FIE Focus for February 2013

Doing a crusade like FIE forces you to reflect across all aspects of your life, helping you to really see what needs to change to ensure you’re better and healthier in every way. The significant thing I know that doesn’t serve me, are the habitual thoughts I entertain, which are either negative or limiting for me in some way. I personally believe you can’t just change your actions to change your life, because it is the unhelpful thought-habits we develop over a lifetime that are the biggest culprit of living a life half-lived. So I’m spending a lot of time “inside,” making sure I identify what those habits are, and then I’m acting to change them (or re-programming my mind to more positive thoughts) to ensure the changes I want to make can be permanent. I see this as vital to my success.

It’s not an easy thing to do - being honest with yourself to identify the thought patterns that no longer serve you. Limiting thoughts develop over many years, so shaking them off and embracing new patterns can be extremely difficult, as it’s too easy to fall back on the old. But I knew this wouldn’t be easy and I’m OK with that. Challenging myself is something I’ve always been very happy to do, and a lot of new things came up for me this last month, with a few real stand-outs. So February is the month I’m choosing to tackle them.

The things I plan to change...

Actions

• Wheat free with two cheat days – I’m going to stick with wheat free because I think the discipline of it, more than anything else, is good for me. I am forcing myself to make eating choices, rather than just grabbing the easiest thing available – which in my case, is always wheat. I’m convinced wheat free is better for me, so will keep it going with two cheat days in the mix - allowing myself to eat wheat. This will also help Steve stick to it, as he certainly finds it harder than me
• Swimming 3KM a Week – I’d love to swim 1KM every day, but it’s not realistic right now, and it’s something to work towards. I typically swim 1KM every time I do laps, so this month I will swim at least three times a week to achieve that goal. Of course, I need to be careful because if I push myself too hard in the pool, I will aggravate my rotator cuff injuries - something I don’t want to do. Doing laps with flippers on seems to take the pressure off my shoulders, so that should help ensure I’m not aggravating old injuries
• But my main Action focus this month is liquid

1. Firstly I’m going to drink three litres of water a day. I’m pretty good on water anyway – ‘cos you’ve just got to be in the tropics – but I’m not drinking three litres. I know this won’t be easy, but I’m going to do it. Here is one article on water and another - neither are 100% convincing on the argument, but I plan to give it a go anyway - although I’m definitely not looking forward to the constant need to pee – ugh! It’s been a long day already
2. I’m also going to drink two cups of green tea a day – an antioxidant and something my friends rave about. The feedback on its benefits are consistent, so why the hell not. Again, here are two articles on the benefits of green tea here and here, but once again, the research is not conclusive
3. I also started today off with a hot cup of water with lemon and fresh ginger in it – something I want to include in my life as the first thing that enters my body every day. Some friends swear by it and apparently it’s a terrific antioxidant too – so that has begun as well

Thoughts

• Gratitude – I’m going to spend the month reflecting on all that I am grateful for, so bear with me on gratefulness blogs. Many many people, far wiser than I, suggest that if you can truly be grateful for your life, no matter what situation you are in, you have a much greater chance of being really contented with your lot. So I am focused on being grateful this month and hopefully beyond
• Sleep and tiredness – I am obsessed with sleep - getting enough of it, not getting enough of it - and I spend a LOT of time thinking about being tired. I know exactly when this started and why, but I need to see if I can harness the power of my mind and completely change my thinking about it. I know I wake up and the first thing I think of is how bad my sleep was or how tired I’m going to be today. It definitely sets the tone for the whole day. I am going to work hard at eradicating that thinking – something I see as my greatest challenge this month

There you go, my "Fuck it, Enough" plan of attack for February – a shorter month, but some things to focus on, as well as retaining the habits I developed last month.

Anyone else setting themselves any action or thought goals this coming month? Please share share share!!

Yours, without the bollocks

Andrea