On Wanderwood Lane
The fictitious setting of a very REAL life.
Environment
Happy Wednesday ya’ll!!
As it turns out, my consistency here will start with the once a week mindfulness post I mentioned last week.
Straight off the heels of cultivating MORE mindfulness in my life, today, I am going to talk about how I work to create a successful environment for myself.
I don’t have it all figured out but have learned what works for me, so, here goes!
1-Support: From the moment I began to really work hard on taking care of myself, this has been the biggest and most valuable tool in my arsenal. For me, it looks like several individual connections that create my tribe. Being seen and heard are the biggest game changers in believing in yourself. Embrace vulnerability, let others see/hear it and watch how much you grow. Let yourself learn to love YOU and let others do the same…you’ll LOVE even better than before. My mental/emotional/physical/spiritual corners have all been helped by sharing the journey with people who walk with me, no matter the terrain.
2-Rituals: For years I had a morning/evening ritual. It began and ended with a beverage. It didn’t seem to matter if I even fed myself, I had to start the day with coffee and end it with hot tea or a glass of wine. I don’t know why it took me so long to connect the consistency of it to other areas of my life but one day, earlier in the year, I took that idea and added some healthier options to it…As I take my morning vitamins, I put out my evening vitamins so that they are always ready…I have a 64oz bottle of water on my counter so that I always have my hydration supply within reach and portable…I try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time, even on my days off, so that my body clock doesn’t get messed up…I have learned I like creating patterns, I like it a lot! It takes the guess work out of the rest of my day and lends itself creating a lifestyle out of something that started so small.
3-Preparation: Uggggggggg, procrastination and the unexpected thrill of getting something done under a crunch time plagued most of my adult life. Call it a combination of being SUPER laid back and the fear of failing even before I started but I just couldn’t work it out. Last year, when I found the meal program that became my life, my BIGGEST success followed being ready for what was ahead. Yep, meal prep…Blah… I know you are asking yourselves why on Earth a 36 year old can’t go to the grocery store and the eye roll is justified BUT what can I say…for most of my adult life, I lived with wonderful roommates who either made it a group event or did it for me (thanks Chris <3). It wasn’t fun for me and I no interest in caring about it…until I did…My only goal when I started that meal plan was to only have in my house what met those needs so that I couldn’t be tempted by other things…I mean, I can dig some take out BUT once I’m home, I won’t get back in my car to go get it 😉 It wasn’t always perfect but believe me, the weeks I went into not having to think about how I was going to fuel my body, were the weeks I saw/felt the greatest changes in it.
4-Every Day Is Brand New: I, originally, didn’t plan on a 4th note BUT I wouldn’t be here without this mindset. Do NOT GIVE UP on yourself, EVER. We are human, we are going to stumble, fall, fail, hell even jump into the pits sometimes…We can’t stay there! My friend Janet and I really helped each other see this when we were in the thick of maintaining the meal plan changes. Each time we thought we screwed up, we would remind one another that this thing we were doing was creating a lifestyle and you don’t just give up on that because you think you mess up for a moment. Learning to be kinder to yourself is freedom my friends, trust me!
I have sighted health/wellness examples for creating an environment of success in my life but I hope I have been able to convey that once you apply something to one area of life, it starts a ripple affect to the other areas too 🙂
Have a great Wednesday everyone! Thanks for stopping by!!
~CC
On Wanderwood Lane 