Will, Won't and Want Power

It's been 42 days since I shared my Lent sacrifice and lifestyle change to abstain from the cafeteria at work. 

No sausage breakfast, no cheeseburgers, no soup, no salad, no coffee, no second coffee, no third coffee (yes, those days have happened). 

I'm quite proud to announce that I was successful! 

I stayed true to my goals and not only didn't swipe the card at work for 40 days, but also re-formed my favorite routines:

:: Planned grocery shopping

:: Food prep

:: Meal prep 

:: Tupperware game so strong

:: Coffee grinding 

:: Consistency

You might say that it took a lot of willpower, but it also took a lot of won't-power and want-power too.

What's that? They're awesome tips from The Willpower Instinct. If you don't know, I don't often read novels, but rather self-help, psychology, documentary style books that help me learn a little more about the world around me. That's irrelevant to this post, but let me explain what I've learned. 

The actual concept in the book suggest that we use "will, won't and want" separately toward different goals, but I found the three used together working toward the same goal to be three times as effective. 

For me to be successful with lent, I not only had to give up something. I had to form a new habit and had to have a reason for why I wanted that. 

I had an "I won't", I had an "I will" and had an "I want."

"I won't buy any food or beverage from the cafeteria at work for 40 days"

"I will commit to preparing meals for work and brewing coffee at my desk"

"I want to a) be successful, b) form a new habit, c) save money, d) blog about it later"

There was a three-pronged attack on the goal I set out for myself, and by building this foundation I was able to get everything I wanted out of the 40 days. I felt more deeply invested in the commitment because it had layers. To let one ball drop was to let three drop. It made the investment and the cost of breaking the commitment that much stronger which I believe is what made me successful. 

While I'm not planning to be dramatic and never return to the cafeteria at work, I do plan to learn from the last 42 days and understand that willpower is best served with won't and want power as well. I'm also only 9 pages into the book and already achieved this much insight, so expect my understanding of willpower to grow even harder and for this topic to appear again someday. Lucky you! 

What about you, what's a goal of yours that you're going to get after with the "will, won't, want power" method? 

Believe in Your Goals

I feel so inspired after reading everyone's March goals yesterday. 

I saw some incredible things floating around blog-world that were more than the usual Monday weekend recap and round-up. 

I saw ladies focused on fitness. I saw ladies focused on reading. I saw ladies focused on organizing their homes, offices and lives. I read about women who wanted to save, to be more present, to live more, to drink more water, to drink ALL of the water until there's none left.  Most importantly these beautiful, honest and vulnerable words were centered around you ladies loving yourselves more. 

And what I loved most from what I read? These ladies believed it. 

You reading, you believed it too. 

You wrote it and you read it and you said "yes!" the same way I did. 

You shared in comments how you felt the same way as the blogger you were visiting and how you wanted to do these same goals, be partners in crime, encourage each other to reach, leap and bound beyond your wildest dreams. 

That's pretty dang cool. 

The amount of support we get from our internet world should be the same support we expect in our real life world. It's the same support we should ask for of our friends and families. It's the support and love we should give to others. It's the same kind of confidence, support, cheerleading and motivation we should be giving ourselves. 

Giving ourselves this love every day, not just the first Monday of March. 

Every day. Not just January 1st and not just when we feel like "spring cleaning". 

We have the opportunity every single day to make these goals and to check in with ourselves. To check in with each other. To love and share and constructively craft the lives and the habits that we crave. To be the people we've always wanted to be but have found ways to put up barriers that ultimately separate us from our current state and our craziest dreams. 

If this post felt like a brain dump, it was. It was a fly-by no-edit rough draft of honest feels about the wonderful I witnessed yesterday and the kind of wonderful that fills my heart. The kind of good I seek daily and the kind of good I expect of myself. 

Thanks for reading. Thanks for writing. Thanks for sharing. 

By the Seat of My Pants

Dear fellow writers of blogs, have you ever been so caught up in the flurry of work, holidays and happiness that you actually forgot that you have a blog? 

This phenomenon called "oh-my-goodness-I'm-way-too-busy" otherwise known as "hey-look-my-job-rules-my-life" has been creeping up on me pretty hard lately that I'm having a tough time keeping it all together. 

Maybe it's time to take back the reins and be a little more methodical about things like meal prep, my workout schedule, pre-writing blog content and assembling outfits with accessories rather than throw on the same boots, skinny jeans & sweater combination I've been living in lately. 

Organize, plan, take notes and live by the pages of a trusty Moleskine planner in the new year. Keep commitments with friends. Read. Wash my face at night. Make my bed every morning. Do laundry start to finish rather than the 1 week cycle time I'm currently in the middle of. Simple things like that would make my days a little easier right?

Oh, but friends! Don't you know how good it feels to live by the seat of your pants? 

From jet-setting across the country for an "everything makes sense now" weekend with my guy, a random public transportation adventure downtown or an impromptu Sunday coffee date with Brooke - there's a lot to be said about not having everything figured out and not knowing what the plan is. 

Like everything, it will take patience and baby steps to get my world in order.

In the meantime I'm going to try to remember that I have a blog and make sure that I'm keeping some balance in my world. Oh, I'm also going to do my Christmas shopping - likely online and likely in my pajamas.

What are you going to work on this week to make yourself a little better? 

2014; Well, We'll See!

I don't know what's in store for me this year and I kind of like it that way.

High bar, low bar, it won't matter. My goals are to live each and every day happily and healthily. To take care of my mind and my body. To take care of my heart and my soul. To run when I want to, and sleep when I need to. To see friends when I want to fill my heart, and stay home when I need to recharge. 

Years past I've had specific life events that I'm expecting to happen, but this year is different.

It's a year to throw caution to the wind, do what's right for me, do what makes me happy and to stop worrying about what others think. 

It's a year to continue to seek balance in my life and my relationships. 

It's a year to take photos and capture special moments, no matter their significance. 

It's a year to make waves in my career - in a non-beat-myself-down kind of way.

It's a year to branch out, to travel, to get out and meet some blog friends (in person!) and keep growing myself as a young woman who knows what she wants. 

It's an Even year - which means it's mine for the taking.  

Thank you for supporting me and continuing to follow along!

Jessi

A New Leaf

Hey October, please will you promise to be a bit nicer to me than September was at the end?

That's right, this happened. I was sent home from work and I didn't even try to fight it. I had super important business like eating soup, drinking water, shooting Day Quil and sipping tea. Also cuddling with Holly girl and not stepping foot outside of the house.

Guess what that also means - I missed my 100 miles a month running goal for the first time nearly 4 years. I missed it by 14 miles so I can't make excuses for myself for being sick the last 4 days of the month, seeing that I had the entire other 26 days to do some dirty work. I've come to terms that it's a lesson learned on procrastination, making the best decision for your health and learning to 'go with the flow' sometimes.

Sure somewhere along the way I've banked 14 miles in the 4,632 that I've carried myself since November 2009, but just for accountability those miles will roll-over into October and I'll tackle them there.

This also may be a good time to share with you that I've decided to decrease my running goal. I keep track of every run in an elaborate spreadsheet and see a striking trend this year as compared to last.

Check out 2012 vs 2013:

What the heck - 2013?

My weekends used to be some of the least miles, even in 2012 when I ran a marathon my Sundays were my least. Now it appears that all I do on the weekends is run and the weekdays any miles I do fit in cause a late dinner and an even later bedtime.

The decision has been made for October and beyond to cut that goal in half, increase my strength and flexibility, treat my body right and run because I love it, not because I have pride and an ego to keep up with.

Saying "I run 100 miles a month" for the last 4 years has been fun, but it's not what I want to define me. I want to be able to spend time with family on the weekends rather than be a slave to the streets. I want to see my friends more often, give Brooke her birthday present (yes, overdue from July) and be able to head down to the coast without worry of how I'm going to fit all the normal weekend running in. I want to do my miles during the workday, and let the rest of my time be mine - free from worry about trying to 'fit it all in'.

So, this month's measure will be 64, and I'm quite happy with that.

September's Eight Great Goals

Oh my it feels nice to be back in the blogging groove.

I still feel a bit sidelined as I'm not as available to read / comment or reply to your lovely comments. That means if you get a response you know you've made it big time or just caught me in a free moment - lucky you! Also don't be alarmed if my responses and online presence is all on the weekend. A girl does what a girl has to do.

This post is a little belated as I'm normally slinging this at you on the first blog-day of the month, so hopefully that's not a sign of what's to come in the upcoming 26 days.

I am so jealous that my mom and dad are heading to Luxembourg today to get two weeks with brother and meet his wonderful girlfriend who I've seen a few times over Skype. I usually get to make a trip to Europe in the summer - especially since he's lived there - and am missing that flight across the pond to see my brother.

Look at what I'm missing!

Enough moping about a trip I don't get to take as I've been travelling enough lately - It's time for goal setting!

September's Eight Great Goals

1. Go Get My Diploma's

Did you know that I graduated from Portland State in the Spring of 2009 and still haven't picked up my three pieces of paperwork? I'm not sure what I'm planning to do with it when I have it - but enough is enough, Jessi!

2. Celebrate our 1 Year Anniversary

We missed celebrating last month and I'm not going to let it happen this month. I don't care where you take me honey just make me feel like I'm the most important thing in your world. No phone, no distractions, just us.

3. Watch an entire Chicago Bears NFL Game

Dan has challenged me to watching an entire game with no phone and no laptop. I don't believe I can be that extreme but I can at least make sure I don't choose to go running (conveniently) while the kickoff happens. Plus, day drinking.

4. Appreciate Myself

Sometimes when you feel like you're not getting what you need from others, you have to find ways to give what you need to yourself. Right now I feel like that's appreciation, support and care - so why can't I offer that up to myself? ... I can!

5. Spread Out the Running

100 Miles again - it never changes. Let's do myself a favor this month and not make excuses when I could be getting ahead of my mileage and not piling it all on myself for the weekend - especially if an unplanned Toronto trip comes my way!

6. Sister Time

Since mom and dad will be having a blast in Europe, Dan and I will be watching the blonde Golden Retriever sisters for a week. I want to make sure that I get some time with them as well since we don't get them very often - and especially since Dan has taken a week off from work to play!

7. Insert and Be Assertive

I've been unlike myself at work lately. I'm such a servant and will do what I'm asked/told -  but I'm also cocky and proud of the work I do. I hope to use this month to own up to the great work I'm doing, speak up when I am the expert on something and really turn this project around when it comes to the way we are handling the hundreds of issues coming our way. Own up to my greatness and stand tall because I know I deserve to feel proud.

8. Use My Lovely Camera

I adore my camera but haven't had much use out of it since I'm not home during normal daylight hours. Weekends are my opportunity to get back in the swing and enjoy the last few short weeks of evening sunlight before the skies turn dark and the weather is gloom. Maybe even an outfit post....?

Thanks everyone for loyally coming back and reading after I took a pause in August - you mean the world to me!

Jessi

TED Tuesday: Born To Run

I really hope that what Christopher McDougall is saying in today's TED Talk is true - that we as human beings are designed to sweat and to run.

Not just run but to run long distances.

Why do I care?

This week I have to make good on my commitment to run 100 miles a month... only using up 12 days total.

If you're reading this when I am publishing on Tuesday morning, I have 57 miles left and 140 waking hours to do it in. Possible, right? Right!

Now obviously some of those hours I want to sleep, some of those hours I guess I have to work and some of the others I just plain want to relax, but mark my words - by Sunday when I get on a plane at midnight to return to Toronto I will be at 100 miles and no less.

Dedicating today's post to running is important to me as I had to drop out of my annual Hood to Coast fun that's this upcoming weekend as too much is happening at work and I wouldn't have had the chance to take Friday off. (Insert massive sigh here).

(Insert yet another massive sigh here)

I liked this talk as it inspired me to think of my running challenge this week as not an obstacle, but something that my body is designed to do.

Enjoy!

[ted id=1067]

TED Tuesday: To Win or To Succeed

If given the option to either win or succeed, which would you choose?

If you're anything like me, your first reaction is to say 'win'. I'm a competitor at heart and if you have a game to play, I'm going to do anything I can to come out on top.

Pause: Career Chat ahead!

Even with all of the good things it seems like are happening at work, I'm non-stop behind and feel like I'm failing at every turn. Staying up late, 14 hours in the office yesterday, giving my everything just hasn't been cutting it - but seriously, by what standards?

The feeling of 'failure' comes from the high expectations placed upon me and just not enough time, not enough support and sometimes not enough energy to do a great job like I'm used to doing.

Jumping over hurdles that high isn't always possible. Unless you're this guy:

John Wooden defines Success as "Peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction and knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you're capable."

Yes.

What I'm missing from my current state of being is having that peace of mind and self-satisfaction for all of the work I'm doing. As many of my co-workers know, I often strut around the office because I'm so smitten with everything our team does day in and day out for the business. Lately it's been a different Jessi - one who shows defeat on her face, doesn't walk as tall as she should and isn't satisfied with her efforts as her standards for herself are too high along with the expectations of others.

I'm not trying to be better than anyone else, I'm trying to be better than I've ever been before.

Healthy approach, but I think where I can help myself is by appreciating my own work, patting myself on the back, and measuring myself against who I was the day prior, not what every external source expects me to be.

And with that take advice from everyone around me to be vocal about what help I need, where I need it, and how to better set everyone up for success. Sometimes you need people who are looking in to tell you to pause and reset - and I'm ready to listen.

I re-played 30 seconds from this video over and over again to get this entire quotation and I think it's perfect.

"You should never try to be better than someone else, always learn from others and never cease trying to be the best you can be. That's under your control.  And if you get too engrossed and involved and concerned in regard to the things over which you have no control, it will adversely affect the things over which you have control."

Just like I learned long ago through my time spend on the diamond - control the controllables and the rest will fall into place.

[ted id=498]

Five Things

Do you know why I adore Brooke?

1. Our friendship basically started over Pinterest-stalking each other
2. She's hilarious and one of the most down to earth people I know
3. Girl always tags me!

(Okay so there's many more reasons but that would be a post in itself)

Last week Brooke accepted her tag in the 5 Things post and she decided to sent it my way.

She promised this post was going to be easy so I'm going to give it a shot (from 30,000 feet) en route to Toronto for the week.

5 Things I'm Passionate About

Running

I've considered myself a runner since my Junior year in high school, but really kicked it up a notch the first year out of college when I no longer had a routine workout schedule. Since December of 2009 I've had a goal of running 100 (or more) miles per month and I've happily met and exceeded this goal. Running allows me to think, process, be accountable and push toward a fitness-happy goal.

Health

My health is very important to me and above all its important that those around me are healthy as well. As I think about the adult and mother I want to be, I have a fit, energetic, happy, relaxed and easy-going woman in mind.

Laughter

Laughing is my absolute favorite thing to do in this world. Dan captured me with his wit and sense of humor, I associate with hilarious individuals and have a deep appreciation for people who can make any situation laughable.

Being in Love

I'm so in love with my Daniel that it would be hard to not list him as something I'm passionate about. He makes my tail wag like a puppy.

Education

I have always been a sponge for new information. I soak it up. Three degrees in college and I'm still hungry for knowledge. I think that the more we know, the better informed we are to live our lives happily and courageously. While I don't know if I plan to continue down the road of higher education, I'm always game for getting better at my photography, understanding human psychology and getting to the bottom of the things that inspire me.

5 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

Get Married
Raise children with good hearts and good values
2 week (at least) international vacation with Dan (get your passport!)
See the Northern Lights
Retire young

5 Reads I Love

Blogs on Blogs on Blogs

I'm a serial blog addict. Once upon a time I unfollowed a ton of blogs to close my world, but over time I'm back up to (maybe 50) that I read on a daily basis and love it all. This counts as reading, yeah?

Hand Written Letters

I love mail that comes in the actual mail. My dear friend Tanna is great at sending me hand written letters and I'm thrilled every time I open the envelope to an adorable card and an update on how her beautiful family is doing. I need to pay this forward more often.

TED Talks

Ok I know this isn't reading, but its some of the most intellectual content I digest. Yes, I'd still love it in print format. What I love about the talks is that every person is an expert in their field and the topics are always fascinating, have information I didn't know before and almost always an idea that has never entered my brain.

Chelsea Handler

To get my giggle on I turn to my kindle on iPad for any silly excerpt from Chelsea. If you have a good sense of humor you know that anything from her is gold.

Guilty as Charged

Yes, I've read all 7 Harry Potter books, all 3 Hunger Games books and 2.5 of the Fifty Shades trilogy (not exactly sure why I never finished). I also have been known to geek out over Excel handbooks, leadership strategy books an supply chain efficiency cases. Go ahead make fun, I'm judging me too.

5 Places I Want to Travel (and haven't been to!)

Cancun
Brazil
New Zealand
South Africa
Canary Islands

5 Movies I'll Never Get Tired Of

Shawshank Redemption
Step Brothers
The Lion King
Forrest Gump
Sandlot

5 Tags!

I know it says to tag somebody, so I'm going to throw it to the following girls that I hope will read this post and join the party.

Rachel @ Tossing the Script
Tami @ Friday Morning Buzz
Anna @ A Dash of Quirky
Lauren @ Method to my Madness
Macey @ Macey Perseveres

Easy post I promise!

August's Eight Great Goals

You guys almost had the pleasure of hearing the man behind the blog today.

I tried to get him to write a post because I didn't get to start writing until 10pm, but he plead a great case that he doesn't know how to write, or even read for that matter.

So instead of writing, I allowed him to take 100% control of August's Eight Great Goals and have to say I'm looking forward to what he's outlined for me.

1. Go See Something In Toronto

Cat's out of the bag! I'm heading back to Toronto for two weeks in August. This upcoming week I arrive mid-day Sunday and then the final week of August again, eh? 

Last time I was there this is one of the only non selfie/ non food photos I captured. At least the trip made for a decent rant. 

2. Have an Entire Week of Blogs Complete By Sunday Night (once)

What! Dan, I did a great job last month doing three blogs - I think he just likes me doing writing on the weekend so that I'm occupied and not whining about the golf addiction mentioned here.

**Also, does he realize that being done writing blogs is different than being done reading blogs? I don't know that he does.

3. Give Thanks Where Thanks are Due

I come home at night each day and feel like all of the work I'm doing is going un-thanked and unappreciated - so I can only imagine how my co-workers feel taking on all of my usual work on top of their own work the past few weeks.

I do thank them, but I probably don't do it nearly enough. I also don't thank Dan nearly enough for all of the things he helps me with at home

4. Don't Say the Word "Hate"

Yeah, this one is solid. I love to say the word 'hate'.

"I hate you", "I hate this", "You hate me", "Holly Hates us", "Everyone hates you". "I hate ice cream"

It's all in fun and always sarcastic, but saying 'hate' just projects negative energy and life's too good to be living so bad.

5. Get Home Before 7pm on Weeknights

Um, I really hope this means more date nights? And if not more date nights at least more wine nights? Let's discuss.

6. Run During the Work Day

I used to knock out so many miles in my previous job during the actual workday and it made life a lot easier for everyone. I'm not going to get in the same situation I did in July with having 46 miles in the last 6 day - there's got to be a better way to budget my time.

7. Say No

Ha-ha this vine clip below says it all.

Sadly the first things I've already said 'no' to that impact this month are Hood To Coast and Intramural League Softball. Next 'No' needs to be something that means more fun, not less fun.

8. Have Drinks with Friends 

This is a no-brainer. I used to do two or three nights out with ladies during the week, even karaoke on weeknights! I just can't party anymore like I used to, but that doesn't mean that I can't meet up for a Happy Hour after work at least once this upcoming month (even with only 14 days in the country).

There you have it. This is what I'm tracking to all month.

When you're ready come get it

July Summary

This month's over! *clap* *clap* *clap-clap-clap*!

What a crazy month it has been. I don't know where the time went and I definitely don't know what I put my energy toward but it feels like I've been sitting and spinning in circles trying to do my best at work to solve a country's problems.

You know what today means, don't you? It's time to look back at some wins (and even some losses) from the past month that you may have missed.

Might as well say it, I #Failedsohard.

Did I do a good job with all of the goals I put forth for the month of July?

Like hiking, watching the monkeys at the zoo, hitting a golf ball 100 yards or take one single day off from work?

That is OKAY - because what I was able to accomplish is nothing short of amazing.

Let's look at four of my best wins from this month.

Win #1. Put the ice cream down

I'm an ice cream / fro-yo addict okay, well actually I just pick the candy out and I successfully went 31 days without the stuff.

Dan has been so supportive this month, but I know that once we go to August there will be chocolate chip cookie dough and oreo birthday cake cartons in the freezer.

Paleo, give me strength. 

Win #2. 100 Miles despite everything else

My biggest accomplishment this month has been that I (later tonight) will actually finish my 100 mile goal, even if the last few miles looked like this:

As of Friday last week I still had 46 left and through some serious running, rest and recovery I was able to knock out 30 over the weekend and consecutively run after work this week to mark off the final miles. This makes 44 CONSECUTIVE Months of running 100+ Miles, never missing a beat. 

Win #3. Finally Scared Straight

In case you missed it, I was pulled over two weeks ago by a police officer who wanted to give me a 'friendly reminder' that I cannot use a phone while operating a vehicle. I was let off with just a warning.

Rest in Peace, shameless car selfie's:



Win #4. Paleo

Starting Paleo has been a great way to eat healthier, visibly reduce the way that stress is impacting my health and even makes running a little easier!!

There's so many amazing things to eat and I've only scratched the spicy sriracha lovin' surface.

For more Paleo eats (and NO car selfies) follow me on instagram



Come back tomorrow where Dan is going to set my Eight Great Goals for the month of August.

No pressure, Dan!

Throwback Thursday: She Works Hard for the Money

So, what did you have for breakfast today?

Just kidding, I know that you chose something healthy, that you had a lots of protein, and you have water like it was your day job. Or like it was healthy or something?

No, today's not about breakfast. Today is about working hard for the money, so hard for the money.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/5037293 w=500&h=338]

and for some reason I thought this song was about a certain profession? Wrong.

I've been hard at work since I can remember, even when earning green and stock options weren't part of the equation.

School, Little League fundraisers, softball, getting my brother in trouble - you name it!

Never though has my tenacity been more of an asset for me than it has in the last seven months of my job.

I wouldn't have any success without the support and encouragement from so many wonderful people around me, but I also wouldn't be able to put up with half of what comes my way if I wasn't a bit greedy when it comes to accepting a challenge.

Some may call it type A they're right while others admire my no-pain no-gain attitude.

Every day the bar gets set a little higher, the grind gets a little thicker...and I secretly love it.

via

The thrill comes from the confidence people have in my work, the opportunity to flex my creative muscles and the exposure to people who know how to shake things up. 

The difficult part is 12 hour work days, pressure to maximize my free time and less social time with real life friends and family who I adore.

But remember, it's all about reframing your point of view isn't it?

Today's Throwback Thursday has been brought to you by a little girl who knows what it means to work hard and keeps her head down to do the job right. 

July's Eight Great Goals

It's finally summer in Portland! Wahooo!

via

As I mentioned in June there was a lot that I didn't get to last month and that includes being the worst at keeping up with other blogs. Every Saturday morning I wake up to the last week's 200 blogs I didn't get around to reading and felt like a jerk commenting back 5 days later. Apologies, ladies - I'm still reading!

What's July got in store?

How about beautiful weather, grill magic, work travel, kitten playtime, 100 more running miles, sangria, instagram video and hopefully some getaway time at the coast!

What else will I be doing? Take a look!

1. Take a Hike.

There's plenty of amazing locations in the Northwest to take a hike and we don't even have to go that far. Portland Area hikes are an escape from the city for an afternoon and a great way to get out of the house in the summer.

2. Hit a golf ball 100 yards in the air

My Daniel is amazing. A week ago I came home to pristine set of brand new golf clubs and golf shoes in my favorite color. And they match(!!!) This past weekend I went through putting, chipping, hitting and driving school and my best shot was just past the 75 yard marker. I have a long way to go until I can actually play on the course but I'm looking forward to learning more about the game my guy loves.

3. Visit the Portland Zoo!

Dan hasn't been to the Portland Zoo yet, even though we drive past it twice a day and would love to see all the big kitties!

4. No Ice Cream for the next 31 days!

I already know that this will be torture! Ice cream is a staple in our home and with temperatures in the high 80's I'll have to resort to frozen berries and lemonade to get that warm weather fix.

5. Not be this guy.

via

June work surprises brought a lot of this personality out of me. Rather than showing my emotions on my face and in my eyes I should get up, take a walk, fill my water bottle and return with a smile and willingness to help out.

6. Write 3 posts for the following week on the weekend.

This goal is measurable, this goal is possible and this goal will be a game-changer for me and my home life on weeknights. There's plenty I can do ahead of time (even down to coming up with headers and importing images) that will cut down on the strict deadlines I set for myself.

7. Rock my Work Travel.

I have the privilege of travelling internationally in a few short weeks and my goal is to train my co-workers on everything they need to know while I'm gone and then go and really make an impact with our friends to the North. When I took this job the opportunity for travel was 0%  so I feel flattered and I feel a responsibility to make the time worth it.

8. Schedule Time Off From Work.

I didn't follow through with this one last month so I think that after my travel I'll be set up to take a day... or two, or three?

Wish me all the luck in the world with my short and crazy week at work.

June Accountability Check

When we started this month I was high on life. We had just ended a successful 4th quarter, I met Dan's family and I was looking forward to getting after a lot of exciting work when life was supposed to slow down during the first quarter of our fiscal year.

Very quickly, I found out that the world doesn't always work the way you hope it will and that being open to change is an incredible asset to have.

That being said, June's Eight Great Goals are due for an accountability check...

via

1. I've used up 4 of my 5 early work mornings (6am) and have done a great job at sticking to it even though work has required me to have a lot of tasks complete in just a short amount of time. 

2. My attempt at lifting weights hasn't gone any further than holding hand weights during some longer runs. Starting today (no, really - today!) I'm going to hit the gym and get in front of some iron. Then I'll pick it up, and I'll set it down. My muscles feel good coming off from Tough Mudder and I want them to continue to feel the burn.

3. I've hardly called any friends and really have only talked to family on the phone for Father's Day wishes. Work in progress.

4. No meal schedule for Dan and I - but I've been consistent with packing good lunches as always.

5. No, I'm such a snack fiend - more on that in tomorrow's post.

6. Only daily doubles I've completed this month were on weekends, but with a run completed this morning and weights (as mentioned in #2) this afternoon I'll be on a better schedule.

7. No time off has been scheduled and I don't know if I'll be able to make time this month.

8. I've been pretty good about eating lunch away from my desk, I just need to get better now about actually getting away from the office (conference rooms, etc) so that I can really clear my head.

Expectations lowered? Good!

I'm tracking to my running goals and I'm getting a lot of good sleep (from exhaustion, not relaxation!).

That counts, right?

June's Eight Great Goals

I know you’re all excited to hear about how my weekend away went, but you’ll have to be patient as we work through establishing June’s Eight Great Goals and tomorrow’s informational and inspiring TED Talk Tuesday.

No song, no dance - let's just get down to business (mainly because our flight was delayed and I'm running on fumes this morning!)

1. Earlywork only 5 times this month.

Since April 1^st I’ve been showing up to work at 6am for more time in my day to get work done, more concentration, more productivity and more output. While I wouldn’t change the progress I made it also lead to less sleep, less patience at home, less carpooling and less balance. I will use up three of these days automatically today, tomorrow and Wednesday – but after that I’m driving in with my baby.

2. Lift Weights.

Whether that means training club classes, in my room after a run or even body weight work (squats, push-ups, lunges, etc) I want to build up some muscle to turn it into a revved up metabolism.

3. Call (actually call) Friends and Family.

I have an aversion to making phone calls and I need to get past it. There’s something about awkward silence that makes me feel socially inadequate and I’d like to change that. I’ve really changed my relationships in business by being fearless over the phone and I could transfer that to my personal life.

4. Meal Schedule.

Last weekend’s purposeful food prep for a Dan-free week got me excited about having a breakfast, lunch and dinner already figured out without having to consult my partner. Two can still play that game, and the way we can synchronize is by planning together.

5. Wait For Dinner.

A horrible habit of mine is to get home and immediately open all the cupboards, drawers and fridge. Terribly impatient for dinner, I mindlessly put away 100-200 worthless calories that would be better served through fro-yo after dinner or a soothing glass of wine while writing my blog.

6. Daily Doubles.

This goal and goal #2 go hand in hand, as I’ll finish a long 5-10 mile run and no longer have the need to do additional activity through the day. It’s okay to work out twice in one day and will encourage that second session of the day to be strength or balance focused.

7. Schedule Time Off.

Enough said. I’ve earned it.

8. Eat Lunch Away From My Desk.

Eating lunch at my desk is an activity I’ve become used to. Easy and productive aren’t good enough reasons to find myself wolfing down a salad, fitting more than I can into my mouth and allowing my grilled chicken to get cold while my lettuce becomes room temperature. I’m going to grab my Tupperware and head out onto the patio this month. Watch me!

Come back tomorrow for a TED talk about something Dan and I did way too much yesterday travelling across the country.

Unwind

Thanks for not throwing things at me on Friday for lamely re-directing you to another post that explained how I was feeling - a quality post just wasn't going to happen.

Some things that did happen on Friday:

• Scrambled and flustered practice-round presentation


• A slap in my own face for revealing how scrambled I felt to my team and manager


• Twenty minutes to myself to get game-time ready


• A solid, composed and confident presentation when it counted.


• A celebration patio beer with the team Except they got lunch too


• A surprise work-birthday party... followed by not much other work.


• Supergoose IPA in the sun while waiting for Dan to meet me at the theater


• Iron Man 3 (great flick!)


• Crashed hard when we got home at 10pm

Saturday morning Dan and I woke up early and refreshed. We quickly packed a bag (that held mostly our electronic devices) and hit the open road to meet up with my parents and little sisters at the coast.

The sun roof open and our sunglasses on the entire trip made us feel like it was mid-July. While the temperatures crept into the high 70's and the rays of the sun soaked into our skin we felt nothing but joy, relief and a youthful nostalgia of summer break. We talked more in that two hour car ride than we've talked in the last few months, and even though a good majority of it was about work - it felt great to listen to his voice, talk about ways we can help each other and get inside of each other's heads more than the usual "what do you want for dinner, how was your day, did you feed Tiger" conversations.

Unwinding for the weekend was the best thing we could have done for ourselves and definitely helped me with my 'be spontaneous' goal. As you can imagine, no additional work for the week was done for this blog, no work was done, no food prep was accomplished and we'll have to save our Costco trip for another day.

And I'm fine with that, because nothing can beat a sunset like this one.

May's Eight Great Goals

It's here. May. The month I've been waiting for to really show what I'm made of, kick the summer off right and to get down to business.

Last month's goals were difficult to achieve with all of the craziness that came at me with work, so you'll find that this month's goals are a bit more aligned with taking care of myself, making plain times into fun times and appreciating some of the simpler things in life that otherwise could go overlooked in the shadows.

I know that this month will be even busier - so while I'm getting my grind on at work - I think it's important to focus on me, my Daniel and my friendships.

Thanks for sticking around with me through the good times and bad times - it's been a wild ride!

May's Eight Great Goals

1. Be Spontaneous.

Too often my day, outfit, meals, workouts and spare time is planned out to the minute. I'd love to throw caution to the wind this month and let my hair down when the opportunity comes my way.

2. Spend more quality time with my Daniel.

This means knocking out writing my blogs ahead of time, inviting him for runs with me, paying attention to all of the things that prevent stress-free time together today and promote more happy times together tomorrow.

3. Run more during the week.

I graphed it - and close to 70% of my miles this year have fallen on weekends. That means that weekday life is out of hand and I need to get back to lacing up to decompress after a hard day's work.

4. Sleep in on the weekend. 

Getting more runs in the week will lead into less pressure to wake up early on the weekend. Dan and I bicker with each other every Saturday & Sunday morning when I have an alarm set for 7am to beat the morning rush and get a peaceful neighborhood run in. "groan-sleep-murmur-grrr" While that's just my style, it's important to me to spend those mornings with my man as well.

5. Hydrate.

I have this goal on this list almost every month and it keeps coming back because I'm pretty spotty about meeting my daily water quota. 64+ ounces per day, no excuses - and maybe even more as the temperatures begin to rise.

6. Photography.

I have a great camera that takes beautiful photos and I can't remember the last time I posted something on here that wasn't from iPhone / instagram. It may be because editing/posting takes a lot of extra time, but I should take photos for more than just the purpose of this blog.

7. Pamper Myself.

More than just my monthly massage, I'm going to get my nails done, schedule a hair appointment and take care of my skin. I deserve it.

8. Leave work NO later than 6pm.

This is the maximum - I've made it a point to leave before 5pm both days so far this week and all of my co-workers are shocked. I think it's a trend that I like and can make a point of keeping.

Wish me the best of luck this time around - these seem like more realistic goals than what I set for myself in April.

What are your goals for the month? Can you borrow a few of mine?

April Summary

Whoa - reality check, it's still technically April? I think we've got some confusion around here, the weather has been gorgeous in Portland and that's not normally until June July if we're lucky.

Really though, with the change of seasons, my work focus being on the month of May and all that has gone on in my world it's difficult to face that tomorrow is the 1st of May. No complaints, just level setting with my mind because so much has happened this month.

April to me meant change, maturity and responsibility at work. It brought overwhelming success and pride that I'll never forget. It propelled me into overshooting my running goal of 100 miles by 16 miles - which is unheard of during such a busy month. 

I'm looking back to my April's Eight Great Goals and I seriously missed the mark on 6 of 8. I didn't think reasonably what craziness the month would bring and sadly there were a few things that were out of my control and even out of my scope of importance. Where we did have amazing success was with limiting latte intake - I am looking forward to keeping that in mind in the months that follow.

Even though I'm managing through falling under the line, we still had a great month and plenty of wonderful memories to show for it!

Yummy Eats

So much amazing food was enjoyed this month from date nights to weekend food prep:

Torta-Landia

Sweet Potato + Quinoa Stir Fry

Saburo's

Work Related

I realize that I talked a lot about work this month, and really because I spend most of my day living and breathing my work with so many positive things to show for it.

I've promised Dan and everyone in my life that the craziness will be over starting once the fourth quarter is over - which means another month!

Still there were some good posts that came out of the craziness and want a collection of them here:

Under the Bridge

How High?

Desk Love

Keep Running

Running Love

I got after so many miles this month and it really impacted my happiness.

I knew that running was more than just about meeting my goal when I was lacing up after 8pm at night, or logging ten milers even after hitting my goal. The weather has been so warm I've even been breaking a sweat early on in the run, and there's no better feeling.

Running for Days

30 Mile Weekend

Countdown: Tough Mudder

My Handsome Daniel

The one person who got the least of me this month was my wonderful boyfriend. We stopped carpooling due to my schedule, we only went on two runs together, he had a golf tournament that I didn't make it to and he did nothing but try to fix the world and make things easier on my life. He's my everything and I'm so thankful he's in love with me.

Week 14 Cohabitation

Week 15 Cohabitation

Keep Running

Finally - Happy Friday!

Wednesday night I only had 4 hours of broken sleep and then last night my car battery died ... or it's an issue with my alternator. We aren't quite sure yet but I'm thankful for Daniel for always looking out for me, taking care of me, and even jump starting my car and following me in early this morning to make sure that all was okay. All was not okay and my car is parked just a few blocks from my house, but that's something we can figure out this weekend - nothing to stress about today.

This week my mantra unlike my car's was 'Keep Running'.

"Keep Running" to me means many things - 

• Keep a positive attitude through whatever comes your way


• Shovel manure and come out smelling like a rose


• Challenge yourself with physical and metaphorical hills


• Turn an obstacle or barrier into an opportunity to overcome


• Pour your heart into your work and don't look back


• Take time where time is due - with my Daniel, with my running, with my wildest dreams

When momentum is rolling, let it roll.

Don't force it but don't halt your energy and the energy of those around you.

Appreciate the world around you and influence the world within you.

Most importantly my friends - remember to Rise & Grind.

Today in History - 4.24.1999

Hello everyone!

There's so many things we could chat about, like the weather, the new clothes I've bought lately {on sale!}, my job, what motivates me, my man, etc.

It almost crept past me but something reminded me of a decision I made 14 years ago that has significantly improved my life and my health.

Today, April 24th, marks 14 years since I've drank soda.

I could harp and harp on why soda is bad for you, here and here for example - but instead I'll talk about what pushed me to the decision and the many reasons I've stuck to it over the past 14 years.

I was in Seventh grade, 12 years old and incredibly focused on softball and the things that I could do to improve my game. As a team, we were working on the 'mental game' to strengthen our minds and work out our discipline, so we were encouraged to choose something to give up for a week. Instantly I knew what I wanted to give up, but would have to enlist some help from teammates and my very own family.

See, my brother had given up soda a year prior and had always boasted about it - and being the competitive little sister I decided to lead follow my own path. I also was not such a light consumer of the sugary beverage. We would go to fast food restaurants for convenience after practices + games and I would consistently order the biggest Dr. Pepper or Root Beer I could get my hands on. No fault of anyone's, just the health concerns of high soda consumption weren't public knowledge as they are today - so it was more about the bubbly bite I'd experience from an ice cold soda rather than the taste of it.

I recall the 'last supper' like it was yesterday. My dad and I left the practice in Beaverton and headed to the East side, but not before a pit stop at McDonald's to order a #2 (Two cheeseburgers) No Cheese, Ketchup Only with a Dr. Pepper to drink. I remember slowly sipping out of the straw, calculating what I was putting into my body and ultimately feeling sick as a result. The cup sat overnight on my nightstand, half full and eventually poured down the kitchen sink.

Realizing that I didn't want to finish my last one, I knew I had an easy road ahead to look forward to both with this commitment and many others that followed.

Weeks passed, months passed. I noticed myself feeling better, my teenage pores were clearing up kind of and I was full of healthy hydration {water} like I'd never been before. Soon it was six months later and there was no way I was going back - I'd come too far to ever put a drop to my lips again.

Since giving up soda I have:

• Saved a lot of $$


• Avoided a lot of extra and worthless calories


• Encouraged others to quit/limit their bad habits


• Found the will to give up French Fries (going on 13 years)


• Nodded my head to every health conscious reason to give up soda


• Much less fast food dining


• ...Saved a lot of $$

I don't nag or judge those who drink soda now, but I sure am happy that I don't crave the stuff.

I know that I'm a happier person because of this commitment and the endless personal strength I gained in experiencing success will serve me well for a lifetime.

Like I said, happy:



Just try it for a week, see how much better you feel!