here's the plan!

Ok, a couple of weeks ago I talked about the horrid tradition of new year's resolutions and my intention instead to focus on a few key commitments.  Now it's time to start putting things into action.

I thought about mapping out a plan for the while year, similar to the approach Gretchen Reuben took in The Happiness Project but quickly realized that approach likely wouldn't be fruitful for me.  You see, I tend to be quite spontaneous and have these "aha" moments that drive me in a particular direction (just ask Bryan or my parents or my brother how much fun that can be!).  So, I've decided instead to just embrace that part of me and let current circumstances influence the action items, but on a weekly basis, to keep these commitments front and centre.  I figure this will allow for small incremental shifts that align to each of them.  Sorry Bryan, Mom & Dad - you've got an experiment on your hands for the rest of the year; I guess that kind of makes you part of it?  Sorry for the short notice!

Ok, first things first - dealing with the thing that pre-occupies me and gets in the way of focusing on things that really matter - clutter and crap around our house (and therefore, in my brain).  Bought a shredder yesterday at Costco (my God, I love that place - never gets old!) to deal with the years of phone bills, hydro bills, etc that have piled up (side note: though I long ago signed up to get bills electronically, I am constantly amazed at the quantity of paper that shows up in our mailbox...). Next step will be filing documents that do need to be kept following David Bach's (that Automatic Millionaire guy) Find Your Stuff approach - simple, easy and ensures I can find things like the warranty for the new roof we had installed 2 years ago (which I can't now, in case you were wondering).  This might take me a while BUT will inevitably feel better.

Now onto my specific commitments.  Each week, I'll pick something to do differently or focus on for each commitment.  Here's to week 1!

I am committing to continuing the healthy lifestyle I've adopted and amp it up by trying new and different things (workouts and food included).  80/20 rule to allow for indulgences, such as cake once in a while :-)   Oh, and chocolate

• USE my fitbook.  Seriously, this is an incredible tool - it's not just for weight loss but is great for articulating any kind of health and fitness goals you have.  Have a look at it - I always get mine at Chapters here in Canada.  Why am I focusing on this?  Well, though I've gone through a couple of fitbooks already, I haven't been diligent about the planning or tracking part of using it.  Changing that now to achieve better results!  

I am committing to continuing to learn and grow through my personal yoga practice and to learn from those that I teach as well as other teachers.

• I love teaching, absolutely love it!  I currently teach 2 nights every week (except when I get stuck in traffic and have to find someone to sub - that makes me very un-zen) and love every minute of it.  BUT, I want to be able to actually articulate what I learn from those teaching times.  So, my intention is to notice and reflect on exactly what I learn in the classes I teach. 

I am committing to continuing to protect my time with my family, friends and dogs.

• Our dogs need more walks.  Confession: our fenced backyard has become an all too convenient alternative for daily walks.  Today I change this and they get daily walks, no matter the weather (gulp).  I know they love regular walks; they also deserve and need them for optimal health and wellness.    Mea culpa. 

So that's it - that's the plan for this week!   Stay tuned for next week's plan and to see how these ones turned out.  PS - these are not intended to be "to-do's" for just a week, rather things that I develop into habit.