So I have reached Day Thirty.
For the past thirty days I have avoided eating anything that contains added sugar, and practiced juggling for at least half an hour.
How did I do?
Well, I had precisely three 'fail' days with the no sugar challenge (graduation ball dinner, the epic brownie, and the cast meal) and yet I don't think of myself as having failed the challenge at all. I think if I had the attitude of 'once you've broken the rules you've failed the challenge' I wouldn't have bothered to see it through till the end. It doesn't really matter what trip ups I have along the way, as long as the challenge has a positive outcome - which it has. I have been leading a much healthier lifestyle for the last month, I've lost weight, my skin has become super clear, my mood is fantastic and pretty darn consistent. I am a happier person for having done this challenge. So no, I don't see any failure here.
Similar situation with the juggling challenge. During my show week I had three days where I was simply too busy rehearsing and performing, so I didn't get my juggling time in. But I now have a new hobby which I love, and to be honest I will continue to practice it indefinitely! So skipping a few days here and there is not a problem. I can now say with confidence that I can do the 'cascade' (the basic juggling pattern) AND I am happy to announce that I am now moving on to juggling tricks and picking them up fairly well.
The whole point of these challenges is to bring positive changes to my life, and to not let the time just drift away. One month in, and I am healthier, happier and have a new skill! Achievement: unlocked.
So now these challenges are almost over: where do I go from here?
I have no doubt that I will keep juggling up, as I have become rather obsessive. The sugar thing is an interesting one. I have a little stash of chocolate and biscuits waiting for me, but I don't want to go straight back to binging! I shall try my best to spread them out. To be honest, the thing I'm most looking forward to is a bit of toast!
I also return to work at a chocolate themed attraction tomorrow, where I will be surrounded by temptation. It's going to be tough to not return to old habits. The truth is, I would love to keep cutting sugar out, just with a few exceptions. I don't want to worry about it when I go out for a meal, for example, because it cuts out most of the menu options. And I can't say I never want another pudding! But I do want to take this new, healthier lifestyle forward because the benefits of it are just outstanding. I think the best thing for me to do is try my best to keep this new habit up most of the time, and if it all spirals out of control I shall simply have to go cold turkey again! One thing I do know, this challenge has completely changed my attitude to food. I now know that biscuits, although delicious, won't really make me happy.
And of course, looking forward, I have had to think about what my next challenge will be. And I shall be announcing that tomorrow! Very exited to be adding more positive experiences to my life.
Here's to my final day of this challenge, and to forming new habits!
Monday, 30 June 2014
Wednesday, 25 June 2014
What I learned on my day off.
So, on sunday the cast of my uni show and I all got together and had a cast meal. Here is what it looked like:
And that's not even all of it! The mains were sweet potato chilli, fish pie, honey and mustard chicken, and of course my director's famous pulled pork. And as you can see, many beautiful side dishes. And THEN there were two options for pudding: lemon cake and banoffee pie.
Needless to say I gave myself the day off from my challenge!
And this is what I learned:
1. I can still eat horrendous amounts of food. Despite the fact that I was actually in pain, I kept getting up for more because it tasted so damn good. I'm pretty sure I ate the most, with a grand total of three savoury platefuls and two portions of both puddings! So I have proved to myself that my monster appetite can come back any time it likes.
2. The sudden amount of sugar was a shock to the system. I wasn't sure what exactly did it, but something I had early on in the meal affected me quite badly! I think it may have been the white bread or the pulled pork. My stomach was in agony, it completely cramped up. Then, later on in the day I was waaaaaay too hyper. Sugar does interesting things to you.
3. Pudding makes me hungry again. I knew this already from past experiences, but this was my final proof. I ate so much of the savoury food I was ready to explode, and then I helped myself to lemon cake and bannoffee pie (both are amongst my favourite puddings ever!) and suddenly I didn't feel so full anymore. Which made no sense as I had just piled massive amounts of fat and sugar into my tum. I went back for more in the end, and my second pudding portion was as big as the first!
4. I can easily regain self control. In the past I would have gone 'in for a penny, in for a pound' and spent the rest of the day indulging, but as soon as the meal was over I went back to my routine, and it hasn't felt any harder since. So now I know that when I do indulge, it doesn't have to completely change my habits. It really can just be a treat.
Some positives and negatives, enough to make me think of trying to keep this no sugar thing up most of the time, with the occasional indulgence. We shall see how strong my resolve is at the end of the month.
Only five more days!
And that's not even all of it! The mains were sweet potato chilli, fish pie, honey and mustard chicken, and of course my director's famous pulled pork. And as you can see, many beautiful side dishes. And THEN there were two options for pudding: lemon cake and banoffee pie.
Needless to say I gave myself the day off from my challenge!
And this is what I learned:
1. I can still eat horrendous amounts of food. Despite the fact that I was actually in pain, I kept getting up for more because it tasted so damn good. I'm pretty sure I ate the most, with a grand total of three savoury platefuls and two portions of both puddings! So I have proved to myself that my monster appetite can come back any time it likes.
2. The sudden amount of sugar was a shock to the system. I wasn't sure what exactly did it, but something I had early on in the meal affected me quite badly! I think it may have been the white bread or the pulled pork. My stomach was in agony, it completely cramped up. Then, later on in the day I was waaaaaay too hyper. Sugar does interesting things to you.
3. Pudding makes me hungry again. I knew this already from past experiences, but this was my final proof. I ate so much of the savoury food I was ready to explode, and then I helped myself to lemon cake and bannoffee pie (both are amongst my favourite puddings ever!) and suddenly I didn't feel so full anymore. Which made no sense as I had just piled massive amounts of fat and sugar into my tum. I went back for more in the end, and my second pudding portion was as big as the first!
4. I can easily regain self control. In the past I would have gone 'in for a penny, in for a pound' and spent the rest of the day indulging, but as soon as the meal was over I went back to my routine, and it hasn't felt any harder since. So now I know that when I do indulge, it doesn't have to completely change my habits. It really can just be a treat.
Some positives and negatives, enough to make me think of trying to keep this no sugar thing up most of the time, with the occasional indulgence. We shall see how strong my resolve is at the end of the month.
Only five more days!
Friday, 20 June 2014
Five Reasons why Juggling is Awesome
Ok, so I think it's about time I did a blog post about my juggling challenge.
I'm gonna start out by saying this: I am not a good juggler. Some people are blessed with great hand eye co ordination and can juggle pretty darn well after a few practices. I am not. I am not a natural juggler at all. And the fact that I'm improving quite slowly can be very frustrating sometimes. Still, knowing that I am (slowly but surely) becoming a good juggler despite the fact that it doesn't come naturally to me makes it even more rewarding.
And so without further ado - here are my Five Reasons why Juggling is Awesome (aside from this guy of course)
1. It's a cool skill that not everyone can do.
Everyone likes to be a little bit different don't they? And having juggling under your belt is definitely something that can set you apart from other people. I personally only have a few friends who can juggle, and I have been in complete awe of them for it. And now some people are in awe of me and that feels pretty good!
2. It's a happy activity.
Ok this might not apply to absolutely everybody (my friend gets very angry whenever she attempts juggling) but for me at least, juggling brings out all sorts of happy feelings. Maybe its the little moments of triumph when I manage to keep it going longer than before. Maybe it's the mild exercise sending happy signals to my brain. Maybe it's simply the pretty colours flying around. Whatever it is, juggling makes me feel relaxed, calm and happy. Doing half an hour a day hasn't been a chore at all. In fact most days I think I've clocked much more time than that!
3. It's a great conversation starter.
Now that the weather has picked up I've started practicing outside. Just this morning I had to wait for a doctors appointment I was early for, so I went into the field outside and practiced. Within the twenty minutes I was there, two strangers separately came up to me and asked me about it, and I had a lovely chat with each of them. That's enough to put a smile on your face for the day. I'm pretty sure one of them is going to give it a go himself, so it seems I have inspired someone today!
4. It keeps you active.
No, it's not hardcore exercise, but the difference between sitting on the sofa watching tv and standing up and having a juggling session is huge. Staying lightly active throughout the day is very important for a healthy body, and this is a great way to do it. It's fun, it doesn't feel like work, and it does wonders for you.
5. Arm cardio!
I think I may have made this term up. I don't know if 'arm cardio' is really a thing. But never mind. Obviously, if you're looking to get serious tone in your arms then lifting weights, push ups etc are the way forward. But I myself have noticed that my arms are looking slimmer and more defined - and the only thing I can put this down to is juggling. So yeah - cardio for your arms! Can't be a bad thing.
And that's all I've got to say about juggling today, all positive stuff! I highly recommend giving it a go.
Only ten days left - let's see how good I can get!
I'm gonna start out by saying this: I am not a good juggler. Some people are blessed with great hand eye co ordination and can juggle pretty darn well after a few practices. I am not. I am not a natural juggler at all. And the fact that I'm improving quite slowly can be very frustrating sometimes. Still, knowing that I am (slowly but surely) becoming a good juggler despite the fact that it doesn't come naturally to me makes it even more rewarding.
And so without further ado - here are my Five Reasons why Juggling is Awesome (aside from this guy of course)
1. It's a cool skill that not everyone can do.
Everyone likes to be a little bit different don't they? And having juggling under your belt is definitely something that can set you apart from other people. I personally only have a few friends who can juggle, and I have been in complete awe of them for it. And now some people are in awe of me and that feels pretty good!
2. It's a happy activity.
Ok this might not apply to absolutely everybody (my friend gets very angry whenever she attempts juggling) but for me at least, juggling brings out all sorts of happy feelings. Maybe its the little moments of triumph when I manage to keep it going longer than before. Maybe it's the mild exercise sending happy signals to my brain. Maybe it's simply the pretty colours flying around. Whatever it is, juggling makes me feel relaxed, calm and happy. Doing half an hour a day hasn't been a chore at all. In fact most days I think I've clocked much more time than that!
3. It's a great conversation starter.
Now that the weather has picked up I've started practicing outside. Just this morning I had to wait for a doctors appointment I was early for, so I went into the field outside and practiced. Within the twenty minutes I was there, two strangers separately came up to me and asked me about it, and I had a lovely chat with each of them. That's enough to put a smile on your face for the day. I'm pretty sure one of them is going to give it a go himself, so it seems I have inspired someone today!
4. It keeps you active.
No, it's not hardcore exercise, but the difference between sitting on the sofa watching tv and standing up and having a juggling session is huge. Staying lightly active throughout the day is very important for a healthy body, and this is a great way to do it. It's fun, it doesn't feel like work, and it does wonders for you.
5. Arm cardio!
I think I may have made this term up. I don't know if 'arm cardio' is really a thing. But never mind. Obviously, if you're looking to get serious tone in your arms then lifting weights, push ups etc are the way forward. But I myself have noticed that my arms are looking slimmer and more defined - and the only thing I can put this down to is juggling. So yeah - cardio for your arms! Can't be a bad thing.
And that's all I've got to say about juggling today, all positive stuff! I highly recommend giving it a go.
Only ten days left - let's see how good I can get!
Sunday, 15 June 2014
'You're Glowing'
Despite the fact that it is usually something you hear when a few months pregnant - the phrase 'you're glowing' is always a nice thing to hear. And lately my friends have been full of compliments.
Now I am a firm believer that when you're happy on the inside it shows on the outside, and happiness is a beautiful thing. It really does make you glow. I have so many reasons to be happy: great friends, awesome uni course, beautiful family. Recently however I do feel a lot more relaxed, content and all round happy. I feel this aura of positivity all around me and it seems to have come from nowhere, but people are definitely noticing.
I think it's no coincidence that this mood has arrived during this month.
Since cutting out sugar I have had zero sluggish moods (unless I've been sleep deprived!) and I'm full of energy. I feel so much lighter on my feet, I'm more focused and active, my skin is clearer, I've lost weight without torturing myself, and I really don't miss the snacks as much as I thought I would. In short, I feel fantastic, inside and out. People often underestimate how much their diet effects their moods. I have seen first hand how miserable a poor diet can make people, and now I am experiencing how good a healthy diet can make you feel. And, whilst I will of course be rewarding myself with some chocolate and ice cream when this is over, I really think this feeling is enough to put me off going back to binging on sugary snacks. I would take being this happy over cake any day of the week.
And of course, there's juggling. Juggling is actually used as a therapy. It is proven to help people become happier. The action itself is fun, rewarding and quite akin to meditation in the sense that it really focuses your mind and helps you to feel clearer in the head. The long term benefits are even better: a sense of achievement and pride, acquiring a skill that many people can't do, and for me it gives me a sense of moving forward. I am improving (in very small amounts!) every day, and so no matter what else I have done that day, I have the fact that I am moving forward with this skill, and that feels great. I have been known in the past to start up tasks, learning the violin for example, and then drop them. I have never been very good at persevering with things like that. This challenge is teaching me the value of sticking with tasks and feeling the sense of reward as you get better and better. It's giving me a lot of drive. I hope to apply this discovery to many other aspects of my life and acquire many more skills along the way.
Seriously, both of these challenges are making me feel great. And that feeling makes it all completely worth it.
Fifteen days to go! Halfway there :)
Now I am a firm believer that when you're happy on the inside it shows on the outside, and happiness is a beautiful thing. It really does make you glow. I have so many reasons to be happy: great friends, awesome uni course, beautiful family. Recently however I do feel a lot more relaxed, content and all round happy. I feel this aura of positivity all around me and it seems to have come from nowhere, but people are definitely noticing.
I think it's no coincidence that this mood has arrived during this month.
Since cutting out sugar I have had zero sluggish moods (unless I've been sleep deprived!) and I'm full of energy. I feel so much lighter on my feet, I'm more focused and active, my skin is clearer, I've lost weight without torturing myself, and I really don't miss the snacks as much as I thought I would. In short, I feel fantastic, inside and out. People often underestimate how much their diet effects their moods. I have seen first hand how miserable a poor diet can make people, and now I am experiencing how good a healthy diet can make you feel. And, whilst I will of course be rewarding myself with some chocolate and ice cream when this is over, I really think this feeling is enough to put me off going back to binging on sugary snacks. I would take being this happy over cake any day of the week.
And of course, there's juggling. Juggling is actually used as a therapy. It is proven to help people become happier. The action itself is fun, rewarding and quite akin to meditation in the sense that it really focuses your mind and helps you to feel clearer in the head. The long term benefits are even better: a sense of achievement and pride, acquiring a skill that many people can't do, and for me it gives me a sense of moving forward. I am improving (in very small amounts!) every day, and so no matter what else I have done that day, I have the fact that I am moving forward with this skill, and that feels great. I have been known in the past to start up tasks, learning the violin for example, and then drop them. I have never been very good at persevering with things like that. This challenge is teaching me the value of sticking with tasks and feeling the sense of reward as you get better and better. It's giving me a lot of drive. I hope to apply this discovery to many other aspects of my life and acquire many more skills along the way.
Seriously, both of these challenges are making me feel great. And that feeling makes it all completely worth it.
Fifteen days to go! Halfway there :)
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Oh how the mighty have fallen...
I ate a brownie.
At first the guilt was consuming, but this is my defence:
I was offered a cherry cheesecake brownie from the director of the show I am currently in. She has been a finalist on MasterChef so I knew it would be amazing. I asked her for the recipe and she revealed that she had made it up, the recipe was not re creatable so this was a once in a lifetime brownie. I also really didn't want to reject a treat from my director! I was terrified of offending her!
So yes. I ate a brownie.
However:
In the past I would have held a 'well it's over now' attitude and I would have gorged on treats. Not this time. I simply got straight back on the horse and continued with my challenge. True, I won't have really completed it for a full thirty days in a row, but when I think about all of the reasons I wanted to do this challenge in the first place, the brownie doesn't seem like such a big deal.
Dramatically cut added sugar out of my diet - check
Feel healthier for it - check
Drop my snacking habits - check
That last point is the most important, and they say it takes thirty days to make or break a habit, so that is why I wanted to do this for thirty days. But despite my slip up I think I am still achieving this. At first, my instant craving after lunch and dinner was to eat a sugary snack. Now, after just ten days, I am finding that I either crave nothing at all, or a bit of fruit. I genuinely don't fancy chocolate all that much. I thought the brownie would ruin this, but actually because it was a 'treat' rather than one of my 'habit foods', it didn't affect me too much. It was an out-of-the-ordinary snack. I think if I'd had a chocolate bar from the vending machine, that would have been much more detrimental to my progress, as I would have gone straight back into my habits. But because the brownie was something I would have very rarely anyway, that didn't happen.
One brownie in ten days - still an improvement on my old habits.
So I'm still feeling pretty positive and won't be punishing myself too much over it. There is one more inevitable slip up to come - a communal cast meal to which my director will be bringing pulled pork! Short of not going to the meal at all (which again is an opportunity I won't get again in this lifetime) there is really no way for me to avoid sugar on that occasion. I'm not missing the meal because that's craziness, so alas I shall have to fall short on this challenge. But like I said, I'm getting what I want from it and that's the most important thing!
Onwards and Upwards! Twenty days to go.
At first the guilt was consuming, but this is my defence:
I was offered a cherry cheesecake brownie from the director of the show I am currently in. She has been a finalist on MasterChef so I knew it would be amazing. I asked her for the recipe and she revealed that she had made it up, the recipe was not re creatable so this was a once in a lifetime brownie. I also really didn't want to reject a treat from my director! I was terrified of offending her!
So yes. I ate a brownie.
However:
In the past I would have held a 'well it's over now' attitude and I would have gorged on treats. Not this time. I simply got straight back on the horse and continued with my challenge. True, I won't have really completed it for a full thirty days in a row, but when I think about all of the reasons I wanted to do this challenge in the first place, the brownie doesn't seem like such a big deal.
Dramatically cut added sugar out of my diet - check
Feel healthier for it - check
Drop my snacking habits - check
That last point is the most important, and they say it takes thirty days to make or break a habit, so that is why I wanted to do this for thirty days. But despite my slip up I think I am still achieving this. At first, my instant craving after lunch and dinner was to eat a sugary snack. Now, after just ten days, I am finding that I either crave nothing at all, or a bit of fruit. I genuinely don't fancy chocolate all that much. I thought the brownie would ruin this, but actually because it was a 'treat' rather than one of my 'habit foods', it didn't affect me too much. It was an out-of-the-ordinary snack. I think if I'd had a chocolate bar from the vending machine, that would have been much more detrimental to my progress, as I would have gone straight back into my habits. But because the brownie was something I would have very rarely anyway, that didn't happen.
One brownie in ten days - still an improvement on my old habits.
So I'm still feeling pretty positive and won't be punishing myself too much over it. There is one more inevitable slip up to come - a communal cast meal to which my director will be bringing pulled pork! Short of not going to the meal at all (which again is an opportunity I won't get again in this lifetime) there is really no way for me to avoid sugar on that occasion. I'm not missing the meal because that's craziness, so alas I shall have to fall short on this challenge. But like I said, I'm getting what I want from it and that's the most important thing!
Onwards and Upwards! Twenty days to go.
Monday, 9 June 2014
Failure or Triumph?
Well on Saturday I had my first big test: Grad Ball.
I'd paid for my grad ball ticket a while ago and included in the price was a three course meal. When I started this challenge I knew that grad ball day would mean inevitable failure. My starter was tomato soup and my main course was covered in the sweetest gravy I have ever had: thus added sugar will have been consumed. However, the real challenge was the pudding...
I candy buffet completed with a huge chocolate fountain.
For a sweet tooth like me, a dream come true.
So I got through my starter and main course, slightly annoyed that this meant I couldn't complete my challenge to perfection, and then it was time for pudding.
I walked over to the table, greeted with a massive selection of pick&mix classics, as well as mini donuts, profiterolls, fudge and turkish delight.
I was positively salivating.
And so I picked up a plate, and helped myself to a large serving of....
Fruit.
Yes, I managed to do what I thought was impossible, and completely sideline all the sugary goodness in front of me in favour of a plate of strawberries, grapes, melon, banana and pineapple.
And it was delicious.
I was and still am very proud of myself. Especially as the next day while all my friends were nursing their hangovers with biscuits I was sticking to my punnet of grapes. I made it past the pudding with success, grace and dignity and I feel absofrigglinglutely fantastic for it.
So whilst I have slipped up a little, I think my success on the pudding resisting front is enough for me to say I am still doing pretty damn well on this challenge.
Congratulations to me.
I was and still am very proud of myself. Especially as the next day while all my friends were nursing their hangovers with biscuits I was sticking to my punnet of grapes. I made it past the pudding with success, grace and dignity and I feel absofrigglinglutely fantastic for it.
So whilst I have slipped up a little, I think my success on the pudding resisting front is enough for me to say I am still doing pretty damn well on this challenge.
Congratulations to me.
On another note - the juggling is coming along nicely. Some days are better than others, and of course as soon as no one is watching me I become some kind of juggling champion, and then when someone looks over I immediately drop the balls. But practice makes perfect as they say, so let's hope I keep improving!
Twenty One days to go.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Sugar. Sugar everywhere...
When I started this challenge of no added sugar for thirty
days I thought the hardest thing would be chocolate. It’s my favourite thing
and I would gladly eat it morning noon and night. But cutting out sugar means
so much more than cutting out chocolate and biscuits. Sugar is EVERYWHERE. The
thing is; I knew this already. I knew cutting out added sugar would mean cutting
out 99% of processed food, but I think the reality of it is just starting to
sink in.
Today on the bus I passed our local takeaway and thought ‘my
god, I could really do with a pizza sometime soon’ – and it hit me that the
only way I’m having pizza in the next few weeks is if I make it myself. Now I
make a mean pizza, but it ain’t the addictive heavy greasefest we all need now
and again. But like I said, added sugar is everywhere, and the only way to
avoid it is to make nearly everything from scratch. I had a big panic this
morning that my soy milk I have every day in smoothies would have added sugar
in it, but I was lucky! Aside from that, I can’t really buy anything in a
packet.
Of course, you can always seek out the 'no added sugar' products - thank the lord for sugar free peanut butter. And when I eventually do feel like if I don't have chocolate I will die, I can always get these babies (so, so good) but a lot of them do come at a bit of an extra cost.
Ultimately, the fact that I have to cut out most processed
food is a good thing. I don’t think there can be any better diet than this.
Pretty much everything bad for you has sugar in it, so cutting out sugar means
cutting out most ‘evil’ foods. I’m already feeling rather light on my feet! At
this stage, it’s probably not weight loss, but the fact that I’m not feeling
that sluggish heavy feeling you get after a sugary snack. Still, it’s a good
feeling! So for anyone out there that wants to feel a little bit better on the
inside (and get a little trimmer on the outside) I would definitely recommend doing
this challenge. Sugar is the enemy!
Let’s just hope I can keep that positive attitude for the next twenty six days…
Let’s just hope I can keep that positive attitude for the next twenty six days…
Sunday, 1 June 2014
Day One...
Something I am hearing all the time while I am at university is 'Challenge Yourself'. Now that specifically is referring to my coursework, but recently I have started to realise (the horror) education isn't everything. When I leave university I am going to be a real person, not just another member of an institution by which I define my life. Oh shit.
And I've realised that 'Challenge Yourself' is something that we should keep doing. Forever. We should never be completely satisfied with ourselves, because when you get to that point, you might as well stop. But let's face it, months and years can pass by where you don't feel like your challenging yourself at all.
My whole life I have thrown myself into my education and taken from it as much as I can, but it's getting to the point that I'm realising there's so much more I could be doing to make my own life more interesting, more fun, just... more. No one wants to feel like a boring person. If I'm honest with myself, I have very few special skills, I haven't done that much, and I don't know a lot about the world. And I think I want to change that.
I have been completely inspired by This Ted Talk. It's all about setting yourself different thirty day challenges. Basically, in encourages you to start doing stuff. It's really simple, pick something to do (or not to do) and do it for thirty days. It will give you new experiences, new topics of conversation, new skills and maybe even new perspectives. Sounds like exactly what I need right now.
This guy has completely changed through doing these challenges, for the better. As he himself says he 'went from desk dwelling computer nerd to the kind of person who bikes to work - for fun'. He wrote a freaking novel (I think we all know what my November challenge will be - definitely jumping on that band wagon)
"The next thirty days are going to pass, whether you like it or not."
Recently I've been filled with a fear that I am simply not doing enough with my life. I want to experience more, I want to bring more into the conversations. Ultimately, I want to be a more interesting person.
So now it is time for my first challenge....
Ok so I'm actually starting with two. They say not to overdo it but I think these two compliment each other pretty well.
Eat no refined sugar for thirty days.
Practice juggling for at least half an hour every day for thirty days.
What do these two things have to do with each other? Well first of all, I just couldn't decide between them. It's summer soon and I need to take some kind of dieting action right now before it's too late. Sugar is my downfall and therefore the most obvious thing to tackle. On the other hand, I have just recently become obsessed with juggling and it seems it would be wise to strike while the iron is hot. What to do....
Then I realised. If I am to get through this no sugar challenge then I will NEED a distraction. Juggling can be said distraction. It works really well. Juggling does actually make people happy - it's used as a therapy. So I'm going to kill two birds with one stone and use the juggling challenge to distract me from my much harder challenge of cutting out my favourite foods in the world.
And this starts today.
Wish me luck!
And I've realised that 'Challenge Yourself' is something that we should keep doing. Forever. We should never be completely satisfied with ourselves, because when you get to that point, you might as well stop. But let's face it, months and years can pass by where you don't feel like your challenging yourself at all.
My whole life I have thrown myself into my education and taken from it as much as I can, but it's getting to the point that I'm realising there's so much more I could be doing to make my own life more interesting, more fun, just... more. No one wants to feel like a boring person. If I'm honest with myself, I have very few special skills, I haven't done that much, and I don't know a lot about the world. And I think I want to change that.
I have been completely inspired by This Ted Talk. It's all about setting yourself different thirty day challenges. Basically, in encourages you to start doing stuff. It's really simple, pick something to do (or not to do) and do it for thirty days. It will give you new experiences, new topics of conversation, new skills and maybe even new perspectives. Sounds like exactly what I need right now.
This guy has completely changed through doing these challenges, for the better. As he himself says he 'went from desk dwelling computer nerd to the kind of person who bikes to work - for fun'. He wrote a freaking novel (I think we all know what my November challenge will be - definitely jumping on that band wagon)
"The next thirty days are going to pass, whether you like it or not."
Recently I've been filled with a fear that I am simply not doing enough with my life. I want to experience more, I want to bring more into the conversations. Ultimately, I want to be a more interesting person.
So now it is time for my first challenge....
Ok so I'm actually starting with two. They say not to overdo it but I think these two compliment each other pretty well.
Eat no refined sugar for thirty days.
Practice juggling for at least half an hour every day for thirty days.
What do these two things have to do with each other? Well first of all, I just couldn't decide between them. It's summer soon and I need to take some kind of dieting action right now before it's too late. Sugar is my downfall and therefore the most obvious thing to tackle. On the other hand, I have just recently become obsessed with juggling and it seems it would be wise to strike while the iron is hot. What to do....
Then I realised. If I am to get through this no sugar challenge then I will NEED a distraction. Juggling can be said distraction. It works really well. Juggling does actually make people happy - it's used as a therapy. So I'm going to kill two birds with one stone and use the juggling challenge to distract me from my much harder challenge of cutting out my favourite foods in the world.
And this starts today.
Wish me luck!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)