Less Hustle More Coffee

Got the mid-week update going on here! Happy that it is Wednesday. It has been a quick start to the week. I told you I was working on a “plan” or “project” – yes trying to sneak some extra things in! Hopefully this will not be too time consuming. Initially it is taking a bit of time to get going – mostly in planning and in thought. And it is……the KYD55 program. It is a program to help you meet health goals and personal improvement as well as be an asset to those around you by serving. It is to be done in 55 days in an effort to spur on good habits and is sponsored by KYD – Keep Your Daydream. It is free. I think you can still enroll. ——-> KYD55

Their program started already but you can alter “your” 55 day starting point. At least I am. I’m starting mine Oct 1 and it will go through Thanksgiving. The program has 5 pillars, but within those you can set your own goals. Heck I suppose you could even make your own pillars if you wanted. Their recommended pillars are:

*Water (drinking a certain percentage of your body weight). I’m actually going to do 1/2.

*Read (for self improvement or work toward goals). At least 5 pages a day.

*Service (acts of service for others – big or small)

*Exercise (you determine) but move thyself

*Nutrition (you also determine the improvements)

I’m still going through the preparation stages and the “webinar” portion (a series of short videos on each one) to get prepared, make decisions, define my goals specifically, listen to their suggestions, and set myself up for success. I have to finish getting through the videos and sort of writing out my specific goals, rules, ideas, and so forth.

I have downloaded the app, found my water bottle and already started that habit. Having a big thermos of water and pouring into a pretty glass or cup is making me drink more instead of drinking out of a plastic bottle. It feels more like I’m in a restaurant, lol. It works. The bottle has a preset number of ounces of course so you always know how much you have had when you are through. I’m bringing filtered water from home, using some purified water – some I bring in and some work provides. It’s so much water I’m not wanting to use more than one water a day from work. I have always supplemented anyway, I just have to bring more in!

I have made some decisions already on reading. I’m continuing my 2 chapters of Bible reading every day which has a lot of small print. I’m counting that as 2 pages so I can get in more reading in other places. I am also going to do a lesson on Forgiveness – for part of my reading material. Likely it will be a Bible plan through YouVersion. I will also be doing an audiobook and pleasure book as well as one of my goals is to relax more and be less anxious and uptight and more content and happy. I’ll include the Canon lessons (reading or video) as a part of these 5 pages as it is also considered part of my improvement and movement toward goals. So if any of these things are part of the 5 pages – we are good! This makes me happy already! Wonder how many pages an audio book is for 30 minutes! BAM! lol

For nutrition, I’m still working on tweaking this. This is always ongoing but there needs to be some rules and guidelines but the goals need to be reachable, definable, measurable. So one of them is that I need to eat something green every day. So I’m going to go and buy little individual containers of green beans and peas in the event that it’s not on the table, I can go get it. lol I’m likely going to only allow so many bread portions and sugar portions during the week.

The exercise for me will be the hardest reach. So I have to make it attainable to start somewhere. Mostly I’m doing it in my bedroom. I am doing 20 toe touches, 20 reach ups —I don’t know what to call these, 20 side bends on each side, 20 punches front, 20 leg lifts, and I have to try to do 5 push ups. I can’t do one right now, lol. These are once a day. I have all day to do them! I also have to do a 20 min walk at least once per week. Surely I can accomplish these things. Being able to bend and reach and keep my balance and all these things are important for those of us nearing retirement. Watching Mom’s ability to do things diminish over time, has really been an eye opener. It’s true that to be in motion you have to stay in motion. Sitting long periods of time – you lose functionality. One must keep moving! I was already doing some of these anyway, but was not making it a habit every day. The 20 minutes of walking is for cardio. I want to say twice a week but I want to be a success. Once a week is an improvement and with all going on right now, I can only say I can commit to that. And these are all goals you must commit to and take very serious.

As for serving others. It’s suggested that you make a list of ideas so you don’t get to the day and not having anything. It can be as simple as writing someone a letter, checking in with them on Messenger, calling someone, or doing something for someone.

KYD provides tools, charts, lists, meal planners, and check off lists for the 55 days. So that has been good. I also already have my tracker I created for “wellness” a few months ago.

I’ll keep you posted how it is going. Right now I’m just getting prepared and setting the SMART goals. SMART is acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time based.

So 55 days is about 8 weeks. I figure to set myself up for about 5 lbs of weight loss. I’d really like to say 8 as it would be losing a lb a week but….I’d be happy with 5 and can do that I think. I’ll set up some rules and guidelines for my meals – for example, I want to do fish once per week, less bread, less desserts. Dark chocolate is ok, one dessert a week or something like that. I have to make it SMART! I haven’t watched their video on this section so I need to do that. I’ll also develop a service list! I will include doing things for Mom as a part of that – so I’m already doing that some. George said he’d give me a list, LOL!

So this takes me to Thanksgiving and a push for being a better me. Of course it’s timebases but also is to create habits, so I will likely try and keep it up afterwards if I’m met with success. But I do think the 55 day challenge is good to reach certain goals like X amount of lbs, X amount of reading toward your goals, being a good person and contributing to your circle and your community with specific projects or kindness, and losing weight and/or being stronger and healthier. Having a 55 day push will give extra focus and set up habits to continue. I love it!

Outlook for the rest of the week:

Now that payroll is over, it’s the last payday of the 3rd quarter, so the focus now is on month-end and quarter end taxes and returns, doing my reconciliation sheet and so forth.

I have my OWN eye doc appointment this morning. Part of that is making sure I’m not developing into macular degeneration like Mom did. It runs in our family. She already was legally blind in one eye before she realized what was happening. So I go annually to an ophthalmologist.

Tonight I’m cooking Teriyaki Steak and Orzo with Spinach and Sweet Potatoes. If it’s good I’ll share the recipes.

Taking a friend out Friday for lunch for her birthday if she feels like going. She’s had recent surgery.

And George is going to play golf with a coworker from work on Saturday in Kentucky. So I’m planning a “special day” of my own. My options are coming together but I’ve offered to take Mom to breakfast at a new cafe/coffee shop in town and if it’s busy we’ll get it to go and eat in the car, a shoe store visit (I meant to go in spring and got behind), and maybe the Dollar Store or Dollar General if not too busy (Mom wants to do that). I’ll offer up a place or two for her if she wants to go too.

My other options for Saturday are to do the Fall Bucket List, Canon Lessons, Walk the Greenway in Mount Juliet, get my car washed, and do a photo shoot somewhere locally or around Mount Juliet. Many of these things still remaining on the summer bucket list. I also need to do some vacuuming this weekend of all the floors!

Meanwhile in Texas

Dear Daughter dresses up like a Pirate for the kids. What the teachers do! It’s awesome.

Precious little morning angel right there. He still has a little cough so keep praying. I think it’s better, but I need to check in with her today and see. I know she’s tired of me asking. But those lungs are so little and can fill fast.

We have a plan to visit now. We are going for his birthday. We are taking off 3 VAC days to go in Jan. We are flying and renting a car. I hope we can stay on the ranch to evade some extra costs, but we’ll see. At least dogs are not a problem now. But at that time probably Cody’s family will be there too so we prob won’t get to stay at the house next door is my guess. They currently do not have a spare bedroom. So….Katy said they may have somewhere else on the ranch for us to stay. We will see what happens. If not – hotel it is. But at least we have a plan. I will turn in PTO at work soon and will schedule the flights.

That is it for today! Working on the video tomorrow morning and will be back here on Friday. Ya’ll have a grand day.

Let me know what you think about the KYD55! I think it’s doable – a little push and precision on goals, but doable!