The world works in mysterious way I tell you.
You see, I’ve been thinking about what I want to write in this post for a couple of days now. Usually it’s a fun monthly recap and a reminder for me to take a minute and think about what I want the next month to look like. What can I say, I like intentions and of course the ritual of finishing one chapter and then starting the next.
Looking back on my intentions for June, despite the fact that they were all kind of vague (Spend time with friends, hit up Sonoma, work on my running YADA YADA YADA) they were mostly successful. I checked off some events, did some traveling, crossed items off lists, and basically did what I had set out to do. Great, right? Oddly enough though, when I look back at June I don’t really feel all that victorious.
I figured it was partly because I was coming out of an overwhelmed funk. I mean, let’s be real, I’ve been getting a little emo around here lately. Then I thought I was just being hard on myself because I am sort of this way by nature. Or maybe I just needed a good pep talk. Yes! That’s perhaps that was why I felt a bit of an empty victory over June. But yesterday morning I came across two things that made me think a little more about the whole thing.
The first was a quote on my calendar at work. I started my Monday morning by flipping to the month of July, and the quote at the bottom said this:
It made me stop and think — what do I want most? As a goal-setter/list-maker this is a hard thing for me to distill down. I have SO MANY goals and I want to do them all! Unfortunately this means I can get easily distracted, but usually it is not for long since The Malaise sort of takes over when I veer too far off course. So I thought about it some more.
What do I want MOST?
And the answer — as it has been all year — has been to be in the best shape possible when we start trying to get pregnant. Not the skinniest. Not the fittest in America, but My Personal Best. And lately a lot of the things that I have been prioritizing — the eating and drinking and traveling every weekend — while fun, have not really been getting me closer to that goal.
I’m not saying that letting loose over the summer is a bad thing at all. But for me, and for THIS summer — it is not the thing I want MOST. It ends up being the thing I want RIGHT NOW when I get to Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And while indulging on the weekends is fun, it is also tiring and takes some recovery time. Back to back weekends of getting out of town and eating crappy food on the road and clinking a few too many glasses with friends have left me feeling a bit worn down.
Not what I want MOST.
The second thing I came across was this New York Times piece about Busyness that spread like wildfire through basically all of my social media channels. My favorite line:
“The present hysteria is not a necessary or inevitable condition of life; it’s something we’ve chosen, if only by our acquiescence to it.”
I’ve talked about The Cult of Busy before and how it is something that I struggle with. And I think the thing about June, to me, was that everything was sort of crammed on my plate in 30 minute scheduled increments and I just kind of let it all fly by.
Acquiescing is a choice. And I would like to make a different one in July. So with that, here’s how I want July to shake out.
July Intentions
*Keep at least one weekend day to yourself – If you have to say no to things, people will understand.
*Get back to clean eating 7 days a week – my weeks are pretty dialed in but the weekends tend to lack some focus.
*Make some performance based fitness goals – I’ll talk more about this later, but I touched on it a bit here.
And honestly, that’s it.
And right now, that’s enough.
Yes, yes, yes! That NYT article touched a nerve in me, and that quote on the poster even more so.
I have a sign on my desk that says, “Discipline is freedom”—which is really a shorter way of saying that same thing, I guess. Have a great July!
I tend to over-plan which is a blessing and a curse. I’ve been trying to do less but it’s hard given that I just moved into a new house (projects galore!) and am 3.5 months from my wedding day) EEEK! Taking a day for yourself and keeping your eye on the bigger picture are smart moves.
I love that quote, and this whole post. I really struggle with this because most of my really important long-term goals are things I feel like I need to do on my own — get healthy, write a novel, etc. Add in being a natural hardcore introvert, and I just find I don’t want to socialize or go out all that often. But there seems to be a real bias in our society that if your social calendar isn’t jam-packed, YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG. It’s hard to let go of that, I think.
Congrats & good luck Holls! Can’t wait for the next ARCFit baby. 🙂
I’m right there with you. We’re not quite ready to have a baby, but will probably start seriously considering it after the first of the year…. so i’ve started taking my body very seriously. I want to create the ideal environment for our baby to grow (and i want to be a cute preggo ;)). I’m going for a whole100 (today is day 9!)and plan to follow the selective reintroduction from It Starts with Food to determine what I really tolerate, then only allow those foods on super special occasions. Having something bigger than myself to focus on makes it a lot easier to stick to my goals
“And the answer — as it has been all year — has been to be in the best shape possible when we start trying to get pregnant. Not the skinniest. Not the fittest in America, but My Personal Best. ”
Substitute ‘when we get married’ for that baby business and yep. Yet there I was last night, face planting into a pile of sushi and gyoza.
I need a bump. A pick me up. This endless winter has done nothing for my mood – for the first time ever the weather is affecting me – and it’s lame.
Sigh.
Want to fly to CA and sit somewhere near the ocean. Recharge. Start over.
FYI — my guest room is always open 🙂
Though (UNFORTUNATELY) we do not live at the beach!
Great post! I love that quote about what we want most vs. what we want now. I, too, am a recovering “busy” person. I’ve unloaded quite a bit off my plate but still have much room for improvement.I also find that by prioritizing what I want most, I am able to focus and hone in on my true passions/desires in life. It’s a journey,though, one we all walk together. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I forget the obvious thing i want as far as personal goals; losing the 20lbs i gained when before was in good shape. All after spending money on a trainer. Etc. I finally decided to get moving seriously again. So im back to keeping my food/exercise journal. Eating healthy (mostly paleo) and exercising everyday. I know it works: change creates change. I cant keep doing what ive been doing because its not working. Its really helps me to see my accomplishments in black & white. There is always going to be another holiday or celebration; doesnt mean i have to indulge.
Thank-you for taking the time to write in your blog. I look forward to reading your insights, tips and adventures. Gordon B Hinckley was a great man. I will always be grateful for the influence he had on my life.
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