Saturday Shape Up S&^$T Together Post

      A different kind of Saturday Shape Up today. Last weeks  post was dull, and I got good advice, and interesting advice, and I wasn't really looking for  advice-just sort of rambled about protein and lamented a bit about the icy walking paths deterring me being active enough. It's fair though that when people read  someone clearly doing things wrong, or not at all,  they want to help, so I thank you all for caring. What I really need is a whole shape up in general-a sort of get my s&^$t together. Yes, it's about losing weight and getting healthier overall, but its getting life clarified and focused in  multiple areas; getting my shit together. This needs to come from myself, from within, so they say, whoever they might be. It also needs to be little bites of self help-things don't fall apart all at once, so putting things that  are broken or need rejuvenation takes time as well. 

Cleaning spurts: I feel no guilt getting the odd job done now and then during my daytime. It takes me all of  two minutes, I timed it, to gather a load of clothes and put them in the washing machine. That's less time than it took for me to walk down my office hallway to where the conference rooms were in my office building. I could ramble on about how I'm not taking my  breaks or my flex days, and tend to work well past my scheduled end of day, but I won't. (I guess I just did). Anyhow, the point to this is taking advantage of the opportunity through the day to do 2-5 minute cleaning and household tasks makes the house just feel more relaxing. We have big projects and overhauls to do, but I shouldn't need to spend entire Saturdays cleaning and doing laundry when I don't have a work commute and can fit small things in during the week. 

Exercise Spurts and Focused Time: As I wrote back in January, I'm continuing to try and get little spurts of exercise in my day. Standing during meetings that I'm not on camera for doing  resistance stretches for my legs, using light hand weights, that kind of stuff. Now I'm carving time on my calendar (knowing it is subject to move) for intentional exercise. Last week  I got a couple recommendations for videos. I've liked this one, aimed at women over 50. It is only 30 minutes, including the warm up and cool down, and was not hard on my knees. Shellie at Fabulous 50's has a whole section of fitness videos so I'll try a few others-some longer, some shorter. Maybe I'll check out her fashion and other videos as well. 

Meditation and Patience: I feel things deeply-even if I am not an outwardly emotional person. I take instances of  hypocritical behaviors personally; I don't play the fool and don't want someone's bull, nor their arrogance towards those they think less of. I keep calling it out even when I know I will get no where, because the opinions and perception by people are too ingrained to change a view or at least see the hypocrisy. So why let it bother me? Despite ignoring this self directed advice several times this week, I am practicing more often a bit of meditation, calm, and patience before I react, respond, or  let it go with no reaction or response at all. I need to do better and will be all the healthier for it. 

Keeping Work at the (Virtual) Office: I'm not going to lie. I've had to deal with some really deep crap at work for the last few years. There wasn't ever anything easy about my work, but add stress of the virus, racially and non racially fueled violence, politicized everything, and what feels like a war on education by the ignorant far right, and people are losing it. I had three calls this week, plus two meetings where people were in tears. I need to learn to compartmentalize better. I'm not sure how to do this, but am taking a virtual class on work life balance when  your workplace is your home. It's not quite the same as what I am describing, as it's not just the physical need to leave work behind, but the mental, but I hope to learn a few strategize to help. 

Sorting My Calendar Out: Work calendars, phone calendars, wall calendars, calendars all over the place, but nothing seems to be organized and synced together. I didn't bother ordering a paper calendar for work as last years ended up being just a pricey notebook. My daughter and sister both gave me wall calendars, and I ordered this freebie version. On my list today is to spend time getting dates, travel, and events noted, evenings with work or volunteer meetings, and upcoming memorable dates like birthdays and anniversaries. This is what having nobody to manage but yourself does. Life become one big winging it calendar.  Most women do this calendar prep entering into the year-better late than not at all. 

     I have a to do list today, and taking cues from wiser women that don't engage in self sabotage to their physical or emotional well being by getting those things done and feeling accomplished. I enjoyed the silly, predictable but unrealistic, Marry Me movie last night with my daughter and looking forward to plans later with friends. I've got a lot of positives going on, and want to keep that energy growing. Clean house, clean body, clean mind are certainly steps to  improve my outlook and shape up my person.