for my plans for 2017

Since announcing to many family and friends that I was coming home at the end of January after a 6 month stint teaching English in South Korea I have been repeatedly hit with one question and one question only....

What are you plans for when you get home?

Goals and plans for 2016

So... Here we are... 2016... Another year is upon us... 366 blank pages ahead of us to fill with memories, hopes and dreams (well technically a few less now but this sounds better).

So what has it got in store for me, or what have I got in store for it.... read on to find out.

For my top 10 Health and Fitness tips!

A lot of you will have set yourself some health and fitness resolutions this year so I thought that I would share my 10 top tips to achieve your health and fitness goals in 2015.

Now I should start with the disclosure that I do not hold any qualifications in the health and fitness industry and that you should always consult a professional before starting any new health and fitness program. These are just hints and tips and advice from someone who's probably been there and tried that! Take it with a grain of salt, keep the bits that interest you and discard the rest! 

1. Set SMART goals...

SMART Goals are Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
You really need to sit down and have a good think about what it is you are hoping to achieve, but follow the above guidelines when writing your goals. A goal like "I want to run" is way too broad. A more suitable goal might be, "In 3 months time I want to be able to run 5km in under 35minutes".

Set short (eg. 1 month), medium (eg. 3/6 months) and long (6/12 months) term goals and revise them as often as necessary. Write them down, make them into a poster and hang in your bedroom, put them on sticky notes on your bathroom mirror, tell your partner/friends/family/next door neighbour/anyone who'll listen, stick them to the inside of your pantry where you will see them each time you reach for a snack! Whatever you need to do to keep them in the front of your mind.

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2. Track your progress and celebrate successes...
Take photos of yourself in the same outfit at the start of your journey and at regular intervals throughout. They never need to see the light of day but your eyes but they are a great way of seeing how you are going. If you are comfortable, a bikini or sports bra and shorts are great as you can get a really good view of what's going on.

I also keep a notebook of notes of my fitness progress. I keep all my measurements, including weight, as well as my progress towards my goals and track running times etc in this notebook as well.
I have a weekly weigh in, and keep a note of it, as well as jotting down anything that was going on that week that may have impacted on my weight. I don't however get too hung up on my weight as it is on the scales as I don't believe this is a true indication of my progress. I prefer to look at my clothes and my other measurements (arms, thighs, chest, waist and hips). I love it when a pair of shorts that used to be really tight, now slip on with ease, but the scales haven't moved. I am actually currently 4kg off my goal weight but it is not bothering me at all because I know I am fitter and stronger than I have ever been (or than I have been in a looong time!).

If you are keen you could join the fitness tracker revolution which will track things like exercise, steps taken, calorie intake and output, sleep etc. I wrote a post a few weeks ago comparing the Fitbit Flex with Garmin Vivofit, two of the popular ones on the market at the moment, if you missed that you can read it here.

When you have reached a goal, celebrate it! Shout it from the roof tops, share it on Facebook, brag about it to all your friends. The support and encouragement you will receive will be overwhelming and be exactly the motivation you will need to keep going and smash your next one!

I was amazed looking back through old photos to see this! Was great to compare.!

3. Join something...
anything.... a gym, a bootcamp, a yoga class, a facebook motivational group....anything.
It will be a long hard journey if you try and do it alone so find something that suits you and join it! I never thought I would do the bootcamp thing, I thought I wasn't fit enough, would feel out of place and hold the group back, but joining that group last year was the best fitness decision I made. Not only did I meet some really cool people, but I exercised harder than I ever have and did some things I never thought that I would thanks to the encouragement and support of the wonderful Personal Trainer and the other girls in the group. Find something that works for and suits you and pay up front if you can because if you are anything like me, you are more likely to go if you've already paid for it because otherwise it's a big fat waste of money and you just can't swallow that!

4. Change it up...

Don't be scared to try different things and change things up a bit. Find something that you like and enjoy but every now and then do something different. You don't want your exercise routine to become mundane or boring because then you won't want to stick to it. You also want to make sure that you are working different muscle groups and if you are constantly doing the same thing you will leave some muscles unworked. If you are trying to stick to a program but don't feel like doing what it is asking of you, perhaps you don't have enough time, or you have a niggling injury or muscle soreness, don't just skip it, do something else, even if it's just a walk, that is better than sitting on the couch and your body will thank you for it.

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5. Get dressed...
I was concerned when I started the bootcamp how I would go as it was from 6-7 at night. I don't usually like to exercise in the afternoon as there always seems to be many reasons (aka excuses) as to why it wouldn't/didn't happen, for example "I have a headache", "It's too hot", "I had a late meeting at work", "I'm too tired", and the list goes on. I much prefer to exercise in the morning, that way it was over and done with and I wouldn't have to think about it for the rest of the day. I always felt I had a better day and was more productive on the days that I did exercise before work. Anyway to try and overcome the problem of not wanting to exercise at night I would get changed into my workout gear as soon as I got home from work and try and not sit down until it was time to go. Once changed I felt ready and would always go. If I am exercising first thing in the morning I always lay my gym clothes out the night before and get straight up and get dressed before I did anything else!

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6. Count down...

This is a little exercise tip that works for me. When I am doing reps of a certain exercise, say the workout I am following requires me to do 12 pushups, I prefer to count down from 12 rather than up to 12. I know it seems like such a tiny thing but it actually helps me a lot. If I know how many I have left I am more likely to get to the end. If I am counting up, sometimes I have a tendancy to stop because I think I can't make it. It's like some kind of weird brain trick thing, but for me it works.



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7. Get over yourself...
There used to be so many things I couldn't wouldn't do. There were so many things I wouldn't do at the gym because, believe it or not, I was too embarrassed. The workout that I am following at the moment asked me a few weeks ago to skip for 2 minutes. There was a skipping rope hanging up in the gym but I was too embarrassed to get it and start skipping in front of the 5 or so people in the gym at the time. What if I tripped, what if I had forgotten how to skip....so I did something else. Last week it popped up in my program again and I thought, fuck it, and so I skipped and skipped and skipped and felt like a 10 year old girl all over again! I even tried to recall some of those songs we used to sing in primary school as well! And yep, people looked at me but I didn't care, I just made sure I was a sweaty gross mess and gave them something worth looking at! Once you get over yourself and don't care what you look like and what others may think of you while you are working out, you'll find a new way of exercising.

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8. Change your self talk...
Stop with the 'I can'ts"and change them to "I cans". Don't focus on what you can't do but what you can do. I used to say that I couldn't do lunges due to my dodgy knees, so for a while I worked on exercises to strengthen my knees. One night at bootcamp I didn't want to be that girl who didn't do the same thing as everyone else, so I gave it a go and did a lunge, and then another one, and now I can do lunges up and down the length of my gym carrying 5kg dumbbells! I just continue to tell myself I can do it! Tune into your self talk when you first start exercising and listen to what it is telling you, then work out what you need to change.

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9. Treat yourself...
You still need to do and enjoy things that are important to you. Unless you have the motivation and willpower of a saint you will not be able to go cold turkey if you have been one to indulge. All PTs that I have worked with have encouraged me to have a "treat day" or "treat meal" once a week. It is all about balance and I like to use the 80/20 method when it comes to eating. If you want to try and give up all things "bad" then find another way to treat yourself, for example if you reach a goal buy yourself something pretty or that you've had your eye on for a while. It's another way to celebrate your successes.

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10. Accept what can't be changed...
Despite our best efforts there are some things that cannot be changed. Not all of us were genetically blessed with an hourglass figure, and no matter how much we try our bodies just are not shaped that way. I have little boobs and a big butt (hips) and short of having some pretty drastic surgery, that ain't gonna change! It has taken me a long time to get used to this and accept it and I will admit to not being totally accepting of it all the time, (trying on dresses is still an absolute bitch and often brings a tear to my eye!) I am a lot better than I used to be as I start to see things toning and changing.

 I wish you all the very best with whatever your health and fitness goals for 2015. If you have any tips or want to share your goals I'd love to hear them below!

Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT

for a 6 month review

If you are anything like me you are completely shocked that June has snuck up and bitten us on the butt! Where has the year gone!!!?? I feel like I say it every year but it really does feel like time is getting away from me.

I thought now, 6 months into the year, would be a good time to look back over my goals for this year. Back in January I set goals for the year ahead. I am not big on resolutions as the way I see it, if you want to make a change in your life you should do it when you want and when you are ready, not put it off to the start of a new year. So I set goals...things I wanted to achieve over the course of this 12 months...

So how am I doing....

I set 5 goals and I must admit that when I just had a flick through them I got a little lump in my throat as I have realised I am not doing so well, but all goals are still achievable.

Goal 1: Run a half marathon - I was originally looking at Gold Coast in July but a friend of mine is getting married that weekend so had to go to plan b - Sunshine Coast Marathon.. but that's the Sunday after ProBlogger so am not sure I can make that work either...will have to move on to plan c...Find another one. I also have not been running as much as I would like yet so need to refocus on that a bit more.

Goal 2: Step away from the iPad/iPhone - given that they are both lit up on the couch beside me as I tap away at this blog post on my laptop I fear I am not doing so good at it either. I still leave them downstairs when I head upstairs for bed which is better than nothing and I do think it is helping me sleep better at night and has reignited my love of reading, not that I ever stopped loving it, I was just usually too tired from all the scrolling through facebook/twitter/instagram repeat, to bother reading.

Goal 3: Make more effective use of my time - whoops... :-/
I think I need some big help here...

Goal 4: Meditate - again... whoops... I have done it a couple of times since but really need to build it into my routine more.

Goal 5: Travel - YAY! this is one that I have organised! I have a week in Sydney booked for the next lot of holidays and 2 weeks in Vietnam in September/October. I know that booking these trips is something that I need to do to get me through the term. I need to have something to look forward to and I need to go away from home to feel like I have actually had a holiday.

I had decided that my 'theme word' for 2014 was going to be do. I had have plans of doing more, getting out there, taking risks, stepping out of my comfort zone and making some changes in my life....again not sure I have really achieved a lot with this so far.

I'm not going to lie, I am a little disappointed where I sit 6 months down the track, and I could wallow in that self-pity or throw my hands in the air in disappointment and give up all together, but in an attempt to see the glass half full I am going to look at it as, I still have 6 months to go!!!

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How are you travelling with your resolutions or goals 6 months in??
What have you achieved? What is still on your list?

Linking up this Tuesday with Essentially Jess for IBOT...

to set my 2014 goals!

I Must Confess is back! Yay...My Monday linky has been absent for a while with Kirsty and family travelling overseas but we a back for the first time in 2014..

This week we are confessing our resolutions, hopes and dreams for 2014. This is something a lot of people have already written about so it's been good for me to read others and get some ideas.

I must confess I am not one for New Years Resolutions, I do get how starting a new year can be considered a great time for starting (or stopping) something and using the new year as like a clean slate, but I am also a strong believer of "if you want to do something just do it, why wait for a new year, new week, new day"...

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I had never seen this quote until just now but I love it!

Anyway, I have come up with 5 goals that I want to work towards in 2014... In no particular order and as you'll notice most of them all link together, so doing one will help achieve another

1. Run a half marathon

Of course I couldn't find one with kms on it!

This has been something that has been on my mind since I started the 12wbt at the beginning of last year and I wrote it down as my 12 month goal then. I am looking at the Gold Coast Half Marathon as it falls in my school holidays so I can make a bit of a trip of it and not have to rush back to work the next day (although rushing anywhere after a half marathon is not something I think I'll be doing anyway!). I also still have another 6 months of training and whilst I know I am a slow runner and not aiming for any time in particular I am confident I can finish and at this point THAT is my goal! Have been checking out blogs and tips and training programs to get myself as prepared as possible.. Please leave any and all tips below!

2. Step away from the iPad/iPhone

Again with the American pictures! haha.

If you haven't seen the video clip on that surfaced on Facebook recently about the impact mobile phones are having on our lives then please, do yourself a favour and watch it here .
The clip is filmed from a woman's perspective where everyone else around her has a phone while she doesn't and tries to go about her daily life. I found it very powerful! The amount of time I spend "connected" has been something I have been thinking about for a while, in fact I am sure I have even blogged about it from time to time. I live in a townhouse and for the last few months I have been leaving my phone and ipad downstairs when I head to bed and read and relax before going to sleep. I was finding I would 'go to bed' but then would flick through Facebook, Twitter, play all my goes in Candy Crush and Pet Rescue, tend to my Hay Day Farm, and then by the time I did all that it was time to go back to Facebook and Twitter because I may have missed something and before I knew it another hour had passed and I was still wide awake. I was also concerned about the amount of time I was spending staring at the screen and what that's doing to my eyes and sleep. Now, whilst I might miss the odd text that comes through after I've gone to bed, I figure my sleep is more important and it will still be there in the morning, if it's an emergency they'll call! I have also taken a bit of a step away from Social Media and want to continue this this year as well. It's a bit of a catch 22, Social Media is a great platform for me to share my blog and increase my readers but then I find it so frustrating and time consuming and get sick of reading all the drama that some people like to share - I mean seriously some could give the writers of Days of Our Lives a run for their money! This year I want to focus on me so am stepping back.

3. Make more effective use of my time

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I often whinged in 2013 that I never had enough time but if I really sit back and reflect, I have plenty of time, if I use it effectively! I think of the minutes... who am I kidding HOURS.. I have spent on the above mentioned and what I could have been doing instead, I shudder. Yes it's good to have those things as relaxation activities and while I would not say that I have a serious addiction I certainly have spent more time on them than necessary. I have no husband, no children, I have plenty of time and I need to stop making excuses, especially when it comes to exercise. When I am on holidays it is great, I wake up, I exercise..no excuses..but when I am working I think that I don't have enough time, when I do! Especially if I cut out the 20 minutes or so that I spend sitting at the kitchen table after breakfast playing those silly games! I have also been on the opinion that I don't exercise at night and when I get home that's it, I'm home...well that needs to change as well, and the first step I have made to making that happen is signing up for a bootcamp that is going to be run from 6pm-7pm...so my attitude and schedule is going to have to change!

4. Meditate

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Such a great way to relax and switch off it was something that I used to do a lot of, but again, other things took over. My only struggle with this one is that I have downloaded a fantastic app on my iphone that I would love to use before going to sleep but then that would mean taking my phone to bed and therefore undoing number 2... Will have to come up with a plan b for that one I think.

5. Travel

There are so many quotes about travel that I just love but when this one popped up on Pinterest lately it's definitely my fave at the moment!

Last but certainly not least I want to add a few more stamps to my passport this year. I am not sure when or where just yet but am thinking a mini holiday somewhere close by in September, Vietnam has been on my hit list for some time now so perhaps there. Am also thinking it's time I utilised my 6 week Christmas holiday break a little better and head overseas, the USA has also been somewhere I have wanted to go but the thing with that time of the year is all the places I want to go are having Winter then and I hate being cold on holidays! Am certainly more of a Summer traveller!


A lot of people have talked about having a theme word for 2014 and I have had a few running around in my head but if I had to describe what I want out of 2014 then I have decided that my word is...

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I need to stop procrastinating, stop putting things off, stop waiting for things to happen and just do!

Another little piece of motivation and mantra that I am going to use for 2014 came via my best friend (love how she just 'gets' me!)..She say this on Facebook and new straight away it was something I needed to see. I have printed a couple of copies off, one for my wall, one is now stuck on the cover of my diary and I have one to hang in my office at work for my students to see!

I JUST LOVE IT!!!

So I guess in a nutshell I have decided to be a 'HAPPY PERSON' in 2014!

Head on over to My Home Truths to read about other people's goals and dreams for 2014.

Good luck with whatever you are aiming for in 2014 - I look forward to sharing the journey!

to turn 100...

I have spent a lot of time over these holidays on blogs, reading blogs, discovering new blogs, commenting on blogs, googling blogging tips, sussing out designers for blogs, playing around with new templates and redesigning my blog, but what I haven't spent a lot of time doing is actually blogging!

Late Sunday night when Ms Mystery Case put the call out that she would be hosting the I Must Confess linkup in Kirsty's absence my immediate thought was "huh...what? is it Monday?" (one of my great loves of holidays is I totally lose track of what day it is!) and so without much thought I slapped together a quick post and linked up following her theme of Movie Choice Mishaps. 

In my haste I neglected to realise that that was in fact my 100th post!

YAY!! Happy 100th post to  me!!

I am sure (hopeful) that I will meet many milestones with my blog but it's nice to know I've made this one. When I started this blog I really had no idea where the journey would take me, had no idea if I would even make it this far but it is enlightening to know that people have found what I write worth reading/commenting/following! Every bloggers dream I guess! Funny to even think I have come up with 100 things to write about really!

To celebrate this little milestone, and while redesigning my blog layout and theme I enlisted the help of the WONDERFUL Felicity and Pursuit of Felicity Designs to create me a new header, button and signature (there were just some things beyond me!) and luckily enough she contacted me today to tell me my design was ready to be uploaded!! What a way to celebrate! If you have even had an inkling to get some pro to do some of your design blog for you please, do yourself a favour and check her out! So helpful and professional and did I mention WONDERFUL! I could not be happier with what she has developed for me. I do have one question for you though....Should I keep the photo strip there or not? Just have one piccie over on the sidebar?? Am torn so am taking the vote to the public, what do you think?

I have read a lot of posts recently about people's goals for their blog for 2014 and I must say, a lot of mine are the same, increase traffic, find 'my' voice, write more scheduled posts and drafts so I am not writing one at 5:30pm on the day of the link up (like I am right now!) etc. I would love to start a series of posts but am unsure of a theme or topic? Any ideas? Give me some topics you'd like to read about in the next 100 posts!!!

Of course it's Tuesday and you should know what that means!? IBOT time!!

to run!

On the weekend I decided (in my wisdom) to see how I would go running 10km on the treadmill, and while I'm not exactly stoked with my time, I ran the whole way with no stopping and on a slight incline..... Another step closer to achieving my goal of running a half marathon in 2014!...

 

Linking up with these other Wordless Wednesdayers..... 

       

to SMASH some records...!

OK smash might be a bit of an over exaggeration!! Am keeping it short a sweet today. A few weeks ago I talked about refocusing and starting so running training on my treadmill. I downloaded a 10km training program designed for treadmill running.... I set the incline to 1 as that's what's recommended for the treadmill....

2 weeks ago - 4km in 30mins 11secs
Today- 4km in 29mins 17secs!!!!

I am so stoked to have cracked under 30mins! Another goal achieved! I would really love to be able to do 5km in under 30mins but for now, this'll do!

BOOM!!

Linking up with Essentially Jess  for another IBOT!