Jun 20 2008
Friday Update
I like the idea of reserving Fridays for looking back over the week and reflecting on my successes, obstacles, and insights–I might turn that into a regular feature. (Let me know what you think in the comments.)
Personal Development Projects
- 101 Things list: I just completed my 25th item, which means that I’ve checked off almost 1/4 of the items on my list. Hooray!
- This one’s for you, MizFit… I joined a gym and got a personal trainer. He was EXCELLENT! I actually–and I can’t believe I’m about to write this–enjoyed weight training! I was so blown away that I bought ten sessions with him. (Well, actually my husband bought them for me as a belated birthday present.) I have my second session today at noon.
- Last Saturday was the final day of my No Alcohol 21-Day Makeover. I’ve had one beer since then, and I didn’t really enjoy it. Could this be a permanent change?
- My No Shopping Month has gone pretty well. I did wind up spending un-planned money on food ($50) and books ($32), but over all, I’m pleased with my performance. Eleven days to go…
- My 21-Day Makeovers for waking up early and meditating every day have been OK. Out of 19 days, I’ve met the waking up goal 14 times and the meditating goal 13 times. Not too bad! I got some great suggestions to help with meditation–
- Crabby McSlacker, Cynthia, and Leslie recommended that I try a guided meditation.
- Leah suggested trying a “mindless” but meditative activity like gardening or needlepoint.
Lessons of the Week
- Having a plan ahead of time makes all the difference for me in dealing with my triggers.
- Action item! I need to work on an emergency response plan for when I’m unexpectedly confronted with something that triggers me. (There was a cookie incident on Tuesday.) Any ideas?
- Sometimes it’s best to keep our dreams and aspirations to ourselves–at least at first.
Question of the Week
- I’m still struggling with the question of self-acceptance versus self-improvement. IÂ got some great advice and insight from your comments.Â
- Anna said: “Being self-aware and really looking at my MOTIVES is what I have found to be helpful. If I am doing something because I feel like I have to or it’s something everyone else is doing, then me not wanting to do it is probably an indicator that I shouldn’t be doing it!”
- VeryBadCat suggested using a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether or not the proposed improvement is in my best interest.
- Aleta noted that, when pressure to improve comes from external sources or when we feel stressed about self-improvement, it can actually have the opposite of the desired effect.
- Kelli observed that it’s important to look at the effects of the behavior–if it has a negative impact on your life, change it!
 What are you proud of this week? What lessons did you learn? Do you have any ideas for an “emergency response” plan for confronting unexpected triggers?
Im so glad.
not so much that you hired the trainer/joined the gym but that you enjoyed the weights.
while that is my best stress reliever Im hot on your trail with regards to the guided meditation as well.
more soothing/less body taxing AND I can do it absolutely anywhere.
thanks for leading by example on that one.
I learned that I am finally sick and tired of riding an emotional rollercoaster at work, and that it’s my confidence level that’s crushing me. I read something last night- that stress results from two decisions/perceptions:
1. The situation is threatening.
2. I am not equipped to face the threat.
There are so many times that I get all freaked out when I really shouldn’t, because my low confidence level at work means that I’m very easily threatened, and I operate from the core belief that I am not capable of surviving a threatening situation on the job.
Meanwhile, they’re already wanting to promote me beyond what can be justified by my qualifications.
It’s stupid and senseless, and I’m hurting myself, because sooner or later, my fragile emotional state is going to detract from my dedication and intelligence. Time to put the big girl panties on, you know?
RE: The cookie incident. If I were you, I would immediately fix or order a cup of hot tea and think about how to handle the trigger. You have an immediate response to buy you some time for pulling back into rational thought. While you’re drinking the tea (which should be something sweet, like orange flavored herbal tea), you can have some healthy gratification. Also, fixing the tea removes you from the situation- you’re boiling water, looking for a cup, etc. I don’t know what to think about or how to deal with the trigger, but I think that what you need is an immediate response to give you the time to deal with it.
Any tips on building confidence?
Yay for you-I’m glad you enjoyed your training session at the gym, that is awesome. I really like the idea of the ‘friday update.’ You are always doing some self improvement exercise. It’s nice to see how it is going.
~K
See? Weight training isn’t so bad! I really enjoy my time with weights (especially the way I feel afterward, and the physical results I’ve achieved since I started).
You’re really rocking your way through your list! Going much faster than I am…
Very impressive! I love to mix it up between over all body and cardio. Setting goals and accomplishment is so satisfying!
I am very jealous of your personal trainer - I would love one of those! You are so focussed on ways to improve yourself - it’s really inspirational.