Give It a 100 Challenge - September

[nswef]

Yppej, I bet you can fix that a 1/4 cup at a time...

[Zoe Girl]

Zoe Girl, Do you notice any difference in your sleep patterns? Emotions? That's wonderfully consistent!\

Yes, i have been very consistent, i started 30 years ago but have had my ups and downs. I sleep better overall, mostly i manage the insomnia of middle age better. I get back to more grounded emotions that are even. I am sometimes better at my job, details are my challenge, but i am less stressed about it.

Challenges are that i can't watch tv for hours until i want to fall asleep or eat loads of junk food and caffeine.

[Chicken lady]

Yppej that is "I am getting close".

i didn't make it yesterday. Dh did the dishes, but I got caught up in prep work for class tomorrow and left stuff on the counters and didn't take the compost out. It was still close, but if I start giving myself points for close I'll get lazy and not develop good habits.

i like this better than the "Seinfeld chains" because I don't have to start my count over, so I don't feel badly about the close days. Less "pass/fail", more "percent avg."

[ejchase]

Way to go, Everybody!

I am on Day 12. My first "benchmark goal" is to hit Day 28 by September 30th, with ten of those days being one-hour sessions. So I'm on track to hit 28 if I keep it up, but way behind on one-hour sessions. I've only done one of those so far. I may be able to do a couple this weekend though.

In order to hit my goal of 100 by January 15th, I'm going to have to "front-load" because I know I will slip a lot between mid-October and mid-December when my teaching schedule will be super-busy.

But this is the longest stretch of writing consistently I've had in months, so thanks to all of you joining in. The slight peer pressure helps!

Zoe Girl, I've been thinking I've been adding 100 days of meditation to my goals. We'll see. Your progress is very inspiring!

[Yppej]

I drank a lot of water today because it was slow and boring at work, so boring I even had three pieces of dark chocolate from the candy jar, which I had avoided for about a month.

[TooSweetForMe]

Finally Day 1 of 5000 steps! Am going to try walking the circle of our neighborhood in the morning and in the evening, making sure to take my phone with me for step count.

[nswef]

ej, great work on the writing. Give yourself credit!
Too Sweet- good plan on the outside walking!
I am at day 5 on the attic restructure/declutter. I am counting sorting, going to Goodwill to drop things off as part of the process as well. It is all attic related. My steps over 6000 I am on day 4. Feeling good about the progress.
Now to keep up.

[Chicken lady]

Way to go too sweet!

Yppej, just keep trying to focus on the water instead of the chocolate. Or at least alternate. Maybe when you feel like a piece of chocolate you can tell yourself "after I drink a bottle of water"?

nswef, are you starting to see a difference in your attic?

ejchase, keep it up! Even if you don't get all your hours in, you are making good progress! Change takes time.

I was "close" again last night, so I am still at 8.

I have learned some things about tweaking my schedule this week though. The first week of school is always difficult, and I did well at not over planning it. I will need to front load my week by cooking meals with plannedovers ("leftovers" on purpose) on Sunday and Monday. I can cook on Tuesdays for a while, but I have a class starting in October and after that Tuesday will be "fend" (eat out alone or pack/eat leftovers whenever because I'll get home basically at bedtime) Wednesday's are going to be his night to cook or take me out. And th/f will be something simple or the plannedovers. Saturday will be cooking or finishing up. Tonight it will be an awards ceremony for a friend though.

also this week I am going to an event Thursday night.

i will need to make sure I have the baked goods ready for the week by Monday night. If I do them early this will mean prepacking servings of dessert and putting them "away" somewhere so that dh doesn't just eat them all before they are needed for his lunches.

going to bed with a clean kitchen on Tuesdays is going to be challenging once my class starts.

[nswef]

Yes, CL I am seeing a difference even after only an hour total up there. We're lucky that the attic is stand up, floored and windowed so it is not unpleasant or dangerous to be there. That's also how it got so full! Easy to just stick stuff on the steps and all over the floors. Several years ago I did this and moved everything to one area so most of the attic was clear, but it had started filling up. Today I sorted up there and rearranged the top sides of the steps with things we use during the year- fans, humidifiers, the picnic things, the blender, the French fryer, boots- I put the winter needs on one side and the summer on the other. Started another goodwill box and the steps up to the attic are clear! all in 15 minutes. I am hoping this thread keeps me at it!

[Chicken lady]

It was more work than I expected, but yesterday was 9.

this is why I have to keep up with it. After a couple of days it seems like I'm only back a few things, but then I start cleaning the up, and the recycling is full, and the drainer is full, and the dishwasher is full, and this has to be hand washed, and that goes in the basement, and something else goes out to the barn.... And the next thing I know I've been cleaning up the kitchen for almost an hour.