New Year’s Resolutions Past and Future

The end of one year and the start of a new one creates the perfect time to wipe the slate clean and start over.  Each year I am one of the many that creates resolutions to help guide me on the year to follow and also like many I think they are often quickly forgotten and pushed to the side.  This year was a little different for me, if only because I had the resolution documented so I couldn’t forget them.  I’m actually proud of my resolutions for 2013 because all of them except for one was at least attempted.  So on this last day of the year I want to quickly look back at my resolutions for 2013 and share my new resolutions for 2014 (some of which will look pretty familiar).

In 2013 I came up with four things I wanted to work towards, all of which were things that work towards my overall life goals.  They were to move more, complete a 365 day photo project, complete another Nanowrimo challenge and read fifty books.  Each of these resolutions have had their own challenges and they are also ones that I have ignored in other years so I was pretty determined to complete them.

The resolution to move more was probably the easiest of all the resolutions because it was vague enough not to give me outlandish goals but still specific enough to get me up off the couch.  This resolution took me a while to actually fulfill because it wasn’t until I got my fitbit that I actually could see that I was actively working towards moving more.  I have already written about how wonderful this change has been for me.  It has been incredibly powerful to see results that I want and at a steady pace.  I feel like this resolution is one that I can check off as being completed without any second thoughts. 

The second resolution is also one that I’m happy to say was a success.  In 2012 I started to do a picture a day with the plan of completing an album of 365 moments that would have made up my year.  I did not complete this project in 2012 – in fact I made it to October and completely gave up on it which made me even more determined to do it this year.  I mean really I was so close to be done it was silly to stop.  I’m ecstatic to say that I have completed this project (my very last photo is of the movie poster for The Book Thief which I saw this afternoon).  The difference this year is that I created and printed the pages as I went along.  As I started to see the finished pages coming to the house I realized how truly special and great this project is.  I think it is my favourite album that I have created to this point in my life as a scrapbooker.  This year was an amazing year in a lot of ways and I have it all captured to remember forever.  I highly recommend everyone doing something like this.   There were times it felt like a drag or I would wonder how much I would really like to see hundreds of pictures of my cat or my dinners but when I look at the album even those pictures are pretty special and tell a story.

My third resolution is the one disappointment of the year.  I did not do Nanowrimo this year.  I had planned on signing up to do the summer camp version again which was being held in July. I signed up with intentions of working on a novel I have been researching for a bit but after the craziness of the floods in June I just couldn’t seem to get to a spot where I could actually focus and get to work.  I had a second opportunity to try in November and I did consider it but November is a notoriously busy month for me because of the work I put into our adopted Christmas family so rather than disappoint myself with an unfinished goal I put it to the side for the year.

My last resolution to read fifty books was actually added towards the end of the first week of January.  I have always loved reading but since graduating from university I have found that I don’t do as much of it as I would like.  I’m far too easily distracted by other things and even with the resolution I still didn’t quite make it to my goal.  I read 28 books this year.  I am a little disappointed by this but at the same time I’m pretty sure it is more than I have read in any year since I left university.  What I wasn’t expecting from this resolution though is that I would fall in love with fiction again.  A lot of the reading I had been doing was more research type books.  I got lost in a world of history and forgot how much fun losing myself in fiction could be.  Of all four resolutions this one was by far the most fun to try and achieve and so I don’t consider it a failure only getting part of the way to the end – it just means I have to try again.

Now as we stand at the start of a brand new year and I have done the look back it is time to look forward.  I have once again created a list of resolutions and much like last year I’m going to document them so that they stay fresh and I actually work towards them.  I plan on looking back at the end of 2014 and having even more check marks for completed resolutions.  So here is the list for 2014:

·         Move More/Lose More

o   With my fitbit I get a weekly report of what my average steps per day is and I plan on recording that on my blog page.  My last week was not my best week but it is the starting point.  I average 6,535.  This time next year I would like to see that number doubled.  Of course with moving more I expect to see my weight continue to drop.  This will be especially important because I have big plans for 2015 and I don’t want to be slowed down by my weight.

·         At least one day a week is a vegetarian day

o   In the summer this past year I decided to try to go part time vegetarian and I loved it.  I have continued to have meat free days and want to keep this going.  I love the variety it has brought into my diet and I look forward to continuing to explore other food choices.

·         Regular blog posts

o   I try to be good about posting but having just cleared out my blog posts folder on my computer and I realized that I write a lot that I never post.  So this year I will try to not let fear/nerves get in the way from me posting.  It also encourages me to set aside time each week to do some writing which also helps me keep motivated on working on my fiction

·         365 Photos for 2014

o   I wasn’t sure I was going to put this on the list again.  I loved my 2013 project but it has felt like a burden at times but at the same time like I said above it is one of my favourite albums so how could I not do it again.  I expect 2014 to be filled with just as many memories that I want to capture.

·         Read 50 books

o   Yep this one is back again too.  What can I say but I hate to see things incomplete so it is back and this year I will do it.  I have proved to myself in the last couple months I am capable of reading a book a week so I just have to make sure I do it consistently this year.

·         Complete a Nanowrimo challenge

o   That’s right it is another of my resolutions that has come back.  I just want to prove to myself that the first year I did this and completed a novel wasn’t a fluke – besides I also figure it is a good excuse to actually get my Titanic/WWI novel written.

I have to say that as great as 2013 was for me I am more excited to see what 2014 has in store.  I feel like each year just gets better and better so how can next year not be amazing.  I think as each year goes by I get closer and closer to being the person I really want to be. 

Before I end this post I just want to take a minute and wish you all a very Happy New Year.  I hope that 2014 is a stellar year for all of us.  I hope it will be a year filled with good deeds, good friends and a whole lot of memories.

My 10 Most Memorable Moments of 2013

It is that time of year when everyone starts to reflect on the year that was as it quickly comes to an end.  As all the programs begin to pop up with lists of the top stories, movies, songs, ect I decided that it was a good idea.  This year has been an eventful year to say the least and I figure it deserves to be remembered for the good and the bad.  So here it is my top 10 most memorable moments of 2013.

10. The Package Tour

                With the cancellation of my Creative Memories showcase I suddenly had vacation time and no plans but as luck would have it in Vancouver at the same time New Kids on the Block, 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men were making a stop for The Package Tour.  It was boy band heaven for me and I couldn’t believe my luck when I was able to get really great tickets.  The night of the concert I got to wallow in nostalgia and enjoy some great looking men and fun music.  It was a night to remember.  I screamed, sang out loud and even got touched by Donnie (twice).  I was a teenager again for a few hours.  It was by far one of the best concerts I have ever been too.

 

9.  Invasion of the birds 

                Cedar Waxwings birds came to my neighbourhood on two separate occasions in March and took over the trees, bushes and airspace.  I grabbed a few photos from my window because I didn’t want to scare them off but then headed outside.  They didn’t all take off and in fact they didn’t seem to pay much attention to me at all. As impressive as it was from in the house I was blown away by the sight when I came out.  The noise was unbelievable.  The neighbourhood was alive with the squawking of hundreds of birds.   They played in the snow and stripped the bushes of any berries that had started to show up and when they were done they all took off together.  It was like a great big team.  When they lifted up all you could hear was the flapping of the wings.  It was pretty phenomenal.  I hope to see them again in 2014. 

 8.  Success of my Christmas Family

                Without a doubt the moment I’m most proud of this year was a month in the making.  With the help of friends and co-workers I was able to put together almost $1000 in gifts and gift cards for a family dealing with cancer.  Adopting a family at Christmas is something we do at work each year but with all the relocation of us because of the flood I knew I wasn’t going to be able to fundraise like we normally would.  I made the decision to adopt a family regardless even if it meant I had to donate a bunch of my own money to make it a success.  I had my doubts I was going to be able to pull it off but the night it came to wrap and I began to unpack bags I was filled with joy.  I knew that this was going to make a difference for one family and that they would be able to have an amazing holiday because of how generous the people in my life were.  To me that is what Christmas is and my Christmas was made when I dropped it off at the hospital.

 

7.  Meeting Cary Elwes

                For my second year attending the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo the highlight of the whole weekend was getting to meet Cary Elwes.  I developed a crush on him when I first saw the Princess Bride when I was a young girl.  That movie became one of my favourite all time movies and I still watch it anytime I get sick.  When I found out Chris Sarandon and Cary Elwes were coming to the Expo I was so excited.  Friday when the doors opened I knew where my first stop was going and quickly made my way to the autograph section and found where Cary was signing.  It took me a minute to get the courage to go up but I did.  He was so nice.  I quickly told him he was one of my first crushes to which he replied that I was a sweetheart (probably well trying to figure out if I was harmless or crazy).  It made my whole Expo.

               I do have to admit though that it was hard to pick just one moment from Expo this year.  I had so much fun and met so many of my favourite actors including but not limited to Nathan Fillion, Michael Shanks and MacGyver himself, Richard Dean Anderson.  It didn’t matter where I went I felt like I was on cloud nine, helped by the fact I had also splurged on the VIP pass so I was undaunted by line ups to make me cranky.  2013 was an amazing year for me at the Expo and I still find myself looking at the scrapbook and remembering.

 

 

6.  Easter at my Sister’s 

                It is not very often anymore that I get to be around both of my nieces and my nephew at the same time.  This year for Easter though not only did I get to see all three of them but also got to spend the day with my Nan as well.  It was a great opportunity to take a few family photos (even with the complaining that goes with them), enjoy some good food and fun company.  I love it when my family all gets together to celebrate something together.  As much as we might not always get along it is good to see that from time to time we can get together and just have a good time. 

 

 

5.  Death of my first car/New car

                As much as I joked about getting into an accident so I could get a new car I was not prepared for the reality of that situation.  (I also learned not to joke up things like that…self-fulfilling prophecies and all that jazz…eek!)  I was crushed to see my faithful Tercel towed away after a minor accident.  It felt like such a waste for it to be written off.  That being said it didn’t take me long to fall in love with Serenity, my brand new Corolla, once I had her.  The car buying experience was helped by some amazing friends who helped keep me sane when stress was threatening to overtake me.  It turned out to be an amazing experience.  My luck with cars this year has not been so great and Serenity has been broken in rather harshly but hopefully 2014 and beyond she will get to live up to her name and enjoy an injury free existence.

 

4.  BJ opening her scrapbook

                I love giving scrapbooks as presents because they always get the best reactions.  This year I decided to put together a scrapbook for BJ, one of the owners of the Rosebud Country Inn that we love.  It was a simple scrapbook of the top ten reasons we love Rosebud.  I filled the book with some of the pictures I have taken over the years and had each of the gang I go out there with write letters telling her how special we think our experiences are when we visit.  We gave it to BJ in the morning of our annual Christmas visit and as soon as she opened it you could tell how touched she was.  I didn’t capture the initial moment on camera because I didn’t want to intrude into it but to see her tear up and become speechless filled my heart with joy.  The best part about this moment was that I got to share it with some of my best friends. 

 

3.  Calgary (and Alberta) floods  

                The floods this year have been on almost any news related list I have seen.  For me the floods meant a complete change in my workplace.  After 7 years of working at the old Holy Cross hospital we were forced out by the water flowing through our city.  As we left the building we joked about getting a rain day but we none of us realized just how bad it was going to get.  The next day waking up to the news that the city was in a state of emergency and badly flooded was unreal.  It was hard to believe what we were seeing on the news and even after going and taking photos for myself I still found it hard to believe.  I’m sad that we won’t be going back to the Holy Cross again but am looking forward to finally getting an office location where we can settle in again early in 2014.  

                Beyond the work side of the flood though what I find most memorable about the flood was after it was done and how our city pulled together.  So many people were wanting to help out and do anything they could.  When I went to help out at my friend’s condo I was blown away by the number of people who were walking from house to house offering help, dropping off food or just offering some words of encouragement.  It was truly inspiring to see just how much people care.  It gave me faith and pride in my city. 

 

2.  A published photo

                One of the amazing things to come out of the flood for me was the fact that I got to have a photo published.  The morning after the flood I went out with a friend to get a look at the Bow River.  As we walked along a ridge and I looked at my flooded city I was blown away.  I did what I always do though and started taking photos which of course I posted on Facebook.  My Aunt saw them and asked if she could use one of them for a newspaper called Alberta Street News.  I said that was fine as long as I could get a copy of it.  I was so excited when it came in the mail and there on the front page was my name and picture. 

 

1.  A published article

                If having a photo published wasn’t enough I also got to see my name in print this year on something I wrote as well.  Having an article published in the Calgary Comic and Entertainment program guide was by far one of the coolest things.  I’m not sure it was my best writing and it was a little out of my frame of reference since I usually only write fiction (or random babbling blog entries) but it was still pretty cool to see something I wrote published in black and white.  I loved more than anything being able to give copies of it to my parents and to my Nan.  I don’t think I will ever forget that moment when I first saw it.  Pride, joy and a little bit of terror filled me.  I even saw someone reading it while I was at the Expo which was so exciting.  I had a reader (even if they didn’t know it). 

 

 

 

I hope everyone reading this created a lot of great memories this year as well.  I look forward to see what 2014 has to offer.  

10,000 Steps

I didn’t realize how powerful the idea of achieving 10,000 steps in a day would actually be when I went out and bought a pedometer so I could start tracking my movement.  I also didn’t realize how much a small little electronic device could change my life in major ways.

Getting a pedometer is something I have wanted to do for a long time.  In the past I have tried a few of the traditional type that clip onto your belt or pants but because of my size they just don’t work as well as I would like them to.  This led me to start to look for other types and on the recommendation of a friend I started to consider the FitbitFlex.  I wasn’t totally sure it would be the right choice for me, mostly because I don’t where watchers or bracelets so I figured having a pedometer on my wrist would actually annoy me.  I also wasn’t sold on the price of the little gadget.   At just over $100 it seemed like a lot of money to be spending on something that I figured I would lose interest in but on September 12, I made the decision to go out and buy one.  I haven’t looked back since and just over three months later I have to say that I’m still as in love with this fancy pedometer as I was when I bought it.

Of course buying a fancy pedometer didn’t instantly mean I was getting 10000 steps a day.  The fact was that after the first day of tracking not only was I wondering how on earth people can actually get 10,000 steps but I was also questioning how active I thought I was compared to what this little tracker was now showing me.  10,000 steps seemed like it was a faraway goal but I knew it was something that I wanted to achieve.  In true Jill fashion I made a plan. The cool thing about the Fitbit is that it lets you set a goal and when you reach that goal it vibrates.  (It also has a smiley face that shows when you achieve your goals and you look at your profile on the computer, and who doesn’t like smiley faces).  So I decided that I would start with 5000 steps.  It was a little more than I had done on the first day so I knew I would have to push myself to move a little bit more but it wasn’t a scary number.  The first week I hit 5000 6 out of 7 days so the next logical step was to up my goal to 6000.  I made steady progress from 6000 to 7000 to 8000 but then I got stalled out a little bit.  8000 was a hard target to hit unless I actually worked on it.  This was the first time I had to really consider my daily routine (which because of longer commutes is still messed up) so I could find ways to get more steps in regularly.

The biggest problem for me to get past the 8000 mark was that I just don’t have the same amount of time I used to in order to workout, which would make 8000 and higher much easier to achieve.  I also have to admit that even if I do have the time since we moved further away that I’m more likely to make an excuse to skip the workout.  So with all of that in mind I knew that I had to find a way to get to the goal even on those days where I don’t manage to sneak in a workout.   I began to look at all the little things I could do that would add more steps to my total without stealing away time.  Some of these things seemed really silly at first but I have been blown away by how many steps they have added to my day.

The first thing I started to do was set a reminder in my outlook calendar at work.  An hour after I arrive at work it pops up and tells me to take a break and go for a walk.  Having a very computer heavy job there are days that I would go hours without moving, especially if I’m focused on a specific project.  Having the message pop up becomes a great reminder that I have been sitting and I need to move.  I get up, stretch and go for a walk, whether it is to the bathroom, or the sink to get water or even just a quick trip around the floor I work on.  The important part for me is that I just get up and move.  The results were pretty noticeable.  I went from earning 2000-3000 steps during my work day to around 5000 before I leave the building.  2000-3000 extra steps from just getting up from my desk and taking a quick break.  It doesn’t use much of my time but it adds up in shocking ways.  It also had an unexpected side effect in that I am not getting that afternoon drained feeling now.

The second thing I started to do was for when I got home.  I will admit that I watch a lot of TV.  In a perfect world I would stop it and do something more productive with my time but I’m not ready to make that decision yet.  I needed to find a way that I could still watch my favourite shows and still become more active.  Well much like the pop up message at work I began to get up on commercials.  When my favourite shows break I get up and do laps around the house, march on the spot or just goof around and dance to the music in my head (I’m pretty sure my cat thinks I’m nuts at this point).  Well for every five minutes (which is usually about two commercial breaks) I earn an extra 500-600 steps which adds up nicely in my overall total.  Again like the walking at work it wasn’t a change that required a lot of effort on my part other than making sure when the commercials come on I stand up.  After a long day at work I’m not going to lie this is sometimes a challenge but now it is so much a habit I find that I’m even doing it in the morning if I happen to have a few minutes where I’m actually watching Canada AM while I get ready for work. 

Those two little steps alone helped let me get to 9000 steps and have been helping me achieve 10,000 at least some of the time.  I have also found myself more aware of how much I am moving which means I’m doing things like parking further away from stores or instead of taking short cuts I actually walk the long way around to do things.  The fun little tracker on my wrist acts as a constant reminder of my desire to be moving more.  It has become an anchor that I can touch and feel and even gives me feedback so I know if I’m doing what I need to be doing.

My goal is now set at 10000 steps a day.  I have plans to continue to increase that limit in the future but for now it has stayed there for the past month or so.  I have a rule with myself that if I’m not hitting my goal the majority of the days of the week I won’t up the limit.  10000 has been a challenge.  The first week I moved to 10000 steps I ended up feeling incredibly discouraged.  It was a busy week and I only ended up hitting 10000 once.  I was mad at myself.  Then a friend at worked asked a simple question that changed my view of how I look at the step goal.  She asked me if I had a number in my head that I wouldn’t go under.  I didn’t.  I hadn’t thought about having a range for a goal but suddenly it made sense.  I set the goal range as 8000-10000.  It is a range that is challenging for me but at least now I can let go of the disappointment of not meeting a goal as long as I hit 8000.  The funny thing about cutting myself that little bit of slack though is it actually made it easier for me to hit 10000 thanks to another little feature of the fitbit.  In increments of 20% of your goal a little light becomes lit on the flex.  So when I hit 8000 I have all five lights lit up even if I haven’t reached my goal.  Well once I hit all five lights I know that my goal is close and so I push a little harder to get there so that I can feel that familiar vibration on my wrist that tells me I have achieved my goal.  It’s funny to me the strange games we play with our minds but I guess in the end if it works I’m not going to argue with myself about it.

One of the lessons I have taken from having my fitbit is that although I used to consider myself fairly active I was really fooling myself.  Sure I was working out but then I would spend the rest of the day sitting in front of a computer or my TV which is completely counterproductive.  The tracking on the fitbit shows you not only how many steps you are doing but also what time you are doing it.  I quickly realized that sure I had moments were I was fairly active but I had a lot more time where I wasn`t moving at all.  It really shocked me when I saw it and it changed the way I look at myself.  As I continue to work towards my goal of being a healthy weight I will also continue the goal of making sure that I have more activity in my life than I do down time. 

Since getting my fitbit I have been recommending it to everyone because the best part of this small investment has been the benefits that I have gained.  Since buying it I have watched my weight begin to steadily go down instead of the bouncing around I had been doing.  In fact since getting it without changing anything other than the amount of moving I’m doing I have managed to lose 12.5 pounds which works out to be around a pound a week.  This little device has motivated me in so many ways now.  It is incredible positive to see results week after week and the positivity is rolling into other areas.  Seeing the weight go down week after week also helps me make better choices when I’m grocery shopping, eating out and cooking.  You don’t want to work hard to move more only to screw up the graph because you eat crap.

I want to end this entry with a quote I wrote down after a play in Rosebud.  It is a little quote that has stuck with me and seems appropriate.  “Sometimes it’s the littlest things that stay with you the longest.”  This quote applies to so many things in my head but in this instance it just reaffirms to me the power of what we think of as little.  Don’t write something off just because it seems silly or small because all those things can add up to be huge, even one minute of activity is better for you than one minute of doing nothing and quickly one minute can turn into 2 minutes which can turn into 5 until before you know it you are earning your own 10000 steps.  For me it has always been a case of little changes snowballing to become big changes and motivation.

My Christmas Wish

I have to admit I struggle with Christmas each year.  I love the idea of the holiday but Christmas and I just don’t tend to get along.  I tend to find that if something bad is going to happen to me it seems to happen around Christmas (or maybe I’m just more sensitive to the things that happen at this time of year).  I always go into the season with the hope and expectation that things will be amazing & wonderful.  Sadly, I usually find myself disappointed.  I don’t think I’m alone in this - I think lots of people build up Christmas and are disappointed when it doesn’t go as planned.  I also think that I can’t possibly be the only one that suffers with wanting feel more Christmassy (I mean there is even that song “Where are You Christmas” by Faith Hill).  I have to double my efforts to try keeping a positive attitude during this time of year but -- my family can attest to this -- my best efforts aren’t always successful.  This year it feels even tougher for me.  I am finding that my mood is not very Christmassy and I decided to try and do something about it this year. 

When I started to try and figure out when my mood shifted and began to drop, I realized that it was as soon as I was done organizing, wrapping and dropping off the gifts that I had arranged for the Christmas family I adopted.  Adopting a Christmas family has been a tradition that we have done at work as long as I have been there (7 years for those who are wondering).  It is something I have always loved helping with and was excited to be able to take the lead on last year.  This year I wasn’t sure how it would work because my workplace is still displaced from the floods in June so the traditional fundraising we would do was not as practical or easy to arrange.  Logistically this meant I was fighting an uphill battle to get the funds I needed to give a special family an amazing gift.  The Christmas family gave me a purpose for the month of November.  I was on the hunt for the perfect gifts for the family.  I’m not normally a shopper but when I hit the malls for my Christmas family I feel like I’m on top of the world.  Once it was done though I felt my usual wave of disappointment because I had lost that sense of purpose.  I feel this year that sense of disappointment seemed stronger but I think that is just because it was such a surprising year.  I was pretty sure it wasn’t going to be the most successful of gift drives (and had even set aside a large chunk of my own Christmas budget to go towards the family) but I was blown away by the generosity of my friends and co-workers.  I honestly think that this was the most successful year.  It has left me just wanting to do more.

This desire to do more led me to the idea for my Christmas wish which is for a happier, kinder, more generous world.  Now sadly I don’t have a magic wand or a fairy godmother to actually make this wish happen for the world but I can make this happen for a few random people that happen to cross my path between now and Christmas.  I will do my best to try and make a small difference in the world directly around me.  I don’t have a true plan yet but I know that the more good deeds I can do the better I will feel.  Now please don’t get me wrong I try to do good things year round because I have always felt a strong drive to try and make a difference for people but at this time of year I actually crave the mood boost that comes with those good deeds more.

More than that though, my wish is for anyone who is reading this blog (I know it’s not a huge list of people) to also go out and try the same thing.  Ask your own friends to join in this mission.  I would love to see everyone go out and do something unexpected and wonderful for someone else.  Shovel a walk for a neighbour, hold open a door for someone, volunteer somewhere, buy a coffee for the person in line behind you – just go out and do something positive and nice for someone be they family, friend, neighbour or stranger.  This time of year as we rush around and get stressed out you would be amazed at how great you will feel knowing you made someone else smile (and I promise that even if you don’t see it, you will make the recipient smile – for all the good deeds I have done I have also been blessed enough to experience some of it in return).  I would love to read about your own experiences in the comments section at the end of this post.  Share your own stories, help give me ideas for more I can do and let’s show the world that there are people who are willing to do nice things for other people just because they can.  Let’s find a way to bring a little more peace, goodwill and holiday cheer to our world (even if it is just the small part we as individuals take up on this planet).  I promise if you are suffering from lack of that Christmassy feeling that after you do even just one good deed you will start to feel it.

Join with me for the next ten days and try to do something good for someone.  Let’s show the world how generous we can really be by putting our best foot forward.  We can create a happier, kinder and more generous world one good deed at a time.