Team Success versus Team Sabotage

Goal To double # of walking steps from 3001 to 6002 by end of this year

Started Walking 1, 478 Days ago or almost exactly 4 years ago

Days remaining to reach goal : 41

Current Daily Average for 2022 5782 Steps

Challenge I’m away from home which always makes it more difficult to keep my morning walking routine

Location Barrie, Ontario - Snow Capital of Ontario …haha…I don’t know that it is but both times I’ve been here there has been LOTS of snow! __________________________________________________________

Conversation between Thoughts from : Team Success, Team Sabotage (Including the Terrible Twins : Procrastination Pate And Perfectionist Prim) Max the Mind Manager, Body B.Liefs, and Muscle Memory Magik

Team Success A physical network of brain cell connections for positive healthy thoughts in the brain - the more there are the easier it becomes to make choices that will benefit your health or help you to achieve your goals

Team Sabotage A physical network of brain cell connections for negative repetitive thoughts in the brain - the more there are the easier it becomes to be derailed from making healthy choices

Terrible Twins

"Procrastination Pate" Always thinking of ways to make you put off actions till "later". Sometimes the ideas might be true but the ultimate goal is to sabotage you from meeting your goals.

"Perfectionist Prim" Continually thinking of how things "could be a bit better" or different.

(See Blog Post The Terrible Twins from Jan 14, 2011)

Mind Manager Max "Noticing" thoughts which assess the nature of the different thoughts flowing through the mind. They have the “super power” to “catch” thoughts in the Sabotage network and reroute them towards the Success network in order to Maximize Brain Potential!

Body B. Lief Thoughts related to the body - they might be true or not.

Muscle Memory Magik When Body starts moving on its own towards a habit with little thought. This can be good or bad. _______________________________________________________________________

When :Upon Awakening on Day 42 of walking at least 3,000 steps...63 days is the # for habit formation

Body B. Lief : Mmm…I feel so warm and comfortable in this bed

Team Success : It's morning! Time to walk soon !

Team Sabotage : Can you actually fit it in before church? I don’t think you have time - it’s going to be such a rush …

Mind Manager Max : Don’t forget I figured it all out last night and the time works. I can do this !

Body B.Leif : It feels good to stretch in the morning. Remember to roll over slowly because my left shoulder/back still hurts a bit.

Team Sabotage : What if the weather’s not great this morning?

“Procrastination Pate” You could always walk "later" in the day!

Mind Manager Max : Wait a second I know walking later never works - I say I’m going to and something always comes up!

Team Success : Very true . I know I can do this now. I just need to start moving.

Muscle Memory Magik : Hand moves towards phone ….

Mind Manager Max : That's not exactly what I meant! You know how the phone distracts you from your goals!

Team Success : You're right. Thanks for the reminder but I just need to check the temperature to be prepared.

Team Sabotage : What!! It’s minus 7 degrees! That’s the coldest day yet! You’ll be cold!

“Procrastination Pate” I keep trying to tell you - it will be warmer "later" …

Team Success :Remember the family motto - Theres no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing AND I bought a nice warm coat and have tights and a cozy under layer for this very reason - I’ll be fine!

Mind Manager Max : Now that’s better - Go Team Success!

Team Success : Better peak outside to see if it’s still snowing. Best be prepared.

Team Sabotage : It’s windy AND snowing besides being cold .

"Perfection Prim ”Maybe you should eat breakfast with your hosts instead . .. it’s sort of rude to just do your own thing while you're here.

Team Success : My host said they were leaving early anyways … besides this is important to me. It’s okay to keep my personal goals when I’m with others.

Body B. Liefs - Hmmm snuggling under these covers is so cozy …just a few more minutes will be okay. On second thought - nature calls...

Team Sabotage : Oh I don’t know…with the cold and snow and if you want to make it to church on time - I’m not sure there’s time to walk.

Mind Manager Max : We’ve already discussed this remember? I HAVE time AND remember I actually LIKE walking in the snow!!

Team Success :Ok Ok I know there’s enough time and it's true - it’s so pretty walking in the snow- let’s get going !

“Perfectionist Prim” But you were supposed to leave by 7:45 ...You won't get out the door till just after 8 …your late!

Team Success : True but even if I leave a bit later than originally planned I can just watch the time carefully and adjust it a bit if need be .. but getting “some” steps in the morning is better than none.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED!

Body started moving - ON ITS OWN …free of a further discussion amongst Team Sabotage, Team Success and/or Mind Manager Max. No more conflicting thoughts ….just movement in the direction of the habit I’ve been trying to building for the last four years!

Muscle Memory Magik : starts to pull on tights , toque (yup toque went on early….haha!) warm under layer etc.

Team Sabotage (when close to being ready)

“Procrastination Pate” Are you really going to do this? You really don’t HAVE to do this you know? You could walk double tomorrow - it might be warmer… you could catch up "later"!

Team Success : Oh yes I’m going to do this - I’ve set goals and I’m going to meet them and it’s easier to ALWAYS get some steps in every morning even if it’s not the full 6,000

Body B. Liefs : I like the feeling of being snug and warm as layers go on - especially when it's cold outside.

Team Success : Not too much now. I know I get warm once I start walking!

Team Sabotage : Ya you’ll get all sweaty and then you’ll have to shower for sure - I don’t think you have time.

Mind Manager Max : I’m not listening to that last thought - I have the time!

Team Success : Yup I’ve already settled that - there’s time! For the walk AND the shower!

Body M. Memory : Climbs up the stairs towards the door and puts on coat, pulls on boots and feeling snug opens the door.Hmm I love the cool air and sun glistening off the freshly fallen snow.

Team Sabotage

“Prideful Princess” : Oh look at you now - all Proud as a Peacock! You think you’re so good.

Mind Manager Max : Nope sorry, looking after myself is not pride it’s discipline! Go Team Success !!

Team Success : Wow it’s so beautiful this morning - so worth the effort!

This my friends is how habit building works. Notice how Team Sabotage is written in third person. I’ve done this on purpose to help you recognize thoughts which work against you doing something positive are NOT really you - they are lies that have crept in deviously that take control and prevent you from making good choices to build a healthy habit or be your best self. Thanks to a growing network of positive thoughts in Team Success, an active Mind Manager “Max” and developing Muscle Memory Magik my walking habit is beginning to succeed even when there may be “reasons” or “excuses” to break my habit...like cold weather, snow or not being at home.

It took awhile for me to be walking 6,000 steps a day or close to 5 kms. Team Sabotage had way more "parts" in this daily play when I started. The more connections I build in my Team Success' network the easier it is becoming to go for my morning walk! Hooray! If I can do it - you can do it too!

Just take a few small steps everyday at the same time, Manage your Mind and before you know it you will ALSO be successful in building a healthy habit.

Keeping You Inspired

It's been interesting for me to go back and read my own posts. It started this blog 9 years. A blog to "inspire you to persevere through times when you need more than just your own strength to rely on ...and to inspire you to take small steps towards doing something you think would make you or someone you know a better person" Inspirational Start post from Jan 3, 2011 A lot has happened since then! All I can say is I am SO EXCITED about what I will be sharing with you. If you are a Mom, Dad or caregiver who is searching for a way to help your child, if you are discontent with where you or they are at and know that there is more inside than most can see on the outside, if you are a young adult or older and have always felt that life is a continuous struggle, if you know that you or your child have not met their potential - you are in the right place! I will tell you ahead of time that much of what I will teach you will be simple in many ways - BUT it will take discipline and perserverance! Helping to keep you inspired is the purpose of this blog. I will do my best to ignore the Terrible Twins (post from January 14,2011) and their pesky sibling A Push from Pressure (post from August 4 2011) and in this space, mostly through "story" I will "tell a bit about myself...my story... so you know where I am coming from....what I've gone through... and where I'm going." The Value in a Story ( post from January 9, 2011) ...and most importantly how what I've learned can help you and/or your child!

Inspired by Abstinence

As a child I remember hearing the story of when my Grandma, who was known as the best wine maker on the "harvesting" tour, decided to quit making wine when one of her kids got into the wine cellar.
"Why are my feet so far away from the floor?" they asked. In part I would say this resulted in the whole family , including my Dad being abstainers. Mom didn't drink either so this meant I grew up in a home where alcohol was never a part. Well except for the "rum" balls at Christmas and the occasional "orange brandy" cake....have to say I would love to sample either of those again! Hint, hint - Mom ;) As a young adult I too felt led to be a complete abstainer as Sarah Bessey eventually decides in her blog article http://sarahbessey.com/quit-drinking/ that "inspired" me to convert my rather lengthy facebook post into a blog entry on my long forgotten blog.

Who knew that my future husband would be an abstainer as well - after seeing the damages of alcoholism in his family. I will admit it took awhile for me to be comfortable around others who were drinking even a glass of wine with their meal. It no longer bothers me. I will say it makes it "more" comfortable for me to have those I'm with who are drinking to just accept and respect my abstinence and to not worry about whether I'm having a good time or not. I will admit that thinking about attending my school reunions has always made me a bit nervous but have to say I have amazing highschool friends who just accept me and my husband in our "non-drinker" status. And I've always stayed to the end and had a great time. ((Hugs)) to you all! In some ways I feel more of an acceptance of my abstinence there than I do in church circles - strange I know.


l thought Sarah's blog article was worth passing on. Our journeys were different but ended the same. We all have unique journeys with alcohol. I just hope yours isn't one that's leading you on a possible destructive path. As my Dad (aka Wally) has always said "it is a slippery slope" I hope your slope is in the right direction. For those of you that it is you never know, you might be the fortunate recipient of a "regifting" from our ever growing wine cellar one day...ha...ha! Don't know why people can't think about giving dark chocolate as a gift instead of the customary bottle of wine....lol! Or if you ever feel led to one day give it up completely for one reason or another please know you are not alone. I agree with Sarah Bessy - there are a wide variety of teas out there or maybe I can help to introduce you to my latest personal bubbly favourite....homemade kombucha!

A Push from Pressure

By now I'm sure that my few followers must have figured out that I've been captured once again by the "Twins". But nothing like a push from another pesky sibling called "Pressure"! If my blog is going on a list of "blogs to follow" on the Heritage Christian Online Newsletter I better get my act together!

I still feel like I am at the beginning and so I will take the time to tell you a little about my educational background.
When I look back over my years of education - graduating from high school in 100 Mile House - starting post secondary studies at Douglas College and finishing with a Bachelor of Education at Simon Fraser University - I am amazed at how God totally directed my schooling in light of where I find myself today.

Soon to begin my third year with HCOS as a Learning Services Consultant I cannot be more thankful for my choices of undergrad studies: Psychology, Biology, and Education with a focus in Learning Disabilities. Combining almost 20 years experience including a few years as a full time classroom teacher, multiple job shares in Learning Assistance , Special Ed and regular classes together with various tutoring jobs over the years I feel that many mysteries and frustrations along the way are finally starting to make sense.

I once heard Susan Wise Bauer give the advice to just "keep turning the page" in a story with a complicated plot line and confusing characters because you will be rewarded with an awesome read by persevering through a challenging book when it all makes sense two thirds of the way through. In many ways I wish I could turn back the pages of time in order to help some of the students I worked with years ago by using some of the cutting edge strategies that are beginning to change the way we are helping students with learning challenges today. But "no regrets" is another phrase floating around out there that I'm determined to remember and to just do my best reaching the kids that I encounter now.

As a homeschool Mom of three myself I can't think of a better job than to come along side other homeschool moms and their HCOS support teachers to uncover the gifts of their children by helping them understand the learning needs of their child. For years I approached learning challenges through tutoring but over the past several years I am very excited to have taken a dive into the trail blazing...or should I say "pathway building" world of neuroscience and braintraining!

The Terrible Twins

First of all I want to say I love twins, as does my daughter and sons or any "multiple" for that matter. In fact of late we have had the privilege to get to know some in a more personal way and love them dearly .....but these twins are of a different nature.....

It wasn't until a friend of mine called them out and named them that I realized I had really let them take over. They are in the same camp as Thing 1 and Thing 2 of The Cat in the Hat ....reaking havoc not with my house but with my mind...whispering thoughts of "later" and "better" into each ear. Just when I think I've successfully conquered the one who likes to lurk over my computer and whisper "a little later" in one ear when I begin to write a new blog entry ... he summons his partner to come in full force to discourage me with an "it could be a bit better"... even after I've thoughtfully written, carefully edited and reviewed etc and am gathering the courage to press the Publish Post button.

I knew I wanted to start a blog ...I have been blessed in so many ways...and if something I can pass on to others will inspire you and possibly lead to life changing knowledge through this high tech, far-reaching medium I want to do that. But what I didn't realize at the time I started is that "blogging" would be great therapy in my breaking free of the terrible twins called "Procrastination and Perfection." Do they lurk in your house too? And wait.... did I say they didn't reak havoc with my house....oops!

A Thought to Think: My husband probably gave me the best phrase to tell "Perfection" as he recognized that I will probably always see how something could be different , better, more creative and therefore be tempted to delay it or fail to finish it. He encouraged me to say...

"I know I could add, or change or do something different but it's GOOD ENOUGH so just do it ...

1.....2......3.......PUBLISH POST

The Value in a Story

Inspiration often comes in the form of a story for me. I have a mom who is a gifted speaker/teacher who often passes on valuable truths through the telling of a personal story from her life. And for years I have enjoyed hearing the stories of my heritage that continue to inspire me till this day. So I thought it might be appropriate to tell a bit about myself...my story... so you know where I am coming from....what I've gone through... and where I'm going. Of course this is a monumental task so I will take it one blog entry at a time. And no ...you won't be able to check on a certain day for another chapter of my story because this blog is going to be purely random. Why set myself up being late with my blog entry on a certain day? And at the same time the labels will keep it all organized. I love it! I'm not even going to start with this entry except to say that if you have stories of your life that you are keeping to yourself I will encourage you to share them. If you can't find it in you to write them down than tell them again and again as they did in the past because although you may get teased for repeating the same story it will be only those that you repeated that will be remembered when you are no longer around. I will probably start my first entry before I came on the scene and the only reason I am able to do this is that while the pages of the journal I gave my Grandma remained empty I took the time to sit by her worn out red plush chair to listen to her tell the stories of her childhood ....her sitting on the ground, eating her meal off a large banana leaf in a far off country......

Cozi Up and Start to Fly!

Each new year I always look for some new way to help me to be more organized.. This year it has come in the format of Cozi at http://cozicentral.cozi.com/ It is an online calendar, list keeper that helps all the members of the family stay up to date with everyone's appointments etc. as well as a very simple format to jot down special moments with a photo in a Family Journal. I would highly recommend it to start your new year off! It was a recent link that was added to Fly Lady http://www.flylady.net/ which I would also recommend to any of you who are the creative unorganized type who would like to make little steps towards changing.