Week 2 of Fire Up for Fall

Week 2 is here already! Oh my, where did the week go? I cannot say that I made great progress towards each of my goals this week, but I can say that I was mindful of them. I thought about them , pondered them, ruminated over them, and even worked towards some of them.

I'll address the goals more specifically tomorrow, but for this week I am inspired and reminded that my success is a journey. The author Robert Collier says it well:

"Success is the sum of small efforts,

repeated day in and day out."

This week's questions:

1. What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals?

This week did not go as well as I had thought it would - I had better intentions than I was able to carry out. I had a few unexpected things come up, but this is known as excuses life. Nevertheless, I claim my successes and will build upon them. My goals and week 1 progress follow:

• Be accountable by participating in Challenge and blog weekly - intended to blog more, but accomplished
• Decrease weight by 10 pounds - lost 3 pounds, probaby water but I'll take it - accomplishing
• Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry - not accomplished
• Exercise at least 4 times a week - exercised a mere 2 out of 7 days - not accomplished
• Sleep at least 7 hours a night - 3 out of 7 nights not accomplished
• Have a food plan and keep the right food on hand - I did not physically track my food , nor did I have more than a day's plan in mind. I did go to the grocery store to get good foods - not accomplished

* Sigh. Baby steps. Small efforts. Persevere. They add up. Keep going.


2. What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
Fabulous may not be quite the descriptor, but good would definitely fit the bill. I stepped out of my comfort zone on at least three occasions reaching out to engage in conversation with people that I did not know well. Each time I came away from the interaction feeling good about the connection made and, I dare say, that the other people also benefited from the interaction.

3. What is your talent? What are you good at?
This week I have been especially good at p*ssing off frustrating family members (but that is fodder for another blog.) On a more serious note, as an educator I have a talent for corralling a large group of kids and I am good at teaching them the three R's : readin', writin' & 'rithmetic.  I'm also pretty good at deciphering and learning new things. 

4. What's been the highlight of your week, what are you proud of?
The highlight of my week was the time I spent watching & playing with my grandson while his mom was busy. We read books, made snakes with play-doh, galloped with a stick horse, and created a fort from kitchen chairs, coffee tables, & blankets. It absolutely blows my mind to think that this adorable little boy is the child of my child. And I have the privilege and honor to love and influence him as he grows up. That is why it is so important that I continue my efforts of success on my journey to be healthy and fit - for the next generation.

5. What's your guilty pleasure TV?
This has been a sad week for me. I said goodbye to the inhabitants of Pine Valley. Yes, I am a fan of the soap opera All My Children which aired their last episode Friday. For 41 years they have been broadcasting the show and for nearly the same amount of time I have been following them. I first met the characters secondhand through my mother's watching, then by watching myself real time. I even resorted to getting updates about them when I lived in Europe! Today's technology allows me to DVR the episodes and have an All My Children catch-up on the weekends. But alas, no more. From now on I will have to be satisfied with my second guilty pleasure in TV watching -- Dancing with the Stars!


I'm hoping to repeat some of my small efforts to add to my success this coming week, particularly my efforts to exercise and to get enough sleep. What is one effort that you can do for success?