowly recover the schedule and to implement this I will use the excel sheet I use to track mileage and put in daily goals. Adjusting for injury recovery as I go. The new habit here is creating a plan without pressure for my runs for the next week vs just going out and doing whatever happens.
So that's it. And here is what my COLORFUL tracker looks like. Good Luck everyone!! And kudos @PKM0515 for getting the meds done.
Gorgeous!!! Third month’s the charm❣️
I love your I Will’s!
Note to newbies:
@SummerSkier and I & many others have been doing this awhile. If you are new Baby Habit Changers, I *highly* recommend doing ONE habit change. Keep it simple as you learn the ropes❣️4 -
-
-
October looks to be an AMAZing month! I have too many comments to make and too many things to do yet, so that will wait until tomorrow, as will my chart reveal.
@SummerSkier Congratulations on your 3 year maintenance anniversary! (Hear the far away WOOT WOOTs?) That must feel incredible
2 -
@SummerSkier , I love your 5 goals for the month! And @nebslp, adding the colors to your tracker it so nice. I feel like coloring in my little boxes on a tracker is part of celebrating my accomplishment.
I’m going to focus again this month on my journaling habit since I really want to nail it down.
Today this Quote from James Clear was in my inbox:
"Go smaller.
Can't learn an exercise? Reduce the range of motion.
Struggling to grasp a new concept? Break it down.
Failing to stick with a habit? Make it easy.
Master stage one, then advance."
1. This October I will journal at least one sentence
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal - Keep my Journal and pencil by my chair
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit - As soon as I finish my reading, I’ll open my journal.
4. How often will you do your new habit - every day
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? I’m actually finding the writing itself very rewarding, so that’s good, but I’ll also smile and color in the box on my tracker
6. What help do you need from us? Encouragement and accountability
7. What does success look like to you at the end of October? Maybe my journal will be half full.
My new tracker:
4 -
@77tes thank you for that quote. It really struck home to me last night as I struggled with NOT wanting to spend time doing any weight work.
Today this Quote from James Clear was in my inbox:
"Go smaller.
Can't learn an exercise? Reduce the range of motion.
Struggling to grasp a new concept? Break it down.
Failing to stick with a habit? Make it easy.
Master stage one, then advance."
As usual you have a beautiful tracker and I am excited also to see what @nebslp s "reveal" will be today. What I especially enjoy about this group is how diverse we are and how many ways there are for each of us to improve our lives and happiness. Such great ideas!
Anyway, I managed to complete my first day but I won't lie and say it was easy and it is probably in order to form this habit that I need to do the extra weight 5 minute training in the afternoon perhaps after one of my walks as I am such a rag after dinner that I only want to chill out. And you would think the photo thing would be easy but apparently my photo stream was acting up so my favorites from my phone were not on my computer and I had to spend extra time getting them there.
@MadisonMolly2017 I am absolutely astounded that you can ADD anything to your already busy habits! But sleep is very important and I find that it is something I am not able to get consistently no matter what intents I have.
Altho I thought the rose I took early in the morning would be my favorite for the day, it turns out that this little crittur gave me a better one. I wonder if pets reflect their owner's personalities?
And sock update of course! I found ANOTHER PAIR OF BLACK SOCKS @ However i still have the odd one out. So I am not sure if that is progress altho it means the percentage of matched ones has gone up, yes? If my socks were Waldo....... Now if you wonder why some of the socks reside IN the shoes it is because below crittur likes to CHEW shoelaces so the bast prevention is to stuff them in the shoe with a sock.
2 -
@SummerSkier I have 2 minutes to respond and have no choice. Look at the artistic quality of that photograph! You captured the light perfectly. Your kitty looks so regal and sassy at the same time so, yes, perhaps a resemblance❣️
Hope everyone has a stellar day! Happy Friday🙂1 -
@SummerSkier, love your photos. The rose is beautiful, but that cat! 💞 🐈 💞
For my tracker, I'm just coloring in one element of a coloring book page each day. However, I have a corresponding notebook page with a daily quote, inspirational thought, etc. All inspired by @MadisonMolly2017 (I even stole my first quote from her, but it was so meaningful to me.).
2 -
awwww thanks @nebslp and @PKM0515 (HEY DID YOU TAKE YOUR MEDS YESTERDAY!!!!!!!) gotta check up on ya.
I would not mind seeing your daily inspirational quotes either. Just because sometimes it's nice to pause and reflect for a moment....
To my california and west coast peeps. I hope that you are not continuing to be smoked out!!!!1 -
SummerSkier wrote: »awwww thanks @nebslp and @PKM0515 (HEY DID YOU TAKE YOUR MEDS YESTERDAY!!!!!!!) gotta check up on ya.
I would not mind seeing your daily inspirational quotes either. Just because sometimes it's nice to pause and reflect for a moment....
To my california and west coast peeps. I hope that you are not continuing to be smoked out!!!!
Yes, I did! 😀
I tried posting pics, but was having an issue. They are in my profile, but I can't seem to get them in this thread. I may need to get on my laptop and try again.1 -
@harvestmeadow and @jrsepe12
Looking forward to seeing your plans! Let me know if I can help!!
Best,
Maddie ❤️
1 -
Day 2 check in.
@SummerSkier , strength training at night is tough. I hope you celebrated extra for getting that done when you weren’t feeling it!
Okay, I’m going to share something else from the books I’m reading about habits. B.J. Fogg in Tiny Habits says if you are struggling with a habit, don’t beat yourself up over your lack of willpower. Instead, look at your system and see how you can make the habit done more easily. So, if the time you’ve decided to do a habit isn’t working, consider how you could move it to a better time. If the cue isn’t working, think of a better cue.
I think finding the right time for my journaling was what helped me be successful after so many failed attempts. I thought I’d write a page first thing in the morning - it turns out that was too much and at a bad time. I wasn’t going to wake up a half hour earlier. At bedtime was another bad time.
@PKM0515 , yay for 2 days!2 -
I would like to rejoin this group. I had rejoined mid July only to have my mother die unexpectedly shortly afterward. It has been a challenging journey since then as I worked to put my life back in order. I would like to continue here as I gained and learned so much from reading everyone's posts. I am going back to my first habit I posted with this group which is adding an extra form of exercise to my day. Thanks to this group, I have recently added a tracker to my life with which I am experimenting but for this post I will focus on the extra daily exercise, whatever that may be, as this continues to be an area of challenge for me. I am good about getting in the walking but I would like to add more to my fitness routine.
1. My goal for this month of October is to add an extra bit of exercise beyond walking every day even if just for a few minutes
2. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit is a reminder on my tracker and checking in here with this group.
4. I will strive to do something daily but be flexible in my approach.
5. My reward is knowing I am adding strength and flexibility to my body for long term health.
6. What help do you need from us? Support and encouragement
7. What does success look like to you at the end of October? Being able to look back at the month and my tracker and see that I made forward progress.
Hello to all!4 -
Welcome back @znaoiec ❣️ I’m very glad you are rejoining us! I’m also Very sorry to hear about your mom 🙏🏻💞 I hope you are able to find some comfort in your memories.
I love your goal this month!!
🌸🌼🌸
Maddie1 -
@znaoiec , I’m so sorry to hear of the loss of your mother. Grief can be overwhelming- much sympathy.
Welcome back to our group. It sounds like adding exercise to your day is a good plan. Make sure to celebrate each time you complete this new exercise habit with a cheer, fist pump, or whatever feels like a natural and fun way to cheer yourself on. Those celebrations support the habit that will deliver strength and flexibility.2 -
@znaoiec welcome back to the habit trackers group. I am really sorry to read about the unexpected loss of your mother. That must've been so hard for you. Hugs and my condolences 💖💐 .
Returning to your first habit that you had posted with this group back then seems so fitting to celebrate your rejoining, and adding your habits back to your life. Good for you!!!
Welcome to all the new members @PKM0515, @rhaiin, @goingape, we are glad that you are joining us in making and tracking habits.
I loved all the other posts.... way too many for me to comment on... however, rest assured that the trackers, posts, and photographs, as well as all the words of both wisdom and humor were so worth staying up to read them all 😀💖 .
I will continue my September's habit of enjoyment as I know how easily this particular habit can fall off the grid when I am dealing with any sort of stressful situation.
Also, I will add in two additional ones: The first one will be one that I have revisited several times over the years and I still struggle with it:
I will go to bed earlier than I have been going. I won't specify an exact time at this moment, because I have been way off the chart right now, so every bit of improvement is worth noting this month. Yep, very true that I have been that far off with my sleep times for at least the last several months, if not more. (I do have a goal that I am working toward.)
And the second one is a habit that I have already been working on to get better doing, so I'm posting it for my own accountability and improvement.
I am attempting to take my herbs/ supplements more consistently. I hate to take pills of any kind, whether it be an herb or an antibiotic... 🤪🥴 . For this I am not aiming at perfection, just increasing how consistently I take them each day. Because each day is different for me... whether I am home, how much I eat or when, along with some other factors... there is a certain amount of leeway, however, I still know when I'm truly doing well with this or not.
I will read my book and/or color some every day. 📖 = reading a book for fun, 📜= coloring
I will go to bed earlier than I have been recently. 😴 = in bed earlier, awake way too late =❌
I will take my herbs/supplements more consistently. I took my herbs = 🌿, I didn't = 🥴
October 1: 📖 📜 😴 🌿
October 2: 📖 📜 😴 🌿
🤠🌺1 -
Plans for this month include trying to carve out some more time for self care. It’s difficult since I work full time and help care for an Alzheimer’s patient. Also on the to do list is exercise and eating healthier. Small inroad into exercise: my co worker and I are walking at lunch. I also began the Daniel Fast and am definitely eating more healthy! So glad you are all here for support.5
-
Welcome back and welcome new!!! Love how busy this board is getting to be.
@77tes you are absolutely correct about the weight lifting (even just 5 minutes) at night. After the first night I knew that was not going to work so I added it to my afternoon walk and it was much easier (still a bit of a toss) to get done for day 2.
@znaoiec that is so difficult to lose a parent. I am glad you have found your way to start here again!
@texasgardnr the go to bed earlier one can be difficult. Sleep is so critical. And small steps. At least you GOT in bed earlier right? I find that I have to make sure all my "devices" are in sleep mode and not easily accessible to me so that I am not tempted to "check" on things. And then of course I also have some sleep aides which i don't take daily but try to limit to 1 or 2 times a week max. Lunesta REALLY works well for me but my Dr says it is very addictive so I only take it when I have just been struggling for several days.
@jrsepe12 even carving out a little time can be helpful. I always found that if I stopped to visit my Mom (dementia) after riding that I had much more patience and tranquility in working with her. Best of luck to you this month!
and remember that with a lot of folks things can seem overwhelming so I give EVERYONE permission to just post their updates without trying to be social butterflies and respond to all the wonderful updates from others.
SummerinTxinAutumn
1 -
1. This October I will...create & do guided visualizations a minimum of 15 minutes every day. Update: my LACEMVP saved me tonight, so I will continue this through October. Adding 7 hrs of sleep = S.
2. The small actions I’ll be taking to accomplish this goal Straightening/clearing my art table each evening & looking at live sessions on Insight Timer & noting them in my calendar.Have veggies, hummus, & soups in stock at all times. Go to bed by 11, phone down by 12.
3. The trigger or cue to remember to do my habit When I record my food after each meal,I will check in with myself on all items.
4. I will do this daily!
5. What reward will you immediately give yourself for doing your habit? Peace, they both make me feel peaceful & happy. I will write for 5 minutes after creating the art and/or the mindfulness but at least one of them each day. Insights!!I will be healthier & able to maintain this weight/go lower.
6. What help do you need from us? Participate in the group as you are able! I love reading about your lives & am inspired by your accomplishments & wisdom. I’m missing many of my friendships.
7. What does success look like to you at the end of October? I will have accomplished my goals & be even more peacefully happy & have even more ideas for future art creation in my 5-minute reflections!I will have a healthier diet quality & be this wt or lower!
Most of these are established or mostly established habits for me....what I’m TRULY working on - I realized last night - is crafting a life in recent retirement that has balance, peace, and joy AND a thriving art practice. Writing reflections works amazingly well for me! 😂😂
Guided visualizations=🧘♀️
Create = 🎨 🧵 ✍️ 🍂 or ✂️ (Paint, textile arts, drawing or creative writing, nature art, or collage)
Reflections= 📓
Sleep 😴w/ hrs
LACEMVPS legumes-art-clean-exercise-mindfulness-veggies-protein-sleep
Oct 1 🎨✂️ 🧘♀️ 📓😴7-8 LACEMVPS
Oct 2 🎨🧵🧚🏻 🧘🏻♂️ 📓😴6hr LACEMVP
I stayed up late painting and writing 3 pages of reflections, as I listened to Celtic harp music: Bliss ❤️
Oct 3
Oct 4
Oct 5
Oct 6
Oct 7
Have an awesome day!
I find “I’ll just do 5 minutes“ works best for me.
I find earlier in the day is the best time for me to tackle tasks I am less enthused about.3 -
Thank you, @77tes! To everyone, I appreciate the supportive community; forgive me if I have trouble keeping up.
I'm going to try to post pictures of my "tracker" and corresponding "paperwork". ;-)
The "tracker" is a coloring page from Jess Volinski's "Colorful Creations, Positively Inspired" adult coloring book. And I owe the quote/inspirational thought idea to @MadisonMolly2017; I actually stole the first quote from her!
3
