goals

This week I am starting to work with more specific goals. I joined the goal feats challenge and my first win was reading all the things other sparkers have to say and how you all encourage each other. That is a real kick - the encouragement part. I think deep inside our inner child wants the pat on the back and we forget or I forget sometimes that as grown ups we still need that pat.

So, goal # 1 - read and find inspiration in others daily

The last two days especially I realized that I don't really eat enough of the rainbow. Sure fruit are my go to but not the vegetables. I am usually ok with the sprinkling of bell pepper bits, tomato slices or the occasional broccoli in my food, but I don't actually load my plate with veggies if I can help it. So that too has to change.

Goal # 2 - eat 3 servings of fruit daily AND 3 servings of vegetables
(and no French fries will not count)

I become used to walking over the last few month and I started realizing that is my mode of exercise I can sustain. I like the stretching and I like working with hand weights on occasion. However it is not my mode of working out. I rather work in the garden and lift bags of dirt than lift a dumbbell. My project list includes cleaning up the rose garden, which is a lot of digging tangled grass roots. I also want to reset some of the stones by my mail box, as some grass has crept through where it's not wanted. Then I want to extend that stone patio over the summer and fall.

Goal # 3 - work in the garden 2 days a week And work with hand weights 1 day a week

As mentioned walking is my mode of moving. I have a walking buddy now and we meet weekdays for walking. To accomplish the walk we have set for us, I end up with 10000 steps and 90 minutes walking. I been working up to it and spend the last two weeks at 80 minutes in one go. So the extra 10 minutes will stretch my limit again as this feat is all in one go. The additional steps I make in the day add another couple hundred to the count.

Goal # 4 - Walk 5 days each week and reach (on those days) 12 000 steps.
Walk 5000 steps on the rest of the days.


One of my biggest pit falls are my evenings. I never intend to snack or drink so much ... and I am not talking about alcohol as I do not drink any. I am talking about juice ! I like mixing apple juice with seltzer as it gives me the bubbles that I don't have any longer by giving up soda. I don't miss the soda so don't get me wrong but I love seltzer which is fine to drink... I just need not add sugary juice as much. I found a pretty good low sugar apple juice recently and also been experimenting with other add ins or just drinking it plain like I used to do as a child. ( I grew up near Gerolstein, Germany where they get the Gerolsteiner mineral water that you can buy in the stores) . Then also, the snacks are becoming a problem again, as I reach for something while I read or knit in the evenings. So I am going to try this week to switch to herbal tea at night and have an apple sitting by my side. If I feel like I must snack, it's the apple then.

Goal # 5 - keep 3 evenings a week snack free

The last goal is random but for me it's way to get things done.

Goal # 6 - clean one area or item (furniture, cabinets, doors, walls) daily; general stuff like
doing dishes or laundry doesn't count

Whewhhh... that's a lot of stuff to work on, but as all of it is reasonable and doable I think I can get there.