Getting Back on Several Horses

A couple of days after I wrote the previous blog post I was flattened by a bug. I ended up in bed for 3 days which then wrecked my back and then the bug headed into my sinuses for another week. Honestly, if I would have been put down if I were a horse. I managed one day off sick and crawled into work regardless. I don't do stiff-upper lip normally, I lean towards the pathetic-and-give-me-sympathy-and-more-tea. But frankly, I'm busy. I was too busy to whinge. So I didn't. 

This week has been the first time I've felt almost human. I'm running on about 85%, which is a relief. I've also agreed that I will be taking a long break over the Festive Period. I am exhausted and desperate for my jammies, Pink Fluffy Dressing Gown and lots of Facebook Statuses about coffee. 

Every year in January, my work packs up and heads to an appropriate auditorium to host their Vision Day. It's a chance to reflect about the previous year and to set goals and the theme for the new year. I end up doing one of my favourite jobs which is researching quotes and information that will go into the various presentations. 

Doing this has put me into a reflective frame of mind. I haven't been this introspective for some time. I've been thinking about all the changes that have happened this year. All of the different facets of my life have moved around, adjusted their positions or just metamorphosed into something I wouldn't have recognised this time last year.

This has been a year of changing relationships. Some have drifted, some have dissolved completely, some have changed shape and solidified into new forms. It's been an interesting process. 

I moved. A highly traumatic, but necessary event. I also took steps to sort out my finances. I've done another 'quick fix', but I've shaved my outgoings and I'm still grappling with my bad spending habits. 

On a similar note, October marked my third anniversary at my place work. Hard to believe I've actually been in the same place for 3 years. It's the longest time I've ever been in one place of employment. My past record is 18 months. I have a very low boredom threshold. The great thing about my role is that it's constantly changing, I get to police my own hours and I get to be myself. Both Insight and myself have managed to come up with a working compromise which means I am contented there and I give them value for money. If you'd have told me 4 years ago I'd be this happy to work within financial services, I'd have laughed at you. 

Who knew eh?

Not me.

This December marks my first anniversary of being nicotine free. It's a year since I stopped. I went cold turkey, with minimal NLP intervention and since stopping I can think of only a few times when I really was tempted and the temptation didn't last very long at all. I'm quite pleased about that. I've not even had a puff. My lungs and bank manager are even more pleased about it. It's nice not waking up to a phlegmic cough and wheezing.

I also started exercising regularly. Or I should say, I made a commitment not to give up exercising. I continue to be determined not to stop working at improving my fitness. Yes, I'd still like to lose a stone (14 lbs to you over the water) but it's more akin to wanting to win the lottery and buying a ticket once every 6 months. I'm more interested in becoming stronger, not thinner. 

I saw a comment on a blog post of the fitness site I follow and it particularly resonated with me. The young woman who commented, was recently getting over a serious illness, her recovery has been over a couple of years (it was that serious). She attributed her recovery to the fact that she was a semi-professional dancer and had to maintain the level of fitness necessary to perform at that physically demanding activity. When she got flattened by her illness (which sounded on par with meningitis) she thinks it would have been so much worse, had she not been that fit. She finished off by saying she needed to get fitter, not to be well, but in order to be ill. 

I want to be more robust, physically. I feel strong emotionally, but rather lacking physically. Exercise is my way of dealing with this. Rather than adopting an exercise plan, I've adopted a commitment. I'm not going to stop getting stronger. I may lapse, need a week off or as recently, 3 weeks off, but I'm returning to program. The lapses are rests and time for recovery, not for giving up.

Can't talk about exercise, without talking about diet. I'm still making my own lunches. I've reduced the amount of processed foods I eat. I've increased my vegetable and fruit intake to the point where I'm eating 9 or 10 a day. My wok is my new best friend. Even if I fry my veggies in butter and add dollops of creme fraiche. I still have a little of what I fancy e.g. a biscuit and a slice of cake today. It's a guilt free indulgence.

2013 hasn't been a kind year, but it's been a year where lots of great things have happened.  I'm hoping 2014 will continue this trend. I'm going to work on being stronger - physically, emotionally and financially (and to blog more regularly). 

How's 2013 been for you? Did you make resolutions? Did you keep them? 

Do you fancy a cheerleader? I'm totally up for cheerleading you, if you've got some goal you'd like to achieve in 2014. I'll encourage you, you encourage me. That's the way it'll work. We can hang out IRL, on blogs or on social media. Let's do it! You could want motivation for exercise, eating healthily or for upping your career game. I don't mind. I'm totally selfish about my motivation for setting up an Inspiration Group. I want to hang out with YES people.  People who want to test their limits and try new shit out. I want to inspire and be inspired. Go on. Let's do it.