how to start loving your "to do list."

I recently got serious about my yoga practice about 5 weeks ago and have seen some amazing results. I needed to de stress one day and just went to my old studio that I hadn't been to in about 3 years. Back to the 100 degree heat and 70% humidity. And it was just as good and detoxifying as i remember. I left the studio that day thinking "Dang i feel great!!" So i went again the next day, and the next and the next. i thought "what if i did this 5 days in a row!" 5 days in I thought....I'm on to something!

So here I am about 6 weeks later still going strong and regularly attending 4-5 days a week. This habit got me thinking:

What makes me keep coming back to this when I used to always dread the gym?

It made me remember a training or a lesson I once heard about positive thoughts and affirmations. how we reward ourselves. Kind of like the old Pavlov's dog. What is the association to yoga that created this positive experience that kept me coming back?

1. I sweat like crazy because of the heat
2. it was only a 60 min class as compared to the 90 min it used to be. That was doable for me and my busy schedule
3. I felt results after the 1st day
4. Began to sleep better
5. Began to want to eat better
6. I became more relaxed and patient with my family
7. I got much needed "quiet time."
8. after 3 weeks my clothes fit differently
9. I sweat like crazy (oh i already said that!!)
10. my body opened up

And then I realized these are all positive things i'm associating with my yoga practice so I desire to keep going back. Going to the gym used to be "ugh, gotta go workout." Honestly, because I never really sweat all that much so I never felt I accomplished anything, sometimes my workouts were painful especially if lunges were involved, my body would be sore after I lifted a different kind of weight, and sometimes I ate worse b/c I needed to "reward" myself for going to the gym!!! LOL

Those were all negative associations I was attaching to working out. So of course I never wanted to.

This is the lesson: whatever we attach to actions whether it be positive or negative will promote whether we do more of it or not. The training that I once heard about this was if you're in sales or something where you have to make calls, attach a positive result every time you make a phone call. Or when you set goals, do something you love when you reach that goal. Get a massage, buy a new dress, have that dessert (although i don't recommend rewarding with food!!)  And if the thing we must do to get the result we want is viewed as "painful," it will become harder and harder to do. this is where procrastination comes in! this is why we procrastinate!! And there are some things we just don't enjoy doing and they don't make us "feel" good. In many situations, actions must come before feelings. it is the action itself that creates the positive feeling.

Reward yourself today for something that's been on your to do list for a while or take that step toward a change. I bet you'll "feel" better after you do!

Sneaking Snickers

With just 2 days after Halloween, I know you have left over candy you are just dying to get rid of, but the last place you probably want it is in your kids' mouth! I remember when i was young and I would stash my bag of candy collected from the gracious neighbors in my closet and go grab a few pieces every night before I went to bed. But I would save just enough so that I wouldn't run out. This saving eventually led to throwing out a bag of candy every year because I never ate it fast enough and it got old.

As adults now, do you still have a stash of candy you set aside for yourself from Halloween? I usually put my kids' bags in the pantry hoping they just won't see it and forget we even have it. Out of sight, out of mind, right? That may work for the kids, but not for Dad!! Tonight, as I was making dinner, I saw Richard (my husband) out of the corner of my eye go into the pantry. This part is no big deal, but then I just happen to glance over and I hear a "crackle" and saw him put something into his pocket. (I"m still laughing as I type this). and then he saw me see him...(confused yet?). So he did the aimless stare onto the shelves to make it look like he was looking for something. (still laughing to myself as I type this by the way).  And then here's how the rest of the dialogue went:

Me: "what are you looking for?"
Richard: "huh?" (isn't this the response we always get or give when we know we've been busted!!!)
Me: "What are you doing? "
Richard: "oh I was just looking at Grace's candy and what she got."
Me: "Did you just put something in your pocket?"
Richard: "Huh?"
Me: "What did you put in your pocket?"
Richard: "Oh, yeah, just a Snickers."

DAD was totally sneaking a Snickers out of his daughters Halloween candy and had full intention on eating this little sucker in a private place somewhere like some kind of bad habit. It reminds me of people who keep shoeboxes under the bed full of junk food and eat it when they are alone.
I busted out laughing and so did he. It was just so funny to think about this whole scenario and that he was bootlegging candy!!  For lack of a better word.

So sneaking snickers is not a crime punishable by law but it sure does guarantee a great laugh when you get busted of course!

Gratitude

Gratitude. When i started my journal today, i wrote "wow it's November. my favorite time of the year and the month of my favorite holiday. I absolutely love Thanksgiving because it is not about "getting." It seems to resemble of time of reflecting, being with family, finding things we are thankful for, grace, and of course food and football. I truly enjoy Thanksgiving because Gratitude is something that has truly changed my life. When we focus on the things we have, we seem to be given more. Even when we can't seem to find anything to believe in or have faith in, I like what the Bible says, "if you have the faith of a mustard seed....that is enough."  We can build upon that. Have you ever even seen a mustard seed? Well here you go:

They are super super tiny. so sometimes it may seem hard to find something you are grateful for. Other days it may be easy but try starting a gratitude journal for just a week and see what begins to happen in your life. write down 3 things every night that you are thankful for that day. What you may start to see happening is by day 3 or 4, you are going through the day looking for things to put in your journal!!! WOW! you are looking for good things! and not seeing all the bad stuff! What we focus on expands so if we are focusing on good, we will get more good. it is that simple. whatever we sow into the world, we will reap back 100x over!

Here's another great project (don't be overwhelmed! it's very simple) that I am going to do with my family this year. It's the Thankful Basket and you can click on the words to find the details. Go into this month of November with Gratitude. Forget the "oh crap Christmas is in 2 months!, oh crap, another year has already gone by! OMG, my in laws are coming!" Lets forget all that for 7 days and just focus on what we are thankful for and comment on your progress!! I'm sure you'll have some amazing revelations.