30x30x30

Challenge #14, August 2012: COUNTING CONTENT

2012-09-07T21:23:00.002-07:00

I will write 10,000 words total - all new writing for current and future endeavors

“Writing is learning to say nothing, more cleverly each day.” – William Allingham

Why "10,000" Words?

As I mentioned in the intro, one of the reasons I started this blog was to do more writing, and producing a new post (even if only once a month at this point) is a way to be accountable to this goal – even if I am a bit tardy for August, whoops! Along with everything else going on (who isn’t busy these days?), I discovered that I really needed to sit down and explore and learn some new focusing methods in order to really get it all done – the writing here, the writing I do for work, and all the writing to come for future projects I have in mind. These posts are usually about 600-900 words so doing 11-15 of that length over a month (an average of exactly 322.6 words a day) words of new content should be manageable, right? write? Hmmm.

How It Went

This isn’t the first time I’ve written as a challenge, but a word count goal is much different than a time goal like the previous version - where I could count all those minutes of massaging and thesaurusizing and rearranging and editing and re-editing. Nope, this was getting it all out there, no matter how long it takes.

The first 3 days no problem – met (went over actually) my daily goal of 323 words a day. Then I started slipping and missing days and reconfiguring the new word per day average needed and would catch up by busting out a few 12-1300 hundred word sessions and then I got busy with work and was too mentally exhausted to try and generate new creative stuff also and then I got over, and then, etc. Let’s just say that by the last three days of the month I had to average more than 1000 words a day to get it all done, which I did. While on vacation. In Kauai, Hawaii. Distraction much?

The hardest part wasn’t sitting down and starting (although that was daunting on a few days), but rather staying focused while writing. Fortunately I tried a new method that really helped with this – the pomodoro technique. For me, twenty-five minutes is just about the right amount of time to solidly focus on one task before needing a little break. I will keep using this technique in the future.

What I Actually Wrote

The majority of the actual content will be shared at a another venue in the future, after a bunch of much needed editing…But here’s a brief sample of one piece, from a contest I entered (never heard back): tell a travel-related story in exactly 50 words.

I plunge into the blue at Ni’ihau. Eighty feet down the scene unfolds; a curious monk seal plays with our stray bubbles, dozens of colorful fish flutter and nibble on a swirling eel carcass, a sandbar shark circles casually nearby. Splendor in action, awesome to behold. Breathe in, breathe out.

The rest of the 9550+ words were a combination of a few other travel essays and planning for my next blog – stay tuned by email or RSS for details early next year…all 5 of you out there. :)

Unexpected Results and Findings

· Over 6,000 of the 10,000 words comprised one piece – a story I had a lot of fun writing, actually a rewrite of a famous fairy tale for modern (and slightly wackier) times. When I started I had no idea it would be that long, but it all seemed to want to spill out of the keyboard, so I went with it. Did I mention how fun it was to write? And getting it DONE (I had been meaning to do this for a while) was the most satisfying accomplishment for the month.

· I really can write anywhere – the couch, the dining room table, the bed. It really didn’t matter where, it was just keeping my butt down there and focused for a while (and occasionally turning off the wireless connection helped too)

· That feeling of being in “flow” that creative types describe, I got there a few times, and it was indeed glorious – lost in making something new, with disregard for how it really ends up, but just loving the process itself, gotta go for more of this, it’s better than even a great martini or two or three.

· Writing a significant volume of creative, high quality content isn’t easy for me, must keep at it regularly to get better and more efficient (duh!).

So who’s the Rooster?

Ahaaaa, I thought you might ask! Bruce is his given (by me) name – he was the subject of the final piece I was writing, the very last night at 9PM Hawaii time on the 31st - thank goodness I had those extra three hours there instead of being on the west coast! It was late, and we had paddled and hiked and swam and mai-tai’d and seen more than a few wild roosters and chickens along the way throughout our stay so far in Kauai. I started thinking about the island from his point of view, Bruce the Rooster, and my last few hundred words composed the beginning of that story. It needs work, but the subject matter kept me awake and still clicking away drowsily on the keyboard until I got to 10,000 and exclaimed COCK-A-DOODLE DOOOOOOONE!

And you, any word count or writing stories? Deadline pressures? Thanks for sharing, all 5 of you...

Challenge #13, July 2012: EAGER VEGAN

2012-07-31T11:26:00.000-07:00

I will eat only vegan this month – no dairy, eggs, or other animal products.

“It is deeply moving that the same food choices that give us the best chance to eliminate world hunger are also those that take the least toll on the environment, contribute the most to our long-term health, are the safest, and are also, far and away, the most compassionate towards our fellow creatures."

-John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution

A Little Background

Since I turned vegetarian about 30 years ago, I have always wanted to experiment and try this further step. My original reason for going veg was an episode of the TV show 20/20, which showed me the slaughterhouses and harsh conditions cows, pigs, and chickens are raised in, and I instantly decided to stop eating meat. Eventually I gave up fish too, as I got more into scuba diving over the last 16 years – it’s way more fun to look at marine life than to eat it, for me at least…The more I have read and researched about the environmental impacts and personal health impacts of eating meat over the years, the further I am convinced that I had made the right choice for me and my values. I certainly don’t expect or advocate that everyone go veg, but for me it makes sense and I simply think that that most people (and the planet) would be better off if everyone tried to eat a little less of it – okay, end of mild rant. Taking the next step to veganism was definitely worthwhile, and I learned a few things along the way.

How it Went

As an ovo-lacto veg, I do eat eggs (about twice a week) and dairy - basically cheese, many days a week – one of my biggest weaknesses! On cereal, in smoothies, or for baking I use either rice, almond, or coconut milk, my current favorite, so no change required there. And I don’t eat sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt anyway. I did miss eggs, less than I thought I would, and I definitely missed cheese –more on that later. I enjoyed exploring and trying some new vegan recipes, like the amazing pizza in the photo. It seems almost sacrilegious, a decent pizza without cheese?! But this highly recommended flavorful fresh alternative really impressed me – I will definitely be making it again.

A Few Hiccups

· Label Reading – Do you have any idea how lengthy and surprising many of the popular energy bar ingredient lists are? Sheesh! I gobbled down a ZONE bar while driving the first day of the month, then when I parked, read the ingredients – corn syrup, milk solids (oops!), and other assorted not-so-natural items on the list – yuck! So that experience made me start reading a lot more labels closely this month.

· Honey – It’s in sooooo many foods I like - granola, some energy bars, muffins, etc. It is definitely an animal product, the excess of what bees are producing for their own consumption. I actually ate a little of it as I enjoyed a KIND almond and coconut bar when I was at the office and starving with nothing else available – oops! Other times I needed a sweetener agave and stevia came to the rescue.

· Cheese Cravings – yes I dearly missed it! I missed the flavor and texture, and I really thought this food would be my downfall. But every time I got a hankering, I went for a few olives or a spoonful of peanut butter instead which helped. Sorta.

Things I am Really Glad are Naturally Vegan

· Most bread, crackers, potatoes and rice - yay carbs!

· Earth Balance buttery spread – been using it for years and appreciated it even more this month

· SOME dark chocolate – read labels carefully on this.

· So many wonderful fruits and vegetables – really enjoyed all the extra helpings of delicious summer produce this month, thank you Farmer’s Markets.

Conclusion

Yes, as a matter of fact I did feel lighter (lost a few pounds without really trying) and actually more energetic – some of my longer and more strenuous workouts were not so tiring. I now understand how and why some professional athletes like Brendan Brazier and others promote veganism, and can now easily answer that ubiquitous question, “So, how do you get your protein?” For me, this month made me realize going vegan isn’t difficult. I will likely be eating less cheese and fewer eggs than previously, cooking vegan more often, and feel healthier because of it. How about you - curious to try going vegan? Why or why not?

We interrupt our regularly scheduled programming...

2012-07-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

to bring you this recap of an awesome event I attended last weekend, which has fueled my imagination and inspired more positive action than anything else I have ever done.

Oh, and I'm going vegan this month but that's not important right now - this is.

Top Ten things I heard at #WDS2012

1. I heard Brene Brown talk about vulnerability and wholeheartedness. And so early on in the weekend I was already getting emotional and tearing up, uh-oh...And at the end of her talk I heard 1000 people standing up and singing Don’t Stop Believin’, and I sang along too (I NEVER sing), and it was sooooooo much fun because who cares - if the other 999 people carry the tune and I don’t, it doesn’t matter anyway! #suckitfear

2. I heard Scott Harrison’s story and was blown away by his radical determination to build a different model in the fundraising space, where I currently reside. And I wish one of my favorite clients would try operating more like they do, with transparency and accountability and sincere appreciation for their donors. I am going to try and work on this with them!

3. I heard how Joshua & Ryan and the other Joshua live lightly with a lot less as minimalists, and they reminded me that there is simply more joy in pursuing less than there is in pursuing more. And I also thought about how I was especially thankful there wasn’t a lot of random useless crap in our gift bags at this conference, but rather just a few high-quality, non corporate-logoed (yay!) useful items. #winningatswag

4. I heard Chris Brogan talk about superheroes and super powers and how sexy confidence is, but I heard him the most when he said you will succeed the weirder you get. I know I am not brave enough (yet) to let (much of) my inner weirdness out yet and I need to work on this! And I need work on remembering people’s names more. #practicemysuperpowersmore

5. I heard Audrey and Dan say a few simple but powerfully wise statements including life is a team sport, embrace regret avoidance, and there is no greater generosity that the generosity of spirit. And I realized they are a great example of what all travelers should aspire to be, and I was so glad to have met them at TBEX last month in Colorado, then connect again here. #smallworldbigworld

6. I heard Jennifer Lee joyfully and creatively share her right brain business planning model, and I thought Ahaaaaaaa - finally something like this for someone like me! And I actually heard myself say out loud to everyone in that room that I was going to somehow work on my project every single day for the next 365 days until the next WDS. #whoathatsatallorder

7. I also heard a baby crying a few times, in a panel and during a keynote. And both times it instantly started to annoy me (and maybe others) - but fortunately its father wisely, promptly removed it from the room, and the second time it happened I thought - what is this world going to be like when that baby is my age? And no matter what it looks like, I know deep down that I want to, need to, have to work on improving it as much as I can for the rest of my life, in the ways I know how. #reneweddetermination

8. I heard JD Roth humbly, genuinely talk about personal transformation and I thought about my own continued journey in this regard, and that although I know how to say yes, focus and action need much more of my attention. And focusing on one thing at a time each month worked for him, just like I am trying to do here. #lovingthesimilarity

9. And then I heard Chris Guillebeau share the ultimate uber-surprise: giving back $100 to each of us attendees, to do something awesome with. And I heard the hush of the crowd, then the thunder of applause, and I almost burst out in tears, yet again. Overwhelmed, yet again, with the spirit of this conference - like no other event I have ever attended. #generosityonsteroids

10. And finally I heard the ebullient Bollywood music and the joyful cheers and laughs of hundreds, including me – gyrating and stomping with every ounce of passion and energy we had left, and I felt the floor bounce and quake beneath our feet – pure joy captured in one room on a Sunday eve in July in Portland. #tryingtodancelikethehipsterswearenot

And now I hear my heart beating faster, trying to catch up to my racing mind…so grateful for the inspiration and motivation and renewed sense of obligation. Now back home in the quiet, with the echoes of this remarkable weekend still replaying in the background of my mind, it’s time for focus and action - and for community, and adventure, and service of course. Thank you for everything, Chris and your magical team, see you next year. #newtotwitterandhavingfunwithhashtags @HeatherGeorge3

Challenge #12, June 2012: STILL SITTING STILL

2012-06-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

I will meditate for 15 minutes every day (déjà vu, right!)

Through meditation and by giving full attention to one thing at a time, we can learn to direct attention where we choose.
-Eknath Easwaran

Background

Highly recommended reading: Last month’s entry on this exact same subject, sigh. I should actually rephrase the challenge: I will catch up with my incomplete meditation month of May because I really want to get through it - and 30 days worth of meditation over 60 days should still count for something, right?

Here’s the Thing

It wasn’t any damn easier this month, it sadly just wasn’t. Sitting still and quiet and trying to empty my head of all the extra-busy-lately swirling thoughts (pesky hamsters!) and focus on breath and just letting all kinds of brilliant revelations, epiphanies, and answers to all my worries and wonders appear in my brain DID NOT WORK. Sooooo I made my peace and abandoned any hope of enlightenment, inner peace, salvation, blah blah blah. I instead used the time (alone, quiet, away from the computer and the smartphone) to do important stuff like:

· Make a mental list to write down later of all the things I needed to get done that day,

· Writing email responses in my head,

· Picturing what the scale would read if I did lose that other 5 lbs. I’ve been meaning to,

· Trying not to fall asleep,

· And often, figuring out what I was going to eat for dinner.

Or, I often procrastinated/abandoned the meditating assignment by

· Folding laundry,

· Organizing my dresser drawers,

· Checking Facebook,

· Cleaning my desktop (either real or on the computer),

· Or going for a walk (which often produced the same results).

How I (Barely) Got Through It

· It was uncomfortable to sit in that cross-legged pose, I mean really now. I just don’t have the stretchability to get there, so I stuck with my improvised pose – sitting on the floor against the couch, knees bent and arms wrapped around them - it was indeed relaxing after I settled into it.

· I bargained with myself a lot, i.e.: “if I don’t do 15 minutes today, I will do 30 tomorrow” – which was more than twice as hard to sit still twice as long. But that is what I ended up doing more often than not, about every other day for 30 minutes straight.

· Remember last month when I accidentally napped during a horizontal meditation attempt? I actually closed out the month with my last session today with a nice 35 minute nap, and I am counting it, damn it - there was just no way I was fit in a real meditation session into my jam-packed day, and I needed the rest!

Conclusion: Although there may be some value to it, I don’t see meditating becoming a long lasting regular habit for me - rather an occasional break. I do, as I did last month, feel more relaxed and more energized a the same time after this month – less worried about stuff that generally bothers me, and more excited about my work and other projects. But I don’t know if this is a side effect of the limited meditating I’ve been doing or not. Does anyone meditate consistently every single day, for 15 minutes or more?

What’s Next

July is gonna be a piece of cake compared to this…well, a piece of cake made without eggs or butter, because I’m going vegan! Vegetarian has been easy for the past 30 years, but now me and one of my favorite foods (dill havarti, smoked gouda, and bufala mozzarella to name a few) and I will try to live without each other. I splurged on a “healthy” serving of gorgonzola tonight to hopefully tide me over until August 1^st. Let’s see how it goes…

Challenge #11, May 2012: SITTING STILL

2012-06-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

I will meditate for 15 minutes every day

(sounds simple enough!)

Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don't realize this because almost everyone is suffering from it, so it is considered normal. This incessant mental noise prevents you from finding that realm of inner stillness that is inseparable from Being. –Eckhart Tolle

Background

Slooooooooooow down! I am always trying to tell myself, sound familiar? Why is always so damn hard to get the little hamsters off the treadmill in my ever-agitated brain? Tasks to do, pieces to write, work to finish, connections to follow up on, work outs to do – it never stops. So this month I decided to try to sit still for a while and see if this would really help quiet my mind a bit. What is meditating exactly? I knew very little, so I decided to look it up, and found there were many variations, most basically intended to create a “mode of consciousness to realize some benefit”, hmmm that’s pretty broad. A lot of it is about focusing on the breath and proper breathing technique, and supposedly most beneficial to do it every day…

How It Went

Nominating this for the all time toughest challenge to date - winner by a landslide! To actually carve out 15 minutes in my day, every single day to STOP and just breathe was kinda tortuous actually. I managed to complete it only 13 of 31 days (irregularly, with no particular pattern among which days). Unlike the blissed out beach girl in the photo, I just couldn’t get into it most of the time. I usually found my mind wandering to all kinds of predictable places: hamsters sweating it out as they churned up a storm about everything from groceries to grant writing to gallivanting about the planet, all as I tried to simply breathe.

What I learned

· I have new appreciation for people that do this every day – what’s their secret for staying focused and how the heck did they learn to kick out the hamsters? Is it discipline that turns into habit, which eventually becomes a welcome pleasure, really? Maybe I just didn’t try to plan/force/cram it into my day often enough to get to the benefits.

· Sitting upright in a chair, on the floor, and once laying down (which predictably turned into a short nap) were the various poses I tried. The floor worked out best, but my too-tight-from-running legs didn’t like that bent knee lotus position, so I modified it to just stretch my legs straight out in front of me, slightly bent which was most comfortable. And eyes closed was definitely better than eyes open – less to potentially distract me.

· Quiet is key for me. The fewer leaf blowers, angry crows, basketballs bouncing on the pavement, and hammering of nails, the better.

· I do actually think (probably subconsciously) as much as I did do helped me relax a bit overall, because I didn’t seem to let as much of the big stuff bother me in general this month – I am just recognizing that in retrospect now, hmmm.

What I am doing about it

FAIL is the word that came to mind at the end of this month, so I am breaking my own rule for this project and carrying this challenge forward to next month: June is Meditation Part Deux – eventually getting to a full 30 days of 15 minutes a day, even though it is gonna take me 60 days. At the end of May I hadn’t really picked out a challenge for the month that I was crazy about (Yoga was the most prominent idea, now gonna push that to July) and work has been so busy and all kinds of other (blah, blah, blah…excuses) things are going on such that by today I hadn’t started anything else, sigh. But I am going to give myself a break and carry on, trying a few different techniques this month. Does anyone else find meditating difficult (or easy)? Am I a glutton for punishment for trying this again?

Challenge #10, April 2012: TIDYING UP

2012-04-30T22:15:00.036-07:00

I will focus on organizing, de-cluttering, and fixing up our household.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." -William Morris

Background

“It’s time to finally get this household in order!” How many times have you said that to yourself? I certainly have, a boatload of times over the almost 15 (wow) years I have lived in this apartment. The longer you, me, or most people live in one place the more stuff we acquire and squirrel away into whatever space is still available, until it turns into stuff and eventually STUFF! Ahhhhh - this buildup problem was the main motivation this month - and that gradually building feeling that I just don’t need it, and I REALLY want to get rid of it. Fortunately the size of our apartment automatically restricts accumulation somewhat, but our garage has become overflowing with stuff, and the clutter inside the house was creeping up too. So I broke down this overall household improvement goal into a list of specific projects that I wanted to accomplish by the end of the to make it less daunting and easier to get started on.

The Projects, and how they went

· Tackled an easy one first – the refrigerator magnets! Over more than 25 (wow again) years, I have became quite a collector. Any place I traveled, I got one with the name of the place on it, or some kind of artsy representation. This collection grew to probably over 200 or so, and filled the entire front and top of one side of the fridge. Friends would give me magnets once they knew I collected them – even after some years ago when I personally stopped buying any more. Many were dusty, faded and simply not very meaningful to me anymore. I dumped the vast majority of them, and it felt really good. There are still several on the freezer that I curated from the collection, and also a peaceful artful compilation of ocean related pictures and real shells on the side, visible from the living room. This project has made me actually feel calmer and happier in the kitchen by not having the clutter display staring me in the face, yippee!

· The corkboard. Another fairly easy one – just glue gun, corks, and an old but nice wooden frame. A somewhat creative project to carefully fit all those corks I have been saving for the past few years together into the frame - and realize that it is going to take about 10+ more bottles to finish it. This is something I have wanted to put up above my desk to pin (a limited amount, it’s only 11”x14”) important to do items and inspirations. Will be continued, with a definite completion target – anyone want to share a bottle of pinot noir? J

· The décor. Our walls all over the house have ocean related art and photos on them. We didn’t want the theme to change, but it was time for some new stuff to look at. So I went to Aaron Brothers, spent less than $50 for some mattes and we framed some of the wonderful underwater photos by Paul Humann that I have had for a while. They reinforce and remind me of my passion for the ocean and scuba diving and are a great addition to our home.

· The garden. My other half took the lead on this, and created a space for our new sun splashed mini-garden, all I did was move a plant out of the way and buy some soil. He planted radishes, tomatoes, peas, zucchini and poppies - and I can’t wait to see how they all come up. He was also sooooooooo helpful with cleaning out the garage, and his papers in the bedroom closet, so we shared this month, thank you!

· And climactically, THE GARAGE. We made a date and just started digging into to all the boxes. Why was I hanging on to files from previous jobs and magazines and “future craft projects” that I was 99% not likely to ever look at again - why do we do this? It was so liberating to attack and separate it into three piles: Trash/Recycling (Papers, things that didn’t work anymore, packaging), Give Away (old beach chairs, tennis rackets, books), and Keep (Most photos, yearbooks, travel gear we use). A simple system that served us well and took only a few hours total. The STUFF was reduced by at two-thirds, and it looked a lot tidier indeed – yay for a big step further toward minimalism.

· And finally the project I didn’t actually get to – a Complete Emergency Kit. I know we should have this, we live in earthquake country and anything could happen anytime. I have some items that have been collected for a start on this, but didn’t get around to organizing and completing it into a Home-Away-From-Home-For-Few-Days-If-Home-Is-Destroyed package. I postponed this project – gotta schedule it.

Overall Reflections

· Going through a lot of papers in dusty boxes made me truly realize I don’t need to save (except for taxes) so many of them – if it’s important I likely have a already digital copy, or can easily get one, and that’s all I really need and would ever realistically look at again. Get that stuff recycled and turned into newspapers – better yet don’t print it in the first place!

· The give away pile reminded me not to collect or save things we aren’t going to use in the first place, but maybe someone else will – our neighbors upstairs were grateful for the pair of tennis rackets we were never going to use. Let the stuff be useful for someone else if it can be.

· Finally, I didn’t travel (which I missed) anywhere this month, so I had more time to do these projects on the weekends and otherwise. Plan accordingly if you take on a lot of projects like this…now what’s waiting for you to tackle around the house?

Challenge #9, March 2012: FINANCIALLY FITTING

2012-03-31T16:07:00.003-07:00

I will address my finances and make specific changes to my budgeting, savings, and investment strategies - for the short, and especially for the long term.

“Many people take no care of their money till they come nearly to the end of it, and others do just the same with their time.”

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Background

Focus, really focus, on money for a whole month – not fun, and definitely a challenge unless you are an accountant, right? So this one was tough, but definitely rewarding by the end of it. I have never been too fond of facing money issues head on, but it was now time for some direct action and better planning than what I have been doing lately – not much. I have long since worked my way out the student loan and credit card (yikes!) debt of my twenties, and abandoned my brief but dangerous hobby as a day trader in 1999, ha! (What was I really thinking, and why didn’t I just hold onto that AMZN all this time!). I just needed to sit down and face some general and specific organizing, allocating, and budgeting questions that have been increasingly nagging at me over the past few years. I am by nature (or more likely by nurture) somewhat of a frugalist, which has served me well since working for myself for the past six years, with no pre-set paycheck to count on. My income is directly related to how much time I put in, how well I serve my clients and meet their expectations, and how hard I work to pursue new ones. These facts have been both daunting and liberating to me, and I really can’t imagine earning a living any other way now. I wanted to get a better handle on my budget, savings, and investment plans, and thanks to some great resources I was able to do exactly that this month.

What I did and how it went

My goal was more overall for the month rather than “do something every day” as in most of my previous challenges. So I set specific objectives to:

· Read a good overall book about personal finances, for some general guidelines and input - thank you J.D. Roth!

· Set up a detailed monthly budget plan, then tracking it for the next six months starting in April, to see if it is accurate as far as what I think I am spending, and where I might need to make adjustments.

· Research and decide on some new investments for my Roth IRA and other long term savings accounts. Most of the investments (socially responsible mutual funds) have done okay over the past several years, except a few small positions in stocks that have been disappointing to say the least. So I wanted to simplify and be more conservative with my next bunch of cash that has been building up in the IRA, my biggest chunk of retirement planning funds.

· Set annual goals for income, savings, tax strategies, giving to charity, etc goals.

I have been following a few personal finance blogs for months now and learned so much. I highly recommend Get Rich Slowly, Budgeting in the Fun Stuff, and Financial Samurai. They all provide a wealth (sorry, couldn’t resist) of easy to understand and useful information on this subject, and I delved into some of their robust archives while researching this month. When I finally did get started after about ten solid days of assorted procrastination strategies (I said this was a hard one), I got lucky and soon found my organizing savior in mint.com – hooray! I did some extensive online homework about the site, read A LOT of reviews about privacy, security, etc and then signed up. Entering all the usernames and passwords from my various online accounts was a bit nerve-wracking, but once I got over it and realized the value of keeping everything in one accessible place, and the very cool budgeting tools they have, my nervousness turned into sheer gratitude. I set up a reasonable budget and started tracking everything by spending categories – easy peasy! I will work on adding in savings goals after I see how my planned budgeting goes for a few months.

What I learned

May main takeaway was that it took something simple, straightforward and automated such as this - rather than trying to do it all myself on an excel spreadsheet, or learn a new program like Quicken - to really get into the swing of budgeting and proper financial oversight. The reason I procrastinated so much to even start was that I thought it was going to take a lot of dull and dreary work to even look at it all in a highly efficient way – not the case I found. I also learned that I have been somewhat on the right track so far as far as spending and long term planning goes, but paying a bit more attention and tracking these things will definitely help me sleep better at night and feel more confident about it all. I know I will now also be able to address any major life changes as I move beyond my 40s with a good handle on what I have and what I need (financially speaking) using these new tools. How about you – any financial issues that need attention, and how are you handling them?

Bonus accomplishment this month: I slimmed down my RSS feed roll from well over 60 to just 30 – my new max. There is just no way I can keep track of all that extra information, no matter how insightful and interesting it all seems to be. I now have a manageable (so far!) amount of news and reading to pay attention to, rather than building up to hundreds of unopened items that weighed on me until I went through them. I went on an Information Diet and my brain feels lighter indeed - more room for more important stuff now!

Challenge #8: EXPANDING HORIZONS

2012-02-29T23:01:00.036-08:00

I will focus on my passion for travel by planning three trips this year, connecting with fellow travelers and organizations to explore new opportunities, AND I will “travel” and connect with like-minded folks online by posting on the blogs I read (rather than just reading them!)

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain

Background

When did you start traveling? My interest wasn’t really sparked until the ripe age of 29. I went to Club Med on vacation, which opened my eyes to another way to live – how to be a “citizen of the planet,” (rather than just my hometown)…so many of the people working there were doing this with ease and grace – I wanted that! I returned from an action- and culturally-packed trip, hatched a plan and signed up for French language and scuba diving lessons, and six months later flew to Club Med in the Dominican Republic, where I met, and still remain friends with, many fellow citizens of the planet.

Since then, and over the past few years especially, I have fallen in love with the fun of traveling to new places, either alone or with others. I have concluded that there is no better way to learn about the world other than to just get out there as often as possible: soak in the atmosphere, the culture, and the environment. To become a traveler not a tourist (there is quite a difference) is a true joy, and has been quite a learning process. I have actually traveled out of my little Southern California region an average of about once a month for the past three years, and have been leading scuba dive trips focused on fish surveying to the Caribbean over the past few years - combining both passions, along with the joy of meeting new travelers. My goal is to do more of this (fun, adventurous, and educational) in new places, and beyond just mostly diving focused. The amazing trip to the Grand Canyon last year showed me that there is much more to see than just the sea out there in this big beautiful world!

So, I am planning a few new trips, exploring the potential for more related experiences such as travel writing and adventure travel work opportunities, and also traveling online more purposefully by posting on other blogs (many of them travel related of course!). I wanted to make a conscious effort to connect with people within the travel and online communities that I know I want to explore and pursue.

What I did, how it went, and what I learned:

· I planned the challenge this month knowing that I had a lengthy 11 day trip during it - my annual volunteer pilgrimage to the serene isle of Little Cayman (full time human population 160), to witness and record the annual Nassau Grouper fish spawning aggregation (temporary population approximately 3500-4000 at the West End) during the winter’s fullest moon. This trip again exceeded my expectations regarding natural beauty, suitability to my strengths, and sheer enjoyment! The combination of people who made up this year’s Grouper Moon Project team is truly extraordinary combining scientists, artists, writers, educators, environmental and government staff, and more – all focused on saving this endangered species and Caribbean icon. Watching the fireworks of thousands of fish congregate and spawn, 5 – 25 at a time in vertical rushes is truly one of the natural wonders of the undersea world, and I am privileged to view it firsthand.

· Other related accomplishments and activities:

o Successfully planned a trip to Portland in July and have made progress toward planning trips to Mexico and possibly the South Pacific (fingers crossed!) later this year – just putting these ideas actually into motion by acting (rather than just letting them roll around in my head), was gratifying. And planning a trip to San Francisco (one of my favorite U.S. cities) popped up on the last day of the month too!

o Opened two new credit cards with significant mileage bonuses – I’m not planning to play frequent traveler points and miles game to the hilt. But why not get a few thousand miles here and there when they make it so darn easy?

o Promoted the dive trip I am leading to the British Virgin Islands in November – the boat is half full – please join me!

o Renewed my Gold status with American Airlines - considering how often I travel with them, benefits such as priority access to seating, shorter lines, no baggage fees, etc, etc, etc are worth it.

o Re-subscribed to two magazines: Caribbean Travel & Life, and AFAR – I know both will continue to inspire me to pursue this passion in a significant way. I would like to write and submit a story about the Grouper Moon project for one of these magazines (or another appropriate one) in the coming month.

o Commented on 15 other blogs out there (rather than my goal of 29 - one for each day of the month) – not actually sure why I just wasn’t motivated enough, but I will continue doing this AND also start including this website to actually grow some traffic eventually…still learning at all this, hmmm.

Question: What does traveling mean to you, and why do you go where you go?

Challenge #7, January 2012: WRITING AWAY

2012-01-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

I will write for myself for at least 30 minutes a day (on average) AND I will launch my blog about this project by the end of the month!

"Planning to write is not writing. Outlining…researching…talking to people about what you're doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing." -E.L. Doctorow

Why

Tap Tap Tapping away right now, or rather write now – putting in the time and rediscovering my love for creating and expressing some of my numerous thoughts through writing, it has been way too long since I have done this regularly. The process has only been sporadic in the past several years, either through occasional entries in a stream of consciousness journal, or a poem here or there, or a letter to a friend or family member. I miss the regular weekly rhythm of having an assignment due for the creative writing classes I took over ten years ago – I still enjoy rereading some of the stories and pieces I came up with during that time. My writing lately is mostly limited to work related pieces -grant writing or reporting, emailing, etc, which I do for a living now.

So this month’s challenge has dual purposes – arguably most importantly to get me off my procrastinating butt and get this darn blog that I have been whispering occasionally about for months (to a small and encouraging audience) AND to just get me back in the groove of writing in general. I do really enjoy the process of creating and writing and editing, but it has been a challenge forcing my way past the block and drudging through the swamp-o-fear (what if no one reads it, what if anyone, someone reads it? what if they don’t like it and comment on it, what if no one ever comments? what if I put something up there with a typo or a grammatical error? what if…dozens of other scenarios arise, and as you might imagine, it can be a frightening swamp indeed). But what if I actually just keep tap tap tapping, then start up up uploading – well, here goes.

Now I'm at the end of month and here’s where we’re (yes, you are now with me in this, if you have read this far!) at:

I have been writing AN AVERAGE of 30+ minutes a day, but not 30 minutes EACH day, as I originally envisioned this month. Some days I just don’t feel inspired or my brain isn’t fired (up) or I’m just tired. Writing more days that not writing overall though, so that it is somewhat of a habit now. I read somewhere where you shouldn’t go more than two days without exercising if you want to make it a habit – good advice for writers too I believe.

Some days have been much easier than others – there is such a variety in my writing moods and attention spans, does this happen to other folks as well? It must.

The best things I wrote (at least what I felt best about writing) were 1) a poem that literally poured out of my heart so fast and furious that it was all I could do to gather all the gushing to assemble it on the page somewhat sensibly and 2) a letter to the editor of my local paper on an issue that I am oddly attached to – the new plastic bag ban in our fair city, had to support it in a meaningful way.

The worst things I wrote were the ramblings in my non-inspired, non-motivated, non-writerly rants on how I am not really in the mood, don’t have anything to say, etc etc. BUT actually even out of those came a few new ideas that I got down for future use, so yes it was worth it to stick to the full 30 minutes once I got going.

What I learned

Whew I have got a long way to go before attempting to become a Full Time Writer of any sort! And is that what I want, I don’t really think so. There are so many interests love to explore, but I just want to get better overall at expression through writing, which I know will be beneficial no matter what I am doing 5 years or 10 years or 25 years from now. I just know I enjoy it and it is a craft that takes deep practice, focus, and incredible attention. I appreciate all the novelists, journalists, and bloggers out there even more so after going through it on a much smaller scale this month. I will keep up with it - after all I now have this blog to write, and maybe even a few readers (hopefully!) to be accountable to...

INTERMISSION

2012-01-15T19:47:00.000-08:00

As of December 31, 2011 I am now 20% of the way into this project, so I wanted to pause and take a peak backwards. Just five quick insights:

Habits can become easier to stick with after 30 days, but for me some will take longer, and/or revisiting to become more permanent – the calorie counting and exercising for example.
I actually did a 5 day Power Challenge last week – combining no alcohol, 1500 calories a day, working out 30 minutes a day, AND my current challenge of writing for 30 minutes – keeping track of all this took more focus, but was quite manageable (and I lost those few pounds that had crept back on).

I do feel like I am taking a more disciplined, organized approach to most aspects of my life now – and am consciously trying to optimize my actions and behaviors, and this makes me feel less stressed and happier overall.

Speaking of happy, around New Years I read The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. It is a very well organized and researched book, with different challenges and themes each month aimed at the study of creating more happiness in our daily lives. I didn’t know the book or her blog existed when I started this project, but am now even further inspired for what I am doing here.

I have decided on my next 6 months of challenges, which I am truly excited about and look forward to undertaking with even more enthusiasm than the previous ones – I hope you’ll stay tuned, there are a few fun ones to come!

Challenge #6, December 2011: CLOSET CLEANSING

2011-12-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

I will give away an article of clothing for every day of the month (a pair of socks or shoes only counts as one).

Just around the corner in every woman's mind - is a lovely dress, a wonderful suit, or entire costume which will make an enchanting new creature of her. ~Wilhela Cushman

The Why, and a Bit of History

I used to work in the fashion biz. In another lifetime, before I became envirogirl passionate about ocean conservation I wanted to work in the apparel industry, quite possibly forever, or so I thought. A few years out of UCLA I switched gears from the sciences, worked at Nordstrom and went to FIDM and earned a degree in Fashion Merchandising. I soon started at a major swimwear manufacturer as a fit model - not your typical way of jumping into the industry, but it worked thanks to my measurements at the time (over 20 years and 10 pounds ago). For six years I helped make several popular brands of women’s swimwear fit better, look better, and sell better. I worked my way up to the “Advertising and Public Relations Manager”. It was all so exciting for quite a while, and leading a team of professional models, photographers, graphic designers, printers, and everyone else, in order to produce catalogs and ads was personally rewarding and fulfilling, for a while. During this time, I pretty much lived and breathed this business – I read every women’s fashion magazine and knew every trend, and I cared about my own wardrobe. I owned countless swimsuits and a fairly extensive wardrobe of clothes to go out dancing and clubbing in, did a lot of that in my late twenties…Alas yes, a few pairs of M.C. Hammer-pants were featured prominently in my wardrobe, I wore the black ones much more often than the purple ones though.

Since then and especially in the past few years, I just don’t really care very much about clothes – as long as they look decent, are totally comfortable, match, and are not Hammer-pants out of date, I am generally okay with them. I do enjoy a nice new piece every now and then, but I usually won’t buy anything unless I can see it fitting in with and enhancing what I already have, or if it will serve as a replacement for something I need to get rid of due to wear and tear, and often only if it is on sale as well. But I noticed recently that I was keeping too many things in my closet that I am not wearing regularly, and really don’t see myself needing or wearing anytime soon – sound familiar?

So this was actually a pretty easy month – I actually parted with more than 31 (35) items, most without any hesitation, like the 3 pairs of white socks and 4 pairs of pantyhose I never wear anymore. And the knit top that had all the buttons down front curving slightly to the right that I always felt self-conscious wearing - what if somebody notices! The two t-shirts from a triathlon and a 10K run I did a few years ago, races that I enjoyed the memory of doing them when I looked at the shirts, but were uncomfortable – over it! And the long sleeve one from September’s swim race in La Jolla that was NEON LIME GREEN – soooooo not my color! This was fun and definitely cleansing, and at the end of the month my t-shirt drawer was finally not overflowing anymore - nice! One of the most memorable giveaways was the raisin colored corduroy pants - they just didn’t fit well anymore (too baggy after the recent droppage of 6 pounds) and I was definitely okay with that. I didn’t have a whole lot of tops to go with them anyway.

I also realized I don’t have much of a cold (anything below 40F) weather wardrobe, and I am actually just fine with this, most of my travels are to warm tropical locales anyway. But by borrowing from a friend and my mom, I was able to outfit myself just fine for the first weekend of the year in Deer Valley in the snow. Borrowing clothing is a good thing for exactly these kinds of situations – why own something you will only wear once or twice a year anyway?

The Best Item I Gave Away

We went up to Nor Cal for a few days before Christmas. I wasn’t planning on giving away (nor acquiring) any apparel during this time, however…we visited a lovely second-hand store and I fell in love with a deliciously soft cream colored cashmere sweater and a pair of deliciously soft and fuzzy pink UGG slippers, both barely used and my size – and both ended up being a surprise Christmas gift from my boyfriend on the spot. When we returned to my boyfriend’s parents home, his mom tried the slippers on (we wear the same size) and remarked how good and stable they felt on her previously injured heel. She delighted in them and mentioned that she also wanted a pair. For the next day and a half she was determined – doing her research online and at the local shoe shop, but they were 3x what my boyfriend had paid for them, yikes. I really liked them while wearing them around their house, but it soon became quite obvious to me that the universe had other plans. So I wrapped them up and gave them to her for Christmas, for which she was very grateful, and I got to enjoy her reaction. I am happy to report that my perfectly acceptable utility grey kinda fuzzy slippers (recently washed) are still in service as I write this, and they have no idea of how close they were to being replaced – I’m not telling them. All is well in the slipper universe, and I got to count this as my favorite clothing giveaway of the month!

Net Clothing Flow and Take Aways

-35 that I purged, but +4; the cashmere sweater, a T –shirt from running a 5K race on Christmas, a very cute mermaid t-shirt (gift from my sister), and a new very cute and very practical grey jacket I bought, for a total of -31, so I am okay with this! Taking the bags of clothing I discarded to the Goodwill store was very cleansing, and I feel like I am really committed to keep the net wardrobe flow down to zero, or negative is okay too – keeping extra stuff I don’t wear or need is not my style. Easiest challenge yet – on to something more difficult for the New Year!

Challenge #5, November 2011: GIVING THANKS

2011-11-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

I will write and mail a hand written thank you note every day to someone I am grateful to.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
—Melody Beattie

How it went

This has BY FAR been the most rewarding challenge yet, and the most fun as well. My goal was to send a personal old-fashioned (snail mail, NOT the all too convenient email!) letter to 30 people in my life, including a thank you for something. Instead of just a one day obligatory American holiday where we all mainly express our brief gratitude at the table before stuffing ourselves with our families, I wanted to turn Thanksgiving into a month of connecting with people, most who I knew fairly well but some not, to personally express why I am grateful for something they have either done for me, or for others, or for the world in general.

I had so much fun at the beginning of the month picking out the cards I was going to use - each one different and many of them collected over many years, of various sizes and styles. Most were blank inside, with nothing to start from, only the empty page awaiting my message. What I found the most rewarding was to literally stop and focus on the person for the ten or twenty minutes (or a few times more than that), and think about what I was grateful to them for and how to best express it to them. Most of the time once I started, the text would just flow and it was easy to then fill up the page. And I mailed them all with the perfect accent piece: a colorful groovy heartsy-flowery love stamp!

Who

I thanked my mom and dad in advance for not worrying about all my upcoming travels over the next six weeks, and included copies of my flight itineraries. I thanked a woman who I had met a few months ago for the wonderful recipe she had sent to me, told her how I had adapted it a bit, and sent her one of my own favorites. I thanked a new dear friend for loaning me her trail running shoes while camping in the Grand Canyon when my ancient hiking boots fell apart the second day of the trip - it was pure luck that we wore the same size! I thanked my boyfriend’s mom for being such a good mother to both of her sons and such an amazing care-taking role model. And I thanked other people I knew in various capacities for the work they do and how carefully and thoughtfully they do it, and let them know that it was recognized and appreciated, by me at least. One of the most unusual notes I wrote was to a friend who’s dog had recently died, and who he was very close to. I transformed a sincere sympathy note into also a thank you note, by appreciating his generosity toward animals through all of the philanthropy and support he gives to animal and conservation organizations throughout the world – that was an interesting one to write.

Probably my favorite was the very last letter to a man I met in person just once. He may well have accomplished more than anyone to protect California’s amazing coastline over the past 30 years. He is a thoughtful, dedicated, peaceful man who is now retired and battling cancer but I wanted him to know how much his life’s work was appreciated by me and no doubt so many others.

I found that instead of doing one card every day, it was easier to get in a gratitude mood and group about 5 or 6 of them together at a time. The feeling I had after completing a batch often lasted a few hours or more, so it was like my own personal pick-me-up – it was like taking a happy pill with only good side effects – others were likely benefiting as well. Who doesn’t like to be appreciated, for whatever reason?

Take Away

Sometimes I heard back from the folks I sent notes to, more often I didn’t. This didn’t matter to me either way – as I said, it just felt good to me to think that I had possibly brightened the recipients day when they got the note. The people I did hear back from were universally appreciative, often surprised, and for me getting that reaction was like a second dose of the happy pill, this could get addicting!

Overall, I just think many of us may have lost the practice of simple, noticeable, daily gratitude to others in our lives, and this month was a rousing success for me as a way to bring that back in full force into my own life. I also rediscovered that I enjoy handwriting - haven’t done much of this since I have become addicted to my laptop. It is quite a different thought process vs. slapping the computer keys and instantly editing myself. I will continue to write more of these kinds of notes more often – I think they are valuable, definitely to me and hopefully to the recipients as well.

Challenge #4, October 2011: DRYING OUT

2011-10-31T19:48:00.000-07:00

I will not drink any alcohol this month

“First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” ~F. Scott Fitzgerald

This was less challenging than last month, but still not easy for me. I was going to go on the wagon, abstain, teetotal, get sober and experience my own personal prohibition. Even while watching the calories last month, I was still in the habit of a glass or two of wine or beer almost every night. And before last month, occasionally even more than that in a single night. Logically I know this isn’t good for me and definitely works against my generally healthy active lifestyle, but I had just fallen into this habit. Actually instead of a muffin top like I referred to last month, I think I have more of a “wine waist” – a noticeable pooch made up of too many unburned glasses of pinot noir and chardonnay, at least that’s what it feels like. So it is time to try and change this habit and reduce consumption - get out of this unhealthy rut.

How it went

All good for the first 6 days – more club soda, water, tea, etc. I had even strategized to sample the non-alcoholic beers (Becks tasted the best) and wines (both the red and white I tried were not much more than vinegary glorified grape juice – a bust!). I was feeling good, less fuzzy in the mornings overall, and my workouts definitely went better. But I finally guess I just had a craving for something, and poured myself a shot of rum on the seventh day. It tasted extra alcohol-ish, like rubbing alcohol almost but with a better nose to it, and not especially good although I did finish it, and then I stopped. Most evenings after that were fine, except when I just wanted a sip or a half glass of good red wine once in a while, which was 3 nights. One of them was a special birthday dinner for my boyfriend, so it was sort of excusable but not really – I felt guilty afterward. And one night home alone I actually went for the bottle of cheap champagne that was lurking in the back of the fridge – quickly sucked down a small glass, then another, burped heavily, then dumped the rest down the drain.

So 26 out of 31 days sober, not perfect but better than my 1500 calorie a day record so I was somewhat satisfied. I have already been thinking, that later on in this overall project it may be worthwhile to redo some of these months that I don’t get a “perfect score” on – this may well be one of them. Or at least maybe make up for the 5 off days by going sober for another 5 days at some point, that sounds reasonable, doesn’t it?

Key Observations

· My mom decided to join me on this month, and maybe because she doesn’t drink much anyway, this was pretty easy for her. The only time she had a drink was after a long day of driving up in Central and Northern California on curvy Pacific Coast Highway, and just wanted a glass of wine to calm her nerves a bit – highly excusable!

· As I said, I like to eat. I realized that yes I definitely like to drink alcohol too, but the benefits aren’t really worth the costs overall, and less is definitely better for me and how I like to operate. During this month I went on two extraordinary trips: Esalen for a weekend writing workshop, and the Grand Canyon on a rafting trip with O.A.R.S. over the end of October and beginning of November. Both adventures were full of new and exciting sights, experiences, and actions – none of which needed or would have been improved by alcohol – I found myself consciously recognizing this. However…after only mint tea and hot chocolate each night in the 30 degree evenings camping along the Colorado River – I did appreciate that newly allowed glass of red wine on November 1^st, it definitely had an extra warmth and satisfaction about it.

· Watching the final season of Rescue Me during this month with a heightened awareness of alcoholism – Tommy Gavin’s constant battle with his demons and the depth of his disease were fictional and unfamiliar to me, but I could understand the challenges to his willpower at times. And I noticed that watching the disfunctionality of so many of the characters on that show actually made me want a drink, hmmm...interesting. I certainly don’t want the drinks I drink to start taking their own drinks, as F. Scott points out above.

· Even though I drank somewhat less, I didn’t lose any more weight – stayed at exactly the same as the previous month. Will keep working on this too…

Challenge #3, September 2011: LIGHTENING UP

2011-09-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

I will eat about 1500 calories a day, and track them, to lose some excess weight.

“Life itself is the proper binge.” ~Julia Child

What it was about

This month was really hard for me, I sincerely like to eat. And I don’t usually/often keep track of how and what I am eating. A vegetarian for over 25 years, I have a generally healthy diet and work out regularly, but I do feel like I could afford to lose a bit of the muffin top (and muffin bottom) that has accumulated over the past several years. I want to be even healthier and be able to perform better in my workouts and races. It is no fun carrying around that extra ten or so, jiggling all the way…I almost decided to make this month’s challenge just “Lose 10 Pounds” but that was actually daunting and I couldn’t seem to commit, so I stuck with the daily 1500 calorie goal instead, hopeful that I would end up losing about 10 pounds or so anyway.

How it went

So I tried, and tracked pretty much every calorie on caloriecount.com (highly recommended for tracking, and weight loss motivation), but I had a tough time keep it to under or at 1500 most days, especially when I worked out. The harder I worked out the more difficult it was to refrain from going over. Most days I averaged around 1600-1700 calories, but there were 3 days that I totally busted out and binged – probably over 2500 calories, it was too depressing to count them all exactly so I just estimated. One of the binge days was the day I ran the Kauai Half-Marathon, which was in the first week of this month. That day I felt it was pretty excusable to go over - I honestly don’t think it would have been wise or healthy to eat only 1500 calories of energy on a day of 2+ hours of intense running – I think I probably burned more than that during it. The other two days I binged, I really didn’t have a good reason, and I simply fell short of the discipline I was trying to maintain – did I mention, I like to eat? My workouts were not as often or intense as in July when it was every day, but I was still doing about 4 days a week at least of running, biking or cardio/strength combo – which always made me extra hungry soon after, and which was the toughest time to not go overboard on calories.

What I was very conscious of this month was trying (most of the time) to eat the healthiest, most fulfilling calories possible, and how just a few cookies or a few glasses of wine can REALLY bite into a strict calorie budget - and they are basically most of the time simply not worth the indulgence. Note: at 240 calories a bag, Skittles are definitely not an effective lunch or snack – yikes!

The keeping track part was a big part of the discipline as well – every time something went in my mouth I had to remember to go online and log it, and if I couldn’t do this right away, I had to write it down and keep track somehow. It was especially challenging out on a dive boat all day in Kauai, with no pen and paper handy – it was all I could do to remember the cookie and granola bar calorie counts from the packages as they added up. So this was a good focus exercise, and made me realize that sometimes I could catch myself and stop from grabbing a snack, simply because I was lazy and didn’t feel like thinking to hard about figuring out the calories and logging it – it just wasn’t worth it.

Also, this month the international news was filled with stories of hundreds of thousands of Somalis suffering from famine due to severe drought. This news put my “gee I really want that extra slice of muenster or another sourdough roll but it isn’t worth the calories” self-talk into perspective: How do I really deserve to have such choice, luxury, and abundance available when so many in the world don’t - and probably never will? The news certainly made me think about this a lot, in relation to what I was trying to do I don’t profess to knowing how to help the Somalis, but certainly I could try and exercise a bit of self control regarding food while keeping this in mind, couldn’t I?

The results

I consciously decided not to weigh myself until the end of the month so I didn’t know how it was going or what to expect. I did know my pants were looser, and there was definitely a bit less jiggling when I ran. Overall, I lost 6 pounds and felt somewhat lighter. The 10K run I did on November 1^st felt better than and was faster than I had done in quite a while, not quite my goal of 50 minutes, but close enough that I know it is within reach. The continued challenge with this is KEEPING IT OFF and going for that other 4 pounds that is still hanging around – it really isn’t serving me any purpose, except slowing down my runs - not helpful. So I will keep working on this.

Challenge #2, August 2011: DIVING IN

2011-08-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

I will get in the ocean every single day.

Note: I decided each month needs an inspirational quote, this one sums it up here:

“With every drop of water you drink, every breath you take, you're connected to the sea. No matter where on Earth you live.” -Sylvia Earle

Most folks who have known me for any length of time, say twenty minutes or more, understand I am a bit passionate when it comes to this subject. I am of the ocean, by the ocean, and for the ocean and so much of what I do and how I do it reflects this. This month I wanted to deepen and renew that connection even more, by submerging all the way in (not just wading ankle, knee, or waist high) at least once every single day. Yes I chose this month quite on purpose, knowing I had an easy head start with a scuba diving in Roatan the first week, and an trip to Kauai at the end of the month – a great way to bookend the local waters here in the South Bay. This summer the water temp around here has been averaging a decent 67. And yes, I appreciated living four blocks from the beach all over again - very convenient for this task!

How it went

The month started off great in the 84 degree Caribbean, where I was co-leading a REEF Field Survey trip. A group of twenty-five, novices to experts, fish surveyors were tasked with identifying and counting hundreds of species and entering them into an online database - that’s the nutshell version of what we do on these trips. Every single time I go on these trips (about a dozen so far) I enjoy learning and sharing knowledge about fish ID, behaviors, habitats, and so much more. It so much fun to teach people about what they are seeing underwater, and perform real and valuable citizen science at the same time. At home after that trip I swam a lot in the mornings with a group of folks who trained 3x a week in the ocean, or body surfed by myself at sunset – I definitely renewed my enthusiasm for riding waves with a pair of fins attached for extra power. Rarely it was just a dip – like the time I didn’t get home from a work event until about 8PM, but it was still so refreshing to duck under that two-foot wave in the dark. I also occasionally combined my plunges with a run on the beach, jumping in afterwards a few times in full running attire (except the shoes)! Closing out the month for a few days in Kauai was perfect – such great snorkeling on this beautiful island paradise.

Who inspired me

Swimming was very much on the brain, and this month coincided with Diana Nyad’s attempt to swim from Cuba to Key West - 103 miles total, she made it 69 miles and then was forced to quit because of unfavorable winds and currents. No matter that she didn’t make it all the way (nor in her second attempt the next month) – following her story really motivated me, as so did Martin Strel. Martin is the guy who has swam some of the longest, coldest, and most treacherous rivers in the world including the Amazon, the Yangze and the Mississippi, just to name a few. He spoke at the local bookstore, and hearing him describe some of his adventures (bitten by piranhas, sunburns, ships bumping into him, 49 degree temperatures, etc) made me realize how tame the ocean swimming I do is by comparison - which is basically just running into some stray kelp or sea grass once in a while, or occasionally a big wave set on the way in or out. I also thought about Her Deepness, Sylvia Earle this month. If I could do it all over again career-wise, I might well have chosen a path such as hers – what an exciting life filled with ocean exploration and so many amazing experiences…And finally I was inspired by my teammates – the Little Mermaids. The eight of us swam a 12.6 mile relay over about 6.5 hours in the Santa Monica Bay, taking turns swimming our leg or riding a bike north, along the beach then riding home back to the starting point. Not quite Dyana or Martin athleticism, but a great way to spend a Sunday with some fun active friends.

The Worst and the Best

The worst part of this not-so-challenging month was really just a minor annoyance: All around the Manhattan Beach Pier where I did most of my plunging, there seemed to be an abundance of the tiny sand crabs that had their pointy sharp hind quarters stuck up just enough to make it feel like I was stepping across a gully of sharp rocks or shells. I don’t remember this ever being the case before, but it made me hurry across that 10 foot stretch, both going out and coming in to shore. And that’s the end of the mini-whine, what else could I possibly complain about?

As much as I so enjoyed getting in myself, I also took a lot of notice of others enjoying the ocean as well. This was quite obvious in the vacation destinations such as the Caribbean and Hawaii where it is all about the tropical beaches and clear, calm, warm water, but I was also reminded of what a paradise I get to live in on a full time basis. Spending more time at the beach, running and walking down there, I observed a lot of foreign tourists (often identified by their active cameras, relaxed pace, and different language) enjoying their August holiday – walking along the pier or the strand, pointing at the surfers, occasionally daring to get their feet, or more, wet. One day I was running on the sand, and it was so much fun to see the five Indian women in their barely rolled up jeans holding hands and giggling and shrieking as the waves crashed barely over their ankles. And the little kids - building their castles and riding their boogie boards and catching their sand crabs – were always a pleasure, I couldn’t help but smile at each and every one. And the exhilaration of starting one of my days walking down the hill from home and stopping awestruck by the golden rays of sunlight peaking through grey clouds over a slate blue lake-like Pacific...perfection. I also really enjoyed on the walk back up to my house the when I (often) got asked “how’s the water?” by random passersby, I would always answer truthfully, “It feels wonderful.”

Take Away

One of the best ways to say thank you and remember why I works to protect this most amazing place on earth was to just JUMP IN THERE! I felt like I was doing the opposite of Public Outreach Campaign (would that be a Personal Inreach Campaign?), and it made me appreciate the ocean even more. It was just a matter of scheduling for the most part, knowing that I “had to” get down the street and get in at some point. The weather cooperated, the (lack of) red tide cooperated, and I definitely felt re-connected by making a habit of getting into the blue. If all these challenges are this easy for me, then I am doing something wrong. On to a bigger challenge next month for sure…

Challenge #1, July 2011: GET MOVING

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I will exercise at least 30 minutes every single day.

How often is often enough to work out, for how many minutes? Cardio vs. strength? What’s the best for weight loss? What if I have an injury? So many different answers are available out there on what is best for you and whatever your goals or limitations are…I am a fairly healthy 47 year old female with no injuries and no excuses not to work out, which I usually do about 4-5 times a week. I can run, swim, bike, put it all together and do triathlons, calisthenics (I am actually a big fan of Jillian Michaels strength/cardio DVDs), etc. But every single day? I started with this challenge because wanted to see how it felt to keep physically moving for 30 minutes or more every single day. Even just regular walking counted for me, which I did resort to on a few days. I wanted to continuously exercise each day and mentally push myself not to flake out on good intentions by the end of the day and skip it – yes I have been known to do that on occasion, have you? This has been one of the behaviors I struggle with most, so I decided to tackle it first.

Overview

The challenge was fine most days – just had to be sure to plan for it at some point in my daily schedule, more often in the AM, which works better for me - that energy and endorphin kick is very real, and helps carry me through the day. I picked July to do this challenge so the weather would cooperate (I don’t belong to a gym or have any fancy equipment, so it is mostly outdoor for my cardio). No extenuating circumstances or excuses such as an illness, injury or anything else came up either - yay.

The month overall was filled with lots of the standard running, biking, swimming and occasionally some indoor weight and other strength workouts. I definitely noticed a general feeling of overall improved health, strength, and fitness - and bonus: better nights sleeps, consistently. The last two days of the month I traveled out of the country for a scuba diving trip, and counted: walking around in the airports I traveled through and around the resort grounds to find my room (no easy task on Anthony’s Key Resort in the dark!) on the 30^th, and diving (3 dives) on the 31^st as my workouts – neither of which was very strenuous but yes indeed, I was moving.

Best and Worst Moments

Since this was my first challenge, I laid pretty low and only told a very few friends and family members about it - I wanted to make sure I had some success under my belt before sharing the idea of this huge 2.5 year project. He used to be quite an athlete in his own right, but lately has not been as active – he actually got out there and walked and rode his bike more than he had in quite some time. This made me happy and was one of the best parts of this month.

My favorite day was the Strawberry Fields Olympic Distance Triathlon on July 17^th – I hadn’t raced a triathlon in several months, and really enjoyed getting back out there on a course, feeling strong and encouraged by fellow racers and volunteers cheering us on. No matter my time or place in any of the races I do, it always feels so good to complete them, and especially sharing the experience with my friends and workout buddies.

My most difficult day was near the end of the month. I had had a long difficult day of work, a few (small) glasses of wine at dinner, and dammit I just didn’t feel like getting off the comfy couch! But I did it anyway at about 9:30PM: put on my workout attire and knocked out 30 minutes of calisthenics and weights – not quite so vigorously as if there hadn’t been any wine at dinner, but did it nonetheless. And yes it did help relieve the stress of the day, better than the wine.

Take Away

Yes I do have the discipline to work out (more) regularly and consistently, and I am carrying it forward. Our bodies are genuinely designed to move, and we do them a disservice by living a sedentary lifestyle! I felt better every single time after I work out, and I even feel like my mind is sharper – there are numerous studies that verify this effect. I calculated a total of over 1440 minutes (averaging over 45 minutes a day) of moving, and am definitely satisfied and understand the value working out even more than before.

Introduction and Welcome

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30x30x30

Focused Living, One Month at a Time

Why

I wanted to do something that encompasses ways I would like to improve myself and connect deeper to my varied interests, as well as giving myself some discipline to pay attention every day and do the work, then write about it. I have especially wanted to do more writing lately and this structure makes sense to me. So here goes – welcome, and I hope you may be inspired.

What

My goal is to focus on specific ideas, practices, or routines for a limited amount of time – long enough to create somewhat of a habit, but not so long that I can’t see the end of doing it and might be possibly tempted to quit – I should be able to do just about anything within reason for thirty days, right? There is so much in this wide wonderful world to learn about, and improve my skills and habits, and dedicate my energy to that I simply must try. I am not planning it all out ahead of time as far as which challenge to do which month – I want to keep it more fluid and flexible. I do have a running list of challenges and topics under consideration, and they are very diverse so far. I don’t have any expectations of what will come out of this challenge by the end of it, and that’s okay.

Where

I’m keeping track of it all on my i-Cal, with quick thoughts and notes, and here on this blog I’ll be writing more in depth about each challenge, at least monthly.

When

Starting July 2011, I am doing 30 different challenges for approximately 30 days (going by the calendar month here, just for ease) for 30 months, so 2.5 years - 2.5 years sounds a lot longer than 30 months…hmmm.

Who

I am a freelance development professional who helps environmental non-profit organizations fulfill their missions through effective fundraising, outreach, and event planning. I am passionate about this work and much more including scuba diving, travel, and my boyfriend. I have done some creative writing, not published (yet) through various classes and workshops and am now looking to do a lot more…Thanks for reading and please feel free to comment, I’d love to hear about your thoughts and experiences.