Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - Day 31 of ZTD

What I Accomplished 1/27/2016

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

• Walked 1 mile with Aaron and the pup

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

• Watched SSFU Lesson #11

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

• Aaron ordered a shredder today. Soon the office will be organized! Though if stupid junk mail would stop coming, I wouldn't need to buy a shredder. Lose my number, jerks!

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• Ack, wore garters and thigh highs today. I love the look, but on a practical standpoint, it takes me forever to get the garters to fasten and hold. And then there's the bulging... That is a lot of thigh friction! I'm not sure how people deal with that! Maybe they have thigh highs that are loose instead of elastic? It constricts right at the top for me so there is a bulgy part that sticks out. I'll have to look on the vintage sites I follow and see what they use.

Food Journal 1/27/2016

Breakfast

• 3 eggs
• 3 slices of bacon
• Coffee with cream

Lunch

• 1 microwave red hot bean and beef burrito...I admit I really like these things
• M&Ms
• Babe Ruth

Dinner

• Leftover bison stirfry
• pickle chips

Observations

• Another stressful day at work with several "urgent" projects.
• Notice the stress eating...I didn't even attempt to journal because I didn't want to.

Fixes

• I routinely stay half an hour to an hour later than I need to because my boss requested I stay until 5 each night. I'm going to ask him if we can forget that directive so I can get home earlier and stay true to an 8 hour day.
• I did end up asking him about this and he said we should aim for only 8 hours. I'm salary, so it is really frustrating to stay late and take away family time when I don't truly get compensated for it.

Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - Day 30 of ZTD

What's New

What I Accomplished 1/26/2016

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

• Mile walk around 11am
• 1/2 mile walk after dinner

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

• Watched SSFU Lesson #10

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

• Emptied dishwasher
• Tidied living room
• Tidied dining room
• Cleaned catbox
• Wiped down kitchen counters
• Wiped down dining room table
• Dusted in Living room

Food Journal 1/26/2016

Breakfast

• Yogurt with honey
• Coffee with cream and coconut oil (to offset the smaller yogurt breakfast)

Lunch

• 2 microwave burritos -_-

Dinner

• Bison stir fry with bok choy and rainbow carrots

Observations

• Did not get up on time this morning. I've been so sleepy. Aaron thinks I need to go get checked out for sleep apnea since apparently I snore and that can make your sleep very restless.
• Otherwise, it was a super productive evening!

Fixes

• Research sleep labs in the area and schedule an appointment.

Thursday, January 28, 2016 - Day 32 of ZTD

What's New

What I Accomplished 1/28/2016

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

• 5 minutes of jump rope
• Week 3 Day 1 of Transformational Strength
• Got only two rounds of each exercise in before I had to go hop in the shower.
• 10 & 9 ladder rounds for clean and press
• 10 & 9 ladder rounds for squats
• both with light weight
• 1 mile walk at 10:30AM
• 1 mile walk at 2:00PM

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

• No response yet on whether this was approved. I've asked my boss a couple of times.

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

• Cleaned catbox

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• Added items to my 30-Day waitlist. There is a dress I have been eyeing since December that I can get once I have my allowance saved up (around March 18th) though I might borrow against my allowance since we have tax money coming in...
• Okay, I looked at some vintage reproduction sites (Secrets in Lace) and it looks like their stockings aren't as structured as the ones I've been wearing (the modern ones with the sticky side that holds onto your leg) so I am guessing that if I got them, I would be more comfortable than with what I currently use. I'd also like to get a sturdier garter belt. Mine is from Victoria's Secret and is flimsy as hell.
• This morning was a "let's see how it looks if I do nothing to my hair" day. I think it looks super similar to blowdry + roller brush with not as much work!

Food Journal 1/28/2016

Breakfast

• 3 eggs in kerrygold with feta

Lunch

• leftover bison stirfry

Dinner

• Thai fried rice with beef. 

Observations

• We forgot to take the salmon out until midday and it was still frozen.

Fixes

• Part of daily nighttime planning, pull meat out of freezer for next day.

Monday, January 25, 2016 - Day 29 of ZTD

What I Accomplished 1/25/2016

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

• Walked 1 mile

Goal #3 Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

• Requested Cal Newport's How to Become a Straight A Student from the library

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

• Ran the dishwasher and cleaned the bathrooms!

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• I tried to dry my hair (new haircut) using the round brush. How did I do?
  

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

• Made $500 payment to largest credit card. $710 left!

Food Journal 1/25/2016

Breakfast

• 3 eggs in Kerrygold
• Coffee with cream
• Sunny Annihilator from Dutch Bros.

Lunch

• Drunken Crispy Chicken from Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen

Dinner

• Roasted garlic and brie on bread...
• Leftover lunch

Observations

• Woke up with a headache, still lingering from being sick.
• Did not wake up in time to exercise.

Fixes

• Want to focus on the habit of getting up at the same time. I'm pondering how the below chart would work for this situation. I know from reading Charles' book and listening to interviews that exercise and it's endorphins are not the reward my mind is seeking. I need to entice a reward  different way.

• My cue is the alarm, the routine would be getting up, lacing up my sneakers and heading out, but what is enticing enough to get myself out of bed in the mornings?

Sunday, January 24, 2016 - Day 28 of ZTD

What's New

What I Accomplished 1/24/2016

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

• Half-assed workout
• 10 REAL pushups
• I can't believe I did 10.
• Practice, practice, practice!
• 10 Side squats
• 10 reverse crunches
• Menu planned in bed while having coffee - this was very nice!

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

• Took out trash and recycling

Food Journal 1/24/2016

Breakfast

• Coffee with cream

Lunch

• Sushi, seared scallops in lemon butter, crab rangoon

Dinner

• None (lunch was a bit too filling)
• Ice cream (that was the last of it, so it shouldn't be in the house for a long time)

Observations

• Sundays can always be a little hectic because we have puppy classes for 2 hours.

Fixes

• We really need to carve out time for the larger house projects we have
• Cleaning out the back room (mold extermination pt. 2)
• Preparing our garden
• Leaf cleanup
• Deep cleaning, etc.

Saturday, January 23, 2016 - Day 27 of ZTD

What's New

Date night! We went to Cinetopia for dinner and then caught Star Wars Episode VII. I enjoyed it.

What I Accomplished 1/23/2016

Walked to the hair appt, library and to get food, 1 mile

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• Went to UrbanWaxx today for eyebrows, etc.
• Haircut! Visited a salon in town for the first time called Heritage Salon. The owner and I both love vintage stuff, so we had a nice conversation about roller sets, style, people to follow on Instagram, etc.
• We talked about me coming in for vintage styling sessions too!

Food Journal 1/23/2016

Breakfast

• Yogurt
• Coffee with cream

Lunch

• Hawaiian - Terriyaki chicken and kalbi beef with rice

Dinner

• Prosciutto alfredo
• Blackberry lemonade (vodka)
• Snickers bites

Observations

• They have a new and super cute candy store in the mall called Lolli and Pops. I strolled in to take a peek, went around the entire store, and only came out with a German Root Beer for Aaron to try (he likes to sample root beers from different makers). I wasn't even tempted to load up a basket of "goodies".

Fixes

• I need to look for a paper shredder. Our filing/office has gotten out of control!

Friday, January 22, 2016 - Day 26 of ZTD

What's New

• Home sick again today.
• Slept until 10ish.
• Pizza and ice cream consumed. Pizza because neither of us felt like cooking.

Thursday, January 21, 2016 - Day 25 of ZTD

What's New

• Home sick today.
• Slept in until 10:45AM.
• Definitely consumed ice cream.

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 4 Planning

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

Week 4:

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

     Physical Activity - My DWYLT Activity this week

• Consistent exercise EACH day  

     Food - Here is our menu plan for this week

• Work on actually following the menu plan

     Sleep - Goal of 8-9 hours of sleep a night

• Bed by 9:30PM up by 6:00AM each morning
• Consistent exercise

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

Goal 3 - Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

Begin compiling study materials and plan

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

Achieve 2 items each day

Goal 5 - Develop a personal appearance system

Goal 6 - Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

Pay $500 to largest credit card

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 3 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 1/18-1/24

• Top focus will be going to sleep early and getting up consistently.
• I like the idea that Leo Babauta presents of a 30-day waiting list for purchases. 
• I need to look for a paper shredder. Our filing/office has gotten out of control!
• We really need to carve out time for the larger house projects we have
• Cleaning out the back room (mold extermination pt. 2)
• Preparing our garden
• Leaf cleanup
• Deep cleaning, etc.

Week 3:

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

     Physical Activity - My DWYLT Activity this week

Activity was a bit light this week, as I wasn't feeling well

     Food - Here was our menu plan from last week vs. actual consumption

v

We got one matching meal! Yay us! Obviously there was a lot of eating out this week. >_<

     Sleep - Goal of 8-9 hours of sleep a night

Lowest: 6.4 Hrs, Most hovering between 7.5 and 8, high end, 13 hrs. Consistency needs focus! Want to aim for 9 hours a night.

    
     Measurements - Proof of progress made this week

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

Hot damn. Good progress this week!

Goal 3 - Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

On track! Now to get Cal Newport's books and other study materials to develop a study plan.

Submitted my proposal to my company for education assistance. Also learned that I will need to front the money for the test, but then can be reimbursed.

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

Getting better, will still work on minimum of 2 tasks a day

Goal 5 - Develop a personal appearance system

Not much to report here, other than I'm considering glasses and what size of pin curls work best for me. I got a new hair cut, so I am also trying to smooth out that. It's a bit too short to do my normal french twist, which is one of my fallback "lazy day" hairstyles.

Goal 6 - Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

Made a $54 credit toward my credit card from rewards points I had. Only $1,210 left! We should be able to have it paid off by mid-February.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016 - Day 24 of ZTD

What's New

What I Accomplished 1/20/2016

Goal #1 Dialing in my food, sleep and exercise - Down to 140lbs or 26" by June 2016

• Half-assed workout since I got up later than normal
• 30 second plank
• 30 rotation superman
• 10 reverse lunges

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

• SSFU Lesson #9

Goal #3 Pass the PMP Certification test by September 2016

• Submitted my request for education assistance to my boss's boss!

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

• Laundry
• Change Sheets
• Pick up living room/dining room

Goal #5 Develop a personal appearance system

• I've been thinking that my outfits would be super cute with glasses. (Librarian-esque.) I don't have to wear them yet, but I would still like to purchase some! Here are the ones I am considering:

Goal #6 Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

• Reviewing my credit card today, I noticed that I had accumulated rewards. I applied them toward my credit card as a credit! So yay, it's $54 lower than before! That leaves about $1210 to pay off.

Food Journal 1/20/2016

Breakfast

• Yogurt with honey and almond butter
• Coffee with cream

Lunch

• Italian sub from Jimmy John's (catered lunch meeting)

Dinner

• Leftover beef stew with orange gremolata

Observations

• I'm struggling today with the purchasing impulse. 

Fixes

• I like the idea that Leo Babauta presents of a 30-day waiting list for purchases. 

Tuesday, January 19, 2016 - Day 23 of ZTD

What's New

What I Accomplished 1/19/2016

Goal #1

• Half-Assed Workout
• 10 pushups
• 10 crunches
• 10 squats
• Bed by 9:20PM

Goal #2

• Completed SSFU Lesson #8

Goal #4

• Empty Dishwasher
• Dust in living room

Goal #6

• Aaron and I sat down and discussed where this week's check would hit on debt reduction. We should be able to pay off the big credit card!

Food Journal 1/19/2016

Breakfast

• Scrambled eggs with coconut milk, feta and kerrygold butter
• Coffee with cream

Lunch

• Hawaiian marinated beef with rice and grilled veggies

Dinner

• Leftover Hawaiian from lunch

Observations

• Focusing on single-tasking at work. I have a checklist I work off of and try not to jump around.

Fixes

• I actually think this was a very good day. I am still focusing on trying to get more sleep, go to bed early, etc.

Monday, January 18, 2016 - Day 22 of ZTD

What's New

What I Accomplished 1/18/2016

Goal #1

• Walked 1 mile

Goal #2

• Watched SSFU Lesson #6
• Watched SSFU Lesson #7

Goal #3

• Researched template/suggested content for proposal

Goal #4

• Cleaned cat box
• Swept kitchen

Goal #5

• Researched non-prescription glasses

Goal #6

• Nada, awaiting next paycheck for evaluation of what debt can be paid.

Food Journal 1/18/2016

Breakfast

• Yogurt
• Coffee with cream

Lunch

• Leftover fajitas

Dinner

• Beef stew with Orange gremolata

Observations

• Slept in a little as I am still very tired from lack of sleep over the weekend.

Fixes

• Top focus will be going to sleep early and getting up consistently.

Sunday, January 17, 2016 - Day 21 of ZTD

What I accomplished 1/17/2016

Goal #1

• Menu planning and grocery shopping

Food Journal 1/17/2016

Breakfast:

• None

Lunch:

• Panera Bread
• 1 bowl Creamy Tomato Soup
• 1 grilled cheese sandwich
• Neither good or worth the $30 we paid. (The cheese in the grilled cheese was that yucky plasticy cheese that Kraft Singles are made from.)Yet another showing of expensive, processed foods in the restaurant setting that confirms why eating at home is much better.

Dinner:

• Fridge cleanout
• Spaghetti squash with egg + bell pepper and tomatoes
• I was trying to make a fried noodle dish (like fried rice but with spaghetti squash)
• This didn't quite work out
• The beef that we took out of the freezer to go with this was AWFUL.
• It was grass fed angus beef, but from Safeway in the bargain section, which makes Aaron really huffy. In this case he was right to be wary because it tasted extremely gamey and full of gristle.
• Neither of us could eat the meat, it tasted so off. It's possible it was spoiled, but I think it was just extremely low quality in comparison to what we are normally accustomed to.

Observations

• On the way home from grocery shopping, I was thinking about what would happen if every time we had the urge to go buy junk food or go out to eat we instead put the money we would have spent in our savings account with the intention of purchasing high-quality protein.
• One of the reasons we are struggling at the moment is when you're tired and emotionally drained, it's harder to make proper decisions. It's also harder to follow through on your commitment to cook at home, especially if you're making something you've never made before.

Fixes

• I am thinking that fighting the urge to buy junk food will have to be something that we both talk about focusing on. This may mean that we keep our urges to ourselves instead of looking to the other person to justify our wants and grant permission to give in. This will also mean reminding each other that we have date night coming up and if we feel like something in particular, we can defer it until then. 
• The second item, going back to the idea of emergency meals and soups might alleviate this issue.

Saturday, January 16, 2016 - Day 20 of ZTD

Lavender passed her AKC Canine Good Citizens test!

What I accomplished 1/16/2016

• Ran 1 mile with pup to tire her out for her test

Food Journal 1/16/2016

Breakfast:

• 2 eggs and 2 slices of bacon
• Not enough! Need minimum of 3 eggs

Lunch:

• Mexican
• Steak Fajitas with guac, lettuce, sour cream, rice, beans (which I ate sparingly)
• I skipped the tortillas and just ate it like a stir fry

Dinner:

• Potato chips, ice cream and turtles...the trigger from Friday keeps on coming.

Observations

• Very lazy day as this week was stressful for me, and very emotionally draining. Late night Friday led to sleeping in Saturday morning.

Fixes

• I will have the occasional late evening. Friday we had a game night that we didn't leave until after 11. I don't want to discourage socialization, so I need to think of other ways I can maintain my routine while also getting adequate sleep in these scenarios. I am thinking sleeping in, but completing the same routine once we wake up will be the best option, since large chunks of sleep-time are more restful than naps.

Friday, January 15, 2016 - Day 19 of ZTD

What I accomplished 1/15/2016

• Goal #1
• Half-assed workout
• 10 pushups
• 10 crunches
• 10 reverse lunges
• Goal #6
• Paid $450 to our highest interest rate card. About $1300 left to go!

Food Journal 1/15/2016

Breakfast:

• Yogurt with a spoonful of honey.
• It's a brand that I want to like because it is organic with whole milk, but the grassfed one with the cream top is just better. 
• Coffee with cream

Lunch:

• Leftover Paleo Pad Thai
• Payday candy bar
• Babe Ruth Candy bar

Dinner:

• Panda Expess
• Game night at a friend's
• Pie for dessert

Observations

• Headache starting around 1:45PM
• Not enough protein in my breakfast (I usually eat 3 eggs - about 18g of protein)
• I noticed that I was tired, a bit stressed and hungry, all three of which culminated in a trigger to send me off to find sugar.

Fixes

• Stay out of the breakroom - there is basically nothing healthy that lives in there.
• Journal when I am emotional instead of tamping it down with sweets.
• Pull lunch forward to earlier in the day if hungry.
• Stock up on Epic Bars. One of the big reasons that I end up going into the break room is that I am still hungry and am out of food. 
• I just noticed they have beef liver bites! I should get these to try with my mom for when she visits in February.
• Bring coconut oil in for a hot beverage to tide me over.

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 3

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

• Keep games off of the phone. The phone is a tool, not a source of distraction. Practice being present in the moment, especially with family.
• Reminder: Facebook is for Sunday mornings!
• Use each day to make small steps toward each goal. 
• Create a daily routine which touches on each goal in a consistent way.
• Especially toward Goal #2 so I have freedom in the future to support my family on my schedule and without having to leave the house.
• Focus on single-tasking and deep work.
• Focus on quality sleep, eating well and taking breaks when things get stressful.
• When in doubt, turn to an expert. Use Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for advice on interpersonal relationships.
• Journal when tempted by sweets
• Save money and suffering by eating at home or if eating out, at a well-researched, high quality place.
• Stay out of the breakroom - that's where good intentions go to die. (I.e., too much candy.)
• Pull lunch forward to earlier in the day if hungry.
• Stock up on Epic Bars.
• Bring coconut oil in for a hot beverage to tide me over.
• Think of other ways to maintain routine while coping with late bedtimes due to social schedule.
• Speak with Aaron about permission behavior when it comes to eating junk. This will also mean reminding each other that we have date night coming up and if we feel like something in particular, we can defer it until then. 
• Think of emergency meals and soups might alleviate the issue of food when too tired to cook.

Week 2:

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

    Physical Activity -

I want to focus (again) on going to bed by 9:30PM, getting up around 5:30AM, doing my normal cardio + weight training or bodyweight training.

     Food - 

     Sleep - Goal of 8-9 hours of sleep a night

     This speaks for itself. I should start aiming for 9 hours a night instead of just 8 so I will hit a minimum of 8.

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

     I will touch on this goal every day. There should not be a day that it does not move forward.

Goal 3 - Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

     I will submit my proposal by Friday, 1/22.

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

     I will work on checking off at least two items from the chore chart each day.

Goal 5 - Develop a personal appearance system

     I want to research how to do pin curls. I did some on Saturday evening and they did not turn out.

Goal 6 - Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

     If Aaron has another paycheck this week, we will take out money for bills and the rest will go toward the highest interest rate credit card. Only $1300 left on it! I'd love to have it paid off this month.

     

Thursday, January 14, 2016 - Day 18 of ZTD

What I accomplished 1/14/2016

• Up at 5:45AM
• 5 minutes of jump rope
• Completed Week 2. Day 2 of the Transformational Strength workout
• 5 rounds of squats with light weight
• 5 rounds of pull ups
• Walked 1 mile around 11AM

Food Journal 1/14/2016

Breakfast:

• 3 eggs scrambled with Kerrygold butter and coconut milk

Lunch:

• Leftover Thai fried rice with beef

Dinner:

• Paleo Pad Thai
• Snickers ice cream bar for dessert

Observations

• Today is one of those super emotional days where everything feels like someone is coming after you, deliberately snubbing you or any number of irritating things that makes me second-guess myself.
• I really let my emotions control me yesterday. This would be a good journal prompt.
• I noticed today that the beef in my lunch was not high quality.
• I made a concession and allowed myself 1 ice cream bar...it was not needed, I didn't love it, and it didn't solve my problems. I did notice that my "have to consume all sugar" trigger was activated. 

Fixes

• When I feel like there is a rub between a coworker and me, I like to talk with them in person about the issue at hand. Technology is great, but it isn't as efficient at communicating tone, intent and concern as in person communication.
• If I have trouble overcoming my own pride, I usually pop open Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" to prod myself forward.
• Another reason to not eat out - you can't predict the quality, unless you go to a really nice place (which there is a shortage of out where I live).
• Pull out journal when tempted by sweets. I'm still not to the point where I can do 1 treat and leave it at that.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016 - Day 17 of ZTD

What I accomplished 1/13/2016

• Did my "Half-assed" workout since I got up a little later than usual
• 10 pushups
• 10 crunches
• 10 squats
• Walk 1 mile 11:30AM
• Walk to dinner, almost 1 mile
• Watched SSFU Lesson #5
• Foam rolling for my stiff calves

Food Journal 1/13/2016

Breakfast:

• 3 eggs in Kerrygold butter with feta

Lunch:

• Leftover Potato Soup

Dinner:

• Thai fried rice with beef at the local thai place
• Crab rangoon

Observations

• I am still feeling stressed from yesterday. There is a new endeavor at work that I've been heading over the past month and I'm not seeing the progress that I want to with it. It's stressing me out quite a bit. 
• I am getting really good at my cleaning habits. I have been working on putting my stuff away when I get home (cleaning out lunch pail, putting work badge in a safe place) and it's becoming something I don't even have to think about, I just DO. I also am getting addicted to having clean counters, which is awesome and means that I am consistently doing dishes, rinsing and putting into the dishwasher. Following the DO 2 minute rule from ZTD!

Fixes

• Focus on single-tasking and deep work (in my case it is mostly Monitoring and Controlling for the projects that are in our department, as well as following up on handoffs).
• Make sure I get my exercise in and am eating well, taking breaks for walks at work also help to alleviate the stress.
• Devote time to my side gig so I have something to look forward to in the future.

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 2 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

• Keep games off of the phone. The phone is a tool, not a source of distraction. Practice being present in the moment, especially with family.
• Reminder: Facebook is for Sunday mornings!
• Use each day to make small steps toward each goal. 
• Create a daily routine which touches on each goal in a consistent way.
• Especially toward Goal #2 so I have freedom in the future to support my family on my schedule and without having to leave the house.
• Focus on single-tasking and deep work.
• Focus on quality sleep, eating well and taking breaks when things get stressful.
• When in doubt, turn to an expert. Use Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" for advice on interpersonal relationships.
• Journal when tempted by sweets
• Save money and suffering by eating at home or if eating out, at a well-researched, high quality place.
• Stay out of the breakroom - that's where good intentions go to die. (I.e., too much candy.)
• Pull lunch forward to earlier in the day if hungry.
• Stock up on Epic Bars.
• Bring coconut oil in for a hot beverage to tide me over.
• Think of other ways to maintain routine while coping with late bedtimes due to social schedule.
• Speak with Aaron about permission behavior when it comes to eating junk. This will also mean reminding each other that we have date night coming up and if we feel like something in particular, we can defer it until then. 
• Think of emergency meals and soups might alleviate the issue of food when too tired to cook.

Week 2:

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

    Physical Activity -

Woot, almost every day had activity! Even two days with 3 marks!

     Food - Here was our menu plan from last week vs. actual consumption

Alright, could use some work here. Ate out on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday.

     Sleep - Goal of 8-9 hours of sleep a night

Could use some work here as well! 3 days at about 7 hours and 3 at about 8. I want to get this at a consistent 8 hours minimum.

     Measurements:

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

   

I didn't get too far on this one, last week. Need to dig back in and have daily focus sessions with this goal.

Goal 3 - Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

   

I bookmarked some guidelines about what should be included in a proposal for your employer to pay for your certifications, but it looks like I will be making most of it up as I go along. I still plan to submit my proposal by Friday.

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

     

Ack! My house is so messy right now. This week really knocked us down a few.

Goal 5 - Develop a personal appearance system

My dress pants ripped! Now I have to go find new ones, so the outfits that rely on those pants are out of rotation for a while.

Goal 6 - Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

   
We paid $450 toward our highest interest rate credit card. Only $1300 left on that card.

     

Tuesday, January 12, 2016 - Day 16 of ZTD

Found on Facebook

What this says to me:

• Flopping on the couch and watching tv won't solve my problems, or achieve my goals, even if it feels good in the moment. An hour here or there is fine, but two full days (this past weekend) is not helpful.
• Eating candy and processed foods may make me feel good in the moment and give me a little pick me up, but in the long run doesn't solve my problems and actually creates more (weight gain, bad teeth, diabetes, other illnesses).
• Use the time I have now to make progress for my future. One small step today is worth ten big panicked steps 10 months from now.
• Freelancing
• PMP
• Skill enhancement
• SQL
• Project Planning and communication
• Simplification

What I accomplished 1/12/2016

• Up at 5:45AM
• If still sleepy when my alarm goes off, I have been giving myself one snooze. I promise myself that I will get up. I don't want to go back on a promise to myself, so I do get up.
• Pilates video in the living room this morning
• 1 mile walk around 1PM
• Lights out by 9:40PM

Food Journal 1/12/2016

Breakfast:

• Coffee with cream
• Yogurt 
• I can only tolerate grass-fed, organic, plain yogurt. Some people can't tolerate dairy and specifically cut out yogurt, but I consume it every day. I haven't cut it out yet because it's un petit plaisir that I don't want to give up and I am not seeing any issues with it.
• However, processed milks do give me joint pain, so I avoid that. If it's not grass-fed, raw (preferably) or at the very least organic, I don't drink it.

Lunch:

• Leftover Potato Soup

Dinner:

• Bell peppers with cream cheese dip
• Neither of us were super hungry. We both had very low energy.
• Goat milk yogurt for dessert (not a fan).

Observations

• I was way sleepy this morning. As discussed in yesterday's post, no more phone in the evenings!
• Today was super stressful at work. It needs to slow down already.
• I have gotten very down this afternoon. I am fighting a headache and my energy has tanked. I am thinking the yogurt I had this morning wasn't enough.

Fixes

• I envision my evenings looking something like this:
• Get home ~ 6PM
• Put stuff away
• Clean out lunch pail
• Help Aaron with dinner
• Eat dinner
• Do dishes/other chores
• Run the dishwasher if full
• Go for walk ~ 7PM
• Watch video lesson/do homework/complete freelance work ~ 7:30PM
• OR catch TV show (not the preferred option)
• Get ready for bed 9PM
• foam roll
• skincare
• set clothes out for tomorrow
• lights out 9:30PM

Monday, January 11, 2016 - Day 15 of ZTD

5:45am - no makeup, happy to be up and getting my endorphin boost!

My Onnit sandbag with only 1 full weight

My little workout area in the backroom - mats are the kids playing mats from costco that hook together. My pull-up stand is the washing machine and dryer with the broom in the back, haha! I have a chest full of my workout equipment against one wall with everything (dumbbells, sandbag, workout books, jump rope) so everything is neatly put away.

What I accomplished 1/11/2016

• Got up at 5:40AM
• Jump rope for 5 minutes
• Week 2 workout 1 of TBR Transformational Strength
• 5 rounds of 10 squats
• 5 rounds of 10 pushups (mine were on the knees, though)
• I serious focused on going slowly, making sure my knees were in line with my feet, but not going over the toe, and making sure my abs were tight with each of the moves.
• Walked 1 mile around 1PM

Food Journal 1/11/2016

Breakfast:

• 3 eggs in Kerrygold grassfed butter with feta
• Coffee with cream

Lunch:

• Tuna Salad on lettuce with asian pears

Dinner:

• Leftover Potato Soup
• Pepperoncini potato chips

Observations

• Aaron informs me that due to the flood in our basement and the mold that resulted from that in our back room, I have to workout in the living room. I'm not happy, especially after raving about my little workout area, but at least I won't get the black lung!
• Went to bed too late last night because I put a game app on my phone. I have an addictive personality so I am susceptible to games, food, other bad habits, etc. and I have to be vigilant to make sure I don't get myself into a bad cycle.
• I just can't do chips of any type. It's not good for me physically or mentally, addictive for sure.

Fixes

• Removed the game app from my phone and reminded myself that a phone is just a tool, it is not something I need to be glued to all day. I will be putting my phone on my nightstand when I get home, and will not be touching it.
• Reminder: Facebook is for Sunday mornings!

Sunday, January 10, 2016 - Day 14 of ZTD

I'll just forewarn you now, this was a very lazy day for us and we gave into the snack mentality a little. It's so funny how now there's a sprinkling of days in a month where we want to snack on traditional SAD foods, and then we realize that it does not treat our insides kindly and we just don't want to continue eating that way for more than one meal.

What I accomplished 1/10/2016

• Grocery shopping for the next 2-3 days (we are only shopping for this amount to make it less overwhelming and to keep veggies from going bad)
• Cleaned the kitchen

Food Journal 1/10/2016

Breakfast:

• Coffee with Cream
• Yogurt

Lunch:

• Peppers with artichoke dip

Dinner:

• Krab dip with sweet potato fries
• Aaron thought he was getting real crab, haha! He threw the dip away because he was so disappointed. (Fine by me.)

Observations

• I had pulled out my cookbooks and was about to pull together a recipe book of all of our favorite recipes. I stopped myself because referring to the cookbooks works just fine for now, as we are exploring our favorites.

Fixes

• Remind myself that we are not looking to create a new complex system for ANYTHING, including recipe gathering. As it is, I have 1 cookbook I rely on regularly. It's not so complex I need a system for it!

Saturday, January 9, 2016 - Day 13 of ZTD

What I accomplished 1/9/2016

• Walked to the library and back, 1 mile.
• Watched the 4th lesson for SSFU with Aaron
• Menu planning for the week

Food Journal 1/9/2016

Breakfast:

• Coffee with cream

Lunch:

• Poke from the new Hawaiian restaurant in town
• I've never eaten fish so fast in my life!
• This was Ahi with onions and rice.

Dinner:

• Potato Soup from last night

Observations

• Did not feel good to sleep in until 11am. I was very scared that I had slept the day away.

Fixes

• Work on consistency of sleep over the weekend.

Friday, January 8, 2016 - Day 12 of ZTD

What I accomplished 1/8/2016

• Goal #1:
• Up by 5:40am!
• 5 minutes of jump rope
• Week 1 Workout 2 of Transformational Strength (one of the older versions of TBR)
• Did 3 sets
• 10 squats x 3
• 10 snatches x 3
• 7 pull ups first round, 6 for second and third
• I made my own pull-up station out of a washer/dryer we are planning to sell, a broom and cat litter bags to steady the broom.
• My husband warned me the broom is hollow, so it might snap in half. I've got cushion, haha!
• Did rolling (using a dumbbell) on my left foot since I have a stiff plantar that's been acting up. 
• 1 mile walk at 9:30AM
• 1 mile walk at 3:30PM
• Goal #3
• Got a copy of the PMBOK (5th edition) from a coworker!
• Found the dates for the spring and summer course that I want to take and bookmarked it

Food Journal 1/8/2016

Breakfast:

• 3 eggs in Kerrygold butter with feta
• Coffee with cream

Lunch:

• Leftover beef yakisoba
• 3 chocolate truffles
• "Capuccino" (The watered down kuerig version. I am donating the rest as they are too sweet. I'll stick with plain coffee, thanks.)
• Kombucha

Dinner:

• Potato soup
• Aaron literally licked his bowl clean after seconds.
• This was delicious soup, but it called for so much milk that I don't think it will be a regular staple in our recipe rotation.

Observations

• I sit very close to the communal candy bowl. 

Fixes

• Journal when tempted to take from the candy bowl/remember how filmy my teeth get. I hate that.

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 1 in Review

Fixes identified this past week:

• Focus on twice daily review/planning sessions
• Keep coffee simple - coffee with cream
• Keep nutritious breakfast items on hand and get up early if I need to leave early for work.
• Hot beverage with coconut oil for midday fix if not enough time to eat.
• Think of emergency meal work arounds
• Omelets, egg scrambles?
• Turn everything off at 9PM to get ready for bed.
• Stay consistent with exercise - even a half-assed 1 round of workout (see last Thursday, I was amped up all day) improves my mood.
• Foam rolling at the end of the evening
• Use my journal when I am tempted by emotional foods - candy, processed snacks, etc.
• Work on consistency of sleep/wake times, even over the weekend.
• I need to work on the daily review/planning step twice daily
• Do not seek out new systems. ZTD is what we are focusing on now. Simplify, simplify, simplify.

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.

Week 2:

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

    Physical Activity - I am very proud of the progress I made last week. Look at that consistency! I feel like I need a scatter chart to track this over the long term!

     Food - Here was our menu plan from last week vs. actual consumption

Menu Plan

Actual Consumption

The Potato soup was next up on the menu plan after Tuna Salad, so that was still on track. I'm seeing still a lot of crap food (Tuesday morning, Wednesday evening, Sunday). Next week should focus more on a just high-quality meat and veggies. 

     Sleep - Goal of 8-9 hours of sleep a night

I'm on a good track, I just need to focus on consistency (*ahem* weekends!). I hate the feeling of waking at 1PM and knowing you've slept most of the day away! My dream is to have the same morning schedule on the weekends (exercise and all) as I do on the weekdays.

Measurements: I took my measurements this morning, for tracking purposes.

     Waist (no air): 28.5"
     Waist (relaxed): 30"
     Bust: 37"
     Hip: 39.5"

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

     Well, I should have checked with Aaron on which courses we had completed already. This week we watched #3 and #4, so the below will be our goal for the week of 1/11-1/17.

Goal 3 - Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

     This week, I researched the next class at PSU that I want to attend, noting the dates and time commitment.

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

     One of the worst habits we have (not cleaning the kitchen) is getting heavy focus. It feels great!

Goal 5 - Develop a personal appearance system

   This past week focused on Uniform 1. I kept makeup minimal with Makeup Look 1. I tend to rotate through the hair looks. Aaron got me hot rollers, so that will be a new look to try!

Not sure this needs to be reported on weekly, but these charts have really helped me to define what sort of style I have. Will report back monthly if I update them.

Goal 6 - Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

     We paid $1k toward the top card, below. There is about $1600 left on it.

• $2667 on my 20.99% card (this will be down to about $1k soon)
• $2152 on my 12% card
• $11,400 at 11% interest on our honeymoon/visit for Grandma Smith's funeral loan.

     

Weekly Goal Tracking: Week 2

Fixes identified this past week:

• Focus on twice daily review/planning sessions
• Keep coffee simple - coffee with cream
• Keep nutritious breakfast items on hand and get up early if I need to leave early for work.
• Hot beverage with coconut oil for midday fix if not enough time to eat.
• Think of emergency meal work arounds
• Omelets, egg scrambles?
• Turn everything off at 9PM to get ready for bed.
• Stay consistent with exercise - even a half-assed 1 round of workout (see last Thursday, I was amped up all day) improves my mood.
• Foam rolling at the end of the evening
• Use my journal when I am tempted by emotional foods - candy, processed snacks, etc.
• Work on consistency of sleep/wake times, even over the weekend.
• I need to work on the daily review/planning step twice daily

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.

Week 1:

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

     This week, I will focus on consistently going to bed by 10PM at latest, getting up at 5:30AM and exercising, and sticking with the menu plan.
 
Physical Activity -

     Food -

  

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

Review the below lessons this week. The 18th is fast approaching!

Goal 3 - Pass the PMP certification test by September 2016

     This week, I will research how to submit a proposal for furthering my certifications and education.

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

This week, I want to focus on checking off each of these, each day, especially the ones for the kitchen and the cat box.

Goal 5 - Develop a personal appearance system

     Reported monthly if changes to charts/observations.

Goal 6 - Continue 2015 goal of Debt Payoff by 2018

     We are still waiting on Aaron's workman's compensation situation to be resolved. Anything we get for him will be going to debt payoff, but I don't expect anything on his behalf until late next week, if anything.