May-June Take Yourself Seriously 60-Day Challenge

Woo-hoo! New challenge. I'm modifying the "rules"(if they can be called that) from last time but leaving some of them the same.

1. Choose two things that will make you a healthier person--one physical and one emotional/mental/spiritual--and do them for this 60-day period, from now through July 3. (The point of picking more than one thing is that if you pick one thing you can get obsessed, whereas with two you have to spread your attention a little. Also, with two things, if you miss one you might still do the other, and have some success for that day.)

2. If it's the kind of thing you do every day (like drinking enough water), do it every day. If it's the kind of thing you do less often (like exercising three times a week, or seeing a therapist once a week) do it at that frequency.

3. If you don't do it one day, rub some dirt on it and keep going. The important thing is hanging in there through the end, not doing it perfectly every day.

4. If you realize one of the things you picked just isn't going to work for your life, pick something else and switch. There's no point in dragging yourself through something that doesn't make sense just because you posted here that you would. This is for you, not for the internets at large.

5. I'm going to have weekly check-in posts that you can post to every day if you'd like. I'm going to start a sidebar for the Challenge stuff so it won't be mixed in with everything else every day. You can find the post you want in the sidebar and click through from their to check in. Or just read others' check-ins.

6. No judging other people's two things, but if you have info that could help them, please post it. And if you start doing things that other people have set for their challenges, that's great, too.

7. Have fun!

8. At the post at the end of the 60 days, post what you learned during the Challenge.

Now, for my two things:

Physical: Wear my retainer every single night. (Some of you remember that I had braces on my bottom teeth while pregnant with my second son. I have a permanent retainer, but it's basically useless, so I need to get hardcore about wearing the removable retainer every night so all that time and pain won't have been wasted.)

Emotional/spiritual/mental: This one is a toughie for me, but I think I'm going to commit to journaling in a physical journal for 10 minutes every day. I'm going to try to make that time first thing in the morning, but if that doesn't happen I'll still fit it in later on. I do no writing currently that isn't for public consumption, so this will be just for me.

Now you go.

Comments

[paola]

Physical: Firstly, I'd like to say I'm keeping up with my ab exercises that I started last challenge, which I'm proud to day. Secondly, my real physical challenge for this round is to have only ONE sugar fix per day as opposed to the 5 plus I normally have. This is going to be really hard for me as I have such a sweet tooth, and since my last pregancy I have started having something sweet every night in front of the tv, which I had never done before and I'm not desperate to cut it out as it is so enjoyable, but if I continue to do it, I have to cut out something else, or replace with something sweet but healthy (dried fruit, carrots etc)

Mental: During my daughter's nap, do at least one thing I find enjoyable (read, sew, call a friend etc)and one thing that will make my life easier (prepare the dinner for the evening, wash the dishes, mop the balcony). If I don't get my chores done while she sleeps it is always a mad last minute rush. I pretty much do do this so it's not goign to be really that difficult but I need to make it regular.

[Suzie]

Am loving this challenge already.

The two goals I picked for myself seem to be pretty interchangeable in the physical/spiritual sense (at least from where I stand) so in no particular order:

--having sex with my husband *at least* once a week. We don't usually achieve this with lil' pumpkin to distract us, but I want to make a point of it, since I really feel like we need to reconnect on a basic level.

--practicing yoga at least once a week. Have totally gotten away from it since having the babe, and I miss it -- both in terms of how it makes me feel physically and what it does for my psyche.

So there you have it. Last go-round, I had daily goals, which worked out great; but this time, these particular things seem to be less frequency items. Hence the "at least once a week" for both. Believe me, even getting to them *that* often will be a challenge!

Good luck, everyone :-)

[Karen]

I started mine over the weekend - I'm already feeling a difference. They are: daily meditation and 20 minutes of exercise - preferably outdoor exercise now that the weather is nice - followed by 10 minutes of stretching.

I have had dysthymia (chronic depression, not always especially mild) since my teens - but been off anti-depressants since becoming pregnant with my son two years ago. Some of the weighty posts up in here lately cut pretty close to the quick and convinced me that I need to be doing more on the mental health front. I'm thinking/hoping these two things might have a cascading effect.

So, thanks Moxie for setting up this timely motivation and support network, and thanks to everyone who is going to participate!

[Jecathre]

Physical: thirty minutes of light exercise a day, probably while the Tiny Tyrant is napping. I'm already hard at work at getting my eating under control, but I need to add in the exercise. I figure I can build the habit now, even if it's just a 30 minute stroll with the stroller, and worry about increasing intensity later.

Mental: I will take a few minutes for devotional reading each night before bed. I always read before bed, so this is really just tacking on a few pages of something aimed at my heart instead of my brain.

[Mommy-O]

OK, I am such a challenge geek that I made up a record sheet for myself last night so that I can check off my physical goals as I do them.

I have bent the "rules" a bit by setting a daily goal and a weekly goal.

Physical:
Daily - vitamins (B,flaxseed,calcium magnesium) and 8 glasses of water a day
Weekly - TTapp BWO+ 3 times a week (with runners on as per Sue's suggestion) despite any other exercise I do that week. I feel all creaky and kinky now if I don't do TTapp.

Spiritual:
Daily - Journaling. I stopped around the time I had my daughter 3 years ago and I have been busy doing mommy journals for the kids. I am going to start journaling for myself again.
Weekly - I am in the process of finding a counsellor because I have realized that due to my upbringing I have no idea what "normal" is and I need some perspective, outside of this blog. I am trying to decide whether to go through my Employee Assistance Program or to go through my doctor who I don't have a lot of faith in about these things.
In the meantime, I have had "A New Earth" sitting on my bedside table for over a month so I am going to start reading it.

Good luck everyone! This is so exciting.

[MamaBird]

Looking forward to participating in this challenge with all of you.

Physical: One desert a day. We're not going to talk about how many I eat now. The real goal is to lose about 10 pounds, but I think managing my sugar intake will be the easiest way there.

Mental: Keeping the random internet searching to a bare minimum. This is hard to quantify, but I know massive time-wasting when I see it. Again, I have a "real" goal here, which is to get my research back on track (academic here) but I think that focusing on the obstructive behavior of net-surfing randomly will be the most helpful way to get there.

Good luck to all (including me!).

[michaela]

Thanks for doing this again, Moxie!

Physical: Get in one run a week, and one home yoga practice. (Incidentally, as a result of a suggestion during the last challenge, I had my yoga teacher come over to my house for a private lesson, and she helped me develop a sequence of poses for my home practice!) I am recovering from pneumonia and have absolutely no energy, so I'm going to be ok with a slow start on this one.

Emotional: Reconnect physically with my husband once a week. I have been using the pneumonia as an excuse in this department, and I can feel us growing apart as a result.

[Holly]

I am finding adjusting to life with a 2 1/2 year old and a two month old very challenging. Maybe by setting some goals to focus on myself a bit will help.
1) Fit in a walk at least 5 times a week. This will be good both spiritually and physically. It will definitely help with the new baby flab and maybe wear the toddler out enough for a nap.
2) Contact one of my long distance friends by phone every week. I can't believe I have to set a goal to do this, but I can be such an introvert, especially when busy or stressed.
3) Write a daily journal entry.

[rudyinparis]

Hmmm.

Physical: Run with the dog at least twice a week. I just started doing this, and it's great for both of us. Plus, I crazily agreed to run a 5k with a friend this summer. What was I thinking?

Emotional: do something purely creative twice a week. Draw a picture, write a poem--whatever. Even if it's crap, just get it out there.

[Maria Wood]

I'm so happy to start a new challenge! I totally fell off the 'check in' wagon of the last one, but it did get me to successfully break my 'soda at home' habit, and while it's a small triumph, I'm proud of it, and motivated to try a new one. So here goes:

Physical: Getting back to one I dropped from last time, I'm refining it to: a) some kind of physical activity EVERY day, even if it's just a walk after breakfast, and b) more vigorous exercise 3 times a week. I've promised myself to take the first step today by calling the gym and finding out about their rates and child care policies.

Emotional/Mental/Spiritual: Walk Away From the Computer! I've got to live more in my real life. Now that I'm taking action on moving where I live and will no longer be so isolated after this summer (if the creek don't rise, etc), I've got to stop living in the computer so much, and live in my actual life more. I don't know how to quantify this goal, but I think I know it when I do it/don't do it. Maybe as we go through this I'll refine it to more definable terms.

Thanks Moxie!

[hedra]

Physical, one form of 'real' exercise 5 days per week. That gives me 2 'eh' days. And no 'I can call that exercise, right?' exercise. That means either walk, or exercise machine, or tai qi, or something else, but something effortful. (Yanking invasive vines out of the ground I will count, as I always end up sore afterwards. Carrying the kids around or pushing them on swings I will not count).

Spiritual. Actually, I think this will be 'attending to the blogging' regularly. It has released a large chunk of stress for me, and clarified some things already.

@Mommy-O, I'd do the employee assistance thing. It feels weird, but weird-but-quality is better than feels-safer-but-iffy-quality. I asked the employee assistance line people to give me a list of 10 people who were on the list for my 'target issues' specialty, and then used that as the basis for screening/finding the one(s) that would work. I interview my potential therapists, and when I've had the luxury, I've passed them past a family friend who is in the business (but I know her too well to actually USE her). Just my two bits, there.

[shanna]

Physical - Enough water. I used to be so good about this. I want to be back up to two liters per day. Reductions in junk-snacking (which I tend to do when dehydrated) are a bonus.

Emotional - Two challenges: (1) Post to blog at least three times per week, one of which must be "substantial" (defined as more than...100?...words). (2) Re-start therapy, which I dropped when I had my kids, oh, FIFTEEN MONTHS AGO. I hate admitting that I need it, but on the other hand I can't think of how someone semi-orphaned at age 14 and fully orphaned at age 26 couldn't. I'm giving myself until the midway point of the challenge to get back into things (call insurance, set up appointments, etc.), and then the second half is for keeping regular appointments. A friend (with a daughter the same age as my kids) and I are starting a childcare share this week anyway; it'll give me something to do with my "time off."

[Nichole]

I started the Couch to 5k running plan last week. For the Physical aspect, I'm going to try to finish that program and, after that, keep running at least three times a week.

For the Spiritual, I'd like to get back to actually using my "happiness journal." I try to write down a few things that made me smile throughout the day, and I feel so much better when I do it.

[enu]

Physical: Get over my extreme embarrassment about my current state of my body and the fact that I'm bald, and have scars everywhere and bought the worlds most bizarre looking bathing suit to cover all that up, and actually get back in the pool. Pre-cancer, I was logging just under half a mile, _7 days a week_. Less than a year ago, I swam Walden Pond there and back without stopping. Right now, I'm pretty disabled by chemo and massive disc herniation, so I am just gunning for getting in the pool twice a week.

Mental: I will start, continue with, and finish a book during the course of this challenge. Again, I was once a reader; I've lost my concentration, and physically reading a book is harder now (my left side is uncomfortable from surgery, my right side is uncomfortable from other surgery, sitting is hard on my back... and I need new glasses but won't be getting them for a few more weeks...okay, I'm a flippin' mess!) I'm thkning it may have to be a picture book ;-)

[Melissa]

Well, my physical challenge is not to have anything to eat after dinner and to be in bed by 10:30 every night. I tend to stay up late - waiting for the toddler to wake up. So of course then I'm hungry and eat something dreadful. No wonder I can't lose weight. So that's that.

My mental/spiritual/emotional goal is actually something I'm going to try to attain through physical activity. My goal is to exercize three times a week, which I hope will help me shake some of that super fun self-loathing I've been stuck in lately.

[Liza]

I am SO EXCITED that you are doing this again. I felt bad that I didn't do it last time.

Here are mine:

Physical: I am going to eat at least one serving of fruit and at least one of vegetables every day.

Mental/Emotional/Spiritual: This one has to do with my job, so I can't be too specific. But I am going to spend 1-2 hours organizing tasks every week, and complete a minimum of 7 individual tasks per day. My work backlog has been crippling me with guilt lately, so this will have huge benefits to my well being.

[dregina]

Physical: Run 4 days a week, at least 2 miles per run.

Spiritual/Emotional/Mental: Sit in contemplative prayer every night. No time limit on that, just play it as it lays.

[Mommy-O]

Thanks hedra. Silly question but did you screen them by phone or make an appointment with them?

[heather]

Alrighty then, here goes:
1. Physical -- do 1 hard workout per week plus at least 2 lighter workouts per week. No excuses now that the weather's warmer and I have free babysitting for a few hours each Saturday morning!
2. Spiritual/Mental/Emotional -- connect with my husband each day. The 'how was your day' banter is good, but I need to make a point to really talking too.

[rby]

I don't want to bite off for than I can chew then use that as an excuse to spit out the whole bite--a particular tendency of mine--but I have to go with three things. As usual, you all have too many good ideas and I can't choose only two.

Physical--Break a sweat for a half hour to an hour, three times a week. Walking the dog doesn't count.

Also physical--Initiate sex at least one time a week, whether I think I feel like it or not. I always enjoy it once it gets going, but it's the starting that I resist. So much easier to go to bed, etc.

Mental--write at least 15 minutes a day. Not sure whether this will be in a web journal or a paper journal, but the important thing is to spend that time working through my thoughts from the day.

[ms]

Physical: walk, run, or yoga every morning - at least 30 minutes of movement before the day gets underway.

mental: every night before bed, reflect on the day and think about the next (will keep a journal and carry it in case thoughts come during the day as well).

Just making the decision to do these gives me a burst of energy - very empowering!

Moxie, I am sending good thoughts your way, and wishing you strength as you move through this time of transition.

[Abacaxi Mamao]

I was too much of a wuss to do this last time, but you all have inspired me so much that I'm in this time. My two things are:

1. Physical: Wash my face every single night before I go to bed. (Self-care is very difficult for me. I'm starting small here. Eventually I will work my way up to brushing my teeth and flossing before I go to bed every night. It's embarrassing admitting that I don't--I'm single and have no kids and have no excuse other than the usual psycho-babble about not having good models of self-care as a child.)

2. Mental/spiritual: Journal at least 2x/week. I used to be good about journaling at least once a week, but I always used to journal over a cup of coffee at Starbucks, and since I (very, very sadly) am trying really hard not to eat dairy or soy these days (been more successful with the dairy than the soy--there's soy in everything!), that basically means that coffee is out. Black coffee-yuck!

I am excited that this goes through July 3--that's my birthday! (I'll be 29.)

I have to say that I adore this community, even though I don't have the issues that some of you have, since I don't have kids. I've been reading Ask Moxie since the beginning (got here from Moxie's regular blog). I am here partly because since I realized (at 18 or so) that I need to find new models of parenting (and living) for the future, since what I got was less than stellar. I see lots of new, better models here. I also see evidence, almost every time I read you guys, that what *was* isn't what *has to be in the future*. I see a lot of people's pain and issues and then, through the magical power of sharing and community, people working through and overcoming that. So thank you! I hope to one day get married and have kids and be back here with actual questions about parenting.

[vanessa]

Physical: Exercise in some way 2-3 times a week, whether its a long walk in the woods, indoor rock climbing, or T-Tapp, which I am going to try.
Mental/spiritual: Write. I haven't been writing at all outside of school, and I need to.

[pnuts mama]

oh enu, i've been thinking about you...good for you for getting back into the pool!! i hope it brings you some comfort and enjoyment.

i'm looking forward to the next challenge as well- the babybean (we're getting closer with his name- had a non-argument about it this weekend, so that's a step in the right direction) will probably arrive before it's over (was going to have "hang upside down like bat til end of may" as my physical, haha) but we'll do what we can til then.

physical(closely tied to emotional/spiritual)- i have to get my anger under control- i lose my temper way to easily and wildly and it hurts the three people i love most in the world- and it is no good for my body, stress-wise. am trying to adopt an attitude of gratitude and let go of the stuff that gets under my skin, or at least not over react to it.

also physical- up the protein/water based fruits veggies as we are getting warm again and i'm in no mood to swell up like a macy's balloon.

mental- WRITE.EVERY.DAY. on my dissertation chapter and finish draft before bean gets here. like so many of you i find the mindless internet time suck is my worst distraction on the days when i actually am able to devote brain time to writing. gotta stop screwing around on that, big time.

good luck, everyone!!!

[Shannon]

Physical: Go back on Weight Watchers. I started back yesterday for bathing suit season.

Spiritual: This is not a quantifiable/measurable goal at all, but I want to reach a level that Moxie was talking about last week, where you swallow your pride and just accept that a higher power is going to take care of you. I interpret this as the popular saying, "Let go and let God." I struggled with depression during January and February, and then spent March and April (and now going into May) TRYING to find the right meds for myself. I don't want to sound overly-dramatic, but it has been awful. I just don't know if these side effects will EVER go away, but I also don't know if quitting anti-depressants altogether is the way to go either. So, hence the let go and let God part. I just need to trust that there is some higher power up there who has a plan for me.

And since that last one is not really a measurable goal, I will add a third one, which is a physical/emotional/spiritual hybrid. That goal is to walk in the evenings after my son goes to bed 3 times a week. (This will only be when my husband is home, lest you all think I'm leaving my sleeping kid home alone.)

@Mommy-O, I would just like to second the suggestion for using your EAP. If your regular doctor is a psychiatrist, then he/she might have good suggestions for counselors. Otherwise, IME, medical doctors don't know too much about the mental health field because it's just not their area of expertise. And your EAP is confidential. What I have realized about having to reach out and ask for help is that it's scary for you, but it's not at all awkward for any of the agencies you are dealing with, because that's their job and they're used to it.

[BabyBrady]

I am hoping to use this challenge to get back some normalcy into my life. I want to focus on the baby weight I gained (over a year ago, the weight will not go away) and trying to get some ME TIME back into my life. I feel like I "do" for everyone else and I want something for myself. Mind you I feel extremely selfish about this. I've been a SAHM since June 2007 when my son was born. Actually went on leave in May. I love being home with him but I never imagined how lonely and bored I would be. I have yet to read a grown up book or get out with my friends sans baby (of course none of my friends have or like babies *sigh*). I use to be an avid reader and always had a book or two I was working my way through. Now I just feel like my brain is melting out my ears and that I can no longer have an intelligent conversation because I am so behind in keeping myself current or fulfilled. Does this make sense?

So Mental - I would like to read a great book that I will gush about. Of course the topic of this book cannot be children, babies, sleep, feeding babies, ect. Any recommendations for something that will make up for all the months I have lost reading?

Physical - My pre-baby weight was 128, delivery weight was 175. Current weight is 144. I have refused to buy larger clothes to fit me comfortably because I have a closet full of clothes I love. They just do not fit. So I complain about how I have nothing to wear and I feel icky and yucky and uncomfortable. Eating is not my issue. I am a healthy eating freak. I have great habits at this point. Getting off my butt is my issue. You would think carrying around a 33 pound 11 month old would make me lean and strong. Um, no. Not the case. Just tired and achy. SO - I am going to walk with Baby for 30 minutes everyday (which we already do) but I am also going to do an exercise dvd everyday that incorporates weights of some kind to tone up my body. It is time I just take charge and drop ten pounds. If you have any dvd suggestions that have worked please let me know.

Hopefully my husband will agree to help with the Baby while I exercise. God knows how TIRED he is after sitting at at his desk for a full 8 hours (minus that 2 hour lunch out of the office). Sheesh, OF COURSE he needs time to relax when he gets home. What was I thinking?

[eep]

Physical: I attend aerobics classes twice a week, and I absolutely love them, but I need more concentrated work on my abs and core. My whole midsection is still weak from carrying a baby. So, core exercises 3 times per week.

Mental: Turn off that stupid TV and read. I used to be a reader before S was born, but my concentration has suffered in the past year. I hope that reading, even 15 minutes each day, will clear out the cobwebs and help me feel more like myself again.

Good luck! I really enjoyed reading the updates from the last challenge and that's what convinced me to work on this one, so I hope everyone posts updates to keep me revved up.

[Amy]

I am finally ready to join in the challenge. Last time, I got the T-Tapp materials in hand but wasn't quite mentally ready. So, here goes:

PHYSICAL: Do the 15 min T-Tapp workout 5x/week

MENTAL: Spend a few minutes each day (probably at night before bed) reflecting on which situations I addressed with my 'positive' self that day and which ones I think I could have handled better from a more positive perspective.

When tired and/or stressed, I tend to fall into a rather negative view of the world which gets me into unintended snipping and snapping at hubby, daughter, mom, etc. While any one instance is fairly inconsequential- summed together, I feel like I can be a pill to be around at times- not at all what I want or intend!

Good luck all. I'm so glad I have an Internet community to have a challenge with.

[Much More Than A Mom]

This is hard because there's so much I want to do but...

1. Exercise EVERY day - even if it's a few seconds of hover over the baby. Something.

2. Read, even if only for 5 minutes, every day. And blogs don't count. Paper only.

[meera]

here are my two:

physical: some form of exercise every day, for at least 15 minutes. anything - yoga, gardening, a walk, going to the gym. i've become entirely sedentary since the baby and i think this will make me feel better, especially since it is becoming harder and harder to convince myself that i don't mind that last 10 pounds of baby weight.

mental: take some time each day to do something for myself - like read some fiction or do a little sewing. i've been working from home and minding my 6 month old, and have become good at using free moments to get things done - but i think i'd like to use a little of that nap time for something for me. hopefully the job and the house can survive that.

good luck, all.

[JB]

Physical: I was feeling really pathetic about this one, but Liza already said she's doing it, so I don't have to feel bad! I will eat one fruit and one vegetable a day. I love fruits and veggies, but we are so stressed, eating out so much because of the move, and so forth, that I have been eating crap all the time. I plan to add produce to the crap, ho ho.

Mental/spiritual: I want to shoot for a hard one for me and have a plan B if I just can't do it with the move. I want to get in touch with friends I've neglected, one a week for the duration of the challenge. This, for me, will ultimately mean joy, but it also means overcoming inertia, fear, guilt, and resentment. If that's too hard for THIS challenge, I'll do it for the next one, and for this challenge I'll post to my blog 2+ times/week.

This is going to be great.

[Jan]

I'm going to give this another shot, even though I petered out pretty early last time.

Physical: I'm re-using mine from last time -- I'm going to do something non-sedentary at least once every day. I'm appalled at how many days go by where the most exercise I've gotten all day is walking from my car to my desk.

Mental/spiritual: I'm going to start using the time after my husband goes to bed in the evening (he has to get up at 4:30 for work, so he goes to bed before I do). There are a variety of things I could do: sew, read, knit, organize, learn something new, even housework; instead I usually watch TV. I'd like to break that habit.

I'd like to add two goals that aren't daily or weekly, but that I'd like to have completed by the end of the challenge: (1) Get the family signed up for a membership at the Y -- if I can get 5 other employees at my office to sign up, they'll waive the joining fee; and (2) Get some training for my horse and me to get her tuned up after basically 5 years off for me to produce progeny.

@Mommy-O: When I used my EAP, I was able to do the referral part online. Once I'd picked a counselor, I got a case number and contact information and then it was just a matter of setting up an appointment.

[doublejen]

I'm delurking to participate in this challenge. I was too much of a wimp to participate in the first one, so I'm really glad there's another one!

Physical - I just had a positive pregnancy test (yay!) and I also just started running again (which I stopped doing over 2 years ago, while pregnant with #1). I want to keep up with running three times a week (and I even signed up for a 5K in late June as motivation!). I do not want to gain as much weight with this pregnancy as I did with the last one, and I want to stay fit so that delivery and recovery are easier this time around.

Mental - like many of you, I haven't devoted much time to reading, which I used to love. I also just finished an online course for which I didn't do all the reading. So my goal is to spend at least 15 minutes each day reading - first, finishing up the coursework, and then reading something for me. Yay!

Thanks, Moxie, for inspiring me.

[Amy]

Argh- computer ate my more voluminous post. In short:

PHYSICAL: Do T-Tapp 15 min owrkout 5 x per week.

MENTAL: Spend a few minutes every day (probably at night) thinking about my 'positive' self and which situations I handled from a positive perspective and which ones could have been handled better had I not met them with my sometimes, needlessly negative thought process.

Good luck all. Very much looking forward to doing the challenge together!

[JB]

p.s. BabyBrady -- my blog (linked) is a book blog, with pages for the lists of books I've read and enjoyed. I'm sure you can find something, and I LOVE to give recommendations -- it was my favorite part of working in a bookstore some years ago, and I still love to tailor recommendations to people's taste. Email me if you want, and I'll see if I can find you something non-kid-related that you'll love!

[DC Ranger]

Yay! I'm thrilled with the timing of this, since it ends right before my son's 2nd birthday, and it gives me great motivation to try to lose some of my pregnancy weight that's been hanging around for the last couple of years. So:

Physical: I'm going to attempt a 14-day T-Tapp challenge, then switch over to an every other day schedule.

Emotional/Mental: Take some time each day, even if it's just 15 minutes, to play in my crafts room with all my lovely rubber stamping and coloring supplies. I've been spending way too much time reading other people's stamping/scrapbooking blogs and very little time actually creating stuff myself, even though I adore it and really get in the flow when I start working on something.

[caramama]

Yeah, Moxie!! I'm so excited to work on more goals!

Physical - My physical will be to eat 3 servings of veggies or fruit every day. This will be a hard, but worthwhile, goal for me. Three is a good number to start with for me.

Spiritual - I'm not sure if everyone will consider this spiritual, but I do. I'm going to start charting my fertility cycle every day again. It is spiritual because we are getting close to TTC again, and I think doing this will help me get the rest of the way mentally prepared for the TTC/possible fertility treatment/pregnancy/new baby stages again.

For those with a goal of more sex, I thought I'd link to my post about getting in the mood again. One person said it was helpful when I linked last challenge, so maybe it will help someone this time: http://caramamamia.blogspot.com/2008/02/im-in-mood-for-love.html

enu - I've been thinking about you! I hope you are doing okay through everything.

Shannon - From what I understand, there are many meds to try until you find the one(s) that works right for you. But have you considered light therapy? I've used it for years for my Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I hear it can work for other types of depression and can work in conjunction with meds (as I'll try out next fall). You may want to look into it. If you want more information, you can email me.

BabyBrady - I don't know if it's your type of book, but the book American Gods by Neil Gaimen is one I read many years ago and still rave about and recommend to everyone, even those who don't typically read that genre of books. I also review books I'm reading on my blog (and am about to start a blog just for my reviews, once I have time to set it up).

doublejen - Congrats on the pregnancy!

[Foster]

Congratulations, DoubleJen!!

My two things are going to be eating at least two servings of veggies per day (white potatoes do not count) and reading from the Bible every day (length of passage does not matter). These are two things that I hate to do but really need to.

[Girl Jen]

Physical - Ride my bike to work every work day, unless it is too dangerous (not just unpleasant) due to weather. Add one longer ride per week.

Mental - Clear off the kitchen table and have dinner as a family at least twice a week.

[Katie B.]

Congratulations doublejen!

Since I will be having my baby right smack in the middle of this, I had to think pretty hard about what I could do that I want/need to do, that I can keep up reasonably with a newborn.

Physical: I seriously need to get back into the habit of dental care. I had been doing well on my prescribed regimen, even through moving, only to slip up in the last month because of (get this) running out of toothpaste. Well, I can only tolerate about one flavor these days, and we no longer live right up the street from the only store I know of around here that carries it, so... Anyway. No more excuses! and I started already this morning. :)

Mental: Journaling some every day, and not just in comments on other people's blogs - must be either traditional journaling on paper (I even have a good Moleskine for it), a tarot reading (which is usually a good excuse for journaling), or a blog post. I think this will be very important for me at this time of huge transition, both for my mental health and for being able to look back at it from the future.

Good luck to everyone!

[ritchiegal]

physical: eat according to "plan" 18 out of 21 meals per week

emotional/spiritual: write in journal 10 minutes every night

[Mommy-O]

OK, I want to change my goals...just kidding.

Thanks everyone for your input about EAP. I feel more comfortable contacting them and, as a friend of mine pointed out, I can always go the dr. route if the EAP route doesn't work out. I am going to contact them right now while my confidence is up.

@Abacaxi Mamao - wow, you are much more insightful than I was at 18. It's nice to know you are out there and being so proactive.

@BabyBrady - "Now I just feel like my brain is melting out my ears and that I can no longer have an intelligent conversation because I am so behind in keeping myself current or fulfilled." Yes, I feel this way too!
Don't know if this is possible for you or even something you would be interested in but I found taking a class in anything, intellectual or just for fun, helped a lot with my brain, social circle, and giving my husband time with the baby to appreciate what I do. I took a creative writing course after my daughter was born and I am doing a more work-related course now that I am home with my son. Good luck.

[Slim]

My physical challenge will be "Doing all the stuff my podiatrist wants me to do"

My mental/spiritual one was going to be "Not feeling like I'm totally decrepit just because I need a podiatrist," but I think I'm going to try to cut down on Internet-based procrastination via the Internet instead.

[flea]

I didn't officially do the last challenge, but I did work on 1) washing my face twice daily and 2) walking Dillo home from day care in the stroller instead of taking the bus (about a mile). I'm going to try to keep those up but also:

Physical: drink water consciously on the weekends. At work I keep my water bottle filled and do a great job but I get quite dehydrated at home. Easy solution: start using a water bottle at home, too.

Mental: Listen to my new guided meditation anti-stress and anxiety CD at least twice a week before bed. This will be a logistical challenge (no CD player in bedroom) and a routine challenge (current routine is wrangle children to bed using all possible willpower and then droop in front of internets) but so very necessary, because we are gearing up to move in ?July (to Athens, GA - anyone?) and buy our first house and OMG the stress and anxiety.

[liphovela]

1. No smoking. I very stupidly started smoking again when my son weaned after several years off. I've been fooling around with quitting since Jan 1. Enough already. Started this last week.

2. 10 minutes of meditation every morning when other people are asleep. Started this today.

[hedra]

@Mommy-O, I pre-screened by phone, then did an intial visit with my top 4 (at least for the BIG SCARY 'I'm not normal, help!' version - I didn't do the whole round with my latest round, as I had the prescreening help of the family friend that time, and the top person on my list was an instant mesh). My phone screen included some odd questions, my favorite being 'when you got your first box of 64 Crayola crayons, what did you do?' I crossed off anyone who said they didn't remember getting that box of crayons, and anyone who had an 'oh, nice, what else did I get?' reaction. That left me with four people who had visceral, personal, and physical reactions to the colors and smell of crayons. I figured they had to be able to understand something about how I relate to the world, and ... well, big box of crayolas and me is a good example. :)

Oh, and after the personal 'test visits', one nixed me (I wasn't nearly as critical-care as she preferred to work with'), and I nixed two - one because she was SOOOOOO impressed with me she could was nearly kowtowing, can't remember why on the other. The last one at the end of the first visit said, 'you tell great stories, but I'm not going to let that distract me from the work'. (YIKES, CAUGHT! YIKES! WOO! YIKES!)

Good luck! Good fit counts. Nothing worse than feeling like you've invested 6 weeks of your time and life and pain into something that is going noooooowhere.

BTW, my EAP folks were perfectly happy to have me call my list first, before getting into the full referral process. Hopefully yours are, too.

@DoubleJen, congrats! :)

[Jess]

This is great! Just what I needed...

Physical: Doing weight watchers on-line for the next 60 days. Don't have a lot to lose, but WW keeps me on track with water, veggies and portion control, too.

Also, I'm finally (a year after E. was born) getting back into running for real-- I've got a running buddy and have been back on the trail 3-4 days a week for several weeks. Now my goal is to train for a 20K on July 19th (2 days after my 32 birthday!)

Emotional/Spritual: Yoga! I used to do yoga and meditate several times a week before the baby...yesterday, I did yoga for the first time in months and months. My goal is 2x per week.

[Julie]

I am doing the couch to 5K program, so my physical goal will be to continue doing that. I'm currently on week four and still totally motivated to do it 3x per week. The podcasts really help motivate me, since I can just plug in and go and the guy in my earphones tells me when to start and stop running. After yesterday's run I ran a bit longer because I had it in me (and was not ready to go home and face a scremaing 2 1/2 year old, stressed out husband, and napwrestling.) It felt great. So that's my physical goal.

My mental goal will be to journal about my exercise. I find that I do better, I get more out of them and look forward to them more if I spend some time after my workouts writing about how good I feel and how I'm looking forward to the next one. It keeps my motivation level high and I think it was the missing element for me the last time.

And to borrow a page from potty training, I have a calendar set up for the next 60 days and I get a sticker for every day I meet my goals. I've been getting a sticker for the last 6 weeks or so and I've been pretty consistent when I know I will be putting another sticker on the chart. Go figure. I'm 37 and still motivated by stickers. Wheee!

[Jess]

Aargh. Computer ate my last post. Now I'm out of time-- good incentive to be brief:

1) physical: Weight Watchers on-line for 60 days. Also, train for a 20K race on July 19th (I'm already running, just looking for a goal to stay motivated.)

2) spiritual/emotional: yoga/meditation 2x per week.

Yay! I'm glad we're doing this!

[virgo]

Physical: get back into my pregnancy diet. Yes, that's right. I had gestational diabetes, and I ate better than I ever had in my life. Now, 4 months later I'm eating more like Homer Simpson again ("donuts, is there anything they can't do?"?).

Mental: just try and remain in the moment as much as possible, I guess by focusing on breathing and releasing tension as needed throughout the day.

@BabyBrady - I have found Karen Voight's exercise DVDs to be great. The one I like is a combo yoga & sculpting DVD http://www.karenvoight.com/store/dvd.asp?sku=YSDVD. The yoga routine is very easy to follow, and I like that you can choose to do just arms (a 5 minute routine), or just abs (10 minutes). I like to do both....all of a 15 minute workout, but it feels great.

Good luck all!