Reinventing the Wheel

Trying to make your 2008 Resolutions?

You could use the old stand-bys of "Lose weight, make more money" and the like. Or...you could resolve to make changes where they'll really matter to you.

One of my favorite People Who Don't Know I Exist, Kimberly Wilson of Hip Tranquil Chick fame, had this as a suggestion in her book, Hip Tranquil Chick. It's easy and eye-opening all at once.

Take this life wheel (or draw your own) and color in each section in relation to how satisfied you are with each element. For example, if you are partially satisfied with your career, partially fill up the section labeled "career." (I told you it was easy!)

Do it right now. I'll wait.

Mine looked like this:


I'm pretty well satisfied with my home life. There's always room for improvement in any situation, but as a whole, I am happy. Same goes for relationships, though I know I need more close relationships in my life.

My health, finances, creativity and spirituality all fall at about 50%. I haven't been eating very well or getting any exercise but I'm pretty healthy besides that. My finances need some work. And though an easy answer would be "MORE MONEY!" I know that if I really worked hard at it, I could arrange my finances better - but again, I'm not poor or even really hurting badly for money. My creativity. Hmm...has anyone else noticed a little dry spell around here lately? Though I love to blame lack of time for not posting, a lot of it was that I didn't have any of those "OMG! I have to write about this!" moments - the kind of moments that drive me to be creative despite my lacking time. And finally, Spirituality; I've talked about this before. I struggle with finding a place to call 'my own' that shares my ideals. No big surprise there.

Now those little measly green ones: Career and Self-Care. Obviously the areas that need the most improvement, they actually fell a spot from when I did the wheel the first time. I can't give them a zero, because my job is somewhat fulfilling. It's fulfilling my bank account, anyhow, and that's more than a lot of people have. And I do small things to make myself happy. Though this mostly includes eating cookies and that drags down Health.


Step two is to think of a few things you could do to improve your most low-rated areas. I'll be honest, this is not as easy as coloring. But it is the important part. They have to be things you can do RIGHT NOW. Unlike my rationalization that "Once I lose weight...then I can buy a nice dress...THEN I can start going to church." (I know! My way of thinking surprises even me sometimes.)


So, starting with those little green guys, here are my steps:
SELF CARE -
1. Get a hair cut. I've longed for a nice cut for over a year. I finally got a gift card (I guess that makes it only partially "Self" Care) to my favorite salon, so this will be easily accomplished. I know it will give me a better attitude when it comes to getting myself ready every day.
2. Practice Yoga more frequently. I'm always saying I'm going to do this and don't. But it always gets put off because I ENJOY IT and things enjoyed are always pushed behind things that are NOT enjoyed. The Rule Of Mommies, no?

Completing these steps would put SELF CARE at least to 50%.

CAREER -
1. Keep resume polished and keep looking for jobs - I've applied a couple places, but haven't put forth a full effort. Part of me is very scared to leave this job - I've taken it on as a large part of my identity. But the other part of me is scared to stay and just be "used to" being unhappy with my days.
2. Keep a happier attitude at work - Change your mind and change the world, right? You are only as unhappy as you tell yourself you are. Since I told myself this a few weeks back, I've made a big effort to deflect people's bad attitudes instead of absorbing them. It's working pretty well. And for the time being, it makes this job a whole heck of a lot better.

I can't guess how happy I'll be if and when I leave this job. The main part is going to be keeping up with #2 - despite my employer.

HEALTH -
1. Eat healthier
2. Exercise more (Big DUH's, eh?)

FINANCES -
1. Plan grocery list better so I'm not spending so much unnecessary money (geez, I can't believe the place I blow all my money is the GROCERY STORE! Blech! What kind of woman am I!?!?)
2. Pay bills on time. Avoid fees. Keep happy creditors. Win-Win.

CREATIVITY -
1. Carry a notepad again so I can write down ideas when they strike
2. Follow through with crafty ideas. (In other words, instead of saving all that fabric, actually MAKE SOMETHING. Oooh. Bright Idea!)

SPIRITUALITY -
1. Attend service at a church. Just one. To see how it goes. If it doesn't work out...
2. Attend service at another church.


Looks like Mid-February or so, I should have one magenta-filled Life Wheel! Or, maybe a tad longer.


I'm really anxious to find out what ratings your Life Wheel got. And...what you plan to do to raise them up.

Makeover Monday #2

Mind - Finish my book. Mission: Accomplished! I finished Cleaning and the Meaning of Life by Paula Jhung yesterday. I still don’t think the title of the book accurately reflects what the book is about. Paula Jhung has a very zen-like approach to decorating and cleaning. I really loved the chapter about Chi – and what makes Chi happy. The book is also written in an easy-to-read manner. Kind of like a magazine. That makes it much easier for my little A.D.D. brain to finish.

This week, I want to finish the parenting book I picked up.

Body - Yoga one night a week after work. Walk or run twice during the week. I didn’t do so hot at this one. I did go for a walk one night and aside from the gnats, it was nice. I’m going to consider the second walk done, too, because we played golf Saturday and I walked most of the way (except when I got to drive the cart!), then we went “Outside Mall” shopping and then I made my garden on Sunday. But as much as I wanted to, I didn’t do yoga.

My goal was supposed to be “Elliptical 3x this week” – but we didn’t get one…again. We stopped in at Sears Saturday night and found a great NordicTrack one on sale from 799.99 to 499.99 – right in (okay, at the very top of) our price range. The Man said “We should buy it tonight! What if the sale ends?” Me: “I triple checked the tag – the sale runs 6/3 – 6-23! Let’s wait until we have the Blazer to pick it up.” Fast forward to Sunday night, racing the hour down there – in the truck – to find that they raised the price a hundred dollars and changed the dates to 6/10 – 6/23. I would have talked to the salespeople about it and asked them to give me the original price (I worked retail for a long time – I KNOW I could have done it) – had there been one willing to stop gabbing with their friends long enough to notice me standing there – OBVIOUSLY waiting. The Man must have seen the steam coming from my ears because he suggested we ‘just go.’ We have spent AT LEAST 10 hours of our time trying to replace this flippin’ machine. It doesn’t help that we live so far away. I’m done. I’m done. I’m done. It took a long time for me to calm down and come to that conclusion, but that’s it – I’m done.

That said - I’m going to keep the same goal for this week.

Soul - Meditate once during the week. Unless you count me deep-breathing to stop the nuclear explosion that I would have become after my Sears visit, I didn’t make this one, either. But I’m scratching the idea. The only time I’ve ever found to meditate was when I went part-time during DCP’s maternity break and I listened to my guided meditation podcasts while waiting for the bus to come. Until I find some extra time like that again, this idea is up in smoke.

My new one that will save my soul better than any reflection: Stop Yelling. This, I’m sure, will be an ongoing battle. I’m a yeller by nature. I can get pretty nasty. I fricking hate it. This coincides a bit with the book I’m reading now, (“Chapter one: appropriate punishment. Yelling is an inappropriate punishment.”) so maybe it will be easier with a little help from the book. And hey! While I’m taking my “time out” (when I get too frustrated and want to yell) I can do yoga or meditate or something. Probably ‘Or Something.’


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Want to join in the fun? Here's what to do:
- Choose a goal. (It can be a new one each week or something more long-term.)
- Write a Makeover Monday post to share your goal for the week ahead. State whether or not you accomplished your goal from the previous week. It's okay to brag! If you are working towards a long-term goal, report on your progress.
- Spread the good karma by visiting other Makeover Monday participants to encourage and congratulate them on their own makeovers. (check out Moodswinging Mommy for a list of participants)
- Feel the love coming right back at you!

Don't let Monday be a downer! Start your week off right by celebrating your accomplishments and those of fellow bloggers.

Makeover Monday #1

I’ve really been wanting to get involved with Shauna on this “Makeover Monday” thing that Moodswinging Mommy thought up.

This is really such a great idea, I’m so jealous that I didn’t think of it! I’m always working on ways to make myself better and how motivating is posting about it to the internet, right?
The best part of it…is that it requires ME to spend time on ME. And ME isn’t someone who gets put first too often.

Because I pretend, er, strive to be all yogic and centered, I’m going to categorize my goals as Mind, Body and Soul. That should make me a well-rounded person by, say, Thanksgiving, right?





Mind - Finish my book. I made it most of the way through Hip Tranquil Chick and got to the yoga poses part and quit. I didn’t want to go any further until I had time to practice the poses and never got the time for that. I do plan on finishing that book in the future, but this week, it’s the new book listed on my sidebar, Cleaning and the Meaning of Life by Paula Jhung. I don’t like the title of this book because it makes me think it’s about some neat freak with good cleaning tips. It’s not (and I was a little disappointed). Paula Jhung talks about how she lived in a chaotic mess and how she found ways around creating the mess in the first place rather than having to deal with it in the end. She follows ideas like I do, about bringing awareness to your habits and has some really profound reasons NOT to shop. I made it halfway through yesterday - the only reason I quit was to organize my closet (it’s THAT good!) - and want to make it a goal to finish it even though I’m going to be swamped at work this week.

Body - Yoga one night a week after work. Walk or run twice during the week.

Soul - Meditate once during the week. This one is the absolute hardest because it means it has to be accomplished when my house is quiet. Which is at 4:30 am. When meditating will make me fall back asleep. I better work hard at this one.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Want to join in the fun? Here's what to do:

- Choose a goal. (It can be a new one each week or something more long-term.)
- Write a Makeover Monday post to share your goal for the week ahead. State whether or not you accomplished your goal from the previous week. It's okay to brag! If you are working towards a long-term goal, report on your progress.
- Spread the good karma by visiting other Makeover Monday participants to encourage and congratulate them on their own makeovers. (check out Moodswinging Mommy for a list of participants)
- Feel the love coming right back at you!

Don't let Monday be a downer! Start your week off right by celebrating your accomplishments and those of fellow bloggers.

Breathe.

Sometimes, I’ll just be sitting there – maybe doing nothing at all - when an alarm goes off in my head and says “HEY!! BREATHE!!” My body will respond with a gasp for air and I realize that I had stopped breathing. For no reason at all, just STOPPED breathing.

This scares me! I wonder how long it had been since I did last take a breath. And, f I am doing this when I’m very awake, what do I do when I’m sleeping?

My worst time with my breathing is while I’m driving, so I try to take especially deep breaths during my two-hour commute. (It fills the time, anyway!)

I’ve been trying to keep up with my interest in yoga (which comes and goes) mainly for this reason. When I was actually getting up and DOING it in the morning, I felt wonderful. I felt healthy and energized. I even felt taller. (?)

Another thing that I really need to keep up with (for it’s proven good effects on my body) is meditation. It sounds so corny to meditate (at least to some people) – I hate the looks I get from people when I say that I like it. But it is a great way to relieve stress. I found The Stillness Station on iTunes and listened to it (during my time off last September) while I waited for the kids’ bus to arrive. My mom said, “I feel like she’s going to lean in and kiss me!” But, Stin has a very calm and sweet voice that I found relaxing. It was so much easier for me (The Neurotic Multitasker) to use guided meditation than to sit and “reflect.” It just ‘structured’ my thoughts rather than letting them bounce between all the other things going on in my head. The Man actually told me that he noticed how much calmer I was.

Back when I was really interested (and didn’t have a fine at the library) I read a few books about yoga and related subjects and learned that breathing is the number one reason why yoga is so effective. Oxygen is vital to your body - to your organs, to your blood, to your bones. Oxygen fuels our body and gives us energy.

In one ‘ancient’ book, they described a breathing exercise in which you lie flat on your back and breathe deep into the different sections of your chest.
Imagine your lungs are divided into three sections:
1. There is the bottom, the part you feel in your stomach (your diaphragm). When you breathe deeply here, you aid your digestion and calm your heart rate. To exercise this area, take a deep breath, inflating your stomach it to its fullest, then deflating it with a long, steady breath. It seems redundant to explain this, but most people do not breathe this way, and this is how “normal” breathing should be.
2. There is the middle, which is under your xyphoid process. To exercise this area, imagine there is a small balloon stuck under your ribs and expand only that area (as if to inflate the balloon) when breathing in, pull your ribs toward your spine while slowly exhaling. This is the part of your lungs that you use when you ‘stress breathe’ – take short, shallow breathes. Stress breathing is harmful to your body - it does not allow the oxygen to reach the parts of your body that need it. When you practice deep breathing here, you fully exercise the section that is used to working a lot, but not working hard.
3. Then there is the top. This is the one that surprised me the most. The very tips of your lungs actually don’t get worked much. The book described it as; where your lungs are normally pink (unless you’re a smoker, of course), the tips that don’t get used very often become weak, gray and sickly tissue. They attribute this area’s weakness to lung infections, colds and mucus build-up. When I exercised this part – breathing as with the rest, only focusing on the very tips (it really helps to visualize your lungs as you do it), I felt like they had been given an actual work-out – they felt tired, but in an invigorated way.

A couple things to note is that you want to practice each in their own time, take plenty of breaths per area and the also recommend doing it on an empty stomach.

Remember last Saturday, when I posted my horoscope about “stop evangelizing and lead by example?” Well, I’m trying. I looked for new podcasts last night and found some ones that I think will be more motivating. My problem with doing it this way is this: The first yoga-themed podcast I subscribed to was Yogamazing with Chad Rough. I quickly grew tired of this and never even practiced using it. He is informative, but how am I expected to hold my iPod, watch the video and keep my earphones in all while trying to do the poses?
Next, I found Yogadownload.com. (Note that I get these on iTunes, where they are FREE – not the websites where the previews are free.) iTunes had three sessions from them, all twenty minutes a piece. Listening to it, I could already tell it was going to be easier to use because they simply tell you what pose to move into (and, like a teacher, reminding you to BREATHE). But a newbie like me doesn’t know every pose. That problem left this podcast pretty unusable, too.
Next, I found Discovery Home & Health Yoga Classes. (Can’t find their website, but they are listed under this in iTunes). This EXPLAINS each pose – why and HOW – in two to three minute videos. I think learning from this will help me be able to use the twenty-minute verbal sessions with a little more ease.

So, you see, I am trying. I am preparing, which is the first step…I just wish I could move on to the next, which is actually waking up in time to do it.

I finally got information about that ‘studio’ in my town – turns out it’s just a ‘wellness center.’ They don’t have yoga. But they do have massages, waxing and Chinese medicine!

I think tomorrow will be the perfect day to start my venture. I’m going to use my DVD, because even though the girl annoys the piss out of me, I know the routine, so it will be easier to follow. It is going to be a long weekend and what a better way to start it than feeling healthy, energized and…taller?