Life is all about challenges. The challenges we come up against and the challenges we set ourselves. The challenges we shrink away from and the challenges we face head on. I’ve spoken about not letting my fears or insecurities get in the way of letting me achieve my goals this year and so far I think I’m off to a pretty great start! When I say goals, I don’t mean a set of resolutions that I have written down as dot points on my fridge (go you fabulous people that can do this and actually tick them off!). What I’m talking about are the opportunities that present themselves, networking and putting myself “out there”, saying yes, or knowing when to say no, about connecting and giving to my people (you know who you are), meeting new friends and cultivating those friendships while not forgetting to “fill my cup” along the way. Basically, not letting myself get in the way of enjoying this thing we call life!
I was sitting there this evening, looking down at my dirty and paint splattered legs, thinking about enjoying a glass (bottle) of the Sangiovese I’d scored from my parents, when my mind turned towards all the things I’ve achieved this week.
Early on this week I decided that I was going to take action with my working situation. I’m very happy with the company I work for, but I need a little more when it comes to hours. I know it’s not as easy as just magically finding shifts for people when they want them, I’ve been there believe me, but I needed to put my feelers out there to see if there was anything else available to me. Without saying too much more (I don’t want to jinx anything!) I think a change is on the horizon that will work out great for everyone. Yes! The main thing here is that I asked for what I needed, I was clear about what I could offer and the rest has (hopefully) fallen in to place.
On Wednesday, I was scrolling though on Facebook when a notification came up saying there was a new post on a PIF page I am a member of. Now PIF (Pay It Forward) pages might not be for everyone but I have been able to pass on some really good items we no longer need while occasionally picking up something we could really use. I clicked on the post and couldn’t believe no one had claimed it already. Perhaps it looked like too much hard work, but I said, “Yes please” and got in touch with the poster. Exactly what have I acquired? A kid’s playground/fort for the backyard! Go me! I knew my Mum and Dad would help me out with picking it up and putting it together (thank you ever helpful parents of mine) and I knew that the kids would be super excited, so I said yes! Mum and I had a laugh about my crazy antics, I think I’m starting to get a reputation for making these spur of the moment decisions, and then I organised the logistics with Dad. Now It’s going to need some work, I got it from a couple that actually bought it for the slide, so I’ll need to buy one of those and I of course want to spruce it up a little. Yay! Project! I’m so excited! It won’t cost a great deal, depending on how much time I spend at Kmart and Ikea (ha ha!) but will take some work and patience, which I’ll add I’m not very good at. I’ll post up some pics once we’re done.
On Thursday, I took Master E to the Hallett Cove Conservation Park to walk the boardwalk. I was so proud of him! It’s no easy feat walking all those steps but we made it up to see the sugarloaf and back down to sit on a bench over looking the cliffs while we had a quick snack, a drink and rested our legs. Reading the signs along the way, spotting the honeyeaters and keeping our eyes peeled for lizards (we didn’t spot any) made for a great morning. We could have sat at home after we dropped Miss E at childcare, but I’m so glad we didn’t. Walking and being active in the fresh sea air is something I really enjoy and I want to encourage my kids to enjoy it too. Master E’s legs got a little tired on our way back to the car, but we made it just in time to get a message to meet Nan and Gramps down the beach with Riley (my sister’s ever faithful dog). So after E’s legs made a miraculous recovery, we headed down to O’Sullivans Beach to enjoy some more sea air. A great active day.
On Friday I received a message from a woman I recently met at my work’s Christmas bbq/family day, the wife of one of my colleagues. We got talking while she was beautifully face painting Miss E, (what a treat for the kids!) and hit it off. I added her on Facebook to send her a copy of Miss E’s flower princess face, and we’ve been following each other ever since. She is very much into health and well-being and from what I’ve seen, a great motivator to those she works with. So I was asked on Friday if I’d like to take advantage of an online consultation and a following coaching session with the guy that personally coaches her. Most people know that I’m on a bit of a health journey myself, so I said yes! I was then asked if I’d be interested in joining her for a weight training session, so we could work out together, I said yes! I’m going to meet her at her gym; my fitness is pretty good these days, but my strength could do with some work so we’ll see how I go. See me saying yes? I can’t believe how much I’ve changed, I once would have shied away from this kind of thing out of fear of not being “good enough”, not wanting to look silly, not wanting to step out of my comfort zone. Heck, I would have been to shy to add her on Facebook in the first place! I’m kind of nervous, but I’m totally looking forward to it.
I’ve also been taking part in some Fitbit Challenges this week, which has really pushed me to go that bit further. Fitbit or other activity trackers aren’t for everyone, but having the numbers there that I can see has been a real motivator for me. I’ve had my Fitbit for about 6 months now but have only really started taking part in group challenges, doing the personal challenges and getting involved in the forums just recently. My fitness has improved and I’m looking for ways to be more active throughout the day. I’m going to the gym, I’m walking, taking group classes and eating better. I’m loving it! This past week has seen me smash my activity goals every day.
So yeah, a pretty good week for me. I feel like I’m in the drivers seat, I’m challenging myself and excited about it. Now to enjoy that glass of wine!
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