Tag: goals

July Goals? What Goals?

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July went by so fast that I didn’t even write a July Goals blog post. This isn’t my best work but at this point, I don’t care as long as I publish something.

🅹🆄🅻🆈 🆆🅰🆂 🅽🅾🆃🅷🅸🅽🅶 🅱🆄🆃 🅳🆁🅾🆄🅶🅷🆃.

This is an old photo from a few summers ago. Photo is my own.

Sorry I was AFK.

I spent a lot of time away from my laptop. Most of my time was devoted to caring for my kids and the neighbors’ children. Whenever the neighbors’ kids visit, it’s essentially a party at my house. I’ve tried to discourage this because it’s exhausting, and the other moms are exhausted too. I don’t want this blog post to sound like a rant, but I’m in a bad mood. You have been warned.

The Mental Struggle

Being a mom is hard and it’s even harder trying to find the time to sit down and write a blog post. Also, I am beginning to think that my used iPhone 14 hates me. Apps don’t work like they should which is incredibly frustrating, especially when I need that phone for blogging. I really don’t know what’s going on with this phone and I am in the process of waiting to get a replacement. The only problem is that it could take several months since I bought this phone used from a reputable third party store.

The Physical Struggle

Lastly, we had a drought lasting the whole month of July and nothing but hot temps averaging above 30°C every damn day. I did go to the Calgary Stampede this year but didn’t take photos this time. It was a different experience, being able to fully immerse myself in the festivities without the distraction of capturing every moment through a lens. Additionally, I started walking again to maintain an active lifestyle, but the relentless heat has been taking a toll on my energy levels. The scorching sun seems never-ending, making it challenging to enjoy outdoor activities. Hopefully, the forecast will bring some relief soon, as we desperately need rain to alleviate the dry spell. As I don’t have AC in my house so the persistent heat has been quite taxing, leaving me feeling irritable and uncomfortable.

The Emotional Struggle

As you probably know by now, my mental health isn’t the greatest and I am struggling with some stuff that is emotionally draining. I want to talk about it, but I am afraid of sharing too much personal information on here regarding this subject which isn’t really anyone’s business other than my own. I just wish I had someone to talk to because it feels oh so lonely. Also, while I am on the subject of mental health, I am very worried that the custom bridesmaid dress I ordered won’t fit. I leave for Ontario at the end of August, which leaves no time to prepare for my friend’s wedding in September. These are the things that keep me up at night, along with worrying about the unforeseen future.

🅿🅴🆁🆂🅾🅽🅰🅻 🅶🆁🅾🆆🆃🅷 🆃🅷🆁🅾🆄🅶🅷 🆂🅴🅻🅵-🆁🅴🅵🅻🅴🅲🆃🅸🅾🅽.

Image source: https://wallpaper.mob.org

The Struggle IS Real!

I find myself still struggling to accept and love myself as body dysmorphia has been a real issue this year. I dislike the way I look, which is mainly why I haven’t taken photos, and now I can’t even hide behind the filtered ones because Snapchat doesn’t work on my phone (I’ll save that for another blog post), which leaves me feeling very vulnerable. The custom dress I ordered is due to arrive mid-August, and I am beyond scared to try it on. I ordered a size slightly smaller because that was the size I was at the beginning of July. Somehow, I let my exercise routine slip, stopped exercising completely, and started drinking diet drinks, which caused me to gain weight. Lesson learned: stay away from diet soda and artificial sweeteners!

I am back to getting 10,000 steps a day and let me tell you, it is hard. I spend most of my days outside walking, and I force myself to go outside in this heat so I get Vitamin D from the sun. My mental health is not good at all, so I need all the help I can get from mother nature, despite it being so hot outside. There are days when I want to quit, but then I remember how easy it is to gain weight if I quit. I am way too hard on myself, but at the same time, I have to be because I am not happy where I am right now. It is incredibly frustrating to never be satisfied with the present moment. Sometimes, I find myself wishing that I could just accept where I am and what I have achieved. I long for the ability to appreciate the progress I have made, to celebrate the small victories instead of always focusing on the next goal. It is a constant struggle to silence the inner critic and embrace self-compassion. I hope that one day I can find peace within myself and cultivate a more positive relationship with my journey. 🧘✨

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

If I did anything right during the month of July, I leaned more towards basic living and started spending more time with myself. Although I didn’t really create anything, if at all, during the month of July, I cut back a lot on consuming content. Yes, I still watch a lot of YouTube videos, but I use it mainly for educational purposes. I still need to cut back on Twitter/𝕏 as I find myself using that app way too much. Spending time in nature has probably been one of the best antidotes for depression, and during that time, I like to listen to spiritual podcasts on iTunes.

The second best antidote for my well-being and overall health has been diving into the world of cooking and baking nourishing meals using fresh, real ingredients instead of relying on inflammatory, ultra-processed foods. It’s a journey of gradual improvement, as I continue to reduce my intake of junk food, acknowledging that it’s a work in progress. I’ve moved past denial and accepted that I made a few slip-ups in July. Believe me, I’ve experienced firsthand the negative impact that junk food has on my body. 😖

For those following me on Twitter/𝕏, I’m still active there, sharing my current hobbies and interests. If you have an account, feel free to follow me, and I’ll follow you back! I’m also open to DMs. Twitter/𝕏 is where I feel comfortable expressing my thoughts daily. I am still trying to cut back on social media, but you can still find me tweeting about something. You can follow me using the link below:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

June Goals | Summer 2024

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Okay, so there wasn’t a May Goals blog post so I didn’t feel like it was necessary to write a May Goals recap, for obvious reasons. Now that it is June, it is a new month which for me, which also means new beginnings. I am in a sense, starting over. I will give you more context later on in the blog post. Oh, and in case you missed last month’s blog post, I will post a link down below:

May Goals? What Goals?

Ⓗⓔⓛⓛⓞ Ⓢⓤⓜⓜⓔⓡ Ⓗⓔⓛⓛⓞ Ⓙⓤⓝⓔ

＊˚*•̩̩͙ Who I Want to Become •̩̩͙*˚＊

Remember how I started off strong at the beginning of January? Like any habit, we lose them if we don’t use them. Over time, I started slipping to the point where I abandoned the 75-Hard program completely. Despite that, I still lost some weight, but it wasn’t enough.

The hardest part was coming to terms with it instead of living in denial. I knew that I was disproportionate in my waist compared to the rest of my body, but I didn’t know by how much. I still mostly wear the same clothes, but they don’t fit comfortably. Then I took my tape measure because I had to get measurements for my dress, and well, it wasn’t pretty. I cried after coming face to face with reality. I don’t want to live in a fantasy world and I do consider myself a realist. I see things for how they are in present moment. So I came to terms with it, wiped away my tears, and started over yet again. I have until September to fit into one of the 3 beautiful dresses that I ordered online!

Here We Go Again (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )

I guess you could say I am not doing the 75-Hard program as intended, but I do not care. I am here to lose my belly pooch and am hyper-focused on diet and exercise. I don’t want to read a non-fiction book or any book for that matter, so I am not going to. I still wanted to incorporate some kind of discipline/mental toughness task into my routine, so instead of 10 pages of reading a day, I have decided to do 30 minutes of creative work, whether that is blogging, journaling, or completing an intimidating task that I have been putting off for weeks. It could be a design for my #Redbubble shop since I haven’t worked on that hobby in several weeks, decluttering items and writing ads for them, or bracelet making. Whatever it is, it needs to be creative work and not some kind of chore or busy work. And this is on top of the goals I have for June 2024!

June Goals 2024

Career Goals:

  • I have 7 shifts this month. Bidding is optional.
  • Catch up on emails if there are any.
  • Have 100 sticker designs in my #Redbubble shop → 3 designs away from this goal
  • Promote my Spring & Summer stickers online → From $1.63 CAD (Ignore the $1.98 price)
➤ Click here to visit my Redbubble shop 🐈‍⬛💕

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Log into #Medium at least once/week
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Log into FB for the first time since 2017
  • Pay any outstanding invoice(s)
  • Figure out our flight schedule(s)

Health Goals:

  • Aim for 10,000 steps/day → leave the house at least once/day ☀️
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee
  • Intermittent fasting. No food after 7:00pm
  • Track hydration on Water Llama app
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
🌸 ℑ’𝔪 𝔟𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔳𝔲𝔩𝔫𝔢𝔯𝔞𝔟𝔩𝔢 𝔬𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔤, 𝔰𝔬 𝔞𝔩𝔩 ℑ 𝔞𝔰𝔨 𝔦𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲’𝔯𝔢 𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔡. 𝔑𝔬 𝔫𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔶 𝔢𝔪𝔞𝔦𝔩𝔰 𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔪𝔢 ℑ’𝔪 𝔞 𝔥𝔶𝔭𝔬𝔠𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔢 𝔬𝔯 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔴𝔥𝔬 𝔡𝔬𝔢𝔰𝔫’𝔱 𝔩𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔲𝔭 𝔱𝔬 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡, 𝔬𝔯 𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔟𝔞𝔰𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔞𝔠𝔠𝔲𝔰𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔟𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔬𝔴𝔫 𝔞𝔱 𝔪𝔢 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔟𝔢𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔬𝔭𝔢𝔫 𝔞𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔱 𝔪𝔶 𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔤𝔤𝔩𝔢𝔰 🌸

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

There are a few appointments that I need to book this summer, but I didn’t include them in my general list of goals. I have them written down on my phone, and I plan to complete them close to September. Both my husband and I need to travel to Ontario, but at different times, so I don’t know what’s happening yet. Overall, I think my goals are reasonable and not too extreme. I know I’m strict about my diet, but I have limited time to accomplish what needs to get done. And when you’re under pressure, you find a way to get it done. My next weigh-in is tomorrow. Wish me luck! 🙏💕

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of June. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below ↓ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. Trying to grow on Twitter/𝕏 is hard and I’m constantly having to weed out those pesky bots and fake accounts—it’s so annoying! If you’re a real person, you don’t have to worry about me removing you. I can spot those bot accounts from a mile away, so you can trust me on that.

(っ◔◡◔)っ You can find all of my links and socials here!👉 https://linktr.ee/sereneluna

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

May Goals? What Goals?

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Let’s pretend that May did not happen. I totally let my blog posts slip this month and did not post any May Goals at all. Should I even bother? Is there even a point?

🅼🅰🆈 🅼🅰🅳🅴 🅸🆃 🆁🅰🅸🅽.

Image source: https://wallpaper.mob.org/

No Laptop, No Blog Posts.

Simply put, I didn’t use my laptop and I only write blog posts using a computer. If I am active on WordPress, I’m usually using my phone, but I only write blog posts using my laptop. So, why didn’t I use my laptop this month? Well, there are a bunch of reasons, but mostly it’s because I was either babysitting kids who invited themselves over to our house almost every day this month, or I’m avoiding my laptop on purpose. I won’t go into details, but I have been procrastinating on a few things. Rather than deal with the dumpster fires that the the rain did not put out, I have been running from them. Now that it’s the end of May, I can’t run away from my problems anymore.

Lately, my mind has been preoccupied with other things other than blogging. I am afraid that if I were to start a new thing that I will get overwhelmed as it is one more thing for my brain to process. Does that make sense? There’s a lot of stuff for my brain to process that eventually it gets “overheated” and I just can’t function. I am at that point right now and it’s a little overwhelming. Like I mentioned last month, “I take responsibility for this lack of engagement as I haven’t been very active here. Nevertheless, I truly appreciate those who come across my blog and take the time to read my content.”

🅸’🅼 🆃🅰🅺🅸🅽🅶 🅰 🆂🆃🅴🅿 🅱🅰🅲🅺 🆂🅾 🅸 🅲🅰🅽 🆃🅰🅺🅴 🅰 🆂🆃🅴🅿 🅵🅾🆁🅴🆆🅾🆁🅳.

Image source: https://wallpaper.mob.org/

I find myself still grappling with my procrastination and am committed to finishing my overwhelming list of tasks by the end of May, or at the latest, early June. I must allocate time to sit down, open my laptop, do some online bridesmaid dress shopping, take body measurements, place the order, sift through emails, and revisit a social media platform I have neglected since 2017. Unironically, I have some items to sell on that social media platform, which means I must log into my account whether I like it or not. My husband has had success selling his used stuff on that platform, and I don’t want to list my items on his account anymore because I feel like I’m burdening him.

I feel like I spend way too much time mindlessly scrolling on my phone and it’s taking a toll on my productivity and mental well-being. I need to take a step back and reevaluate my relationship with technology and social media. Deep down, I know that I need to step into nature and go back to basic living. I need to stop consuming so much content and start creating again. I think it’s time for a digital detox, and I’m determined to reclaim control over my time and attention. The biggest thing that prevents me from deleting apps is that I listen to podcasts and lectures all day, every day. I like learning new things and need to listen to something to help me cope with stress.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

Despite the challenges, I have to find a way to push through and complete these tasks on my own schedule, which means ditching the May Goals and focusing on the things that are most important. I also hope to declutter my space and make some extra money doing this because why not? I still have my notebook so perhaps I should start using it more and my phone less. Aiming to complete 5 critical tasks a day sounds ideal for me. I am just thinking out loud here so I hope I didn’t bore you too much with this blog post.

If I delete the app, I will lose the pink aesthetic.

For those following me on Twitter/𝕏, I’m still active there, sharing my current hobbies and interests. If you have an account, feel free to follow me, and I’ll follow you back! I’m also open to DMs. Twitter/𝕏 is where I feel comfortable expressing my thoughts daily. I am seriously thinking about deleting the app off my phone and only using it on a laptop, so I might not be as active on there as I once was. You can follow me using the link below:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

April Goals | Spring 2024

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First and foremost, thank you for reading my blog posts month after month. To my loyal readers, I see you and appreciate all of you. I also value new readers and even the ones who lurk – you know, the ones who read my blog posts but never leave a like or comment. I’m aware of the lurkers based on my stats, even though there hasn’t been much engagement lately. I take responsibility for this lack of engagement as I haven’t been very active here. Nevertheless, I truly appreciate those who come across my blog and take the time to read my content.

For those following me on Twitter/𝕏, I’m still active there, sharing my current hobbies and interests. If you have an account, feel free to follow me, and I’ll follow you back! I’m also open to DMs. Twitter/𝕏 is where I feel comfortable expressing my thoughts daily. You can follow me using the link below:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

𝒜𝓅𝓇𝒾𝓁 𝓈𝒽💮𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝑀𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝓁💮𝓌𝑒𝓇𝓈.

＊˚*•̩̩͙ Who I Want to Become •̩̩͙*˚＊

I know I should be working on hobbies during my free time, but when is there ever free time? lol You know what I mean. I find myself struggling to work on hobbies, which includes writing blog posts, posting recipes (I have a bunch that I want to share with you), and building and creating things. Instead of creating things, I often find myself trying to fill a void – a shopping void. Yikes. I try not to be materialistic, but lately, I have found some comfort there. It’s weird, and I need to pause, breathe, and reflect. I have tons of crafting supplies, so it’s just a matter of starting. Instead, I keep wanting to accumulate more supplies because I am afraid to start, and this is my way of distracting myself. When I am not browsing the internet, window shopping, or wanting to buy things to fill this empty void in my life, I just want to sleep, play a dumb game on my phone, or do some other mindless activity.

Building and creating things brings me joy, so why is it such a struggle? I need to work through this resistance, and there is no better time than now. So there’s that, and possibly revisiting my Power List. I do need to find my planner, so perhaps I can start with that, and monthly goals of course.

April Goals 2024

Career Goals:

  • Bid for shifts for second half of April
  • Catch up on emails if there are any
  • Have 100 sticker designs in my #Redbubble shop
  • promote my cherry blossom stickers Twitter/𝕏 → From $1.63 CAD (Ignore the $1.98 price)
♡ You can browse my designs here: http://shorturl.at/otvxQ

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Catch up on #Medium articles, comments, etc.
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Get forms from Montessori for SLP
  • Complete medical forms for SW → Appt April 10, 2024
  • Purchase tickets for Otafest 2024
🌸 I’ve never been to a convention but always wanted to go to one! 🌸

Health Goals:

  • Aim for 10,000 steps/day → leave the house at least once/day ☀️
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee
  • Track hydration on Water Llama app (3000mL water/day)
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
  • HCLF diet 90% of the time
Photo is my own. Pineapples are life! 🍍🍍

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

My mental health has been questionable lately, but I find comfort in writing on WP. I don’t know why I don’t do it more often, to be honest. Putting my thoughts into writing helps me process emotions and solve problems. I don’t feel like I’m talking to a wall because I know people are reading my blog posts, and that brings me comfort. Just knowing that there’s someone out there who cares, even if we don’t talk face-to-face, helps me feel less alone. I hope I can pull through this slump and thrive for the rest of April.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of April. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below ↓ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. It is so hard to grow on that platform but I really do enjoy using it to connect with like-minded bloggers.

(っ◔◡◔)っ You can find all of my links and socials here!👉 https://linktr.ee/sereneluna

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

March Goals | Spring 2024

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I apologize for the delay in writing this blog post; I’ve been preoccupied with tasks other than what I should have been doing. Lately, I’ve been catching up on sleep and playing a mobile game called Eatventure, which has taken over my life since the devs added the “Clubs” feature. Having reached level 120 and completed two full rounds of this game, I think I’ll be taking a break for a while. I’ve also managed to catch up on sleep, although I tend to crash and sleep for 10-12 hours at a time. My energy levels fluctuate between being wide awake and completely exhausted.

For those following me on #Twitter, I’ll be sharing updates on my workouts, water intake, daily steps, and occasionally posting creative works like poems, unpopular opinions, and photos. Twitter/𝕏 is where I feel comfortable opening up and sharing my thoughts on a daily basis. You can follow me using the link below:

♡ Quick Link: https://mobile.twitter.com/serene_hilz

ℑ𝔱’𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔲𝔠𝔨 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 ℑ𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔥🍀

＊˚*•̩̩͙ Who I Want to Become •̩̩͙*˚＊

I still have the dream of becoming the person I want to be. I aspire to be a confident girl who feels comfortable in her own skin. While I don’t care much about becoming a social media influencer, I do want to inspire others to take accountability and responsibility in their lives. I may not be a leader as I am more of a follower, but I have creative ideas and gifts that I want to share with the world. I believe that if I don’t share my gifts, it would be a waste not to use my talents. It’s frustrating to try to stand out when everyone else is competing for the same thing. Sometimes, I feel like my thoughts get lost in a sea of words.

Lately, I haven’t been sticking to my water goals and fitness goals. Instead, I have been doing whatever I please to try and figure out what brings me joy. Moving forward, I believe that a daily to-do list (aka. Power List) is honestly the way to go. As exhausting as it may be (I have tried this in the past), I feel like it is the most sustainable option long-term because it would not be a generic list but rather a personalized list. I need to find a way to incorporate all three areas of my life (career, personal, and health) into a list that I can check off each day to help move the needle forward. These are just my thoughts—I am thinking out loud!

March Goals 2024

Career Goals:

  • Bid for shifts for March as they become available
  • Catch up on emails if there are any
  • Add 5 new sticker designs to my #Redbubble shop
  • Design more art for my Ko-fi gallery + do more research
♡ You can browse my designs here: http://shorturl.at/otvxQ

Personal Goals:

  • Publish 1-2 blog posts + monthly goals/recap blog posts
  • Write 1 personal development article for #Medium
  • Keep tabs on doctor’s appointments/pending appointments
  • Read 10 pages of a personal development book each day
  • Send snail mail before end of the month
I miss sending snail mail to pen pals who live far away 😓

Health Goals:

  • Aim for 10,000 steps/day
  • Limit drinks to water, tea, and coffee
  • Track hydration on Water Llama app (3000mL water/day)
  • Track steps on Pikmin Bloom app
  • Clean eating 80% of the time

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ FINAL THOUGHTS ♥

I feel like I have lost my way since the beginning of March and am still trying to find balance in my life. Most days, I feel too tired, and on other days, too lazy to tackle big projects. I also sense that things have changed on WordPress, and I’m not sure if it’s due to a recent update, but I am not getting the same level of engagement as before. I acknowledge that I have been MIA, so this is probably my fault. It’s strangely quiet here these days. Perhaps I need to reach out to more people and see if I can boost the algorithm or something.

I am curious to know what your goals are for the month of March. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below ↓ Also, I would really appreciate it if you followed me on Twitter (@serene_hilz), that is, if you aren’t already a follower. It is so hard to grow on that platform but I really do enjoy using it to connect with like-minded bloggers.

(っ◔◡◔)っ Like what I do? Your support goes a long way! 👉 https://ko-fi.com/sereneluna

Thanks for stopping by! ♥

S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-Day Challenge | Day 2

Today is Day 2 of the 7-Day S.L.E.E.P.S. challenge! Like the acronym suggests, I am actually feeling exhausted today. My iron deficiency anemia has caught up with me yet again and I crashed on the couch this afternoon. A trip to campus and local mall this morning was exhausting for me and unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take the bus to find the clinical placement today. I wanted to go there and had good intentions, but battling anemia is another challenge. I think I need to start taking my iron supplements in order to be a somewhat-functioning human.

If you would like to read about the S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-day challenge, you can find my first posting here. This challenge was originally mentioned on a podcast called Operation Self Reset. The purpose of this challenge is to document personal progress, crush goals, and conquer fears for a week. Here is the breakdown from Day 1:

The acronym is S.L.E.E.P.S.

S – Smile: what made you smile yesterday?
L – Learn: what did you learn today?
E – Exercise: how did you exercise?
E – Execute (x4): what are your goals and what are you doing to achieve them?
P – Phone call: who did you call/text today? Show them gratitude.
S – Smile: what made you smile today?

Day 2 ~ May 19, 2018 

S – I did something spontaneous today and got my eyebrows waxed and tinted. They were unmanageable and I finally decided to pamper myself. I also got a second pair of scrubs for clinical and found some nursing shoes. 👠These shoes are funky and I was unsure about the pattern. However, I think that these shoes will help me stand out from the other students! These Alegria Debra Water Baby shoes are super comfortable to walk in because they have cork soles.

I shouldn’t be a Debbie downer but I lost my tracking mouse, which is inconvenient to replace. Ironically, I still have the marble and the piece that connects to the laptop, but it’s useless without the mouse. 😭 Everyone disliked my mouse because they couldn’t figure out how to use it. I am sad to have lost it during the lecture yesterday but my husband is relieved that I have to use a “modern mouse” now.

L – I learned that I need to start treating my iron deficiency anemia because it’s affecting my productivity. I also learned where the lost and found is on campus. I will check it out next week but I doubt that the mouse will be there. I pray that some kind soul returns it to its rightful owner.

E – I walked to the bookstore and wandered around campus today. I then took the bus to the mall and spent 3 hours there. This mall is kinda lame, however, they had everything I was looking for. By the time I got home, I took a nap and didn’t have the energy to leave the house again. I also realized that I need to get groceries or I will be living off of Kraft Dinner next week.

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Sorry MLP lovers but I am not a fan of ponies or cartoons featuring ponies. I don’t get what this GIF means. I like D.W. even though she loves ponies so she is an exception.

E – Here are my plans for the rest of the weekend:
(1) Take the bus and find the clinical placement
(2) Need groceries for next week or get creative with pantry food
(3) Let the landlord know that the stove is broken
(4) Clean the apartment. Make some overnight oats for tomorrow morning.

P – I called my mom today and also chatted with my husband on the phone for a while. I miss my husband and 18-month old daughter terribly and I wish they lived here. I didn’t talk to any friends today and I’m not in the mood to text people or check social media. I am feeling antisocial this weekend which is usually a sign that another depression wave is looming. Isolation usually makes the situation worse so I try to leave the house once a day.

S – Well, at least I left the house today even though it’s the only productive thing I did all day as well as writing this blog post. I always feel better after publishing a new post and will try to keep up with blogging during the summer semester. Right now, I feel like a bus ran me over because I am so drained of energy. Here is another thing to smile about: thank goodness for autosave. I accidentally closed the tab which is another sign that I desperately need caffeine!

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Will you join me on this 7-day challenge? Please leave a comment below ↓ and feel free to leave a link to your blog if you decide to join me. I would love to read about your S.L.E.E.P.S. Let’s spread some love while crushing our goals!

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S.L.E.E.P.S. 7-Day Challenge

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Today, I was searching for new podcasts to listen to and I stumbled upon a podcast called Operation Self Reset. Immediately, I was hooked because this highly-engaging podcast focusses on personal growth and development which happens to be my favorite genre! There was a specific episode that made me think deeply about finding the motivation to gain more balance and happiness in my life.

By embarking on a 7-day challenge, this challenge will help me reflect on my daily activities and pinpoint areas that need improving. I want to do this challenge because I need to make positive changes in my life, and most importantly, maintain long-term positive vibes. I feel like the main points of the acronym cover all of the areas that I need to focus on. NOW is the time to start. Not tomorrow. Not next month. No matter how many excuses I have, I need to start this challenge today.

The acronym is S.L.E.E.P.S.

S – Smile: what made you smile yesterday?
L – Learn: what did you learn today?
E – Exercise: how did you exercise?
E – Execute (x4): what are your goals and what are you doing to achieve them?
P – Phone call: who did you call/text today? Show them gratitude.
S – Smile: what made you smile today?

Day 1 ~ May 18, 2018 

S – I don’t remember what made me smile yesterday because I had a bad day. I was so tired and lethargic and I slept for 12 hours last night. I was worried about my clinical next week. I was worried about my husband and daughter flying on the plane. I was praying that they would arrive safely at their destination. I was full of worry.

L – I learned about Family Assessment Models and Intervention Models in lecture today. The material is dry but I managed to get my readings done for the week. I was able to follow the lecture because I read ahead earlier this week. It is rare for me to work ahead so I guess that is something to smile about. ☺️

E – I walked to school and wandered around campus today. I think that the campus is big and my classes are spaced relatively far apart. Ever since moving to this new city, I started engaging in a great deal of walking. There is no need for me to join a gym because I get adequate exercise when I’m outside.

giphy1.gifE – Here are my goals for the weekend:
(1) Need nursing shoes for May 31
(2) Need another pair of scrubs
(3) Take the bus and find the clinical placement
(4) Finish cleaning the apartment

P – I tried calling my husband but he seemed busy. I texted a friend and she seemed annoyed that I sent her an article to read. I don’t like texting because it is difficult to read body language. Usually, I don’t call people unless it’s my husband or my mother. It will be hard to reach out to people through phone calls but I understand the impact of a phone call vs. a bland text message. At this time, I don’t see myself executing phone calls to friends yet.

S – I broke my Tim Hortons steeped tea fast today after my 21-day ban. Society’s belief system suggests that it takes 21 days to break a habit. However, I was miserable without my steeped tea and the caffeine withdrawal headaches were unbearable. It is not worth being miserable so I will allow myself 3 large steeped teas per week and the occasional iced coffee at MCDs as long as I walk there and back (3 km total distance).

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Will you join me on this 7-day challenge? Please leave a comment below ↓ and feel free to leave a link to your blog if you decide to join me. I would love to read about your S.L.E.E.P.S. Let’s spread some love while crushing our goals!

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