Category: Making a Fabulous Me

This week has been rough, but I was determined to get through it. Right after saying don’t take days off, I had a way off day. But! I worked out anyway. I didn’t progress to the next chapter (19) until today. Yep,  it took me almost 5 days. We had some traveling come up last minute and it made following the quest impossible. So instead, I repeated chapter 18’s 5 minutes of shadow fighting two days in a row, did part if the distance to the swamps and while traveling, walked just about everywhere we were with my 30 lb, 3 year old strapped to my back. Yesterday I took a total rest day, and promised myself I’d start back on Chapter a day from here on out. So today, I did intervals (6 laps run/4 laps walk) for my remaining 54 laps in the morning. Then just before lunch completed the series of shadow fight moves for my choice of attack the guys. It felt good to be moving again. Woo hoo!

This post and website contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small percentage if you make a purchase using any of the links you see here. Even if you purchase something other than what is advertised in the link/banner, I will still receive a percentage if you purchase by clicking my links first to shop on their website. Thanks in advance for helping support my family and our adventures!

I’m still working through the world of Pandora! Today I finished Chapter 18 and acquired   mountain men advantage! Woo hoo! This quest has been really fun. I’m still thoroughly enjoying it.  I discovered something whilst reading my map the other day, you don’t have to run to get to travel points, you can walk. The cool thing about this is ANYONE can walk, so you have no excuse for not joining this quest. They’ve given lots of beginner options, so really you CAN do this quest!

Here are a few suggestions for getting through when it’s hard. 

Positive self-talk. This is definitely a huge factor for increasing likelihood of success. If you keep telling yourself “I CAN do it!” “Just a little farther!” Heck, cheer yourself on! You WILL succeed.

Focus on the NOW. I find focusing on the current lap (OR exercise) instead of how many are left, really helps too. I tick off laps/exercises in sets (one set complete of 3 or laps of 10 or 20). I mix it up with the running. One day I’ll make the goal to run 10 laps at a time, then 2 minute rest, or 2 laps as fast as I can, then rest and continue until all laps completed. Other days I’ll do continuous run/walk intervals, run 2 laps,  walk 4 or as I improve, I’ll aim for running more, walking less. I find doing my running/walking first, then sets of the exercise circuit better also. I’m warmed up and ready to go!

Break it up over the day. On days when I do a “job” for x amount of punches or pushups or kicks, etc, I don’t think about the number I need to do while doing them. I keep a pencil and paper handy, then I start. I just do the exercise until I can’t, counting as I go. When I get to a point where I think I can’t do anymore. I try my hardest to do one more. Then I mark down the number I completed. If it’s the goal number, woo hoo! If not, I just mark down +# (whatever the number is)and rest for a few minutes. If my muscles feel totally depleted, I’ll do something else for a bit and come back to it later that day. The ultimate goal, to complete the task that day!

Don’t have complete rest days. Yes, I know you need rest, but one day turns into two, turns into ten. All of a sudden you’re a sloth on your couch again eating cheetos and drinking beer, while watching your favourite reality adventure show,  dreaming that could be you. Just don’t do it. Do something active for at least 10 minutes, EVERY DAY. Period. You’ll thank yourself later. 😉

Remember you CAN do it. You must do it. Or else you might as well give up and die already. Because the whole “point” to life is to always be improving yourself, learning, growing, creating.

This post and website contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small percentage if you make a purchase using any of the links you see here. Even if you purchase something other than what is advertised in the link/banner, I will still receive a percentage if you purchase by clicking my links first to shop on their website. Thanks in advance for helping support my family and our adventures!

About a month and a half ago, I began a journey to introduce exercise into my life on a daily basis. I was stuck in a rut of sitting on the couch and getting mostly nothing accomplished everyday. It has been affecting my relationship with my family and myself. So I grudgingly took on the challenge of doing exercise daily. I have never been an enthusiastic exerciser. Sweating and breathing heavy, never really did it for me, they still don’t. But I needed to get inside my brain and rewire it somehow to move on from the excuses and maybe, quite possibly enjoy exercising and hopefully my life again.

It took a few minutes of rooting around on Darebee to find the right program (from their totally free website of exercise workout cards!! I love free!) to begin. I knew I needed something challenging, yet not overwhelming and difficult, else I wouldn’t stick to it. I found the foundation program to be the perfect starting point for me. Then I started it, that day and somehow made it to the end. I would like to say everyday I succeeded in doing my exercises, but that would be a lie. I skipped a day or two at the most after working out continuously for 4-5 days in a row. This is why it took a month and a half instead of the 30 days it should’ve taken me. But the important thing was that I was doing it! I did it! I achieved my goal.

Now instead of turning back to the life of the couch, I decided on my next course of action a week ago, so I could have all my materials and mind ready to begin Today! I downloaded the pdf for the program I’m following during this 30 days, Age of Pandora, so I can’t use the excuse of crappy internet to skip days. Because this time, I’m challenging myself to not only exercise daily, but to not skip days.

So here I go! Will you join me?