We throw off the lie of perfection and cling to our identity in God as we strive to be whole, healthy, and fit. Our goal is wholeness, not perfection.

Posts tagged ‘accountability’

#DoOverBook Challenge: Day 1, Take 3

Do Over Book

I’m 4 days into a 10 day challenge Jon Acuff is leading and I only followed through on Day 1.  My Do Over goal?  Write for 10 minutes each day.  But the problem is I over think everything I write.  At least on here.  Nope, take that back.  Everything means everywhere.  I tend to edit as I type rather than just letting the words come and then worry about sentence structure and all that jazz.  Thank you very much liberal arts education at a writing intense school.  Shout out to all my Randy-Mac girls out there who can never “just write” again.

But maybe my first mistake was committing to posting a blog entry every day for 10 days.  The challenge is to work on something you’d like to do over (complete or improve from a previous attempt) for 10 minutes every day for 10 days.  I can’t  haven’t been able to get a post out in 10 minutes yet.  Nope.  I’m too busy editing as I write and then thinking about which pictures I can insert or what graphic I can make on my phone.

Not this time.  Not for the next 10 days.  Nope, I’m just going to write for 10 minutes.  Whatever God puts on my heart and then I’m going to hit the publish button.  Well, I’ll go back and edit for typos and such.  To do otherwise would be sheer madness.  Or is it shear?

So here I go, starting the Do Over Challenge, for the second time.  Why did I start over the first time?  That’s another blog.  Ooh, I can spend ten minutes on that tomorrow.

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freedom, goals

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 – Dream Big

2nd Day of Christmas

…my blogger friends gave to me: The permission to Dream

Dreams can be scary.  God dreams tend to be scary, but scary good.  You know He’s got something big in store for you.  Like Ephesians 3:20 big and you’re scared that it’ll shake up your life a bit too much.

Dream BIG

If the fear of stepping out of your comfort zone has you frozen in your tracks, check out Jon Acuff’s Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, Do Work that Matters.  That’s by far the best title of a book.  Ever.  Start not only dares you to dream, but gives you the courage to make your dreams come true.  Acuff also provides homework in the appendix to put some action behind that newly found courage.

Start Book

I’m not sure if Lara Casey has read any of Jon Acuff’s books or attended any of his speaking engagements, but her PowerSheets seamlessly pick up where Start‘s homework leaves off.  The sheets walk you through introspective prep work (daring you to once again punch fear in the face) and then setting goals to tackle every day, week, and month.  Midway (after the third month) through the sheets you’ll go through a “refresh” process (similar to the initial prep work) to assess your progress and adjust your goals as needed.  In her 2015 PowerSheets video, Lara Casey stresses that the sheets are “about progress, not perfection” which is something we strongly encourage at Catalyst Movement.

POWERSHEETS

She also mentions how sharing our goals – via social media, with trusted friends, in the FB PowerSheets group, and small groups (online #2015GoalSetting or in person) – fosters accountability and can provide a source of encouragement. Which is exactly what the inneractive™ Fit Club F.O.C.U.S. leadership series does.  It’s not about making more or even doing more. It is an opportunity to tap into your God given abilities – gifts and talents – and use them to be more.  Be more what exactly? That depends on you and what God’s called you to do. Everyone of us has a passion that God has knitted into the very fabric of who we are.

Maybe you want to monetize whatever it is you’re passionate about. Perhaps you simply want to explore it and see how God can use your story to bless others. Or maybe you have so many ideas about your goals that you don’t know where to start. This mentoring program will help you with all of that and more.  Click the image below for more details.

FOCUS

So, as you reflect on 2014 and dream about what’s to come in 2015, do your dreams scare you?

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goals

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12 Days of Christmas: Day 1 – Choose your ONE Word

There are many goals for Catalyst Movement, with the foundational goal being to help women live out loud.  To help each woman, regardless of her age, to live her life on purpose, with purpose.  Unfortunately, as women we often feel that we need permission to focus on ourselves.  The 12 Days of Christmas Health and Wholeness Challenge is us at Catalyst Movement giving you, and ourselves permission to do just that.  So let’s reflect on 2014 and intentionally spend the last six days of it, and the first six days of the new year in order to enter 2015 worry and guilt free.

1st Day of Christmas

…my blogger friends gave to me: The Permission to get Focused

In the spring of 2013 a God friend introduced me to the idea of choosing one word to guide your year rather than making a New Year’s resolution.  Granted, it was spring when she shared this with me, but I had long forgotten my resolution I set in January.  Having the opportunity to start over, almost half way through the year, motivated me to check out what this One Word movement was all about.  The fact that two of the authors are involved in FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes – an organization I have been involved with over the past six years) made it all that more attractive to me.  The authors recommend that when choosing a new word for the year, that you not completely scrap the previous year’s word.

My word for 2013 – Stewardship

Funny story.  I became painfully aware of all my resources I was wasting – time, energy, money, health, etc. – and told God that I wanted to become a better steward.  I asked him to help me organize and manage my personal space (both at home and at work), my time, my energy, my sleep, and what I ate.  My prayer went something like this “Lord, please help me to take care of all that You have already given me, then expand my territory. I do not want to squander what You have already given me only to do the same with what You are going to give me.”  Apparently He knows me better than I do, and decided to expand my territory first by blessing me with identical twin boys.  I didn’t have a choice but to spend my resources more wisely! {Matthew 25:14-30}

My word for 2014 – Intentional

Building on Stewardship, I focused on being intentional with the resources God has blessed me with.  Especially my time.  Juggling newborn twins, a seven year old, a marriage, and career has been challenging, and I wanted to make sure that I was fully present wherever I was.  Although I haven’t been 100% intentional 100% of the time, having the word as my focus for the year has served as a much needed anchor for my attention. {1 Corinthians 10:23-33}

My word for 2015 – Finish

It is a call to action not only to finish several projects I’ve started over the years, but also to finish some God assignments that I was too afraid to see through.  In order to finish these projects and assignments I will definitely need to be intentional with my time and a good steward of my time. {1 Corinthians 9:23-25}

One Word

Are you already utilizing One Word in your life?  If you are, comment below with your word for the new year.  If you aren’t, visit the One Word site learn more about finding your word for 2015.

Category:

balance, family, organization, Scripture, time management

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The Tipping Point

Domino Effect

You know that uncomfortable space between stagnation and change?  That’s where I’m living right now.  I’m living in the space cohabitated (spell check says I made up yet another word – score!) by head knowledge and a lack of action.  I am not writing this out of shame or guilt, but rather out of a desire for a transparency that will create community.  My prayer is that this post will be the catalyst I need to thrust me back into living more healthfully.

Yesterday I submitted, or resubmitted rather (gotta love technology), a guest blog post about getting and staying active.  I was very comfortable writing the post, as I have been active for almost two months now.  Activity, movement, and fitness come naturally to me. What would have made me uncomfortable?  Writing about nutrition.  Why?  Here’s a big clue: I just finished eating natural peanut butter out of the jar along with mini-allergen free chocolate chips.  The fact that it was natural peanut butter has to count for something, right?

But seriously…While I was pregnant with the boys, I didn’t just gain a lot of weight.  I picked up poor eating habits I had put down years ago.  When the boys  were conceived, my diet was the healthiest it had ever been.  I was eating clean and mostly gluten free.  Then came the exhaustion and ravenous hunger.  A dangerous combination for a former junk food junkie.

Now, 3 months after the birth of my twins, I am still making poor eating choices.  The first poor choice is that I’m not eating enough calories.  Nursing twins requires what seems to be a ton of calories.  The second is a natural consequence of the first – satisfying the craving for high caloric foods with low quality foods.  But I know that with some preparation I can easily meet my caloric needs, stave off cravings (can you say salty and crunchy?), and eat quality food.

So what’s holding me back?  A lack of want to.  Plain and simple.  Which is crazy, because I really want to eat better.  The problem is I’m not putting in the work to back up that sentiment. Ugh.  I don’t need to read another book on nutrition.  I don’t need any more head knowledge.  It’s the putting it into action are where I’m falling short.  I was just telling someone the other day “Either you want to do something or you don’t.  If you don’t, you can find a million reasons to not follow through.  If you do, you simply do it.”  I hate it when I say something before realizing it really applies to me.

I don’t know about you, but I need motivation and accountability.  I’m really good at motivating others and holding them accountable, but sometimes find it hard to connect with others who hold me accountable.  So here I am at the tipping point, between stagnation and change, humbly asking you to hold me accountable. I’ll check in twice a week – daily is unrealistic for me and once a week isn’t often enough – and rate the quality of my diet.  What is it that you need to tackle on your journey to living a healthier, more balanced life?  Feel free to reply in the comment section or come over to Facebook .

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grace, nutrition

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Mulligan Monday

golf-course

As I was watching the US Open this weekend with my husband, I gave thanks that I am not a professional golfer.  There’s no grace in professional golf. ( Anyone else get a visual of Tom Hanks shouting “There’s no crying in baseball!”?  Just me?)  The first, and only, time I played golf with my husband, he showered me with grace in the form of mulligans – several of them.  I was shocked the first time I realized that in professional golf, the players do not get such a gift.

But like I said, I’m no professional golfer.  So today, I declare this day to be a Mulligan Monday.  I started an at home workout program on May 12th.  It’s a reasonable workout – as little as 10 minutes if I don’t want to warm-up or cool down and it’s as challenging as I make it.  During the first four weeks of doing the program I missed a day each week for one reason or another.  Most people would say that having newborn twins is reason enough.  But now that I know that the best time for me to work out before they even wake up, I really don’t have an excuse not to get it done.

With the exception of the night David Sr., David Jr., and I all tried Rev Abs, I took all last week off.  I decided to use the time to regroup. I wanted to come up with realistic strategies to help me meet the goal of working out each day.

Strategy #1: Visual reminder – I drew up a crude calendar for the next four weeks and taped it up on the wall next to our television. I plan to put a check mark, or a sticker if I ever get around to organizing the teaching supplies I brought home, every time I complete a workout.  My prayer is that having the calendar right next to the TV will serve as a great reminder, not just for me, but also for my motivation squad – David Sr. and Junior.  For every completed week, I will be rewarding myself, not with food, but by buying some of the ingredients I need to make homemade sunscreen.  I’ve totally fallen down the rabbit hole with this whole DIY healthy and natural skincare thing.  (See “No Filter” if that last sentence left you scratching your head)

Strategy #2: Accountability – As soon as I log my workout on my calendar, I will report to my online accountability group.  I set an alarm on my phone to go off during the twins’ “big” nap to remind me to report to the group.  It will also serve as a push and shove for me to work out just in case I haven’t gotten around to it by that time.

Strategy #3: Eliminate excuses – I will keep clean workout gear downstairs, close to the TV room, or in it when possible.  This includes my workout clothes, yoga mat, shoes, and socks.  I am easily distracted, so I’m more likely to start and complete my workout if I do not have to travel upstairs to get my workout necessities.

The beauty of a Mulligan Monday, or any day of the week for that matter, is that there’s no need to wait for New Year’s Day or the first of the month to “start over”.  However, we do need to be careful to not abuse the gift of the do over.  It’s not really a do over if we are continuously starting over.  If we find ourselves constantly starting over, there’s a really good chance we never earnestly started in the first place.  When we notice this happening, it’s best to take a step back to identify our goals, get our priorities in check, make a game plan, and then implement it.

Are you in need of a Mulligan Monday?  In what specific area of your life?  I’d love to walk with you on your journey to wholeness.  Let me know how I can pray with and for you.  Feel free to email me at floyds07@gmail.com if you don’t feel comfortable commenting below.

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grace, organization, time management

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