Who needs motivation?

February 14, 2015 CaitlynLeave a comment

Oh. I guess I need motivation. I mean, yeah, I’ve set tasks for myself that are totally doable. But you know what? Sometimes I just don’t feeeeeeeeel like doing that whole exercise thing. I mean, I love going for walks and doing yoga, but Chad has decided I need to run a half marathon or something. Yeah, you read that correctly. CHAD. DECIDED. I’M GOING TO RUN A HALF MARATHON. And he’s going to be my hard-ass trainer.

But I’ll tell you what: he’s really fricking good at motivating me. Not to mention inspiring me. For example, today we had a lovely lunch with old friends from Mie, and I drank enough beer to be on the tipsy side by 2:30 in the afternoon. I was silly and had beer with the knowledge that I was supposed to run 5K today in order to stick with the training plan Chad found for me. By the time we got home from running errands after lunch, the last thing I wanted to do was go for a run. The biggest thing on my mind was avoiding running today. I felt heavy and tired, and like there was no way I could get myself out the door. I struggled against Chad’s encouragement like a HUGE baby, playing up my puppy dog eyes as much as I could for sympathy, but to no avail.Chad got me out the door for my 5K, and I must say, albeit sheepishly, I had a really nice time. The first few minutes, I told myself, “You are being good to your body. Your body is thanking you.” And after that, I was able to enjoy the rest of the run.

Chad is an awesome Valentine (not to mention an awesome husband!) because he encourages me to be the best version of me, no matter how stubborn I get (and just ask him, I can get really stubborn!). He helps me set goals for myself, even if I don’t want to at first, and helps me achieve them. I’m not really sure why I try to fight against things that are good for me, but I am sure that I am super lucky to have someone like Chad in my life. He encourages me to follow-through with things and to work to make my goals reality. I’ve witnessed him work for his dreams time and time again, like back when he ran the Kobe marathon, got his black belt in judo, or ran the Detroit marathon. And I’m not just talking about fitness goals. This guy can seriously do anything he puts his mind to. And who doesn’t want to be like that?

I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who help motivate you, inspire you and lift you up. Chad is one example in my life. Who are some examples in yours?

Happy Valentines Day loves!
xxCaitlyn

P.S. Have you ever given or received a locket as a symbol of affection? Read some interesting locket history here!

P.P.S. Did you know there’s a downside to Love Locks? Learn about it here, and enjoy the alternative ideas for showing your eternal love 😉

Uncategorized

On setting daily, doable goals

February 12, 2015February 12, 2015 Caitlyn3 Comments

Have you ever heard of the Pomodoro Technique? It is a pretty simple idea, really. Basically, you just choose a task to focus on, and then set your timer for 25 minutes. After the timer goes off, you take a brief break before starting on your next task. Generally, you complete 4 tasks in a set, so your tasks take about 2 hours including breaks. You can add more as you like.

I only read a few articles online about the method, but it seems simple enough that I’ve got the gist. After reading a blog post talking about dealing with procrastination, I decided to make my own little Pomodoro schedule for some things I’d like to complete daily.

1. Exercise – Every day I want to get at least 25 minutes of exercise, in addition to what I normally get walking to and from work. This is good for body and soul 🙂 Lately I’ve been doing yoga, as I mentioned here, but I’ve also started running again.

2. Study Japanese – It has been a little frustrating to realize how much Japanese I have forgotten. I really want to become fluent, and to pass the JLPT (Japanese Language Proficiency Test) in the future, so it’s time to put in a little more effort!

3. Art Journal/Zentangle/Be Creative – This could technically take up an entire 4-task set, because once I get going, I often don’t want to stop! You know I’ve been art journaling every day, and that I had been spending time zentangling as well, but I’ve really got to expand on what I make time for creatively.

4. Blog – This one is pretty obvious, but I really want to be on here regularly because I just love interacting with all of you wonderful readers!

5. Read a book – I often get lost reading zillions of articles online, and that tends to lead me away from one of my favorite pastimes: reading books! Setting it as a task will ensure that I fit at least a little reading in each day.

Here’s what I like about these goals: They are doable, if I finish any of them before the timer goes off, there is always more within the tasks that I can learn or explore, and once I’ve finished with them, I will still have time for things I have to do (like clean, etc.). Additionally, following a schedule for these tasks will not only help me complete them daily and have a sense of achievement, but also, it will help push away distractions and procrastination. On nights we go out, there will obviously be some adjustments to the task-list, but overall, I think it’s going to be something really good for me.

What do you think? Do you have certain things you want to do every day? Or certain goals you’re working toward? Do you have any tips that work for you when it comes to avoiding distraction and procrastination?

Monday Matters

Everest

April 22, 2013April 22, 2013 CaitlynLeave a comment

Over the weekend I was a little down, so I decided to look up a bunch of inspiring, motivating quotes on Pinterest. I know that may sound like a giant waste of time, but as I jotted down many of the quotes that spoke to me, I started to feel better.

Then I started to wonder if there were any motivating iPhone apps, so I did a search and came across Everest. I really like the app so far–it allows you to set as many goals/dreams as you want, focusing on three main goals/dreams while keeping all of them in view. After choosing some goals/dreams, you create steps you can take toward achieving them, whether they be ongoing or one-time goals (so for example, cutting out sugar long-term or visiting a foreign country). You can cross off steps when you complete them, even if they are steps you take daily, so there is always the satisfaction of doing at least something to get what you want. You can also set reminders for the steps.

Here are some of the goals I’ve started:

So far I’ve been doing pretty well, though I only started yesterday. I went to bed a little after 10:30 (thus not fulfilling one of my steps toward waking up on time), but I didn’t snooze my alarm this morning! And I ran this morning to boot! I also drank my goal for daily water and wrote in my journal. I’m not focusing on guitar at the moment, but when I move home I’m hoping to get new strings for mine and start learning again.

Do you often set goals for yourself? What kinds of things or phrases keep you motivated?