Things have calmed down a lot since last weekend’s unexpected appendectomy for my daughter. Mizz J is getting a bit better each day, and is ready to resume normal life again as an MSW student, after a solid week of recuperation. And I’ve been able to pay attention once again, to what I want to achieve for 2018.
Health
I am so excited to report that I’ve been able to resume working out again! Last spring, I had a bit of trouble with my thyroid, that kept me unable to exercise. The few times I did try left me feeling exhausted, dizzy and nauseous. (The last time I felt nauseous, I was about to have a TIA, so understandably I was nervous and wanted to stay away from anything that incurred this feeling.)
This week I got up the courage to try a few online workouts (with Mizz J only a couple of rooms away, in case I got into some sort of trouble…hehehe). Nothing too challenging – a 10 minute weights workout and a 16 minute walking workout. Having achieved these with no issues, I attempted AND completed a 36 minute cardio and strength workout last evening. Woo hoo!!!!
I really like Jessica Smith and her approach to exercise. I love her walk and talks…and I especially love Peanut, the French bulldog. That dog snoozing through her videos is what drew me in, in the first place! Peanut makes me laugh and want to keep going.
So that’s where I am at, at working on my Health goals for 2018. A very good start.
Financial Security
I made my first lump sum payment on my building’s demand loan this week. Unfortunately this is not something I can do online so I guess I’ll be heading to TD every payday to do this in person. It wasn’t a huge payment, but it goes directly on the principal and over the course of a year, it will certainly add up!
I also created a discretionary spending log, in Excel. With a tab for each month (and a line for each day) and spending targets for each category, to keep me on track. I LOVE data, and actually enjoy capturing it in this format. I especially love the days where I spend NOTHING. Not sure why I haven’t done this sooner….oh wait, maybe because I was too busy rebuilding my life for the past 4 years? Yeah, pretty sure that was it. 🙂
Art
I was inspired by a quote I received in a newsletter from Jessica Smith this week: Begin with the end in mind. Karen, from Profound Journey, a lovely blogger friend that I follow, says it’s from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Which I do have a copy of, somewhere in Chez Badass. I shall put it on the Re-Read list!
So, to begin with the end in mind means to me it’s time to draft an idea for a painting to represent what I want to become by the end of 2018. Since the Queen of Wands filled that role in my Winter Solstice tarot spread, it seemed natural to me to work on a painting of that grand dame.
You’ll see from the previous photo, that I took my inspiration from an Alphonse Mucha illustration I found on the internet. I have loved Mucha since I first discovered his works as a teenager. It took me a moment to realize his model was giving the viewer the finger (intentionally or not), which made me love it even more and need to incorporate into my hasty sketch.
My Queen of Wands is saying “Oh, do you not like what you are seeing? You can’t handle my self-assuredness, strength and vitality? I’m done with trying to appear small to coddle insecure fools and their egos. So, fuck you very much.”
Obviously I have a lot of work to do with this before I can transfer it to a canvas. Those 4 scrawly things surrounding the circle are supposed to be sunflowers, for instance. But it’s a good therapy shitty first draft. 😉
And, also because I have my upcoming (less than a month away!) vacation trip to Barbados on the back burner of my mind, sea turtles keep popping up:
Mindfulness
I’ve been focusing on mindful yoga and stretching this week. And mini-meditations, and pausing to notice.
Reading
Borrowed 2 books from the library this past week and finished one: Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman. Now working on Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. Three books completed already towards my 2018 goal of 50 books read!
Intuitive Processes – Tarot
I’ve been pulling a card every day and interpreting its meaning for me, before I look it up in one of my Tarot books. An enjoyable part of my morning routine.
And, looking for inspiration for my Queen of Wands painting led me down the Alphonse Mucha Google rabbit hole. Which led me to the Mucha Tarot. Which is speeding it’s way towards me, as I type, via Amazon.ca.
Looking forward to receiving even more artistic and intuitive inspiration, from these cards!
How was your week? I’d love to hear all about it.
Rock on,
The WB
Hey Deb,
I’ve been wondering how Mizz J is doing. So glad to hear that she’s on the mend…and that you’ve been freed up to start rocking your 2018 goals/intentions/desires.
And rock them you are. Love to hear of the progress on all fronts. It’s amazing to me how we are, once again, in sync. I too had significant thyroid problems; so glad yours seem to have been resolved. And I’m also tracking finances this year and loving those days when I don’t spend a dime. I had a touch of stomach flu last week which was absolutely perfect at keeping me home and away from all temptations. Except Amazon, which is always a ginormous temptation for me, but I’ve cancelled my Prime membership this year and that’s making it easier to avoid a delivery every few days. My spending log is on Airtable because I don’t know how to use Excel.
I’ll have to check into the Mucha tarot deck. Love the badass sketch. And I adore the start of your sea turtle piece. Great idea to mount it on watercolour paper. But then sea turtles – and bears – seem to be my thing as you’ve seen on Profound Journey. Thanks so much for the shout out. Greatly appreciated, Deb.
You’ve inspired me to climb back on the treadmill this week after too many months absence, and to also get back into some short meditations. Tomorrow.
Thanks for the update, Deb. Have a great week.
Thanks for the update Karen! We are scarily in sync…hehehe! Hope you have a great week as well!
What a great start to the year! I’m proud for you.
I thought I had a great start too ….. until I took a teaching job last week on the first day of the semester. I must be crazy. My life has skewed sideways, and I’m not sure it was the right decision. So far, only the money feels good, and it’s not enough to feel that good. I guess we’ll see how it goes once the university finally finishes hiring me and lets me buy a parking pass. Yes, I have to pay to park where I work. I see regrets in my future.
Thanks Reticula!
I read about your teaching gig, on Facebook. Sucks to pay to park at work. Hopefully employees get some kind of break? I used to have to do that when I was in high school/uni and worked at the hospital. The hot lunches (super cheap and plentiful, made by the hospital kitchen staff) made it all worth it, though. Nowadays food gets trucked in from some factory mega-kitchen located in god-knows-where and visitors have to make do at the hospital’s Timmies.
Anywho, hopefully the money lessens the regrets, or better yet you have few or none!
These seem like great goals for 2018!
I really like the reading goal. Maybe ten years ago, I decided to start reading a book a week, so 52 for the year. I failed SO miserably that first year, it was hilarious. I think I read maybe half that. But then over time, I started to develop good reading habits. Last year, I read 92 books, which was by far the most ever. I just feel so good having daily times to read or listen to books. It has really been a great improvement in my life.
92 books – that’s wonderful! Last year my goal was only 12 books – because I forgot I was no longer a grad student and actually now had time to read. Of course, I blew through that one with ease in 2017.
Inspired by your latest blog post, I decided to finally read me some Gretchen Rubin. I have placed a hold on The Happiness Project and was able to download Better than Before from the library immediately. Thanks Sarah!
You’re welcome! I liked both, but The Happiness Project was definitely my favorite (I also read it first, so I wonder if that made a difference).
My numbers of books went up when I discovered audiobooks. Now, I often “read” on my dog walks and on the commute. It certainly gives me a lot more time for this particular hobby.
I should give audiobooks another try. I tried out audiobooks years ago, while working out on a treadmill at a gym (which I have decided is not for me, not being a hamster and all) and wasn’t successful. But it might be something nice to listen to while I paint…
I actually rarely listen to audiobooks while walking on the treadmill – I read physical books while I do that (note: these are not terribly taxing walks). Something about just staring at nothing while I walk makes me want something visual. Outside, though, the audiobooks are great. I have nature to look at, and books to listen to.
OK, I am convinced to give them another try. Thanks Sarah! I have a set of AirPods on order (Merry Christmas to ME!) and coming my way by next week so it seems like I’ll be all set for an audiobook adventure! I won’t be using them outside though. I don’t have a Choppy to alert me to happenings on the trail so prefer to be able to hear when someone is coming up behind me.
That’s a good call – best to be alert while out walking (though I get the feeling Choppy is mostly keeping me safe from the dread bunny menace – she gets a little focused on them during our walks).