"This May I Will" Are you ready?

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  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,209 Member
    edited May 2021
    nebslp wrote: »
    @themedalist It was good to hear that you're continuing your daily Calm practice.

    This morning I finally noticed (and acknowledged) that one of the things FitBit tracks is mindfulness and I actually checked it out. There was a 10 minute meditation with Deepok Chopra that was wonderful. I sat on the porch and it helped me focus while I took in the sounds of nature. The goal is to have 5 mindfulness sessions a week, so I'm going to continue tomorrow. We have so many tools right in front of us to help us meet our goals. Sometimes I'm either blind to them or in denial that they will help.

    I love your post, @nebslp! You are so right…we have lots of tools and assets all around us. The trick is putting them to use. It’s easy to think that we need something else to succeed. Chances are, we already have everything we need. We just need to start doing!
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,642 Member
    @themedalist Thank you for giving this group many tools and ideas to choose from. I’m reading Good Habits, Bad Habits that you recommended and am feeling encouraged. 21 days is not enough to make a habit automatic. My guess is that those here who have had consistent habits of walking (@77tes) and running (@SummerSkier) almost daily aren’t having to talk themselves into doing that every day. If we can get through the early stages of establishing the habit by making the decision to do it even though we don’t feel like it, eventually that inner conflict will subside and the behavior will become automatic. I need to read more to figure out how to do that😏.

    My morning meditation with Deepak was awesome today. The reward was that my heart rate dropped 31 points from start to finish. I had just gotten done with an essentrics (stretch) session so it started out higher than usual. But still. Awesome!
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 7,680 Member
    Wow! @nebslp your heart rate drop for meditation is impressive! As are your results @SummerSkier from your tweaks. I don’t have a heart rate monitor, so I don’t know If my meditation and diet changes are affecting my numbers. I sure hope they are!

    @nebslp I like the Fitbit meditations although I only use the free ones because I don’t have premium.

    Great obstacle overcome for my summer preparations - both my husband and I got the J&J vaccine today! My husband was very leery of them because they were rapidly developed. But he is so sweet - when he learned that airlines are requiring proof of vaccination to travel, he said he’d get the shot so I can go to France (not like I have plans🤣).
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,642 Member
    @77tes maybe your husband has plans that you don’t know about!?!?🤞
  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,642 Member
    Another day of Essentrics at 8 followed by meditation on my porch. This time my heart rate went down 11 points to within 1 point of the same low level as yesterday. A few weeks ago I changed my bedtime from 11:30+ to 10:15ish and am getting better sleep and waking up in time to exercise with the TV. I also set my alarm for 9:30 AM to remind myself to take my vitamins. I feel like life has begun again. I am amazed at how the pandemic impacted my emotions pre- and post-vaccination. I’m excited to be able to plan lunch with friends again and to go into their homes🥳🎉.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    nebslp wrote: »
    Another day of Essentrics at 8 followed by meditation on my porch. This time my heart rate went down 11 points to within 1 point of the same low level as yesterday. A few weeks ago I changed my bedtime from 11:30+ to 10:15ish and am getting better sleep and waking up in time to exercise with the TV. I also set my alarm for 9:30 AM to remind myself to take my vitamins. I feel like life has begun again. I am amazed at how the pandemic impacted my emotions pre- and post-vaccination. I’m excited to be able to plan lunch with friends again and to go into their homes🥳🎉.

    Oh @nebslp!!! I hear your happiness in your post❤️❤️ I am so happy for you!
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    🎨 May 1 - 7 ✔️
    📼 May 1 - 7 ✔️

    🎨 May 8 - 14: ✔️
    📼 May 8 - 14: ✔️

    🎨 May 15 - 18 ✔️
    📼 May 15 - 18 ✔️ Finishing last of the audio cassettes (that I know of) as I type this!!!!

    On May 17, I got energetic & went through all media & memory boxes now in dining room (along with emptying the media & camera equipment from bottom of hutch)

    Sorted the different media into stacks along wall:
    Slides & slide projectors, carousels
    Printed photos & negatives
    VHS
    Smaller video tapes
    Even smaller video tapes
    Teensy video tapes
    Digital media

    Cameras
    Lenses
    Various disk cleaners batteries manuals
    Camera cases

    My family of origin photos/ephemera
    Our son’s albums, art
    My husband’s
    Our travels

    FELT AMAZING! Found one more priceless audio tape of our phone message of long ago by our young son!

    “It’s a big job, but no longer feels infinite.” is my motto.

    I am now going through other rooms/closets to make sure I have ALL media in the dining room. I want to do this thoroughly ONCE.

    Goal: done by New Year’s 2022


    ALSO: I’ve been placing items with a free sign in front of house. Almost all has been taken. I’ll give it until our trash pick up day!
    It’s actually QUITE fun to see what’s been snapped up each time I go for my walk or get the Mail. I keep putting our some new items each day... off now to go through Xmas, all of which have been taken. Also, all storage items/decorated boxes were snapped up. Very exciting!

    And then I’ll start going around gathering miscellaneous boxes of sentimental items.

    I see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!
    I began Sept 2015.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    Xmas done & all labeled!! Put 1/2 box of Xmas items out front & discovered all 4 chairs gone !! And many other items gone! So much easier than carting it to various donation places!

    Including the labeling & carting stuff our front, it took 1 hour & 9 minutes!

    I love to time these “big” jobs. It’s always faster than I anticipate.

  • nebslp
    nebslp Posts: 1,642 Member
    Another morning with Essentrics session followed by meditation. The app said my heart rate dropped 12 points from start to finish. The barn swallows were feathering their nest and chattering above me🥰
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,747 Member
    May and Spring and everyone seems to be doing well this month with their habits!

    I am enjoying the variety on the menu and the changes I have made. I think my reduction in blood pressure is working! I know my RHR has dropped in the 40's now overnight also and my chest pain is gone. Of course this may have more to do with what I am NOT EATING (too much ice cream and frozen goodies!) versus the other items I have added in there place.

    What I am thinking about now is how sustainable this is for me. There is a bit more food prep involved and I won't cut anything out entirely. We shall see I guess over the next few months how it goes. Quite interested to see how my bloodwork turns out later in June as well as my Cardiologist appt in June too.

    @nebslp It is SO relaxing to listen to nature! I am lucky to be able to hear my purple martins again. All 12 gourds have eggs and babies are due soon.

    @MadisonMolly2017 you have made incredible strides on your media challenge this month. And it is funny to see how quickly things will disappear off the curb. I fully expect you will be complete by the end of the year finding all the nooks and crannies those things hide in.

    @texasgardnr please check in. Hope things are going OK with you this month.

    @77tes WELL done on getting the vaccines for both of you. Any side effects? I agree with Rita that your husband may have some plans to surprise you with.

    bON
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    May and Spring and everyone seems to be doing well this month with their habits!

    I am enjoying the variety on the menu and the changes I have made. I think my reduction in blood pressure is working! I know my RHR has dropped in the 40's now overnight also and my chest pain is gone. Of course this may have more to do with what I am NOT EATING (too much ice cream and frozen goodies!) versus the other items I have added in there place.

    What I am thinking about now is how sustainable this is for me. There is a bit more food prep involved and I won't cut anything out entirely. We shall see I guess over the next few months how it goes. Quite interested to see how my bloodwork turns out later in June as well as my Cardiologist appt in June too.

    @nebslp It is SO relaxing to listen to nature! I am lucky to be able to hear my purple martins again. All 12 gourds have eggs and babies are due soon.

    @MadisonMolly2017 you have made incredible strides on your media challenge this month. And it is funny to see how quickly things will disappear off the curb. I fully expect you will be complete by the end of the year finding all the nooks and crannies those things hide in.

    @texasgardnr please check in. Hope things are going OK with you this month.

    @77tes WELL done on getting the vaccines for both of you. Any side effects? I agree with Rita that your husband may have some plans to surprise you with.

    bON

    Congratulations on your health gains, @SummerSkier & your kinds messages to us all are always appreciated!

    I’m such a fan of this group & UAC; both really do help us make those little changes (habits) that improve our lives & health!

    One thing I’ve been reflecting upon (and that I’ve said before & heard many of you sa) is how this decluttering work seems to come in waves. A few weeks/months ago, it would have felt like drudgery. Not now. Blasting through things..pretty sure it will slow down again...but I’m going to keep the 5 mins/day going this time. It really is so little time :)
  • justtodayjen333
    justtodayjen333 Posts: 142 Member
    Joining this challenge in the middle of May. After I get home from work and change my clothes, I will walk my dog. A daily walk would do us both good and it's very doable this time of year. I'm posting here so I commit and will post back again. Glad to be here with you all.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    Joining this challenge in the middle of May. After I get home from work and change my clothes, I will walk my dog. A daily walk would do us both good and it's very doable this time of year. I'm posting here so I commit and will post back again. Glad to be here with you all.

    Awesome plan, @justtodayjen333 !
    We are glad you are here, too! 👍
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    OK, here’s an uplifting story. I used to teach entrepreneurship. Near the end of my career I was gifted an amazing Entrepreneurship textbook that a longtime professor & grandfather of a student had penned.

    In my (hopefully final) ruthless pitching, I set it our front of our house late last week. No takers for it or two other books. Today is trash pick up day AND the assistant gardeners show up.

    Well today THE Gardener & one asst showed.I’ve known home for 34 years so I went to say hi & thank him for coming and doing a really great job today.

    He asked “Are the books out front free?”
    Oh yes!
    “Great! My assistant is in college & he came running to me “Look at what I found!!! Is it okay?” The gardener said “Take it!!”

    I can’t fully express how happy this made me. Everything is being taken. Old cat equipment & toys went last night.

    I went out & told the student I have a lot of entrepreneurship books & I’ll put them in a box & he can take what he likes.

    His response: a huge smile & “Sweeeet!”

    ❤️

    PS About to lug out old, never used photo albums I’ve been moving around the house for 25 years. Finally, getting close to being done with all this! (Likely still 6 months to a year, but still!!! 😃😃😃)
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    Well, guys, I’m on a roll. Nothing like impending house guests 🤣🤣🤣

    All those times I organized/decluttered are paying off now.

    I/we had emptied many closets or parts of closets. I’ve now been able to move decluttered/organized items into parts of them. I had gone through decorative items, giving away many. What I kept now fits in my cleaned out dining room hutch!

    I’m not expressing this well (it’s late) but it’s all coming together!

  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,209 Member
    edited May 2021
    Joining this challenge in the middle of May. After I get home from work and change my clothes, I will walk my dog. A daily walk would do us both good and it's very doable this time of year. I'm posting here so I commit and will post back again. Glad to be here with you all.

    Welcome to our group, @justtodayjen333! I’m glad you shared with us your goal for May. Not only will it make you more accountable to yourself, but researchers have found that when people make a public statement of their intent, they’re more likely to follow through and succeed then if they keep their goal private. We all have a need to be seen as true to our word and reliable.

    I hope more of our new members will post their goals so that we can encourage each other to succeed. No one improves their health by just reading about what other people are doing.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,747 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 you are going to be DONE decluttering at this rate. And hope that the visit with the family goes well. I have a suggestion for you for your June tho. LOL. >:) sleep.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    @MadisonMolly2017 you are going to be DONE decluttering at this rate. And hope that the visit with the family goes well. I have a suggestion for you for your June tho. LOL. >:) sleep.

    @SummerSkier
    I actually am beginning to think I will be

    AND I just randomly discovered THREe Priceless slides from COLLEGE 1975 of a really fun project demo that became the basis for much of my two subsequent career paths. I had no idea there were ANY photos of it!!

    Looks like my professor sent them to me!!

    That just made all past & future “Sentimental” decluttering worth it (Remind me of this if I get bogged down LOL)

    Also YES sleep. Having symptoms that are disrupting. It’s catching up to me. Test on Tuesday- been trying to reach other dr all week 😡🥵

    Just hoping I don’t pick up covid from the boy. Stressful.

    I’m glad your May I Will is working out so well for you!!

    👍
    Maddie
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,747 Member
    Oh how fun to find that Maddie! I think you guys will be fine. Your family was tested when they got here and also quarantined right? Hope that you can see them soon and you get relief from your symptoms. At least you got some answers which I am sure are a relief.

    As far as May I will for Summer

    What I am thinking about now is how sustainable this is for me. There is a bit more food prep involved and I won't cut anything out entirely. We shall see I guess over the next few months how it goes. Quite interested to see how my bloodwork turns out later in June as well as my Cardiologist appt in June too. To me the big thing is not getting stuck in a rut of always doing/eating the same things and also making sure that I am on the right path. If it's not sustainable doesn't mean it's not WORTH doing for a month or several weeks but it just means I need to be more flexible which is probably one of my biggest issues. I have over the past few months learned to be more flexible with my running. It used to be that if I did not run first thing in the morning I was NOT going to do it. Now with sometimes doing sprint work at lunch as a run 2 I have been able to be more attuned to doing things at different times. With our variable weather that is HUGE for me because it means that just because it is storming when I normally do something, I don't just say screw it all and not do it at all but I can wait.
  • MadisonMolly2017
    MadisonMolly2017 Posts: 10,875 Member
    @SummerSkier
    Yes, this is something I’ve worked on the past 6-12 months...ie more variety in my food. Had a breakfast & lunch I loved, but realized nutritionally Variety would be better.

    Now, with my food as the opposite of before, I will be figuring all of this out again lol

    Yes the were tested 2 days after arrival & 5 days. Vaccine #1 on Day 7. We see them late Day 8.

    I’m not sure what immune response I have mounted, but I am going ahead & seeing
    Them. I will double mask inside & they will wear masks- we’ll sit at least 6 ft apart.

    I’m able to shut doors to give them an offfice (they are working some, bedroom, & bathroom. I’ll use upstairs.

    Biggest risk kitchen but we are all good at cleaning thoroughly with meal prep.

    24 more hours!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Doing finishing touches on the house - mopping floors, deep bathroom clean...

    A bit of stashing of in process decluttering projects LOL

    Pretty tired. Will take A break while they are here except 5 mins a day on media!

    Thanks
    M