Milestones of My Month

Hey Ladies!

Here's the update on my fitness journey so far. In this week's post, I decided to share my "non-scale" progress. Don't worry. I will get back to the numbers next month. But as I thought about how often we strain so much at the details that we miss the beauty of the big picture along the way, I feel like this is right on time.

So here goes...

Milestone #1 - Returned to Self-Care

Check out that eyebrow action!

Keeping the promise of accountability that I made in my previous post, Making Yourself Matter, I'm posting this pic as a means of sharing a simple but meaningful personal milestone. I've returned to what used to be a regular practice of self-care for me: getting my eyebrows waxed. I went to the salon on a day that I would have normally found excuses as to why I was too busy to stop by. I not only got my eyebrows done, but I treated myself to a lip wax too. It took just a few minutes of my time, but boy did I feel exquisite after it was done!

Milestone #2 - Consistency

This is one of the images I have on my Spark People goal vision board. I'm celebrating the milestone of 1 1/2 weeks of 5 day/30 minute workouts. One day at a time, I'm reaching my goal of forming a solid habit of consistent exercise and I couldn't be happier with my progress! I'm getting up an hour earlier and getting it in BEFORE I start my day. This way, I don't get sidetracked from my plan. It's working like a charm! I'm feeling stronger and more confident than I have in a while. My hubby says he's super proud of me too! :)

Milestone #3 - Release

I've made a conscious choice not to sweat the small stuff. The more I let go of the inconsequential things (i.e., what I look like in the mirror, other people's opinions, etc.), the lighter and brighter I've become, and not just physically either. I've changed my perspective about myself and my potential by framing my mind around what God has said about me. 

"Body and soul, I am marvelously made!" 

Psalm 139:14 (MSG)

This has made a world of difference. Now I simply use the scale as a way of staying on track, not as a way of keeping score. Yay, me!!!

I hope my sharing encourages you to look outside the normal scope of what you view as progress and start measuring more milestones than mistakes. Take it one day at a time and inch by inch, you'll thrive.

Share the milestones you've made so far in my comment section. (Does NOT have to be fitness-related). I'd love to celebrate with you!

Go Ahead, Ask!

Just a little booster this week...

There's no shame in needing help with something in your life. Lately, I've talked to several women who seem to be ashamed about needing help in some area of life. They are usually harboring one of three false beliefs:

1. No one wants to help me.
2. No one should have to help me.
3. No one can help me.

If someone has made you feel too ashamed to ask for what you need, then that person is/was not mature enough to meet the need in the first place. Switch lanes and continue moving forward.

The Truth...

We ALL need help from time to time. Don't assume that no one wants to help you or that no one can. We were all born with something to give to others. What you don't have, I might have. What I don't have, you might. It's just a matter of being divinely connected with the right person or persons. 

This is right up God's alley! If you let Him, He will guide you into these connections at just the right time. It has happened for me on several occasions. I know it will happen for you. So open up your mouth, ask for what you need (I mean REALLY need), and be prepared to receive it.

Let me know when you get it!

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

Making Yourself Matter

I did it again... for the umpteenth time. My husband suggested I go shopping for some new clothes but once again, I wormed my way out of going. Then when it was time to pick something out to wear for a recent event, there I was, standing frustrated inside my closet. Crazy, right? I know. This is my secret vicious cycle. 

Why do I do this? Well, that's the million-dollar question. I had to dig deep to find the answer, and believe me, what I found wasn't pretty. However, I hope that by exposing my inner cobwebs, I'll somehow encourage and inspire you to face and do away with your own.

I prayed for some divine insight on this, since I couldn't quite put my finger on my motivation for giving myself such sub-par treatment. Here's what eventually emerged:

• I hate to shop for myself
• Why? Because I don't like the hassle
• Why? Because my issues with fluctuating weight give me angst whenever I try on new clothes
• Due to this angst, I tend to subconsciously avoid shopping unless it's absolutely necessary
• By doing what? Finding an excuse to do ANYTHING else that doesn't require so much time and effort (like take a nap!)
• Message I send to myself: "You don't look right, so why go shopping? You don't matter enough to put time into looking good."
• End result: missed opportunities, limited wardrobe options, frequent frustration, and a bewildered hubby 

See how I had to spiral it all out in order to find the real obstacle? You may have to do the same thing if you ever want to get out of your own self-defeating habit (if you have one). To turn things around, I  put my coaching skills to work on myself. 

Life is an unknown span of time. How you spend that time matters. Therefore, giving yourself a generous helping of that time translates to you, and to those around you, that YOU matter. What you need to feel strong, beautiful, loved, confident - it deserves your attention. Forget about waiting until you like it. Just do it!

This really hit home with me especially when I began to consider the unspoken messages I've probably been sending to my two teenage daughters. As the alpha female in their lives, they will assuredly take their cues from me, so I had better be about the business of modeling proper self-care.

So here's the resolution I made toward MAKING MYSELF MATTER. I asked my husband to hold me accountable for budgeting time and money each month to take care of my own personal needs (wardrobe shopping, eyebrow waxing, mani/pedi, etc.). He goes out of his way to accommodate me in whatever way he can, so I'd better take advantage of all this lovely generosity. As an added measure of accountability, I've decided to post some upcoming pics of my personal care excursions. After all, I can't talk it if I'm not willing to walk it, right?

Now it's your turn. Comment below and tell me what you do (or will do) to MAKE YOURSELF MATTER.

Until next time, keep your head up!