Hello...

It's been quite a while since I've had the interest to start proactively keeping my life on track again. I experienced some great things and some tragic things around June that have just sideswiped my life a bit.

In June, I was promoted to a position of Business Systems Analyst within my company. The role is the most technical role I've ever had. I am really, very much enjoying it. I love the sense of empowerment it gives me to be able to speak to how we should structure solutions to issues and to have some authority again. This was a secret goal of mine - Goal #7 for this year.

Also in June, we had a roadtrip back to Kansas to see Mr. Smith's parents and sister. We had a very good time seeing the sites of Wichita and sampling as much of the local cuisine as we could. We even got to drive down to Oklahoma and see my grandparents, who I hadn't seen since 2010. We were supposed to drive back through Wyoming on the way home to celebrate my sister KiKi's engagement, but weren't able to as I had an uncle pass away. Mr. Smith and I instead hightailed it back down to Oklahoma to support my aunt.

After a couple of days, we parted ways and made the journey back home, but our poor puppy Lavi got sick on the way, we were hoping just from carsickness. Since it seemed the worse case of car sickness we'd witnessed from her, we rushed her to the vet the next day and she stayed for nearly a week before passing away the following Saturday in her sleep from a terrible bout of pancreatitis. She was only 1 year and 3 months old.

It was hard for a very long time to do anything but get up, go to work, rinse and repeat. Sleep didn't come easy and I lost my appetite for quite a while. The lady we got Lavi from offered us another puppy from a recent litter of hers, so we agreed to wait a couple months and try again. We got Tali, Lav's sister's pup, in September, the weekend after Labor Day. I forgot how difficult it is to train a new puppy. We're still struggling with potty training.

There are lots of times where I'm overwhelmed with the memory of Lavender because Tali is doing something similar that I honestly just break down in tears. It is terrible to have lost our puppy. I often feel like we failed her by putting her through a stressful situation (roadtripping) that made her sick.

Well, now it's October. I've still got 2 months to try and get through as much as I can of the goals I set in January. :)

Status report:

Goal #1 Dialing In My Food, Sleep and Exercise - Down to 140lbs or 26" by June 2016

• Weight: I am now at my heaviest at 180lbs. I don't look terribly heavy, I think. You can see the outline of my abdominals, but I can definitely feel the difference in that I get winded easily, so I do feel too heavy, and a couple items of clothing are quite tight.
• Sleep has finally gotten (mostly) back to normal. I want to dial it back in so we are going to bed by 9 or 9:30 and getting up consistently at 5:30. Aaron is going to school in Tualatin, so he has to get up to commute pretty early. He wakes me up when he gets up, so we might as well keep it consistent.
• Exercise: I've been doing exercise sporadically, about 1 time per week. I'd like to get it to once a day, consistently.
• Diet: Our diet has been horrendous lately. Our tummies have been incredibly upset and don't even get me started on the mound of takeout containers we've brought into the house recently. Frankly, it's embarrassing, haha. Both Aaron and I have decided, starting tomorrow, that we are off anything that makes us feel like crap (sugar, dairy, bread, mostly). I'll be digging back into meal planning soon. We also decided we'll use this year's tax return to buy some grass-fed meat in bulk, so that will be a wonderful help for next year.

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

• I've still got the client I signed on in March and we've worked so well together. I like that I get a variety of challenges. I am making anywhere from $60-$300/month. I'd like to sign on another client, but with the promotion, I've had a lot of late nights with my day job. The last thing I want to do is sign someone on and not be able to handle my first client because of my prior work commitments.

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

• I'm not sure this one will happen. My work has refused to pay for this and I'm not sure if I am willing to shell out for this certification if I am on a more technical career path. I'm still thinking about it, but it's on hold for now.

Goal #4 Develop a home management system that is usable in small doses every day

• I think I want to revamp this a little. Right now we've been doing a "Sunday Reset" which we clean pretty much every room in the house and reset it to how it is supposed to look. I'll be honest, I really hate the daily chore model. I'm thinking a mix of "Sunday Reset" and "Nighttime Reset" might be the way to go. More on that later.

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• I am rocking this one. I feel like I got my Spring/Summer capsule wardrobe to a really good spot. I'll have some small gaps to fill (new camisoles, stockings, ballet flats, white capris, etc.), but otherwise I love my capsule and had a blast putting everything together. Rare was the day where I couldn't find a thing to wear.
• I've  pulled out my Fall/Winter capsule and for the most part everything looks good. I'll be looking to fill in gaps (stockings will be on the list once Tali stops nipping at my legs).
• Lingerie capsule wardrobe is on my list of things to develop as well. Shannon at The Simply Luxurious Life suggests in this podcast episode that buying a new lingerie set every year is an easy, affordable way to build a lingerie capsule wardrobe. I've mentioned as much to Mr. Smith. We'll see how it goes. Normally, I buy 1 bra and 3 different bottoms in various cuts to get the most wear out of a set. That really seems to be working for me and now I'd like some variety in color/cut, etc.

Goal #6 Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018.

• We are currently working on paying off our personal loan we took out for our honeymoon and Aaron's grandma's funeral. We have ~$4,700 left to payoff and should have that done by January.
• Next up: 
• Aaron's car: ~$9,500
• *Aaron's small Student Loan: ~$7,100
• *Aaron's large Student Loan: ~$23,500
• Sierra's Car: ~$15,000
• *I am hoping that Aaron's next employer will be willing to assist with his student loans. *Fingers Crossed!*

I feel like the only thing that will take daily, habitual effort on my part is Goal #1, so I'll be focused on making that goal the priority. Once I have my sleep, food and exercise dialed in, my foundation for real change will be in place no matter what life throws my way.

Mrs. Smith Musings - Sleep Issues and Fine Tuning

The past week, I've struggled with waking up on time. My oldest cat, Yuki, insists on waking me up by meowing anywhere from 5am to 6am. She won't stop unless I get up and feed her. I'm not convinced that getting an automated feeder would help the issue, since she would just meow once she runs out of food.

So my problem has now become that I set my alarm for 6am (10PM-6AM should be 8 hours of sleep), and am jipped of 45-60 minutes of good sleep because of the cat. Oddly, I am surprisingly alert when I wake up to feed her and it takes me a while to fall back to sleep. When my alarm does go off, I reset it for later because I feel incredibly tired.

I got to wondering this morning if maybe Yuki's trigger for meowing at me isn't her hunger, but my moving around. If so, that would explain my alertness, and how she wakes me so easily with just a few soft meows.

If that is the case, then clearly that would be when I should naturally get up and I'm not honoring my body when I go back to sleep.

So, I am going to try to stay up when this happens again and see how it feels to have free time in the morning. I'll be interested to see if I am sharper getting up and staying up as compared to when I've gone back to bed.

I will report back!

Week 18 Review

Fixes:

• Sliding back into snacking territory.
• Snacking affects food habits as well as sleep habits. So it is time to stop the snacking again.
• It's funny - my mom remarked in February how I never used to sit and eat chips in front of the TV. You're right, Mom. It's a bad, bad habit.
• Letting the sugar invade again.
• Get back out of the "treat"/"I deserve this" mindset. I am not a dog to be rewarded with food.
• Sleep
• My sleep has been somewhat low-quality of late.
• Reserve the bed for ONLY sleeping. Not reading or playing on my phone.
• Stay awake the first time I am woken (usually between 5:30 and 6:00am by the cat). If I go back to sleep, it will mess with my circadian rhythm and make me groggy.
• Get up at the same time every day, even on the weekends.
• Exercise
• Pretty good in Week 18, but the current Week 19, I am struggling. So as I fix the above items, focus on not slacking in the movement department.
• Need to incorporate my stretches every evening as part of winding down for bed.
• I have noticed in the past day or so that I am feeling very thick and bloated. This happens for two reasons 1) I am eating poorly (see above) and 2) I am about to go on my cycle, so I should avoid eating poorly and instead up my fat intake.

Week 17 Review

Week 16 Review

Some of my adventures this week!

Inslee Fariss prints I picked up at Auction, now in my Master bath

Inslee Fariss prints in my guest bath

Wet Set Day 1 - very high, tight curls, even after a lot of brushing

Wetset Day 2, a lot looser and flowy

Wet Set Day 3, more Veronica Lake, which is what I'm trying to achieve for now

The cutest little ceramic lemons for my kitchen. Didn't purchase, but on my contemplation list.

Cute pineapple, also on the contemplate list.

New perfumes I am contemplating buying. The one on the left is "She Belongs There" which smells heavenly. The one on the right is "Amongst the Waves" - heavenly, but more formal.

I often see things that I want, but don't buy right away. Partly because of our #6 goal of getting out of debt, partly because I hate to bring things into my life that I'm just going to throw out later. I'd rather wait, think about how it will work in what I currently have and if I really love it, then go back. Impulse shopping has turned out badly many-a-time!

Week 15 Review

Week 14 Review

• I'm thinking I need to give up dairy to see the changes I want. Maybe test for a while what that does to my body.
• Dinner and dessert are still the weak points of my day. I feel so much better when I eat well that I'm sure this is temporary resistance that I just need to keep working through.

2016 Goals Progress Report: March

Well, I'm not sure how the February progress report slipped through my fingers. Oh well. Onward and upward!

Rebootedbody.com

• Career: 5/10
  • I commute 45 minutes each way.
  • I have a set schedule that isn't very flexible.
  • I am constantly stressed out by people and deadlines at work (people not meeting deadlines)
  • I am not passionate for what I do, though I am good at it. It's not really something you can invest yourself in because it is dependent on other people completing tasks and you have no autonomy.
  • No autonomy. They won't even allow employees to work from home on a consistent basis, which basically means I need to find a new job once I have kids, which isn't my first choice.
  Environment: 5/10
  • We keep finding more and more things wrong with the house - leaks, sagging patches of floor from shoddy work and the foundation can't just be fixed, it has to be completely replaced.
  Finances: 3/10
  • We have some savings - about 3k.
  • I have a 401(k).
  • We are about 61k in debt.
  • Aaron's income cut out for most of Feb-March, which has been making me very nervous. He says it will come back 4/15. Let's hope so.
  • I want to open Roth IRAs for both of us.
  • Once we are out of debt, I will feel a bit better. C'mon 2018!
  Health: 6/10
  • I'm overweight: 166.7 lbs.
  • My binging isn't as hard as it used to be. I'm working on replacing my dessert habit with a couple squares of rich dark chocolate.
  • I am not consistent with exercise.
  • My sleep has gotten better.
  • I have had a recent bout with mid-lower back/sciatica pain. So not good. I want to work Pilates back in so I'm flexible again.
  Relationships: 7/10
  • I've got several very strong relationships which enrich my life.
  • I talk to my mom a ton.
  Personal Development: 9/10
  • I read several books a month, mostly from the library. Usually 1 or 2 fiction books, about 3-5 non-fiction depending on what I am researching.
  • I am learning new skills pretty consistently. Last year I learned SQL, now I am learning copy writing and french (for personal enjoyment) on the side.
  Fun & Hobbies: 3/10
  • I'd say planning personal development is my strongest hobby.
  • I'd like to start playing the cello again, but I would need to buy one. 
  • Sometimes I think about sketching clothing designs.
  Structure: 7/10
• Still need to improve my rituals

Progress made toward goals in January:

Goal #1 Dialing In My Food, Sleep and Exercise - Down to 140lbs or 26" by June 2016

• Still some ways to go. Quite a ways. I'd like to see 20/28 on target meals (nutritious, healthy, non-processed) for food in April.
• I'd like to see 4/7 each week for exercise.
• I'd like to see at least 8 hours a night for sleep.
• Just realized June is 3 months away. I'm pretty sure 20+ lbs is beyond my abilities at this point, so that date will likely move out. It's not about the weight so much as the measurements, though.

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

• Signed a client for up to 20 hours a week! Now to deliver and assess if a second client is needed for the between assignment downtime.

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

• On hold until approval is granted

Goal #4 Develop a home management system that is usable in small doses every day

• Did not do well with this - just the bare minimum.

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• Started deciding what my Spring/Summer Capsule needed for this year.

Goal #6 Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018.

• Basically on hold until Aaron's income comes back in the picture.

Fixes identified this month

• Focus more on daily consistency - using rituals for what and when things need to be done.
• Think about 3 rituals I can put into place that will help me achieve goal #1.
• Morning tea instead of coffee with cream to 1. help me sleep and 2. lessen my dairy intake and unpleasant coffee breath (which I loathe more than I enjoy the taste/kick from coffee)
• Walking the dog with Aaron when I get home from work
• Meal planning/optimizing my meals for the most nutritional impact weekly/daily
• Replacing random sweets with > 80% dark chocolate - 2 or so squares

2016 Spring/Summer Wardrobe Purchases

Mine!

Mine!

Mine!

Mine!

Still looking for: White capris, a couple more cardigans in different colors (possibly Mint and turquoise, or kelly green, or pink), preferably short sleeve, a flowy, spring colored skirt - knee length

Week 13 Review

I have definitely been slacking with keeping my updates frequent. But I seek progress - not perfection!

Notice how nice and consistent I am in the mornings, but by the end of the day I struggle? That's partly me using up my determination so by the end of the day I don't have much fight in me and partly because dinner is often the "forgotten meal".

I'm super happy with the progress I've made on Goal #2 - I already billed over $100 on my first project this week. I will wait a week or two to see if I need to add on a new client to consistently bring in or exceed $500.

Week 12 Review

Pretty rough week, food wise.

Journal: Trying to stay focused

ZTD Tasks for today

• Do a "Yes" test on the copy I wrote last night - DONE
• Polish and send home page copy for my new client - DONE (he loved it!)
• Eat Real Clean
• 1 Mile Walk

Went to bed early last night - in bed around 8:30 and wrote in my journal until about 9:30. Alarm went off at 6:00 and slowly woke and was out of bed by 6:08.

Today is going pretty well - had a smoothie with coconut oil, coconut water, protein powder, pineapple, spinach, and berries for breakfast. Plus coffee and cream. I have leftover Italian Wedding Soup from last night for lunch and we'll hit up Koi Fusion tonight for dinner since it's Aaron's late class night. I'll have a rice bowl with grass-fed short ribs, extra veggies and kimchi. A little heavy for my current exercise level, starch-wise, but otherwise good. Maybe I should see if they can just do a veggie bowl with meat.

I took Lav for a short walk this morning - about a third of a mile. We will be walking her more now that she will be cooped up in her kennel for 2 days out of the week.

We have lots and lots of kale growing in our backyard. I'm looking up how to can and freeze the kale, since it would be a shame for such a nutrient-dense veggie to go to waste.

11:30 and I haven't had any hunger pains yet - likely thanks to the coconut oil! Though I have a touch of a headache starting.

2pm and decided to have that soup for lunch since the vending machine was starting to tempt me.

3:30pm - Two Justin's pb cups

4:30pm - Starbucks caramel macchiatto courtesy of hubby and Koi Fusion veggie bowl + bulgogi beef + kimchi - yum!

6:00 - worked on copywriting

7:30pm - watched Grey's Anatomy and ate remaining half of the Italian Sub from Monday

2016 Spring/Summer Wardrobe Planning

On Sunday, I switched out my Fall/Winter Closet for my Spring/Summer Closet. I like to focus on different fabric weights, patterns and palettes for each "capsule."

My Spring/Summer Capsule favors flowy, light fabrics, more natural, flowery colors (peach, turquoise, coral, mint, cobalt, kelly green, forest green, cream, white, yellow), and incorporates more prints and florals into the mix. I also like more natural jewelry with this capsule - turqoise beads and gold. I really enjoy Kendra Scott's pieces as an inspiration.

Items on my list:

I probably won't be able to get everything, but as you can see there is definitely a "feel" to this wardrobe that I'm going for - and being able to visually narrow down what I want helps a ton!

Journal: Stress - Time to Fight!

I'm combating some pretty significant stressors at the moment: financial > emotional > physical.

I have a plan in place as I have known, or suspected, Aaron's income could stop completely for a while now. (I had my suspicions in December.) I have a new client with my copy writing side-gig and am in the running for a promotion at work (started that conversation in December in preparation for those financial issues). I should hear back on the latter next Tuesday.

I am fighting. For a while now, probably since mid-February, I was fighting myself instead of FOR myself. Now, I want to fight for my health and combat the stress I have been feeling. I know first-hand how much better I feel when I eat well, get enough sleep, and keep my happy hormones up in DWYLT fashion.

I have a history of taking on too much at once and getting overwhelmed, so I am trying to keep getting back on track as simple as possible. Today went well, food-wise. Breakfast: grass-fed cream top yogurt with fresh strawberries, grassfed beef steak and rice for lunch, Italian Wedding Soup for dinner (made with bison meatballs). I tolerate non-conventional dairy well, but will be leaning away from dairy, rice and potatoes soon as I try to get back to my pre-wedding measurements.

I feel like the last year and a half has been blow after blow of issues and stress. Moving, traveling, new job, income loss, family stress and uncertainty have left me...free falling. 

When my husband and I first talked about the future, it was so clear-cut. Get married. Pay off debt. Start a family. We're stuck in phase 2 and it looks like phase 3 is another 3-4 years down the road as Aaron is going back to school. The end goal is me staying home with kiddos and working part time from home, if needed. I honestly thought I'd be a mom by now and I think I'm really sad about that too.

I'm ready to take a big, deep breath, and start again. To take my time bricking good habits into place. I feel like my internal house has been broken and it's time to rebuild a better, stronger house. One that can handle the stress and responsibility of kids, especially.

Italian Wedding Soup from Meals Made Simple

Week 11 Review

Journal: So Tired of Fighting Myself

Last night I wrote in my journal about how tiring it is to be sick all the time. To be tired and to feel fat. To have no energy and to know that if even getting off the couch is giving me trouble, there is no way that I could leap into action and sprint to save someone.

It will take daily focus, constant focus, to make the changes I want in my life. Both Aaron and I feel this way. We want to fight to be healthy.

Here are our next steps:

1. Recommit to exclusively eating real food.
2. Re-charge our environment so we are not tempted to eat junk.
1. Clear out our cupboards of ANTI Foods
2. Meal Plan and keep our fridge/pantry/freezer stocked with real foods
3. Follow through and stick to the meal plan
1. Dessert and snacking will be the sticking points
4. Journal/Walk/Talk to each other when we are feeling stuck or tempted

Enough is Enough

I am going to focus less on daily posts, all of which feel the same to me, and more on journaling my difficulties, successes and observations. I will still produce a weekly recap of the same type of items I was tracking daily before so I can see my progress.

So here goes.

Yesterday, I had just left the house and was driving to work when I suddenly realized I wasn't feeling well...I apparently had eaten something that didn't agree with me. (Taste-tested coconut milk that I wasn't sure was good anymore.) Lo and behold, I get to work and after about 45 minutes had to leave to go home because I was feeling so poorly.

Coincidentally, I had just been talking with my mom about how I wanted to stop eating junk food. Her response? "Cold turkey, baby. Cold turkey."

Yes. I know. That's exactly what The Rebooted Body calls for. I was successful with that protocol when I originally started the Total Body Reboot in June of 2014. Within two months my sugar cravings were down to nothing and I was starting to get trim just by eliminating processed foods from my diet - and adjusting my personal diet protocol to my own needs by avoiding inflammation. I was able to fit in my wedding dress in November 2014 without doing anything more than following TBR. (Of course I tried the dress on in the months leading up to it to ensure that would be the case. It fit perfectly.)

Sara May Photography -- All the ladies in the combined family 

From there, we had a very stressful year and I didn't handle things very well. Immediately following the wedding came Christmas, and all the holiday treats. Then I got a new job, we had some financial issues related to Aaron getting injured at work, we were planning our honeymoon, we got a dog, we ended up buying a house when our rental agency threatened to jack up the rent by $160/month. In the last year and four months, I've gained 25 pounds. Mostly, I think, by trying to soothe myself with food and "treats" instead of trying to get to the real issue at hand by talking things through with my husband, journaling, and testing for different results.

Back to Basics

Sometimes, when faced with the insanity of doing the same thing and expecting different results, you just have to go back to what works, even if it seems painful. It will be, at least psychologically, I'm sure.

Now, I want to eat real food. I don't want something packed with chemicals and devoid of nutrients. I want to support my immune system instead of demolishing it. I want to be able to look at a full year and not worry if I am going to use up all 5 of my sick days in the first quarter (yep, that's what's happened so far for 2016).

My Number One priority moving forward is to eat real well, meaning real food and lots of it.

Cold turkey, baby. Cold turkey.

Mrs. Smith Musings - Seeing a Goal and Following Through

Recently I read a book series which completely enthralled me. I loved it. I read all 5 books in the span of two weeks (including waiting for the library to have it in).

The series focuses on a woman who can see the future. In it, she sees the death of her galaxy at the hands of a locust-like race of beings who migrate through galaxies and strip it bare of its resources. The thing is, it's 300 years into the future and she has to act now to get people to believe her. So she joins the military and creates a reputation for herself as a leader and precognitive - something solid for people to believe in for later down the road.

She weaves a complex path of small feats, all of which impact the next until her successes grow larger and larger. Every day, she works toward this goal. It drives her. She wakes up each morning, reviews what she needs to do that day to progress her goal, and does it. (Including keeping herself in shape, because she does have to go into combat.)

I wish I had the ability to look forward into my future and say, I need to do X today, because 3 weeks down the road it will impact Y. I need to be able to run quickly, because 2.5 years from now, my toddler will try to go into the road by herself and I have to stop her. I need to have a side-income ready to go and my emergency fund topped off because 4.5 years from now my husband will be laid off, and then I will be laid off and we need to be able to pay our bills. 

While she has the ability to see positive paths, negative paths, and alternate realities that spin from decisions, I don't. I can only say to myself, if you don't stop consuming sugar on a nightly basis (because you deserve it after a hard day), you'll end up 50 lbs heavier and on the verge of Type II Diabetes. It's a lot easier to give into your immediate desires that derail you from your goal, than work through your emotions and stick to your goal.

So how do I act like I know what the future has in store for me? How do I stay true to my goals every day so that 1, 5, or 10 years from now, I can look back and say, "See? Look how far I've come."

For the next month, I'm going to focus on doing 3 things:

1. Achieving Emotional Balance
2. Practicing the habits that are giving me the most grief

3. Visualizing my end goals, roadblocks (how to handle them) and successes (what it will feel like when I overcome the roadblocks)

Mrs. Smith Musings - Achieving Emotional Balance

Your day is bonkers. You have people emailing you, IMing you, then showing up at your desk a few minutes later. Everyone wants something and no one is willing to wait for it. To top it all off, the main system you use to process requests has a new update that renders it slower than Glacier Park. You’re about at your limit for frustrations and it’s only 10:36am.

This is the challenge I’ve been facing the last few weeks. I feel increasingly frustrated and in part my reactions to outside forces have compounded the sensation. By reacting instead of centering myself, I've emotionally derailed my goals multiple times over the past month.

Instances of sabotage include:

1. Allowing myself to be upset by coworkers, to lash out and then look foolish.
1. This is a double-edged issue as this impacts my credibility and can derail future promotions.
2. My reaction is soothing myself with food or “decompression TV sessions”
1. This is harmful to Goal #1.
2. Expounding myself as a failure and challenging my own self-worth with feelings of doubt
1. My reaction is soothing myself with food or “decompression TV sessions”
1. This is harmful to Goal #2.
3. Convincing myself that I am tired, that I am exhausted, that I am overworked, that I am miserable
1. My reaction is soothing myself with food or “decompression TV sessions”
1. This is harmful to all of my goals, since it means I’ve persuaded myself I don’t have the energy to get off the couch.

I am convinced that if I approach my day from a place of calm, of stress-free deliberation, a place where I am centered and believe beyond a doubt that I can do anything I put my mind to, I can stop sabotaging myself and actually achieve my goals.

My solutions to try in the next 30 days:

Centering

Hit pause. Take a breath and picture something calm (in my mind it’s a steady rock, or a ripple-free lake). Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, repeating for 10 full, deep breaths.

You are the rock. They cannot disturb your place. You are going to breathe through this and take a moment to think through the issue before you respond.

You can also use Centering to picture your goals - as a means of refocusing yourself before a particularly difficult task (for me that would be submitting proposals). I have a feeling I will also use it to combat my sugar cravings.

Change Places

Now that you are thinking clearly, we are going to approach the issue from the other perspective. This can work two ways.

1. If you are reacting to an outside force, calmly, imagine what the other person is going through. What is their end goal? What is motivating them at the moment? Is it a deadline? Fear? Ask them questions, if you need, to gauge why this needs to happen right this moment, so that you can understand, kindly and calmly, where they are coming from. Face to face is usually best for this.

2. If you are reacting to an inside force, calmly, write down what you are feeling. Why are you feeling this way? Keep asking yourself why until you get to the root cause of the issue (the 5 Whys).

Check the Impact

Chances are, you’ve done this before and know how this will turn out. If you haven’t, or it didn’t turn out well last time, take a moment to think through the consequences of your next step.

If you are about to lash out (at family, coworker, friends), what will that do to how people perceive you? Is this how you want them to view you?

Think from a place of peace instead of power. Don’t form your response with the intent of establishing your authority or putting someone in their place. Respond to resolve the conflict instead. This means rising above pettiness and really asking yourself how you can help this person.

Mrs. Smith's 12 Mantras

Four Nourishing 

Sleep. 

• I go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time every day. (9:30PM and 5:30AM.)

Eat real food. 

• Everything I eat is for physical nourishment. 
• I regulate my blood sugar - I do not consume sugar, processed foods, breads or deep fried foods. 
• I do not bend to peer pressure. (Out with friends and giving in to fear of missing out.)
• Any sweets I consume come in the form of berries and fruit (remember vegetables > berries > fruit).

DWYLT. 

• I move my body every single day. 
• I walk, lift, press, jump, hike, swim, surf, snowboard, run, sprint, stretch - whatever I feel like doing. 
• I do something each day for a minimum of 15 minutes.

ZTD. 

• Each night, I set a plan for the following day, which I check and follow throughout the day.

3 Guiding

Positively Consistent. 

• I move past obstacles with positivity and a plan of action. 
• I journal for any emotional stumbling blocks. 
• I am unwaveringly consistent in my habits and routines, and am always the same person. 
• I act consistently and move forward with positivity even when feeling vulnerable, depressed, overwhelmed or angry. 
• I do not let my emotions control me. 
• I feel my emotions, record them, think through them, but do not react emotionally.

Clean. 

• I am neat and clean in my living and work spaces. 
• I pick up after myself and return things to their homes.

Presentable. 

• I always put an effort into my appearance and leave the house meeting my vintage-inspired standard for style. 
• I care for my body and face every day with skincare, lotion and dry brushing.

5 Essentials

Focused. 

• I finish what I start.

Proactive. 

• I work every day toward my goals and to improve my skills.

Specific. 

• I work hard each day. 
• I am motivated through routine, self-discipline, deliberate practice, and a need to reach my goals.

Savvy. 

• I do not live outside my means. 
• I do not borrow to pay for today what I can save and purchase tomorrow. 
• I strategically save money for the future in order to provide for my family.

Graceful. 

• I am faithful to my husband, loyal to my friends, loving to my family. 
• I am strong. 
• I am loving. 
• I am generous. 
• I show others that I care for them through my actions. 
• I am not petty, jealous or insincere. 
• I treat everyone with respect. 
• I don't participate in gossip or demean anyone, not even in private. 
• I seek solutions instead of retribution.

Thursday, March 10, 2016 - Day 74 of ZTD

What I Accomplished 3/10/2016

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

• Delivered changes to client, which were accepted and the contract ended. I got a good review! The money was released to Upwork and I've elected to be paid once a month, so I'll be at the end of the month. That's great because our heaviest bills are at the beginning of each month and I won't be tempted to spend it on dresses (like this one or this one).

Food Journal 3/10/2016

Breakfast

• Caramel macchiatto from Starbucks

Lunch

• 2 microwave burritos with cheese

Dinner

• 1 microwave burritos with cheese

Observations

• Strangely, or not so strangely, the burritos I had for lunch have congealed into a hard lump in my stomach and now I have a tummy ache.

Fixes

• Re-vamp my profile this weekend and start submitting 10 proposals/week starting Monday.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 - Day 73 of ZTD

What's New

I didn't take a picture yesterday, so here's an oldie of ChiChi Vroom-vroom.

What I Accomplished 3/9/2016

Goal #1 Dialing In My Food, Sleep and Exercise - Down to 140lbs or 26" by June 2016

• 3-5 minutes warm up
• 5 minutes jump rope
• Zuzka workout Day 2  - 1.5 rounds
• Side jump lunge x 40
• Commando pushups x 24
• push up then alternate popping each knee up to your chest
• Prisoner get ups x 24
• get up from a lay-down position without using your hands - it's harder than it sounds!
• Split jump x 10
• jump straight up and do the splits in mid-air
• straightened legs not required
• Bird dog x 10
• Balance on alternate hand and foot while reaching to opposite walls with free hand and foot. This one is hard!
• Stretch/cool down with foam rolling
• 1 mile walk

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

• Delivered rough draft to client.

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

• Update - got word that I wouldn't get approval by the time my class starts in April. Time to consider a different class. Probably in October. If I don't get approval by that time, Aaron wants to pay for it ourselves. I am determined to achieve this goal by the end of the year.

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• Did I tell you guys I'm getting glasses? I had an appointment last week and now I'm just waiting for them to call me to say they're ready. They're super cute!

Goal #6 Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018.

• On hold at the moment as we await Aaron's vocation rehab allowance to kick in. We'll go into the red this month by about $500. Thankfully, we have savings to cover and this month we'll just pay minimums on debt.
• I was notified yesterday that I got a merit increase! (The largest merit increase I've gotten to date. Hard work does pay off.) That will help a little.

Food Journal 3/9/2016

Breakfast

• Smoothie
• blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, coconut milk, protein powder

Lunch

• 2 microwave burritos with cheese

Dinner

• Tomato soup with a small amount of pepper jack cheese.
• ...Damn pickle chips. before this I hadn't had them since 2/19/2016.

Observations

• I've thought about experimenting with less rigidity regarding food and exercise. Instead of planning out what I'll be doing/eating for each day, just reporting on what happened. Focusing less on guilt and "being bad" is a tenant of The Rebooted Body. Eliminating feelings of guilt when it comes to food and instead being in tune with what your body needs and how to nourish it is the whole point of the program. That means there will be occasional slip ups and you just have to acknowledge, observe, and move forward. The point isn't perfection, but progress.

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 - Day 72 of ZTD

What's New

Oh my goodness, 3 weeks away feels like an eternity! 

So last time I posted I was talking about the sinus infection I had and my mom's visit...well the infection turned into a nasty cold...then I had a reaction to the antibiotics. Yuck.

I missed 3.5 days of work in the last 19 days, so I was not doing very well. But I'm back so, here we go again!

What I Accomplished 3/8/2016

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

• Had my first phone interview today and it went very well! The client sent me a contract while we were on the phone, so boom! That's my first real client on Upwork! Tonight I'll produce a rough draft and by Monday we'll have a finished product hammered out and delivered.

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

• Now that it's March, my boss and I are following up with the head of the department on this by Friday.

Food Journal 3/8/2016

Breakfast

• Yogurt with honey
• Darjeeling tea with non-homogenized cream

Lunch

• Leftover Thai beef fried rice
• Grapes
• Snap peas and carrots with sugar free dressing

Dinner

• 2 burritos with cheese

Observations

• Today was a really good day, but I want to focus on making at least 15 minutes of exercise a habit so strong it feels wrong not to get up and move. I did a halfassed workout this morning (sit ups x 10, side crunches x 20, plank 30 seconds) and went for a mile walk. 

Thursday, February 18, 2016 - Day 53 of ZTD

What's New

Still feeling like crap - had a very hard time sleeping last night because I was so congested and this morning was even worse.

What I Accomplished 2/18/2016

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

• 3 proposals submitted
• Unfortunately didn't proof the 3rd one quite thoroughly enough and found a typo. Remember - this is important Sierra!!
• 1 response from today's proposals!
• I built a thing!
  

Goal #4 Develop a home management system that is usable in small doses every day

Fixed up the house for my mom's visit

Food Journal 2/18/2016

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs
• Coffee

Lunch

• Tomato soup

Dinner

• Lebanese

Wednesday, February 17, 2016 - Day 52 of ZTD

What's New

I created a google form form my daily check-in so that I can do it when I'm away from the computer!

I went to the doctor's this morning and they confirmed I do have a sinus infection. From what I can tell though, other than general misery, I should be able to carry on like normal - including exercise, etc.

And god is it miserable. I have an ear that won't pop and on the same side inflamed lymph nodes/tonsils. So eating is uncomfortable and I have zero appetite. 10 days...it should all be over.

Food Journal 2/17/2016

Breakfast

• 2 eggs in kerrygold with feta
• told Aaron we need to switch to smoothies

Lunch

• 2 bean and cheese burritos - I tried to eat what I brought with me but it's all super crunchy and uncomfortable because of the ear situation + chewing. I wish I had soup.

Dinner

• Leftover roast with roasted veggies

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 6 in Review

2016 goals

1. *Dialing In My Food, Sleep and Exercise - Down to 140lbs or 26" by June 2016
2. Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016
3. Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016
4. *Develop a home management system that is usable in small doses every day
5. *Develop a personal appearance system
6. Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018.

*Goals that focus on long-term sustainability through habit change.

Fixes Identified This Week 2/8-2/14

• Seeing the same "fixes" over and over
• Focus on drinking more water, getting sufficient food and sleep.
• Keep plugging away and moving forward - Relentless Focus!
• Re-emphasize habit
• Alarm goes off
• Turn on light
• Turn alarm off
• Get up and out of bed

Week 6:

Goal #1 Dialing In My Food, Sleep and Exercise - Down to 140lbs or 26" by June 2016

Physical Activity this week:

Food (Menu Plan vs. Actual Consumption):

Sleep:

Measurements:

Goal #2 Earn $500/month on the side by March 2016

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

Still waiting on approval from management for the class I want to take

Goal #4 Develop a home management system that is usable in small doses every day

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

Nothing to report

Goal #6 Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018.

$450 to new target credit card