It seems when you fail, and keeping failing that there’s a cross-roads. Take some large action to un-do and reverse, or easier–just let go and drop the rest of the way down. September was kind of like that for me. OK, I wrote this dreary kind of self-punishing post last week. Since I have re-evaluated. I think September was a case of needing balance. I oscillated between being much too easy on myself, then much too hard. A person can only be ultra-disciplined for so long before they wear out. And when I wore out, I relaxed. But too much, because the relaxing had been so put off and the discipline was so strict that I needed MORE relaxing–see a pattern? Finally, I did too. So I’ll edit some of the more bleak/tough on myself aspects of this one, knowing that in October I need more of an even split between discipline and relaxation.
Water. None. Probably in the whole month, I drank no water. When I do it makes me have to pee–which my schedule just doesn’t allow for. Or it disrupts my sleep. What to do? I guess, because this goal is important to me I need to find a way. Water, helps you still hydrated, which keeps you looking younger and feeling better. It helps
fill your stomach so you don’t feel as hungry. It’s better than drinking other things. But when to do it? Let’s see, I suppose I could drink, drink, drink at work in the mornings–as long as I stop when work ends at 10 AM so I can make it through class. Then, immediately after class (but no later) drink some more. OK, I will go back to giving this an honest effort. Maybe today at Costco I’ll get some sort of legit water bottle or thermos instead of using the 6 mo old Gatorade bottle that I have at work. . . I totally got a cute, non-spill thermos-type cup for work/school water-drinking purposes! I’ll report back in October and we’ll see if it helped.
Running. I have good intentions. I want to–really I do. But when school becomes a factor there just isn’t any more time. It takes a back seat to study/work/sleep. Then, once there’s a gap in track days it becomes almost impossible to get my booty out there. Add in cold/wet weather and fighting for space at the community college = not happening. The outside running season is just over. One day, when I’m rich I’ll either have a gym in my house or a membership. For now–I resign myself to let this one slip in the interest of grades. What I will do is study my flashcards (per the usual) at a FASTER speed on the treadmill. I always study on the treadmill to kill two birds, but usually at 3.0-3.5. I’ll make an effort to ramp up the intensity. Also, I can try to jog on the treadmill while Cool quizzes me or during a show. Thirdly, I can still do a little Wii-Fit, clogging, stretching, or intervals here & there. I was pretty good this weekend about also climbing hills and walking fast when Cool and I were watching horror movies (we love fall). Except, the belt gets really hot on my bare feet so I’m pretty sure this treadmill is about to die 😦 Hopefully without catching fire or burning somebody badly before it does. I don’t know which is worse, having to buy a new Craigslist treadmill or carrying this one down the stairs and a new one up the stairs. . . Oh treadmill, please hold out for 2 more years.
Work. I will stop being so nervous. That’s all. If they do revert my schedule, I know what I have to do. And that’s all. I can’t constantly worry and try to accomplish the work of three people to prove my “worth” to them. It’s telling when our receptionist gets a big basket of flowers after her dog’s euthanasia (Sloppy = nothing) and the newer tech gets balloons and donuts (me = nothing for 3 years) for her birthday. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t need for these people to like me or anything, and want to take the personal out of work all-together–it’s just telling of their attitudes towards me, that’s all. And regarding my work ethic and schedule: If they don’t know by now that I’m a worthy employee, well then they will just never know, and no action on my part will convince them. Time to let the finger take over for me on this one. . . Re-edit = true story and I’m letting go and letting God because this is too much for me to carry around all the time.
Money. The one good thing about feeling like I have to do extra just to stay in place at work, is that it garners me 
more hours. And more $$$$$ However, now that my undergrad loan ran out of payment options and I MUST pay an extra $200 a month, I’m a little worried about the health insurance I’m also now forced to get. What happened to “free” health care for everyone? This was not what I voted for! I really have to make time to research all this insurance crap so I don’t get into trouble financially. One. More. Thing. I looked into some options, though I’m ignorant of all the jargon and terminology. I make too much money (how is that even possible?) for Medicaid. There’s some alternate (low-income, I think?) option for Medicaid rejects, and in trying to take the screening to see if I qualified for that, I may or may not have signed myself up for some catastrophe insurance that really is no different from the no coverage I have now–except if I’m hit by a bus. What. a. Waste. What happened to all employers paying for this?!
Drinking. In the month, there has only been a handful of special occasions when I have partaken. Except, the 
amounts were not great. I need to moderate both the instances and quantities.
Cool. Still dealing with medication/memory issues. Had a melt-down just yesterday. We have to help her remember to take all her meds when she is supposed to take them. Hopefully, we can work out a more reliable system for doing that. We love fall though, and are excited for Green Bluff, scary movies, and Halloween. So there’s a motivator to get on, and stay on the right track. Also, I’m home with her more often now that my schedule has changed, so I can help remind more often.
School. I slipped a little. If not just in my mentality. I still went through all the same motions, but IN my head 
school was just a little lower priority then it should have been. I am reformed and straightened out now. Work doesn’t matter. Fun is on the back burner. School is what’s going to move my life along toward my ultimate goals and I am back in it whole-heartedly. I even worked ahead a little yesterday. I’ll get more ahead this weekend. But not too hard-core to where I need a huge break. I’m going to do study things daily, per the usual, but I can squeeze in an hour of relaxation too. More balance is called for to break the pattern I’m in.
Food. When I’m studying and bored or when I’m tired and stressed–it’s really easy to over-do it. Then, when there’s no time to grocery shop and plan ahead like I should I do things like polish off an entire box of wheat Thins (or Doritoes) in one sitting. I don’t want to do that. This makes me crazy, and once you do it–makes it that much easier to do it again. Food is a slippery slope. And I have absolutely no 
self-control. I need to go to Grocery Outlet–with a list–at least every other week. And cook things that are at least neutral, if not healthy. We went grocery shopping, with a list, yesterday. And I treadmilled after eating my yummy crock-pot taco unhealthiness. So I felt OK about it. Now to get out of my jammies and to the Grocery Outlet EVERY week. . .
I did however, do a great job flossing every day. I guess I just need to remember my biggest goals and plug away at those. I need to see that even one slip-up doesn’t have to mean letting go of the aspiration entirely. Stop being perfectionist, because it is counter-productive right now. [And it makes me need to chill out later–too much] I’m hopeful about establishing more neutrality with a balance of both responsibility and fun next month.
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