Project 333 - drastic wardrobe reduction

Am in the process of a massive declutter drive.  

Part of this is a form of displacement activity, for sure.  Sometimes its just so much damn easier to clear crap out than it is to take steps forward where its scary and important.  However, it is a good thing to do, and maybe its part of the freeing myself up to take those bigger steps. 

Either way, we need the loft cleared.  Its been a project on and off the back burner for about a century.  

And I have been thinking about the whole wardrobe  - you know Marie Kondo esque - only having things in it that 'spark joy'.  It kind of feels excessive to only have those outfits. Can i really manage without the back up pair of jeans? or the teeshirt only used for painting in?

I am definitely heading towards it though.  Because, really.  Why have stuff that makes you feel - not your very best.  There has got to be an end point where everything in my wardrobe feels fabulous.  

I don't know if you have heard of this lass who write Be More With Less.  She did a project called 333 where you pick 33 items and you wear just them for 3 months.  And it includes everything except sportswear I think.  What I found interesting about her was that she did this thing - and at the same time was working as an executive at an advertising firm.  And no one noticed, apparently.  Her colleagues were astounded when she told them what she had been doing. Which just goes to show - I'd have thought that people would be remarking or noticing - especially at work! But it turns out everyone is more concerned with what people think about their own clothes than noticing what you are wearing.  It probably only counts if you are a princess or a pop star....   that people really give a shit about your outfits.

And then I rediscovered a blue Guernsey sweater.  I had been trying to sell it, its a lovely item.  But I had been given it - it may have been mine once upon a time, or at least it was my mums.... and I wasn't wearing it.... so thought I'd sell it.  But I am glad I didnt.  Its a classic item and I have taken to wearing it.  When I was about 10  or so I used to wear one ALL the time. Guernsey jumper and jeans.  Like a uniform.  No one cared of course at that age that I was wearing the same thing everyday.  But I don't think people would care today either.  I don't suppose anyone really notices!  

So I am going to consider this 33 items idea.  And also this  - below.  What are my favourite outfits?

Make a list of your favorite 3 outfits. If you could wear the same 3 outfits all the time, what would you be wearing. Make a list illustrate or photograph the 3 outfits. Chances are these are the three outfits that fit the best, look the best, and the clothes that let you feel most like you. You probably wear these things most of the time. Give yourself permission to wear them more. 

So

1. Jeans teeshirt and my Guernsey sweater
2. my ghost top and skinny jeans (or shorts in the summer)
3. my gap dress - though am sure this can really only be worn in summer......  hmm. 


I also have a Toast tunic that I like - def to be worn with skinny jeans. 

Oh and  new top from Cos that is pretty damn special. 

The rest is like fancy dress  - a going out thing or two.  A red dress just in case I need to wear red to something.  A gold dress  - definiately if I need to dress up as something.  A black 'witch' dress for halloween..... 

I think I CAN actually radically reduce my wardrobe.  I think I will!! 

Magic Happens

I have mentioned it before.  But today I just realised it again.  I need to refocus or alter my brand.  Its obvious really.  But I have somehow been sucked into that whole 'masculinising myself' to be taken more seriously in the world.  When, if I re point myself in the direction of who I really want to work with, and who I really am.  Then - well this 'world' I want to be taken seriously in, well, its a male sort of world, and I am really not off to a head start, that being the case.  So I just want to be more like who I am.  Which is creative, female and empathic and into stuff which some folks would call woo woo.  I don't call it woo woo as I know for a fact it all works, I have been intent on translating myself into the corporate world and have as such, I have realised been pretending somewhat.  Dressing up in ideas and stuff.  I mean - look at my website.   www.moyrascott.com.  Its just not me is it. 

Who am I even kidding.  I am fed up of not quite cutting the mustard somehow.  And on the one hand I maybe giving up.  One the other, there is a world out there, that likes me just as I am.  And what the fuck.  I am going to just stop trying to be something I am not really.  And be who I am.

Get Stuff Done.  Is definiately going to be Practical Magic.  Or Everyday Magic.  or some such thing.  It wont change what I do, because it IS practical and it IS magic.  I just will stop being so macho about it.  I know its my blog name.  But you know what? this blog was born because my husband was cross with me, and was telling me off somewhat - saying I needed to GET STUFF DONE.  as opposed to not getting stuff done.  and procrastinating (what I am doing now!! ha ha!) and so its his words.  Not even my own. 

So that's it.  Somehow over the next few weeks / months / by next year.  I don't know how long it will take.  But I am ditching the faux macho words of someone else.  And this will transform into something which has a touch of the magical about it.  Because I LIKE magic.  And it will be grounded and present and practical.  Because that is how I believe things WORK in the world.

You dream and then you do stuff.  and magic happens. 

Magic Happens.  I like it.   Yes.  HELL YES.

so what am I afraid of?

What am I afraid of?
Big spiders, yes
Heights, yes
Speaking in public-  less so these days
Failing - yes - so afraid of failing!! 

And yet.  What else is there but trying??

I just watched this rather awesome video of Michelle Poler - who did a vlog about facing her fears -  talking at  WDS (am on a Chris Guillebeau trip, folks)


WDS 2016: Michelle Poler from Chris Guillebeau on Vimeo.

five week mini goal. speed coaching accountability. my new weekend gig.

Am thinking up ways to market my services and be helpful in the world.  I know that I struggle to keep goign with projects and I totally need and appreciate the cheering on and accountability that coaching provides.  But its expensive and sometimes it just takes up too much of my time.  I totally know that there is a a great deal of value in exploring topics fully and really getting to grips with the insights and learnings a longer session can have.  But sometimes what I really want is someone on my case to care, and check up on me, and give me a high five if I manage to do what I said I was going to do.  Everything is SO MUCH BETTER WITH SUPPORT.    So am thinking of a side hustle, as I have been reading Chris Guiilebeau's book Born For This.  And he suggests providing something helpful in the world.  I love helping people and I love being useful.  And while things like being VA and book keeping are really helpful to folk.  I HATE doing that sort of thing! and this is my side hustle idea.  What do you think?

I am going to launch it.  And see what happens.  Ha, given my ENFP personality, my own services would be JUST what I need.

5x5 speed coaching.  someone to cheer you on, give a shit and check up on your progress.  

I thought a quick down and dirty speed coaching deal might be a good offer.  I was thinking of calling it 5x5.  Something about the multiples of 5x5 feels good.  Or 5x5.  One session of 25 mins to establish a goal.  followed by 5 sessions of 5 minutes coaching to check up and keep accountability all for £50.  5x5 super down and dirty  = just £25.  are you ready? get set go!!

I will do the calls on a Saturday - and I will only have 5 spaces per 5 week session.  

How it works.  In our first call -

What do you want to achieve in the next 5 weeks? 25 min goal setting exercise or you just tell me in under 5 mins. (I will be using a timer!! ha!)

What will you do to move you towards that goal this week? - You decide and you tell me.

Follow up calls -

Did you do it? if not what happened.  What will you do this week?

That's it.  Super simple.  Super quick.

Let me cheer you on!!

What do you think  - folks what read my blog?  I will do a super quick tumbler blog on it and accept money by paypal.  It will be my weekend gig.  xxxmwah

leaving facebook alone for a while.

acutally its pretty late.  I have just scheduled a 24 hour break from FB on this computer.  I had better put my other one away! ha ha.

time for sleep now.  More on this holiday life thing tomorrow.

ARGH.  so this morning I dropped a huge pot of barley stew and it exploded ALL OVER the kitchen, and me, and the inside of the fridge where I was putting it........

Feeling a bit disgusting.  Have cleaned and cleaned.  But it wasn't my ideal way to start the day.

And there was me, prepping food in advance like a clever lady, and all that lost as well.

Anyway.  no use crying over spilt stew eh?

a bad habit of mine I want to work on stopping

I have just noticed something I do which really holds me back and slows me down.  I start things, get so far with them, put a lot of work in, often.  And then stop.  And I kind of lose all that work I have done already. 

Like for example the other day I was ordering paint and art supplies.  And I totted it all up and made sure that I had enough of each paint colour, that it met the right minimum order requirements, that I was covered so I didn't miss anything (minimum order repeat = not OK) and then - i just stoppped.  Not sure why.  "I'll think about it." was the reason, (I think) and come back to it. 

And so I did.  And the whole order was lost.  All that time and work.  Probably about 45 minutes, I have to repeat. 

And I thought, damn, I think I do this a lot.  I sort of stop at some point, think I will investigate other options, make sure its the right thing, and put more work in, and then  - eventually go back to the first decision.  And mostly this is OK but often I have lost the original work, or the time has passed, or something.  And its a whole heap shed load of a waste of my time.

I read in a rather brilliant article the other day.  Its HERE if you want to read it.  (its got many interesting points actually) but the one that is sticking in my mind right now, is that Good Enough, us usually Good Enough.  And making a decision is what really helps.

And I think the stopping is some form of self doubt and worry, and a whole heap shit load of hesitation and just checking this is absolutley the best option.  When a decision and action is usually 9 times out of 10 Good Enough. 

Certainly I know I often swerve around a thing and come back to the first decision anyway. 

So am going to keep a watch on myself because sometimes, you just need to go with your gut and DECIDE.  And then afterwards DECIDE that the decision IS the best decision and any other DECISION would not have necessarily been any better.

So better go off and re do that art supplies order.  Dammit. 

Dreaming out of the ball park success up

I am healthy and full of energy and zest for life
menopasue is easy for me and I transition easily and the other side I have even more energy and zest for life.
i find a way of earning a living that takes less of my time.  so that I can focus on living my life more.  and art journaling and coaching is a huge success and I do it enough and enjoy it.  I have some executive coaching clients. 
I am heard and listened to
I am invited to run sessions at events I want to go to (Happy Start Up Camp, Dream Valley, Do Lectures etc)
I get to go on lots of holidays
I swim in the sea and watch fabulous sunsets
Ted does stuff he loves, maybe not at a normal school, but one that has more self directed curriculum and involves creativity, climbing and really inspiring teachers.  Maybe looking after animals, he loves that.

I have a big table with lots of friends around it and we eat salads.
I don't have to worry about money, and my expenses are covered and some.  I don't have to work for money so am only doing stuff I really like doing.

I can spend my time helping people, sharing pure magical energy and bringing connection between souls.

I am a host.  And I have plenty of space and time in my life to be alone too.  I have beautiful clothes, but not too many of them.  Fabulous tech and a great suitcase and a cool vehicle.  This could be a van, or a red fiat 500.

I can't decide where I am living, but I am definately doing a lot of travelling so its not hugely important.

I get paid to do stuff that feels like a joy.  I paid for stuff that I don't even have to do. 

out of the ball park success - what does that mean?

I was reading something.  I think by Tara Mohr.  About imagining what "out of the ball park" success means for you.  And I have to admit, that this week I have been on an utter downer.  Its a bunch of stuff.  Probably am not feeling well, and that made me feel down, and then I was panicking about finances and the whole mortgage thing (ours ends in 10 years, which suddenly feels near) and gah.  stuff.  Terrifying myself with horror stories of the menopause.  That sort of thing.

And reading that suddenly made me realise that wow, I had been curtailing my dreams right down to what I was considering the very possible.  And often, this week into a sort of survival mode of worst case scenario.

So this morning I wake up feeling terrible.  In all honesty I went to bed at 9pm feeling terrible.  But this morning I realised I did have a horrid headache, and my tummy felt bad and it all wasn't healthy and good.

So I cancelled all my appointments to stay in bed and recover.  And my friend Sally May had sent me a video she had seen by some chap called Dr Joe Dispenza and I was going to watch it last night.  But ended up watching it this morning.  He's like into quantum stuff, which I sometimes find too much and unreal, but he put it in ways that made sense.  At least, it did make me realise that I had been on a bit of a downward spiral with imagining worst case scenarios, and perhaps I did ought to look out for best case scenarios instead.  And I watched the video and he goes on about pure consciousness and meditation and the field of potentiality.  And I'm thinking, I know some of this stuff, and this makes sense, and hell, may as well blooming try it because, nothing to lose.

So have chosen to ditch the worst case scenario thinking and cheer myself right up with some "out of the ball park" good.

Like for example I have been wanting to run an art retreat for ages, and suddenly someone contacts me looking for an artist to run retreats at a beautiful centre in Greece (Rhodes).  So you know.  That sort of thing.

And so.  What a lot of preamble.  Out of the ball park success?  means different things to different people.  Sally was coaching me yesterday as I wept  - oh dear I was feeling a right weepy yesterday - and so a bright future.  Is one where I am not worried about money, I am relaxed, I have a yoga studio and an art studio and I go on lots of holidays.  And help people.  That was what I mustered yesterday.  Today I my plan is to muster up something more rounded, and well, out of the ball park.  Cos according to Dr Joe, I can manifest that in the field of potentiality. 

updating the unprocrastination project

Today a very nice man called Brendon came round to talk to me about loft extensions, extension extensions, permitted development, planning permission, rules and regulations and so on and so forth.  Apparently there is a reason that all the loft extensions are clad in ugly tiles.  Its a rule.  Otherwise you need to get planning permission.  go figure.  We can't have a wrap around extension - unless we get planning permission, which is unlikely to be granted because they don't like wrap around extensions.  Anyway.  I am wiser than I was.  the lawfulness certificate and the tech spec and design and permissions etc will likely cost £2500.  Then the cost of the build at £30-35,000.

I did some investigation into the whole extension and getting a loan to do it and so on, and its unlikely to be affordable or possible - at this stage.  So I am going for the loft extension first, and the money we do have access to, might not be enough for an extension but we might be able to move the bathroom upstairs and make an office / downstairs loo / get the ktichen updated (and working)  / get a shoffice (shed office) version of things. 

So all is good.  This might mean that after all we go back to the cheap bish bash bosh loft conversion folk.  As its already 2.5 grand cheaper............. or I dunno.  Maybe peace of mind is worth paying for? 

either way my next task is to read the SPD12 and something else about rules and regulations that must be complied with.  And I might learn more about it all.  Also to speak with some ex clients of Dave Martin the builder just in case he's dodgy . Though so far he seems alright. And we do know Rafferty's dad and St Lukes Builders too. 

Right.  Now to stop procrastination on my actual work.  Am using Pomodoro technique. And I was surprised to find that time flew.  Maybe I don't hate this work as much as I try and avoid it!! off I go!

Brighton Business Womens Meet Up

Went along this morning.  Nearly didnt as I have work I am procrastinating on to do.  Which I am still briefly procrastinating on to write this.  God I am disatractable!!

But I was so glad to have gone.  What an awesome bunch of ladies.  And so helpful too.  I love them and am so glad of that circle of brilliantness. 

Ev was there, tho she and her hub have now officially retired and are travelling for the forseeable future.  Not bad for under 50.  Am really jealous obviously! Mi who lead the group fabulously, talked about how she has had a recent conversion.  Namely that until recently she felt that women were  - not good.  She didn't like women, or being one, and that growing up meant pretty much being a good boy, and not admitting to any kind of feminity at work, as its seen as weak, frivoulous, not considered meaningful, etc.  But that it was great to be a woman in these times because we are setting up our own businesses and running them in ways that we want to.  And we dont have to hide who we are. And also to think about what success means.  Because, for most women, success will mean achieving a life balance.  It wont just be chasing the money, but include time for self care, for relaxing, for community and life. And chasing the money, can just mean your expenses go up and up and you still feel you don't have enough money or time.

So with that in mind.  I want to earn as much as I can without breaking the heavy tax barrier.  Success will be not having to work on anything that I don't enjoy, earning lots of money for my time so that I can work less and live more. 

Simples.  Love that group. 

Not the Best Day Ever -so far

WE all woke up late.  We are all tired.  Why is that? Last night in the street down the road there was an awful fight.   2am, some (probably almost definitely drunk) people were screaming at each other.  So very very angry, more of them joined in.  Eventually I woke up properly and stuck my head out the window to see who they were and where they were.  Right at the end of the street on a bit of grass outside the flats a group of about 5 people were in a shouty kerfuffle.  It seemed like a family, all adults, one person on the ground.  Lots of screaming, Get OUt oF HERE!!!! type stuff.  Someone else in our street shouted that she was going to call the police and with that they all seemed to gather themselves somewhat and go inside, with one person still on the ground.  Probably the cause of the shouting. Who knows.  That person got themself up and wandered off.

We woke up at 9.30am. 

Then later I drove Bub and Hub to Vardean for Bub's violin club thing, but as soon as I had come home I got a call and Bub had got his fingers trapped in a swingy door and crushed.  And I had to go back and pick them up.  Bub was in a proper state.  On the way there I was praying that it was his left hand and it wasn't broken.  The first aid lady had bandaged up his hand in an ice pack, and it was his left hand.  We were told to wait an hour and see if he could move his fingers.   Luckily it seems he can.  Though I expect there will be some lost fingernails and some impressive bruising. 

Hub dropped his phone on the way home which has all smashed.  And he cant' remember his itunes password so we cant back it up.  And he's in a right mood.  And he says he doesn't feel at all well. Oh blimey. 

Lets hope it all stops there.  

Coaching is Brilliant

Today I woke up feeling AWFUL.  I hadn't slept well because I had woken in the night (having an anxiety dream where my son / brother were kind of playing chicken but with crocodiles snapping at their heels) and began to fret.  I just felt deeply anxious deep in my belly and my head went bonkers worrying about the loft conversion and money and all sorts of stuff.  I just couldn't seem to stop it.  So I woke up feeling both tired and with a knot of anxiety in my stomach.  euw. 

Rationalising it, I guess that spending £35 thousand pounds (or more if we do the extension) is a big huge large amount of money.  And currently comprises of most of our savings.  Its a big thing this loft conversion.  As is picking the right builder, making the right decisions, all of it, is huge.  Well, bigger than anything other than buying a house, that I have ever done, with my own money! ha!

So its scary.  And I have a scared fretting smallness (to use a FF term) that rants about disaster scenarios in the night. 

So I went to meet up with my friend Sally.  She and I did the Business and Leadership coaching qualification together.  And we have agreed to meet up weekly, to coach each other.  And so at the end of our session, she is kick starting her business with clear deadlines and clear actions and I  - well I just feel SO MUCH BETTER.  Nothing has changed really, certainly there is still loads to do re the loft / extension / sorting out smoother running finances & creating income streams etc.  But I have a plan, I have looked at my options, I know where I'm at and I have a task list.  And because I am accountable I have done 3 of them already.  And I just feel better.  Can I say that again? I FEEL BETTER.  All motivated and optimistic and that.  So yes.  Coaching is brilliant.  Get a coach peeps it rocks. 

cost analysis (as per Lizzie's World) on loft conversion and weekends airbnbing

Just for you Lizzie. roughly. 

233 weekends.  So basically, 40 weeks a year for 5 years.............  then we could stop.

or each year we do it - it would pay us back a fifth of what we spend. 

extension.... won't make us any money.  but we might invite people over more often.  We might have visitors more often with another room....

or maybe if there was enough room in it, I could host art journaling there.................

Update on the Unprocrastination project

So - a few days ago I wrote about my Unprocrastination Project.  And hilariously (or worryingly?) I procrastinated a few days on this.  But today I sat down and took action. (YAY!)  I called up a structural engineer company that had been recommended to me as good.  They are coming to have a look and from there will provide me with a quote for doing our house and making it nice.

Its daft as we do have a load of money waiting to do the loft conversion, and typically I am now just wishing we had enough money to do the whole damn thing.  Extension, new kitchen and all.

Perhaps that can be my next steps.  How to raise that sort of cash availabillity without causing too much debt.

Surveyor man (Brendon from Haworth McCall) was very nice and helpfully explained some things to me.  I like to know what is going on with it all.  He explained the difference between the certificate of lawfullness and the building control application.  (the latter is the tech spec one which builders need, the former, I guess helps - though I am not sure why.  I will ask him.  He advised I get it.

We should be allowed it all within permitted development.  And they can do a design for the exstension and loft both.  or seperately.  either way by the time they have finished we will get a quote on what they will charge for it all.

He also said that extensions cost around £2500 per sq m.

I have already got a quote from a company that do loft conversions.  They have been recommended too.  But a builder friend recommended we pay for the structural survey ourselves and then we own that and can get various builders to quote on it.  I am not sure what to do.  And that was part of the reason for dilly dallying.  But knowledge is power.  This is all quote and knowledge gathering.  Hub even this morning threw a spanner in the works suggesting we ditch the loft conversion and start with the extension.  Get the lower part of the house bigger and welcoming first.....  which is also something worth thinking on .  My initial thoughs are get the loft done  -more space for Bub to grow..... and then once we have that we can Air BNB it and start earning something from our property.... so much to think about isn't it.....  anyway.  good to get going. 

Now I am off to unprocrastinate on another thing I am procrastinating on!! see ya!

Born For This

I have been reading Chris Guillebeaus book, Born For this.  Oh.  it has me thinking. 

My skills? My experience? What does it all add up to? What things do I do that seem so easy that are actually viable in the world. 

Anyways.  I am now procrastinating so I will stop thinking of these things for the time being and crack on with some actual work. 

xnatchx

hard truths

My Hub ticked me off this morning, for complaining.  And then when I joked back that he was complaining about my complaining he ticked me off again for reacting not listening.  I was very annoyed.  My complaints were justified, and kind of hover around the top of a pile of things that get on my wick to do with my being lumbered with the bulk of the household management and some things which are NOT my responsibility somehow end up back on my plate.  etc etc etc.

But as I sat and felt annoyed.  Really hacked off.  I realised (hard truth0  that there is this HUGE narrative I carry around with me all the time, about how I do the bulk of the household management, maintenance, and how much time it takes me, and how no one notices this, and how I am not 'allowed' to mention it, because that is 'complaining'.   oh its a long, long, long rant.

And I sort of realised, that perhaps its me who suffers the most from this.  Its my rant, its my narrative, however much it may be based in truth - or not - whatever - this is MY story I am carrying.  And I am currently wondering, what would happen if I put in a different narrative. 

Will it make any difference? What if I just dropped the story.  And just asked for help. And instead of complaining, spend my energies on noticing all  the bits of help I do get.  Ha! maybe not even calling it "help'.  Noticing all the ways in which others contribute to the smooth running of this household.  Its mainly an internal exercise.  To notice my complaining and to consciously stop it and refocus. 

I recall in my coaching trainign, something that really stuck out in my mind, is that the focus is not on making what is not working smaller, but on making what IS working bigger.  Folk love to complain, but making problems smaller is not the answer.  Its making solutions bigger.  And this is the way to make real change. 

things I want to do

get an irish passport
get an australian passport
get the loft done
move the bathroom upstairs
sell CB to a new company and get paid commission
run art journaling sessions for 1 day and 2 day sessions
get my f*cking finances so its routinised and doesn't build up and bother me
clear my intray from the holiday build up
clear the loft (oh so very ongoing)
get a planter and a nice plant outside the house
paint the hallway
finish painting the front of the house, the back of the house and the window sills
sell the DMs
wash the curtains.
get the cupboards lined upstairs.  insulated and ventilated.
paint angels / figures on the paintings in my room
get the measurements for the TV cover for my folks (again) - hunt through phone.  they might be there
tidy my work room AGAIN
sort out the app account tracker
go figure out the blooming Xero accounting system.  AGAIN

my unprocrastination project

I am such a fan of zen habits.  There is a September unprocrastination challenge on it at the moment.  check it out here.  Or I will summarise.  Or maybe just copy and paste it as he is also into uncopyrighting.

Here’s how it works:

1. Commit publicly (on social media, to your friends, family and coworkers, however you want) to doing this every day for the rest of this month.
2. Each day, spend just 5 minutes doing an Unprocrastination Session (see next step).
3. Pick an important task to focus on, clear away all distractions, set a timer for 5 minutes, and do nothing but that task.
4. You cannot switch tasks during this session. You cannot check on something real quick. You cannot get up to clean something. You can only sit there, with that one task, and either focus on the task or sit there and do nothing.
5. When you get the urge to switch tasks, don’t switch. Just stay with the urge. Watch it, let it surge, then let it fade. Return to your task.
6. When the timer goes off, success! You can keep going if you want, or take a break and go again, but neither is necessary. Just 5 minutes a day is all that’s required for success.
7. Yes, even do your 5-minute sessions on the weekend. Pick a personal project to focus on during those days if you like.

I mentioned my fitbit and how it has made me go out for a few more walks than i might otherwise.  I went for a lovely long stroll this evening.  Its great for thinking.

So what i thought was, that I really really want to get going on my loft conversion.  I have been umming and faffing for about a year now.  And this is what I am going to unprocrastinate on.

I need to get a surveyor over and get that bit sorted and then get some builders quotes on it.

The plan is that once the loft room is done that we will airbnb it for every other weekend.  I like the idea of making our assets (the house) earn for us.  And get that whole thing going.

Ideally and eventually I will create a nice big space out the back that will have my BIG TABLE in it.  I dream of a big table.  Its my dream to have this bigger space to be in.

I am getting my head around what exactly I want in this house.  We may not stay here, or we may.  But I am visioning how I want it to be.  And the steps involved in getting it there.

So, that will be my unprocrastination challenge.  What will yours be?

New Year Starts

I know its not really the new year, but somehow it is.  September.  New term.  End of the Summer.

I'm thinking lots of things, but today its all about healthy stuff.  My darling Hub is reading The Blood Sugar Diet.  Which I have read, but not recently.  So am revisiting this.  And some thoughts of  - you have one life, do it right, do your bestest and so on.  I am thinking of really looking after myself and my body.  A new year is a good time to start.  And maybe the daily wine drinking of the summer will lessen.... ha! maybe!!

So I thought I would muse on it here.  I am thinking of following a fundamentally good blood sugar diet.  So this means no sugar, and as low carb as possible, with lots of vegetables, pulses, oily fish and olive oil and garlic, chicken, eggs and fish.

I have been heading steadily more and more vegetarian - though I will not ever be totalitarian about this.

On holiday I ate loads of delicious bean dishes cooked up by my friend Morgan Stetler.  I am definitely getting some of those recipes to add into the mix.  He made an awesome black bean soup/ stew dish for our camping meet up in the summer.... that was amazing.  Must get that recipe.  If I do I will post it here cos it rocks.  In the mean time my new favourite bean recipe is from Delciously Ella and is her Black Bean Chilli.  Not only is it delicious, but also super quick and easy to make.  Win / Win.

I did do the 5:2 prior to the start of the summer, but its really quite brutal and requires a lot of dedication, which wanes after the first 2 weeks I find.  So I am thinking I will go for a 1 day a week fast.  And then a general lessening of calories.  One thing I am going to stop is my late night cereal habit.  And to try the 16:8 fast thing  - which involves eating only during 8 hours of the day and not eating for 16 - over night.  I am going to up my intake of lemon and water  -and also cider vinegar and fermented foods.  I am not going to be rigid about this, and these are just musings.  But in general I am aiming for a protein breakfast, low carb, lots of vegetables and cutting out the late night cereal binges.

I have also recently got a fitbit, so I am definitely going to be doing at least 10,000 steps a day.  I love the fitbit - it really does keep you honest about being active.  Hub has really made progress with it and never goes under his 10,000.  In fact he is mostly hitting 15,000.  And as a diabetic he really needs to keep active, so its been brilliant.  I think it sort of makes you want to hit the target and so you do things like, go for an early evening walk to make sure you do.  Which otherwise you just wouldn't think about.

This term and definitely going to be keeping in touch with my yoga and my art, and also dancing.  THese are things that bring joy and presence into my life.

I will also keep up on listening, watching and reading inspiring things.  Keeping inspired is important.

So there;s the musings for today.  I am currently making soup.  Bub loves a tomato and lentil soup, and he's back on eating sugary things, its good to find healthy home made things that he actually likes to eat.  And proteinish vegetarian food as he is now a self proclaimed vegetarian.

big love. x

My take on the Jesse Reno Talk

I spent a goodly afternoon the other day, listening to podcasts and stuff.  One thing I found inspiring was discovering Derek Sivers.  He has this thing where he reads a book and underlines things that stand out as meaningful as he goes, then goes back and types up those notes, and keeps these as a record of what he learned from each book.  I like that. I read a lot of books and often write notes, but they are all dispersed and unfindable again.  I am not sure I will type them up in text files a la Sivers.  but maybe I could do it here.

So the next inspiring thing I cam across was a talk by Jesse Reno.  I haven't quite got to the end of it and I don't have time just now.  But I did write some notes.  I don't' think I can embed the video but here is the link.  I love his energy so MUCH! 

Here are my notes.  am making no apologies for there jus tbein random words and phrases.

devotions
tapping into your deeply rooted humanity
something to share
lessons about building a life
trust yourself
get back to your roots
get excited
have multiple points of reference

find what you like in your poress, make things personal.  choose things that are fun
I dont know.  I never know.  Its ok not to know

do FUN THINGS

paint with your hands, you'll expect nothing of yourself and everything will turn out much better than you thought.
I expect to make a mistake
paint over everything you don't like
I have a crazy experience
I just found it super theraputic
circles blobs whatever
I want that ENGAGEMENT
100 paintings
you gotta take the opportunities
I FELT it.  Engage with the emotional context.  Make people feel.  Art makes people feel. Feel it. 

I let the negative motivate me, I let the positive motivate me
Gus Fink
take notes as I paint.  I am so lot, I don't know.  Its ego free, super ego free,

Do something unbelieveable, something unimaginable and people pay attention,

go beyond imagination. I could tell you were serious.  Believe BEYOND RIGHT NOW.

You don't know what's going on.