Other "55" Posts... and the sunrise

After I finished my last post, I thought it would be a great idea to blog about other "55" lists...

So coming soon ~

55 Reasons to be Grateful

55 Bucket List Items

55 Bible Verses to Meditate/Memorize

55 Goals for the next 12 months

And here's this morning's sunrise ♥

This one is looking east...

This one is looking west...

Busy Busy!

Long time no post....

First ~ a sunrise

The sunrise this morning was at 7:14am ~ it was not a spectacular one, as there was a few mornings ago... but I want to make it a goal of mine to be sure I'm up and outside (if it isn't raining) a few minutes before the sunrise and take a picture, and post it somewhere (here, Facebook, Google+ or Twitter). It is difficult for me to be an early riser, but I am better than I was a few years ago.

I'm reading on my Kindle "The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)" by Hal Elrod. Before reading this book, I have already read a number of articles along the vein of "what successful people do that most of us don't" from LifeHack or similar all say the same thing - get up early and Pray/Meditate, Exercise, Focus on your Goals, Review your day ahead, etc... I like "Miracle Morning" because it digs a little deeper (not much) into the nuts and bolts of HOW (though there is a lot [a LOT] of 'this is why you will love this book...' and 'when you do the things I'm going to tell you about, you will love...' which drives me crazy. I've bought the book, stop selling it to me!).

One quote I love from the book: "How you do anything is how you do everything."

In my thought process, this is similar to one of  Gretchin Rubin's Secrets of Adulthood (from the Happiness Project): "What you do EVERY DAY matters more than what you do ONCE IN A WHILE."

How I do what I do today matters... because I will either build on it tomorrow, or have to lay the foundation again.  For me, getting up at 5AM means going to sleep before 11PM. My stomach hurts when I don't get enough sleep, and I am so busy doing singing stuff I can't afford to get sick, and without enough sleep, historically I get sick. So, saying "no" to watching the second newer Star Trek (which we started watching at 9:50pm) is where my self-discipline has to kick in.

That being said, one of the strategies is to affirm to myself, before going to sleep, that the amount of sleep I'm going to have is going to be perfect, that I'll have exactly the amount of sleep I need and will feel rested and energized in the morning. When I plant that thought in my brain before going to sleep (instead of counting on my fingers how much sleep I should get, and lamenting that it is never enough, and berating myself for my lack of self-discipline), I do wake up with a kickier step.

I woke up at 5:25 this morning, I didn't snooze - and got up and came in to organize calendars and write goals, do some things on my 'To Do' list. My Real Estate mentor and I have purchased "Passion Planners" and I've been looking at that a little... it is exactly the kind of planner I've been looking for and I'm incredibly excited about it!

So my point... I haven't really applied myself to working the Real Estate business. My floating along time has come to an end, I have some tools I need to use, and we've started an Accountability Group, which - for tomorrow I'm supposed to have my goals written down. So many goals, so little time, right?! Work-related goals. My Why to motivate me toward Real Estate is Independence and Flexibility. Both things are necessary for me to do what I love which is sing.

Singing/Performing is my passion. Why am I not pursuing it?

Day 71 ~ Habit Number 2 is Taking Awhile (!)

This morning was successful in getting up at 5:20(ish) - took me until 6am to get dressed (put on my exercise clothes) -- I did dishes and cleaned up a lot of the kitchen, took out some meat for dinner (still don't know what exactly I'm going to do with it... probably marinade and grill - in which case the marinade needs to be, like - now!),  made tea, drank water, made my MF Oatmeal, fed the dog... generally wandered around :-)

Then I took my tea outside after getting dressed and enjoyed a beautiful sky pre-sunrise... taking *at least* 10 minutes to just breathe, think about the day, things to do, being grateful ... generally not being in such a huge rush and letting things I didn't get done go ~ it helped!  The chores for today were taking out all the trash & recycling, and laundry. Neither of those things got done.  But I did take the dog for a walk for 20 minutes... we explored a new street this morning. I love looking at people's houses and yards ♥. 

Back at my house... I took to the side of the house the polar bear Christmas decoration that was broken and looking terrible.  Guilted!

Last night I made a 15-minute incremental log of how I spend my time - from 5am to 2am 9cuz that all fit on one page).  It took me over 3 hours last night dorking around with chorus videos and DVDs and trying to get a 15-minute video up from Saturday morning's coaching session took me well over an hour and a half... while waiting for the computer to do all its stuff -- I took the opportunity to create the time log (hmmmm.... wonder why?!)

Something I read awhile ago on some kind of productivity/follow your dreams type of post/blog I remember reading that keeping a tracking like this for a couple weeks (kinda like a food list, but for time) is a great way to really figure out where you 'lose time.' To look back and see how much time I'm taking on email, Facebook, Blogging (which is where I want/need to spend MORE time), doing chorus volunteer work -- and then the cooking, cleaning, sleeping, bathing, researching on the 'net for healthy eating ideas and exercise stuff, reading about frugal/simple living...

It kinda goes along with the whole heart change I had the other day -- in that really knowing what I want to do and accomplish will help me make better decisions when there is something I'm asked to do (volunteer-wise).

I love learning the tech-stuff, don't get me wrong -- but there are some other non-related things I really want to do too (make some cards for people who are having some health concerns, for one), and other promised commitments I've made that are more creative!
* * *

On the eating front - I was down a lb this morning -- but I've been playing with this pound for about 4 days, so until I get past it, I'm just plugging along! I don't think I'm going to hit the 50-lbs lost mark on Thursday (bummer!), but this only gives me more incentive to get out and move!

I've been better about staying on plan - drinking more shakes, and less on-plan overages.
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Title of the post -- I've only managed to get up early about 5 or 6 days so far this month -- between himself's illness and staying up trying to figure out things he could eat, not getting my list of things 'to do' done, and then feeling a tickle of illness and the main reason: Not. Going. To. Bed. Early. Enough.  I was struggling.

Last night I went to bed at 9:40 pm and was sleeping 3 songs into the ipod.

I think wearing my medals every day is helping remind me why I'm doing it.  Geek that I am :-)

Day 50 -- Whoo Boy ! ! F I F T Y Days . . .

and in 50 days by my scale I've lost 38 lbs.  *Happy Dancin' Happin' RIGHT NOW Folks!!*

Today is much better than yesterday, the day before that, and the day before that.
I had eggs last night for dinner (two eggs + 1 Cup of Egg Beaters with some additional protein in the form of Cheese!) and it tasted a bit more normal than the icky tofu I had the other night... I didn't spice it all up, it was simple and delicious!
* * * * *

So ... a friend posted a Facebook Link on this NY Times article about how McDonald's "Healthy" option of Oatmeal is slightly less than a load of manure... makes me so sad.  Really, world, we should be back-lashing against the Golden Arches in so many ways.  Granted, while I lived out of the states Mickey D's French Fries were a golden and wonderful thing... but now I'm a converted 'Chip Shop Chips' are the BEST... so the famous french fries don't even do it for me anymore.

It just makes me sad that they're marketing it as a healthy option but yes, it has more sugar than a snickers bar... according to the article:

The aspect one cannot argue is nutrition: Incredibly, the McDonald’s product contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and only 10 fewer calories than a McDonald’s cheeseburger or Egg McMuffin. (Even without the brown sugar it has more calories than a McDonald’s hamburger.)

The bottom-line question is, “Why?” Why would McDonald’s, which appears every now and then to try to persuade us that it is adding “healthier” foods to its menu, take a venerable ingredient like oatmeal and turn it into expensive junk food? Why create a hideous concoction of 21 ingredients, many of them chemical and/or unnecessary? Why not try, for once, to keep it honest? 

 Here is the link to the McDonald's Nutrition Info for the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal (with diced apples and cranberry raisin blend but no cream). (270 calories; 2.5 g fat, 5 g protein, 150 mg sodium, 57 g carbs, 31 g sugars, 5 g fiber

Here is the link to the nutrition in a regular sized (2 oz) Snickers Bar. (271 calories, 13.6 g fat, 4.3 g protein, 150 mg sodium, 34.5 g carbs, 28.8 g sugars, 1.3 g fiber)

Here is a link to the 'Self' Nutrition site which I've linked to the Quaker Oats Instant 'Apples & Cinnamon' oatmeal... and even IT is better than McD's .

and Here is Quaker Oats quick cooking oats, Dry Nutrition Info ~ still high in carbs, but not sugar!


After looking at the numbers myself -- besides the fat that is so much more in the Snickers... it is about equal... and I am satisfied from a snickers for awhile, too -- it sticks with me. It is the 'better' option for a low-carb eating program, which just cracks me up.
* * * * *

I may have mentioned in a previous post how much I enjoy my morning MF oatmeal and would like to continue that tradition in the future. . . and I found a great site that gives a step by step process with a cost analysis as well. The site is "The Simple Dollar" and what a great website overall, let alone for this very in-depth step-by-step guide and overview to creating your own 'instant' oatmeal that truly is 'have it your way' and MUCH healthier than McD's!

I don't need the CoffeeMate or non-dairy anything (though as an occasional treat it might be a nice change, especially with the flavor options out there now)... I also thought trying Ovaltine with it might be interesting!

I think I have some Quaker Rolled Oats, and I know I have the other ingredients (cinnamon, stevia and/or Splenda) and I won't be adding any fruit for awhile, but I'm curious to try this as a future recipe for when I'm weaned off the MF foods! My goal would be to bulk up the protein probably with Flax seeds (lower carbs than Oat Bran).

The nutrition info for the Peach Oatmeal for MF is: (Serving Size is 34.1 g)
Calories: 110
Total Fat 1.5 g
Sodium 180 mg
total Carb 16 g
Dietary Fiber 5 g
Sugars 2 g
Protein 11 g
* * * * *

What else... I've been thinking about business and money... and am being quite introspective at the moment ~ creating the job of your dreams, etc... and thinking about my new focus starting on March 1st which will be going to bed earlier to get up at 5am EVERY MORNING in order to incorporate exercise into my routine.

My new favorite quote: The #1 Secret to being an adult is: "What you do every day is more important than what you do once in awhile." I got this from "The Happiness Project" Blog by Gretchen Rubin, author of the book, "The Happiness Project."

I've written it on two sticky notes - one for the bathroom mirror and one by my alarm clock by my bed. This next focus is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, I think. I like sleep. I like the warm bed. I like feeling the rush of adrenaline when I'm pushed for time (late!). Did I say I like sleep...? Cuz yeah, I really like sleep. I don't like doing the things I'm getting up to do -- i.e., house chores - laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, taking out the trash, etc... I don't particularly like exercising. I've been a night owl all my life and I LIKE IT THAT WAY -- but I have to be a grown up now, I guess. At least until I can make money at my passions and loves, which is what my new blog is going to be about (hey, that was subtle, eh?!) It is still a baby at the moment, but all will be revealed soon).

I need to change my mind, I know - simple, but not easy. To remember the reasons I LIKE to get up... see the sunrise (I love seeing the sunrise with a steaming cup of tea and hearing the birds twirping so very loudly in the morning... very nice!). ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....... [long pause]

what else do I like? I like having time to write a good blog post (this one is being done in the afternoon, when I should be doing other things). I like having time to review my goals and 'to do' list for the day/week. I like having time to pray and read the bible. I like having time to get the house chores OUT OF THE WAY so I can do the things I love (and hope to make money at) in the afternoons ~ guilt-free!

Ultimately, getting up earlier will result in having more energy (by putting exercise in my life) and being more productive in all areas of my life.  As Steve Pavlina has said, "Fire that person who says it is okay to go back to sleep in the morning!" ~ and tell myself if I'm super tired in the afternoon, I can always have a nap!

There's Nothing Like An Arizona Sunrise

I've been waking up around 6am pretty consistently since September-ish... I started in January of this year with a friend calling me in the morning to help me establish this new habit of getting up at the same time every morning; despite the time I went to bed.  I had the thought in the summer that I should get up slightly earlier every morning, so that I would eventually get up early enough to see the sunrise... I really enjoy that pre-dawn show that is usually a slow, gradual glorious display of nature. It can be a time to sip a hot cup of tea, contemplate the day, give thanks for the blessings we have, and be intentional with what the day will be and accomplish.

So below is the range of sunrises for January through December, 2011... with a picture of this morning's sunrise from my backyard. My hope is that I'll be up early enough every morning to be dressed and go out in the street to better capture a particularly pretty morning (no neighbor's houses interfering)... and have the dog on a leash and we get our daily 15 - 20 minutes or more walk around the neighborhood in.

Jan 1, 2011 7:25 AM
Jan 31, 7:19 AM

Feb 28, 6:53 AM

Mar 31, 6:14 AM

Apr 30, 5:39 AM

May 31, 5:18 AM

Jun 19, 5:17 AM* Earliest of the Year
Jun 30, 5:20 AM

Jul 31, 5:38 AM

Aug 31, 5:58 AM

Sep 30, 6:17 AM

Oct 31, 6:40 AM

Nov 31, 7:06 AM

Dec 31, 7:25 AM

This was at 7:21 this morning.