More Manifestos

Okay, so I'm the first to admit that I haven't got off to a good start insofar as writing about these manifestos goes, given that it is already two weeks since my last post and there was perhaps some inference that it would be a weekly thing ...

That said, I'm feeling a little pleased with myself about how I've gone with actually doing the things I said I would do. In review:

1 - I walked to the train station three times the first week and four the second. Not quite every day but Melbourne turned on the water works a couple of times (and one day in particular I had a really good reason for not wanting to spend the day in mud splashed pants). If I can keep up an average of three times a week I'll be very happy;

2 - honestly, I actually forgot about the stairs a lot at first but now I'm using them on at least half of the times that I go downstairs, again if that's an average I can keep up long term then I'll be happy;

3 - the before work thing has actually been a lot harder to get back into than I thought it would. I have done a lot more exercise on the weekends and in the evenings but I do really need to get the morning thing happening again;

4 - which brings us to the alarm situation, yes I have as declared been setting the alarm for 5:30 ... I haven't yet been able to get myself out of bed then though. I'll keep working on that one;

5 - done and done!! Not actually lodged yet but sitting there ready to go ... so, so happy to get that off the list.

it is slowly becoming light in the morning while I wait for the train

So, that's the past two weeks done and dusted. The next two weeks will actually be divided into three sections, Monday to Friday pre-holiday, Saturday to Friday holiday and Friday afternoon to Sunday post-holiday. Given that there's a good chance that the best I'll be able to manage while I'm away will be to upload a few scenic photos, and at the risk of putting you all to sleep before the end of the page, I'm going to put them all out there now.

Pre-Holiday I will ...

1 - make our work lunches the night before;

2 - go for a walk in my lunch break;

3 - breathe deep ... not metaphorically but actually, physically breathe deep and strong. I'm told it's good for you;

4 - clean the house ready for the cat-sitter to stay; and

5 - plan and pack (guarantee you this won't happen until Friday!).

During Holiday I will ...

1 - rest;

2 - relax;

3 - read;

4 - write; and

5 - walk.

(Okay, I admit that's cheating a little but it does all go towards helping me to be healthier I promise!)

Post-Holiday I will ...

1 - create an exercise plan;

2 - create an eating plan;

3 - empty the ironing basket;

4 & 5 - cross two more major, but at the moment unexplainable, items off my long term to do list.

my way of apologising for inundating you with too many words ...

Monday's Manifestos

Admittedly manifesto is probably too grand a word for what I hope to do with this series but I was after a little alliteration and so manifesto it is.

My health, fitness, wellbeing and organisation have been back on my mind again lately, things began to slide a little at some point during my Thirteen Weeks of Summer challenge and have progressively become worse throughout the year. I am reasonably aware of the reasons why that happened and, even though I have no control over some of them, I have decided to not let those reasons rule my life.

After my comment last week in particular I have noticed that a lot of the things I had starting working so hard for have not simply stalled but have gone backwards ... I actually got puffed the other day walking back to work, that hasn't happened in a very long time!

The plan is to jump on this space every Monday and loudly proclaim five things that I will do in the week to follow. Three health and wellbeing related (exercise, eating habits, physical health or mental health), one long term organisational (a new habit, or an old one that needs to be reignited) and one short term organisational (a one off item that needs to come off my ever expanding to do list).

So, without further ado (because these posts will probably be boring enough without me babbling on) I proclaim that this week:

1 - I will walk to the train station every work morning and not to the bus stop;

2 - I will walk down the stairs at work and not take the lift (unfortunately I can't come back up that way because the door is locked from the stairwell side for security reasons);

3 - I will do a 15-minute workout before work at least twice;

4 - I will start setting the alarm for 5:30 a.m. again;

5 - I will finish my application for recognition of prior learning to a point where it is ready for lodgement (finally!)

and there you have it ... I'll be back next week to let you know how I went.

* I actually don't honestly expect any of you to comment or be particularly involved in this series, I just found last time that the accountability that comes with 'putting it out there' was a really good motivator.

I did it!

5.2km yesterday morning. Serious crowds so no serious running and yet 24hrs later my legs are not happy with me! Next year I think I'll try some fund raising, just to add to the 'fun' (also known as embarrassing torture).

The Weekend that Wasn't

Seriously?! I can't believe that it's lunch time on Monday already ... where did the weekend go?

Actually, I know where the weekend went, it went into house work, a family Christmas party and an almighty debilitating migraine - really not a fun way to spend a weekend.

So, to catch up with what should have happened here over the weekend, I give you -


Healthier and Fitter - Week Two

Health - this week will be all about making sure I consume two serves of fruit a day. I'm really good at getting one a day on a work day but almost never two and on the weekend I just don't worry about it at all. So, this week it's two serves a day every day.

Fitness - last week went really well and I managed to get in my 20/20/20 almost every day so this week I'm up-ing it to 25/25/25 together with the three 10 minute workouts.


Refuge

⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
Psalm 91


Monday's musing still to come (I hope).

The Plans

Phew, this is a long one so sit back, grab yourself un caffe latte (or a cup of tea or hot chocolate or whatever takes your fancy) and if you get bored and your eyes glaze over I won't blame you and will forgive you for not getting to the end.


It has become increasingly apparent to me lately that if I want to achieve anything then I have to do something about it. Obvious I know but in order for me to do something it seems I also need to plan and to make myself accountable to someone other than me so that I stick to whatever than plan is.

Apparently I'm too easy on myself and lazy as well whereas the people who I imagine read this (and I know that for the most part they are imaginary, I'm not going to kid myself about the sort of traffic this blog gets!) are really hard on me!

So, in light of all of this self-revelation I have decided to release some plans that have been floating around in my head - it's not the best place to be trapped after all ...


Plan One - Thirteen Weeks of Summer

Summer in Australia this year runs from Thursday, 1 December 2011 to Wednesday, 29 February 2012 - exactly thirteen weeks - and I plan to fill those thirteen weeks with changes and challenges that see me a different (better) person at the end. Each week starting this Thursday I will either set myself a challenge for the week or make a change to my 'norm' with a view to changing habits and improving my lifestyle in areas that fall under each of the following categories:

Health and Wellbeing - these will be more general, habit changing challenges than the food and fitness changes and challenges that are a part of Plan Two.

Organisation - I constantly suffer from the feeling that 'there's just not enough time' but when I sit back and break down my day into hourly slots there really is enough time for a lot more things, I just need to be more deliberate about them.

To Do - I have a mental 'to do' list that's longer than my arm and it's starting to hurt my brain! Most of the things on it are probably going to be quick and easy and I'm looking forward to getting them out of my head and done (with all of this stuff coming out I'm going to end up with an empty head!).

Just for Fun - not wanting to make this whole Thirteen Weeks of Summer too much of a bore for either me or you I've decided that I want to set myself something each week that is, well, just for the fun of it!


Plan Two - Become a Healthier, Fitter Person

Short version - I have to move more and eat better! Okay, okay, couldn't we all ...

I have been up and down on this for years now and I've decided that this is it, the last time I go up. In order to ensure that I don't go up again I will not just be focusing on the initial need for weight loss but will also be looking at forming long term eating and exercising habits.

Yes, measurements will be taken and numbers will be written down, there may even be a photo or two for later comparison. No, I don't know yet if I will be sharing the specifics of those particulars with you - I'm just not sure I'm comfortable with that much sharing ...

In the spirit of the accountability I was talking about earlier though I will be sharing my weekly planning and talking about my success/failure at sticking to those plans. Again, there's something about putting it 'out there' that makes me much more likely to stick with it.


Plan Three - Be a Better Blogger

eeeek! The Sparky's Christmas present just got delivered to the office - it looks great! Unfortunately I can't share until after he's seen it but I will, I promise.

So, where was I? That's right Be a Better Blogger or Build a Better Blog, either works. As with everything else in my life it seems that this requires deliberate planning rather than just a desire to do better.

To that end, my current plans are to dedicate a day a week to a different topic:

Thursday will be for the Thirteen Weeks of Summer, an outline of what the plans for that week are.

Fridays I'm generally a little brain-fried so Friday's posts will be simple - photos, thoughts, quotes, pretty much any sort of randomness than takes my fancy.

Saturday will be an outline of the week's health and fitness plans. Unlike the Thirteen Weeks of Summer, I will run my health and fitness week from Sunday to Saturday, rather than Thursday to Friday.

Sunday will simply be a scripture, probably no commentary or expanding just a scripture or a quote that I like or that has spoken to me in some way or another recently.

Monday will be dedicated to ramblings, commentary, photos etc. Generally details about something that has happened during the week, a place I've been, something I've done, food I've cooked ... just stuff that is worthy of it's own post and more than just a photo or two.

Tuesday will be Travelday and will be for photos and stories of places I've been, things I've done and seen, places I plan to go and places that are just plain on the 'wish list'!

and finally Wednesday which will be a run down of the week that's been and how I went with the challenges I set myself for the Thirteen Weeks of Summer.


So, there they are, The Plans. If you've made it to this point, congratulations and please don't hate me for boring you so. I wish I had something funny or insightful to reward you with but I don't, this post was really much more about me than you and, well, that's just the way it is ...

Any hints, comments, encouragement you can give along the way will of course be much appreciated, if the imaginary people that I'm making myself accountable to turn out to be real ... well that thought actually frightens me a little so let's just see how I go.