I said last week that I was happy with my progress so far this year. I’m eating well, exercising and losing weight, albeit slowly. Very slowly. I feel healthy and confident that I can do this for the rest of my life.
But on reflection there are areas in my life that need adjustment. This is a holistic journey and I have not found the balance yet. To be honest, I’m wasting a lot of time and not getting to the things that matter.
The biggest thief of my time is Twitter. I love Twitter, but boy, it can suck you in! Clearly I’m going to have to limit my time there. I’m thinking of opening Tweetdeck for no longer than 5 minutes at a time and no more than once per hour (when I’m on the computer of course! I can’t accumulate Twitter minutes!) This is actually a good thing, since I find that Tweetdeck uses quite a bit of bandwidth.
I subscribe to 145 blogs, read every post they publish and comment on a lot of them. And I try to follow everybody who comments here back to their blogs. It’s very time-consuming. Don’t get me wrong – I like doing it! And I love “being there” for my blogging buddies, sharing in their highs and commiserating with their lows. That is the spirit of blogging. And let’s not forget, I learn a great deal from all of you. But something’s gotta give. I may just cut back on the commenting, but I won’t abandon you completely! You’re like family!
These measures should take care of the third issue that needs changing… I’ve been going to bed much too late. I’m implementing a strict 10:30 pm bed time from now on. I don’t have to close my eyes at 10:30 – I can still read for a while – but I must be in bed by then!
Then there’s this website I’m developing. Guess how much time I’ve spent on it in the last week? Less than an hour! At that rate I’ll be able to publish it in 2020! So, I’m going to allocate at least 10 hours per week on this project. I want to finish by the end of the year!
I love reading! And I have a pile of books, including one I’m supposed to be reviewing, on my bedside table, but days go by without me touching them. I just don’t have time. Well, I’m making time! I will spend at least an hour per day (not counting after bed time) reading.
Perhaps I could read while sunbathing. We need the sun in order to balance our hormones, lose weight, be healthy and feel good. Yes, I know it’s winter in Cape Town, but contrary to popular belief it doesn’t rain non-stop for 3 months. Winter is one of Cape Town’s best kept secrets. We have many glorious days! But I’ve been lurking inside, staring at a computer screen. I have set a weekly target of 150 minutes of sun on my skin.
I also want to start walking outside again. Not instead of, but in addition to, my gym workouts. I’m not a martyr, so I won’t do it when it’s cold, dark or rainy. For now I’m going to aim for at least once per week, but I know that this will greatly increase in summer. I want to start this today and I think I may actually drive down to the beach a bit later and do it there… It will do me good! More sun!
Having lunch outside on good days will go a long way toward helping me reach my sun quota. At the moment I’m eating at the computer. Bad, bad, bad! This habit will have to go. I can drink at the computer, but eating will be done at a table, inside or outside!
This will help with my tendency to overeat. Some nights we watch a DVD, in which case we eat in front of the television. Other nights we eat at the table. Guess what? I eat twice as much in front of the television than at the table. This has been a huge revelation for me. So from now on we’ll eat all meals at the table and watch our movies afterward.
Last but not least, I’ve been slacking on my body brushing and contrast showers. I’m going to aim at doing this at least twice a week.
I’ll be using a spreadsheet to keep track of the things I’ve set time limits for. Just to get the habits established and monitor my progress. It’s not about being rigid, it’s about moving towards a more balanced life. These guidelines may need tweaking, but I think it might just work!
As Mizfit (her again!) says, “You are what you repeatedly do“. Well I want to be more than what I’ve been doing, so it’s time for a change.
What areas in your life need attention?
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I second it all!!! Been on this same mission myslef. Love /hate relationship with twitter, computer, my blog. It needs to be in its place and I too am working on putting it in its place.
Great post!
Trish (@IamSucceeding)´s last blog ..Excellence…an act or a habit?
I’ve always heard we make time for what we want. When people say, “I don’t have time to exercise,” I always say, “Do you watch TV, do the computer, etc?” They have time, they just don’t want to do it.
I think you are wise in examining where you are spending your energy and time. I struggle with the computer too, sometimes I just have to turn it off. I love your comments and your thoughts!
Diane, fit to the finish´s last blog ..Let’s Not Use Food As a Reward
145 blogs is a lot of blogs – but then I realized that not everyone publishes every day (or have you mananaged to find 145 people that post every day???).
So how many POSTS do you think you are reading a week??? – that is probably the more telling number.
AND
I think this naturally changes over time – people stop posting (I have one bloggy friend that hasn’t posted since January 2, and another that posts about once every other month!).
And I think sometimes blogs just drift apart over time – go different directions.
I am not suggesting that you drop your true friends – but I think if you pay attention to how you feel – there are some blogs that ‘aren’t good for you anymore’ and then you just sort of drift from those.
I think it is lovely that you are actively involved in the bloggers that you follow – I try to do that too. And I think it is a good thing.
vickie´s last blog ..maybe it wasn’t as fast as I thought it was (Zumba class mini meltdown)
one thing I wondered – are you reading all the comments attached to each posting? I stopped doing that and it helped (volume/time) quite a bit.
vickie´s last blog ..maybe it wasn’t as fast as I thought it was (Zumba class mini meltdown)
It is tough to keep up with it all. I am not subscribed to as many blogs as you, but like you, I comment on most of those I am subscribed to daily. I understand your difficulties keeping up with it all, but your health is more important that commenting on blogs — that is for sure.
South Beach Steve´s last blog ..Day 358 – More Fresh Garden Veggies!
I feel the same way as you about Twitter! I love Twitter and all the support I have found on there, but it is time consuming. I go on there to reply to a couple of Tweets and next thing I know, I’m on there for 2 hours, LoL.
I am trying to stop my Twitter addicting. It’s hard, but hey…It can’t be any harder than losing weight, LoL.
I think it is wonderful that you try to reply to every blog, but make sure you are taking some time for you! 145 blogs is a lot! I can barely keep up with the blogs I am subscribed to and it is no where near 145.
As South Beach Steve said: Your health is more important than commenting on blogs.
We will still love you even though you don’t comment
Chubby Stubby Kay´s last blog ..Week Four Weigh In
Enlightening to see what robs you of time when you take the time to write it down.
What inspires us? That’s what we should focus our time and talents on…do we do that? Not so much! THanks for the reminder!
kit´s last blog ..Forget the weekend!
Spreadsheets…. are an amazing tool for tracking your goals, habits, patterns and progres. I have 2 I use daily and I LOVE to go back and see my progress!
Good for you!
Cindy´s last blog ..Kindle LOVE
@Cindy: I used to be a Financial Manager. My staff used to tease me by saying that they’d better keep moving, or I’d put them on a spreadsheet… My dad also has the bug – he’s tracking the winter rainfall this year.
I hear ya about Twitter being a time sucker. And catching up on blogs! LOL
I also need to get back to body brushing. It’s not like it’s so hard to do either. Just got out of the habit.
The biggest area in my life that needs an overhaul is my house. I really need to do a better job of keeping it tidy. Also need to be more consistent with my exercising.
Kelly Happy Texan´s last blog ..Nature All Over Houston (or how I wore my family out over the weekend)
I love how you’ve analyzed the areas that need improvement in your life and you’ve come up with a plan of attack to overcome these obstacles and move forward towards a happier and healthier you! You are such an inspiration, Hanlie! And I think we should all follow suit and analyze our own lives and priorities… and then do whatever we have to do to change for the better!
Bravo to you, my friend!
I have a hard time keeping up with blogs, too. There’s 172 in my reader and I can’t resist adding to it occasionaly.
SeaShore´s last blog ..Post weekend blues
I feel ya Hanlie. Sometimes we really have to reflect on how we spend our time and how we may better allocate our energies. I think that’s one of the biggest challenges for all of us — not just bloggers, but all of us in the tech age. We have to know when to just detach from all the technology at our fingertips. One thing in my life needing attention is SLEEP. This has become a recurring issue for me. Eesh. Anyway, go out and get some vitamin D you gorgeous one!
xoxo
Annabel´s last blog ..Bad Economy? Eat Your Healthy Heart Out
I am so glad I have resisted the Twitter stuff. Blogging is all I can handle. I am a spreadsheet fanatic too & I also use Outlook to set reminders in the calendar for a lot of my tasks and chores. That works pretty good-most days.
Patty´s last blog ..Why do we eat?
so … a re*VISION?
I am having a hard time as well portioning out my time with reading/commenting on blogs as well as working.
My house is shamefully in need of care.
As always, Hanlie, I so appreciate & value your insight, kindness & love that you spread to my blog and many others.
You are an illuminating presence
and now on to work …
Katschi´s last blog ..Remember …
This post is such an eye-opener. We are often so busy that we forget about the things that really add value. Re the eat/dvd habit: I’ve become a victim too! No more!
I like the spreadsheet idea…
Netjane´s last blog ..Nie my tipe mens nie…
I know exactly what you mean. Blogging (both writing and reading) takes up a HUGE amount of time. I have the blogs I read arranged in priority in case I can’t get to all of them each day (yours is right up at the top
).
But it’s amazing how much we really CAN fit into our day if we think about our time and plan accordingly.
What needs to change in my life: I need to work more on my book if I want to get it sent to publishers by the end of the summer, and I need to take care of my home better (with cleaning. The mess makes me anxious. Need to tidy it ASAP and keep it that way!).
Sagan´s last blog ..How does music affect your health?
Yes, I do the same thing with too much time on the computer and staying up too late. One reason I don’t do Twitter or Facebook. I know it would suck more time out of me!
Read your body brushing post, too and I need to go get a brush! I always LOVE having that done at the spa, never really thought about doing it at home.
I thought 5-10 minutes per day in the sun was all that’s recommended for getting Vitamin D. Going for walks and hikes are another matter, I’m sure.
Well, I need to get OFF this computer and get some cardio. Treadmill or stationary bike, I think. Maybe do the treadmill so I can get some reading in, too!
MamaBearJune´s last blog ..Ideal Body Weight?
@MamaBearJune: The optimum time is 20-30 minutes, but I will try for longer during the winter months, because the sun isn’t out every day and it’s also kind of feeble. In summer I’m very careful to stay out of the sun from about 10 am to 4 pm, as I’m fair. Of course I walk outside a lot in summer (during the “safe” hours) so I get plenty of good quality sun.
I have a bunch of things I should cut out to more properly use my time. I try to limit my online time during the day to an hour or so. That way I can do things outside and with my kiddos. I have also cut out almost all my tv time during the day with the exception of General Hospital, lol.
Jenera´s last blog ..My First Harvest
You’ve hit on the precise reason I haven’t signed up for a Twitter account: TIME. Like you, I’m reading and connecting via many blogs, and I just don’t have time for more!
Good for YOU for focusing your priorities on you and your health FIRST!
cammy@tipptoediet´s last blog ..The Lonely Little Gym Bunny
I agree. I read and commnet on ALL the blogs and sometimes it takes hours~!
Lisa´s last blog ..I am in Hell…
Twitter is addicting! suddenly it makes you feel like you need to update every twenty minutes!
you know know know I agree.
and Im here if you wanna talk through any of it.
MizFit´s last blog ..Viewer Mail: So many diets. Which to choose?
I won’t get near Twitter or Facebook just because of the addicting time consuming factor. lol
I, too, limit my online time. I subscribe to quite a few (although not as many as you – holy smokes!) & also try to comment, etc… but I only can do so much so I try to rotate who I visit each week to keep my time down a bit.
Good for you taking care of yourself. Sleep, exercise & sunshine are more important than the computer…it just doesn’t always feel that way, huh?
Have a great week!
Actual Scale´s last blog ..POM Wonderful Juice
This was a very excellent blog post….I needed this. I love that you have realized that you have to have a balance in all things. I will be sure I am incorporating this into my ultimate goal. Thanks!
embarrassed Fatty´s last blog ..I Can’t Stay Focused
I find myself getting up earlier, and earlier to get everything done. But then I do go to bed early. I have to get up and get going before all 7 kids come tumbling down the stairs!
Diane, fit to the finish´s last blog ..Mean Things People Say