Well. August was a bit nuts.
Not counting the trip to France (which was awesome, by the way), some crazy stuff is happening, including, but not limited to:
1) The farm we're living on being sold and us needing to find a new house. This is actually an old development, but I didn't mention it before because... well... how hard could it be? The answer is... very. Long story as to how or why, involving politics which I'm contractually obligated to refrain from discussing in public (yes, really)... but right now, everyone is trying to sell their property and no one's buying. But it also means that no one is renting out.
2) A business idea I've had that has been languishing on the back burner for almost two years suddenly came back to life after a few things simply fell into place.
3) My ganglion cyst basically requiring me to learn to type again so I would stop flexing my wrist.
Despite this, I didn't do too bad with the goals I set for August:
1) Prepare for my upcoming trip to France.
Obviously done.
2) Find enough CPs for Book 3.
Done for now. Got four CPs, which I think will be enough for this revision round.
3) Start working on another manuscript while I rest Book 3/wait for CPs.
Not done for two reasons. 1) I simply didn't have time. 2) I couldn't type for most of early September, which means I was behind on everything when I came back. (See point #1)
4) Clear as much as possible from my contract work to-do list before I leave for France on August 9th.
The ganglion shot this one clear to hell. Along with the fact that prepping to go to France was a lot more involved than anticipated.
5) Finish two more bookmarks before I leave.
Didn't do this. Same reasons.
6) Have a great time in France.
Done. It was amazing.
What I want to do in September:
This is tricky for me. I thought things would be calmer once I returned from France, but instead it feels like my mind is being torn in twenty directions at the same time.
1) Sort out my schedule so I don't fall behind on my contract work again this month.
2) Complete the tasks required of me for the above-mentioned business.
3) Move house.
4) Critique the manuscript I received from one of my CPs.
5) Workshop a story idea that I created with a buddy years ago.
6) Continue to actively change my lifestyle to be healthier.
Yeah. That last one needs some explanation. The one less than awesome thing about my France trip was when I noticed that I no longer look like myself in my photos. I was bloated, mostly ashen despite makeup (Not pale. I'm always pale because I have a very fair skin. No... I'm talking about the fact that I look slightly gray.) And... well. Let's just say it. I'm overweight. Dangerously. Class II obese.
So yeah. Last time I talked about this, I got more than a few well-meaning comments that I'm not fat and I shouldn't call myself that. But.
At 29, I shouldn't be thinking that at the rate I'm going, I won't be able to move. Also. I have heart disease, diabetes, and cancer risks as well as back and hip problems because of my family history. In short, I've ignored my weight issues for as long as I possibly can.
I'm approaching the whole thing a bit differently, though, since the other times I tried to lose weight obviously don't work. The main thing that this is going to rely on is self-awareness and accountability. To maintain both, I'm using a dedicated tumblr blog to keep track of my goals and progress. If you want to follow the process, you can check out the tumblr here.
One More Thing!
I almost forgot to mention this, because I keep forgetting. But September 6th is the two year anniversary of my five-year goal reset, and my decision to throw everything into the writing/publishing/freelancing thing.
So for the purposes of my record-keeping, today is also the end of Year 2 for me.
And you know what? All the crap going on in my life aside, it's going swimmingly. In year 1, I basically made the same amount of money as I now make in a month and a half. So... yeah. It's almost staggering to think how much my business has grown (and how much God has blessed me in this business, because I wouldn't have landed the contract I did without some miraculous intervention.)
How did your August go?
Glad you had such a fantastic time in France! And that's awesome how your business has grown as much as it has already. Many congrats, and happy anniversary!
ReplyDeleteAnd wow, yeah, things definitely sound hectic for you right now. Hope you're finally able to find a new house; can't imagine how stressful that must be right now, especially amidst everything else you need to juggle. And so sorry to hear that you've been struggling, health-wise. Best of luck with your weight loss goals!
Thanks so much! The funny thing is, I don't really FEEL that unhealthy. I guess it's the case of getting used to things due to my weight creeping up.
DeleteStill, I feel better now just for starting.
Glad you got away to France and had a good time.
ReplyDeleteYou can get healthy again! The secret is balance and sensibility. Fad diets like cutting out all carbs don't work. (And they are incredibly unhealthy.) Exercise and eat less/better is the only way to go because you can make that your lifestyle.
I agree with you. Although I do plan to cut most refined carbs out as far as I can. By this I mean I want to eat a lot less bread, because I really don't think I need to, and bread almost invariably makes me hungrier.
DeleteHi Misha - well you've had some interesting times ... and for all the negatives there's usually a few pluses. Good for you re the job scenario - and for setting yourself more goals to aim for ... good luck with all things - Alex seems to have the right approach ... take care ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteYeah there are definitely a lot of positives, especially this year. But I'm a pragmatist, so I know that unless I can get on an even keel health-wise, it will all be for naught.
DeleteI would like an unexpected trip to France.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Hahahaha yeah it was a pleasant surprise. :-D
DeleteWow! It's been a while since I've been here, and you've still got so much going on in your personal life that I can hardly believe you have time to write - so well done!
ReplyDeleteLosing weight can be so hard - there's a lot of information out there, but a lot of it is either designed to make money for someone or just plain wrong. As a gym instructor, I've had many difficult conversations with people about their weight, and built up lots of advice, so if you'd like to chat, just email. Good luck :-)
Thanks so much for the offer! I'll be in touch. :-)
DeleteMy weight is something that I've struggled with since I was fourteen (and it didn't help that my mother kept reminding me how overweight I was), and it's gone up and down for years. I've finally started consistently losing weight and keeping it off, and the most effective method for me is to develop a strong awareness of what I'm eating and compare it to how much I exercise. That is, if I drink a flavored coffee at Starbucks, I know I have to work out that same day and burn off at least some of the extra calories I consumed. I still eat my favorite foods, but less often and in smaller portions. I tried Weight Watchers for a while, but it was a little too restrictive for me; however, I think they've got the right idea, more so than other weight-loss programs because it's basically portion control.
ReplyDeleteYeah same story here. As soon as my hormones kicked in it was over. XD
DeleteI'm also trying to develop more of an awareness around my eating and activity habits. I suspect part of my problem is that I'm basically living in my head these days, so my awareness of what I'm eating (and how much) flies out the door.