Hey, my friends and virtual friends. Well as you know I’m in the U.S. and a new season is here. It is officially autumn. The seasons are changing and the end of the year is getting closer. We are approximately 100 days from the end of the year and it had me thinking about life changes I’ve made and also goals I still have yet to accomplish. Remember my blog post My Spring Reboot Goals to Conquer this Season? Well here is an update on those goals and a few confessions I have to get off my chest.
First, my goals then and my progress now
Back when I wrote my post in Spring about my goals, they entailed the following aspirations.
- Get Moving
- Increase my water intake
- Cut carbs/sugars’
- More leafy greens
- Prioritize and organize
- Have gratitude
- Remain focused on my dreams and art
Well, I can tell you I was doing well in all these areas at first. I did get moving in the Spring/Summer when I joined the Healthy Dog Healthy You 30 Day Challenge . I was doing well. Not perfect but I could definitely see a difference in my energy level and sleeping patterns. And then I fell off the wagon. Yes, me! Fell right off after the challenge ended.
Why you ask? Well truth be told, this is my imperfect life. I’m flawed. I like sweets and carbs and get lazy from time to time. Moreover, I have a bad habit of watching late-night news, especially over the past year since that oh so memorable USA election night! I try to stay informed and late-night news after 9 pm seems to be when I can turn on the tube. As a result, I miss out on an extra hour or two of sleep each night during the week.
Anyway, I digress, aside from falling off the wagon, I unexpectedly had to get some major dental work done at my dentist (which I love!) which requires a long healing period of a few months and eating a diet of softer foods. No crunchy or sticky foods. So that means reintroducing carbs like pasta into my diet which I had avoided for a long time. I try to keep it healthy though and add veggies when I can. And well over time, if you are like me, too many carbs equals bloat and pounds.
I also have been diligently working hard to provide you guys with entertaining, quality, meaningful and useful content. I’m a woman of my word and want to deliver as promised week after week. I haven’t stopped and I don’t plan on stopping now. Remember I just celebrated my blogaversary not too long ago and I love what I do.
So the items 1-4 are not the best however items 5-7 have remained on course. And with that said here is the other half of my autumn confession!
My other confession is…
I have stayed true to my goals of keeping my priorities, having gratitude, and holding onto my dreams and passions related to my writing and art. However, what that also means is that I recently quit my 9-5 job of 7 years to do it. Yes, I quit my corporate job to pursue my passions with art and blogging.
You did what?!
Now before you freak out or roll your eyes, let me break it down. Remember when I talked about knowing when to put yourself first in my prior blog post called Why I had to Quit…a Lesson in Putting myself first? Well over the past several months it became painstakingly clear that although I worked hard and was valued at my job, I was doing too much burning the candle at both ends. I would go to work and commute, work 9-5, commute again, cook for hubby and start working on my blog in the nighttime. Moreover, than that crazy schedule, what I came to realize with time, I was feeling unfulfilled.
I started this blog out of the pain of losing my sweet Dusty as you know, and what I never really foresaw was loving the process of blogging, building new relationships with the people I’ve met virtually online, and the amount of support. Don’t get me wrong building a blog is hard work and this takes a lot of dedication. However, even being at the early stage of blogging I can tell my purpose was not meant to be in a cubicle at a stuffy desk 8 hours a day. It’s so not me. I’ve definitely got the creativity gene.
I haven’t got it all figured out, however, I did have my intuition that let me know every morning when I work up “What the heck are you doing?!!!”After several months and a growing gnawing in the pit of my gut, I knew it was time to quit.
So what’s the plan now?
I’m an Aquarius so I’m all for taking risks…practical risks. I’m not one of those stories you read about where ‘ Yeay, I quit my job to blog and everything is gravy!” Nope, I took time to save some money all along the way and be responsible. You know, save to cover your bills for a while. Have you heard of Dave Ramsey? If you don’t know check him out on You Tube. You can thank me later.
So what now you ask? Well I write, I paint, I learn, I grow, and work hard and repeat. That’s my plan. Well… that in addition to finding something new, different and flexible as my blog is still growing! Trust me when I tell you, as with anything, greatness takes time and patience. There are no overnight successes, just preparation, practice and patience.
All I do know is two things. First, life is too short to be somewhere you know in your gut, you are not meant to be. And second, imagine living a life doing everything you love or like to do for the rest of your days? Imagine liking what you do and being challenged at the same time? Imagine being in a position to learn, grow and constantly try new things? Doesn’t that sound grand? That’s the life I want to live. Sure you make some sacrifices or may need to work even harder, but moving in a direction that fulfills your soul daily and gives you purpose is priceless.
To Sum up what I’ve learned
So those are my two big confessions; I fell off the fitness wagon and quit my job. Ironically, I can honestly say that I’m finding my happiness again. Anyone who personally knows me knows I’m as sweet as a double chocolate lava cake. It’s not in me to be cranky and mean or short-tempered, but I’ll tell you what, staying somewhere toxic or where you are not meant to be weighs heavily on your soul. Over time it’s downright draining, unproductive and depressing. Life is too short.
I’ve learned that going through that process, I had to make a decision to either let the experience continue to weigh on me and change who I was as a person or refuse to give in to “do what everyone else is doing” and live my life the way I want. I chose the latter. I feel so much better for choosing me first. If you don’t put yourself first, no one else is going to do it.
Two people that definitely helped inspire me in my personal growth are inspirational speakers Les Brown and Eric Thomas. Additionally, two books I read that I found very helpful and inspiring are Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud and Live Your Dreams by Les Brown. Those where pivotal turning points in changing my thought process. For that, I’m very grateful. If you haven’t read either book and like inspiration and positivity, I definitely recommend them. (Note: This is just my opinion of these books and not a sponsored review!)
Lastly, I cannot say enough how grateful I am to have such supportive friends, co-workers and family. It really means a lot to have support for your dreams and goals. Thank you!
Reboot & Moving On
Going forward now I am a little older and wiser. I’ll take with me the professional experience from my corporate job, the confidence to stay true to myself and the tenacity to never give up and keep pursuing my aspirations to get fit and grow my blog. With that said I have a pair of dusty dumbbells that need some dusting off and time to respond to a few head hunter emails in my inbox. In many ways I’m back to square one, but you know what? I couldn’t be happier about it!
Comment and share below. Can you relate to my secret confessions? Any helpful life tips, career tips, recipes or fitness tips for me? What has worked for you? Let me know your thoughts.