Habit-Forming Success

17 May 2012

Live Like You’re Dying Continued…

I continue to try and answer yesterday’s question, “What would you do differently if you only had one more month to live?” It is an oddly empowering question and motivating to think about how to live life to the fullest.

My initial thought while wresting with this question was, what can I do? My mind always goes there first. Doing makes me me feel productive and feeling productive makes me feel important.

But what if it is not all about doing?

I’m wondering now if it is more about a mindset shift. A new perspective and overall approach to life.

For example, what would happen if I chose to live my own life instead of someone else’s? My DNA is unique to me, as are my strengths, personality traits and interests. And yet, so often I compare myself to others and feel inadequate as a result. What a waste of time – time that could be spent living out my own unique purposes.

And with that… what is my unique path in life? The specifics may change over the years but the last thing I want is to look back on decades spent pursuing something I didn’t care about. In all that I do, my values and greater purpose must somehow be connected.

Acceptance and contentment come to mind.

If I can truly embrace who I am, then I won’t wish I was more like someone else. And if I am not looking at everyone else to direct me in my decisions, I won’t feel that inner chaos of not living my own life. I won’t resent others for crossing my boundaries. I will have more freedom to listen to the opinions of others but confident to make my own choices ultimately. I will be content with myself and my life.

That sounds pretty good.

I love hearing the advice of elderly men and women who can look back throughout decades of life and share words of wisdom to help the rest of us live without regrets. Check out this NY Times article called Elderly ‘Experts’ Share Life ‘s Graying Edge on Finishing With No Regrets. Learn from them.

Be encouraged to live differently!

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16 May 2012

Life and Spiritual Matters

What would you do differently if you only had one more month to live?

I watched a bible study curriculum recently that asked the question, “How would you live your life if you only had one more month to live?” I have been trying to figure out my answer ever since. The study was called One Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook, a married couple who pastor a church in TX. It’s a good question – a hard question.

I wish I could say I would do nothing differently but that’s not true. So often I find myself feeling lazy and needing to “relax” which is code for staying at home and watching TV. There’s nothing wrong with this occasionally but I certainly don’t want my life to be dictated by the next fall lineup… I want to live.

Over the course of the past week I’ve made a few changes and I have decided to continue becoming more intentional with my time in the weeks to come.

First off, I’ve kept the TV off at night. I decided to do this in part because I wanted to see how hard it would be and honestly, I haven’t missed it. This has given me availability for things that just come up that are worth taking advantage of…

… like people. I have been more intentional about relationships. I’ll be honest, I really hate talking on the phone while I’m at home. I think it started back when I commuted over an hour to work everyday and I would catch up with all my friends and family in the car. So when I got home, I was home. Now that I don’t drive as much, I don’t keep in touch with my friends as much. This is not okay! Relationships need nurturing and I know I would regret neglecting them in the long run. Over the past week I have had three extensive phone conversations while at home and I am so grateful for the bonding time with people I love.

I have also been working out like a mad woman and loving every minute of it! Working out can be a chore if it’s boring and so a girlfriend and I joined a boxing gym to switch things up. Classes like zumba and boot camps have made working out a lot more interesting and in the process I have boundless energy and feel more confident.

This summer my hubby and I are going to Europe. If I had unlimited time and money I would want to travel more. Experiencing other cultures and seeing the world takes me out of my little bubble and reminds me of the vastness of God’s creation…

… which brings me to my last but most important focus. God has made Himself available to me. He knows me better than anyone else and I have the opportunity to know Him. And yet, so often I ignore Him. I can’t explain why. As I try to answer this question, I’m reminded that to know and be known by God is the greatest gift on earth and I would be crazy not to take advantage of it.

How would you live your life differently?

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15 May 2012

Working out

Get lean & sexy today

I have always been a huge fan of Diana Antholis! Her blog and other products focus on the whole self – not just the body or just the mind. Everything works together so it’s important to address it all, which she does through fitness training and wellness coaching.

Her site features some excellent workouts you can do in the privacy of your own home. They’re low maintenance and effective, as well as set to the backdrop of the ocean, one of my absolute favorite locations.

The first one is the Lean & Sexy Workout in 25 Minutes. Short, sweet and outlined step-by-step in a PDF that you can print and reuse as often as you’d like.

The second is the Ab Burner video demonstrating 7 exercises to help you get those rock hard abs we all want!

You can’t beat free workouts from a certified personal trainer. Check them out today and you’ll be on your way to the summer-ready bod we all want!

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14 May 2012

Healthy Eats

Healthy recipe alert!

I tried a new recipe this weekend and it was a keeper! Pureed carrot soup. Reminds me of this little cafe I used to go to for lunch when I worked at a TV Studio back in California. I can’t recall the name of the cafe but I do remember they had delicious soups, salads and sandwiches. And most of the items on the menu were quite healthy (with the exception of a few sweet treats for dessert).

I’ve never been a huge fan of creamy soups because they are so fattening and I usually end up with a stomachache after eating them. Here’s a trick if you find yourself in the same boat – use a potato in your puree instead of cream. It’ll add some thickness and the creamy consistency you’re looking for, without the tummy grumbles later.

For the recipe, go to Yummly.

One more thing – my girlfriends and I spent Saturday at the flea market and then had a major gab sesh back at one of their homes. We made homemade ice cream and fabulous Grapefruit Spritzers. I have been craving them ever since! Mix white wine with grapefruit juice and voila! Pure awesomeness.

Happy Cooking!

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10 May 2012

Wellness

Hardcore like Sydney Bristow

Right after I graduated from college I started getting serious about my health. I ran consistently all throughout my undergrad years but I ate whatever I wanted. Exercise can take you far, but without a healthy diet, we’ll eventually stall out.

A year after I graduated I was living in the LA area with three other girls in a two bedroom apartment. (It was like being the dorms all over again, having to share a room). Thankfully I had a great roommate with similar goals; more or less we wanted to be Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner’s character in Alias).

Every morning we faithfully set our alarms for 5:00am and dragged ourselves to the gym. We did cardio, weights, group x classes and ran outside. We were hard core and we kept this up nearly every day for a year.

After a few months we started noticing that my arms were getting pretty toned. My friend’s weren’t shaping up at the same pace as mine so we tried to figure out the difference. It didn’t take long to realize it was the nutritional supplements I was taking.

I had just incorporated an amino acid supplement called Catalyst into my regime and it was creating awesome results! The biggest things I noticed were that my body was begin to change more quickly and that I had more muscular endurance during my workouts. I didn’t feel all that different (which was a good thing in my book after some of the horror stories I had heard about the effects of supplements). But I did notice rapid results in the way I looked.

Here are a few bullet points about Catalyst:

Helps you retain lean muscle mass
Helps muscle recovery after exercise
Consists of a combination of amino acids which work together to produce great results

You want to kick butt like Sydney Bristow? Try Catalyst!

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08 May 2012

Working out

The truth

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07 May 2012

Working out

Boredom Busters

One of my biggest pet peeves about working out is potential boredom. It’s the worst – forcing yourself to exercise because you know it’s good for you, but being miserable throughout the process.

Not for me! I switch things up constantly.

Here are some boredom-busting cardio ideas from Fitness Magazine that are going to burn mad calories and keep you smiling the whole time!

Fitness Magazine’s Best Cardio Workouts

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04 May 2012

Healthy Eats

Skinny Cinco de Mayo Treats

As you know from previous posts I have tried to cut out alcohol on weekdays (somewhat unsuccessfully so far). I am not a big drinker at all! In fact I am very picky about what I am even willing to drink because it has to taste good. I don’t drink alcohol for the effect … in fact I try to avoid that because I hate feeling out of control. I enjoy a drink or two when something yummy strikes my fancy.

So the other night my girlfriends and I had dinner at Cheesecake Factory and unbeknownst to me they have a few drink selections on their new Skinnylicious menu. Can I just say, the margarita was delicious?! And it had less than 150 calories to boot. Not bad for a splurge (especially if you allow that to curb your sweet tooth instead of a slice of cheesecake).

With Cinco de Mayo coming up, don’t forget that your normal diet rules still apply. You know my philosophy, it’s okay to splurge a bit on the weekends but in the words of Bon Qui Qui, “Don’t Get Crazy.” Here are two ideas to help you stay track while still indulging in Cinco de Mayo treats:

Skinnytaste Citrus Margarita Spritzer

Individual Seven-Layer Cups

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

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03 May 2012

Points to Ponder

Thoughts on tardiness…

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Recently I got confronted about my constant tardiness. It was humbling to say the least. I hate getting called out on stuff (even when I know I deserve it – especially when I know I deserve it). I have been well-aware for years that time management is not my strong suit and for the first time in my life I am actually trying to do something about it. I heard from a friend that at his job, employee’s get docked in pay for being late. That would definitely get my attention. My friends and family have shown me grace throughout the years, but it’s the tough love that has finally kicked my butt into gear.

Here’s what I’ve learned about being late and being on time:

Being late disrespects the person you are meeting. I had never thought about it that way until a perpetually early friend told me that’s how he feels. I certainly don’t mean to be disrespectful. I just assume everyone is okay with my timetable but why would they be? If we say we’re meeting at 6:00pm what would ever give me the impression they are okay with 6:15pm?

Being late is the same as not keeping your word. If you say you’re going to be somewhere at a certain time, you’ve made a commitment. Keep it.

Being late is stressful. I am constantly rushing around which often leads to absentmindedness and added anxiety I don’t need in my life.

Being on time means you’ve allowed a few extra minutes to get places which decreases your chances of getting a speeding ticket which decreases your chance of being humiliated on the side of the road which decreases your chance of having to pay hundreds of dollars paying it off which decreases your chance of having to hire a lawyer… must I go on? (See Prayer for Judgment to understand this rant).

Being on time is peaceful. Recently as I’ve made more of an effort to be on time, I have been able to slow down and smell the roses. They smell good.

My record hasn’t been perfect the past few weeks but I am improving… and as a result I have been less stressed, less rushed, less guilty and generally a happier person. Try it.

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30 Apr 2012

Motivation