The Photo Diary Challenge

Happy Easter Everybody!

I didn't really announce this challenge and I am now six days in, but actually I think it's worked out quite well because now I have something to show you.

I was looking at this list of challenges that accompanies the ted talk that inspired me to start this whole thing. It was good to look at it again. I wish I had looked more because there are some on the list that I wish I had tried this year, but never mind I have forever to try them :) Some I think I am not quite brave enough for (talking to a stranger everyday for example!) but maybe that's a good reason to do them.

Anyway, I had a scan and I saw 'take a photo every day' and I thought brilliant! I can put my new camera phone to good use! It also reminded me of the 365 day photo challenge I see on facebook, which I really like. I think it's a really nice way for people to share their lives with eachother and also get a little creative. Then I saw 'keep a journal' - something I attempted to do in my youth but never stuck with, and I thought why not. So I've combined the two and I am doing a photo diary each day.

Here are the rules:

No Selfies

This is not me saying I hate selfies. Far from it. I think selfies are good fun. But I just don't want to use them in this challenge because I want it to be 'look at what I've seen and experienced today' not 'look at me with this cool thing'. So no selfies. And also, I have to take the photos myself, so basically I am not going to be in the photos.

The Journal Section is Not for Public Reading

I may occasionally post some extracts on here, but I'm being very careful when I write the journal NOT to think of it as something someone else is going to read. Over this year, this blog has essentially become my journal, but obviously when I write it I'm writing it for other people to read. This is just for me. Now, as a fairly open person, I don't have any deep and dark secrets that I desperately need to confess to a journal. However I want to see if there is anything in having a little written self reflection every day. I'm actually fairly cynical on the idea (which I don't think most people would expect!) I'm really not sure if there's much use or good in keeping a journal, but I have never really done it regularly, so I'm putting it to the test.

And so, here is my photo of the week: Which is actually todays photo, because I wanted to share with you the madness of easter in my house.

Ok. So basically, we are big children and my mum is one too. And she loves buying us this stuff. Like, she really goes in on it. We get more now than when we were little (because let's face it giving a kid this amount of chocolate would be a baaaaad idea.

There are three piles, me, my sister, and our lovely friend Ailish who we've known since we were babies and we spend nearly every easter with. Usually the piles would be identical but this year there is one hilarious difference. Because I loved my no sugar challenge so much, I have committed to it for a full year now. Which means no chocolate today. So that pile on the right, full of fruit and nuts and nakd bars, is for me. I love my mum. She is actually the greatest person.

Hope you all have a lovely easter, and I'll post some more photos soon!

Twenty four days to go

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New Year's Resolution and a New Challenge!

Happy New Year every body!

Of course, New Year is classically a time to be making resolutions, and of course I will be making one. Reflecting back over my challenges, two in particular have made a huge impression on me: Giving Up Sugar and Meditation. Meditation has been something I've managed to keep up fairly well. Especially with the help of Headspace, a meditation website I have found really helpful. Keeping off sugar, however, has been a lot harder. So I've decided to make it my new years resolution. This time I am going to attempt not one month, but a whole year of no added sugar!

The rules are going to be slightly different this time. In June I was really really strict. This time I'm going to be slightly looser on a couple of things. For the sake of saving money, I'm allowing myself stuff like cheaper peanut butter, which has a very small amount of sugar in, rather than forking out for the sugar free stuff. For these kind products I'm going to make sure it's only about a gram of sugar per serving, so it really is minimum. I'm also going to be more lenient when eating out. In June I only ate chips as they were the only thing I could guarantee to be sugar free! This time I am going to allow myself proper meals in restaurants, but I will still avoid things like pizza and burgers, as I know they almost always have added sugar.

The thing I am going to be more strict on is puddings. Last time I made allowances for a very delicious brownie. This time, no matter how special the occasion, (and no matter who has made the brownie!) I am going to resist proper sugary products. I think this is going to be pretty easy except for birthdays and Christmas, but I shall cross that bridge when I come to it!

So that's my New Years Resolution - on day four now and feeling better for it already! Especially after gorging this Christmas!

Now for this months challenge. I've been a bit naughty and not started yet as I was really enjoying my holiday, but I'm going to start it today and just run into February a bit! I haven't done a practicing a skill challenge since the summer, and I really enjoy those, so I've decided that this is the month for practicing my Violin!

I learned how to play the violin when I was younger, but gave it up (which I really regret!) Last year I got a Violin, but I haven't been practicing as much as I should. I think it's because I'm a bit frustrated that I've forgotten so much, so it's not such a pleasure to play at the moment. But the only way I'm going to improve is to practive! It's time to force myself.

So I am going to commit to half an hour of violin practice every day. Hopefully I will see some improvement that way and rediscover my love for the instrument!

Here it goes!

Continuing the Journey

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!