Category: 366 days of novice motherhood

Heart

Tonight I was talking to a great friend whose in London on Skype.

We talked through all sorts of things but one line she said struck me.

She said ‘so often we think that it’s an attitude change that will bring about what we desire, but it’s actually behavior change’

Let me break that down.

We are excited about our goal, we want change and our attitude towards it changes, we’re inspired, motivated, we want to change the world.

Then Monday morning hits.

Behavior change is when we go to do what we have always done, check ourselves and make the change.

A habit reformed, a life altered.

Many say a leopard can’t change their spots, many say once a drug addict always one, many say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

These are cliche sayings, that have the capacity to hold us captive if we live our lives bound by them.

Yet I believe that we can do all things through one who strengthens us.

I believe that mountains can be moved by faith.

I believe that the drug addict can be healed because I have seen it happen with my own eyes.

Changing your attitude towards something is an easy ask. It’s changing your behavior when the times get tough that’s the difficult part.

That is why I set myself 30 day goals. That is why I break my big picture yearly desires down into more manageable mountains. That is why I write each day.

To change not only my attitude but also my behavior.

Through accountability, through encouragement, through faith.

How about you?

On this 30 day heart, home and health journey have you changed just your attitude or are you making little but lasting changes to your behavior?

I believe in you…

Do you believe in yourself?

A

Health

Although one of my goals for september spring clean was to go to the gym 4 times a week, the last time I went to the gym was last Friday, because I have come down with a killer cold.

My goal is to get back in there tomorrow as I have turned a corner, but sometimes the best remedy for our health is simply rest.

Its something we hear all the time, but I struggle so much to just rest.

Something my husband said to me today ‘babe you normally just push through and what your body truly needs is just rest.’

So I listened.

I pretty much wore my dressing gown all day. I made a chicken and vegetable casserole for dinner and an early night for Max and I.

Are you bad at taking time out?

When you’re unwell, do you just push through because everyone relies on you?

If you can, find ways to take time for you. You time, rest time, meditation time, prayer time, time to just kick back and recover.

Recovery is just as important goals and achievement.

However, recovery and rest is not an excuse to give up on the simple changes you have committed to.

So tomorrow the gym is my friend and I am back on the spring clean train.

If you are sick, feeling frazzled or stressed, no worries. Take a rest, reflect but…

The big but!!!

Get back on.

A

Home

Honestly I’m really uninspired today, sickness has buffeted our home and it’s amazing how something like a cold can create havoc.

From the moment we woke up, routines up ended, little niggly fights, fever, shivers, too much thinking and the day spiraled into a sad state.

Open air incidents on our bed, dropped salt and pepper, spiders making a web on my flower display.

Everything went to pot.

The thought of writing something inspired tonight is like pulling teeth. Painful.

The truth is there are many days that we are uninspired. Our house is uninspiring, our minds are far from inspirational, life gets us down.

It’s what we decide to do on those days of difficulty that define the mediocre and the successful.

The mediocre give up and pull others down with them, the successful soldier on and make light out of dark days.

The successful continue on with their goal endeavors even when everything goes crazy.

At the beginning of this year we were getting our bathroom renovated. A couple issues arose and everything looked pretty glum. Right up until the day I went into labour our shower wasn’t working properly and it was started two months prior.

7 months pregnant and no shower gave me every reason to give up on renovating, but in one day the problems were solved and now 6 months later we use the shower everyday and never think about the stress that went into its transformation.

In the realms of our hearts.homes and health goals there are always uninspiring days.

It’s what you do with those feelings of sadness, disappointment, discouragement that defines you, not the weak moments.

A

Heart

The word deserve has been one of my greatest goal killers.

The thought that I somehow have a right to do whatever I want, whenever I want, with no consequences.

I deserve that pair of shoes
I deserve that block of chocolate
I deserve that persons attention

I deserve…

Realistically we don’t deserve anything that we have and honestly most people who read this blog have so much that they don’t have a right to complain about anything they lack.

Now that’s maybe a little strong.

But sometimes I need to get stronger with myself and stick to the boundaries and the goals I have set myself to get the satisfaction of the results I desire.

What is it that you say to yourself to sabotage your goal setting efforts?

My deserve mentality is often seen in food, I have had a hard day…I deserve take always, I am stressed and tired I deserve a block of chocolate, I feel lonely I deserve a holiday. (full of yummy treats)

Even though this mentality is often out worked in my eating, it is most often a heart issue for me.

There is something within me that says I need comfort, I am missing out, I work hard so I can play hard. A victim heart attitude has gone so deep and affected my daily patterns with such intensity that bringing about change is a daily discipline.

How about you?

What heart attitudes continually stop you from achieving that which you set out to achieve?

Can you name them?

Are you ballsy enough to ask your nearest and dearest what they are?

Naming them is the first part of the journey and then facing those attitudes and replacing them with new routines is the only way true life change can occur.

Do you loose 10kgs to put back on 15kgs?

Do you stay silent to break out in an almighty scream?

Do you run the block only to hit the snooze button the next morning?

The problem is in the realm of our hearts, these places where we store up loyalty rewards programs and hope to cash in on the exact things we are trying to run from…

I deserve better!

Do you?

A

Health

It’s amazing how bad habits can so easily creep into our daily lives.

One week we are eating really well and the next chocolate, icecream, chips, excess coffee, the list goes on.

I can go from dedicated, focused and determined one day to careless, nonchalant and rebellious the next.

I have such a deep disappointment with diet efforts that I am sure that I sabotage myself to prevent any more disappointment.

Then I start my non-diet, which then becomes a crazy, all out war on anything healthy and the whole problem begins again.

Who told us that everyone loses weight when you breast feed?

Not me.

Bad habits creep in.

Your bad habits can be easily outlined on your credit card statement. What is the reoccurring purchases that show poor decisions?

Ours is eating on the run, which ends up being take away food. My husband and I were talking today and this week I am going to go and buy up big, make meals for the freezer and get prepared.

For some people you naturally do this anyway, so it’s no big deal. Others this would be a major reality check. Yes I do need to prepare more. Yes I do need to make more of an effort.

You and me both.

What are you bad habits?

Name them?

Me;

Three-thirtyitis…I get toey at three thirty, hungry and it goes to five. If I haven’t given in by five then I am ready to eat the doors off the kitchen.

That time of day is your weakness?

We need to make good habits to counteract it. I find if I name them, and then replace them with better options I am more likely to succeed.

What about you?

Where are you health weaknesses?

Name them and find a way to make small changes permanent.

A