Month 1 Update

Today hasn't exactly been the best day ever. I woke up late and had a stressful morning, and a day full of tough classes. Lessons I've taught many times before weren't working and I couldn't find the energy to be creative and find solutions in the moment. You know. #teacherproblems

Tonight's the first night in about three weeks that I didn't have rehearsal, a show, or other obligations to attend, so I decided to hit up a Pilates class in San Jose. I've been trying out some Yoga/Pilates videos and classes recently -- I love how centered and calm after finishing a workout. Feeling truly present. I've tried a couple different YouTube videos, but I always feel like I get a better workout when I'm at a class in-person.

And WOOF! If I weren't in-person for this class, I wouldn't have made it through! The instructor was amazing: super upbeat and energetic, without being annoyingly peppy. The class was packed, and I can see why. We moved super fast and it was crazy hard, but I made it out alive! I'll definitely be sore tomorrow. Apologies in advance to anyone I interact with tomorrow, because my muscles MOVED.

Anyway. Moving on.

January Results:

My food-related goals for January were:

1. Meal plan every week: Did it! I definitely didn't follow the meal plan all the time, because when I cook I tend to make extras and keep them as leftovers, which I didn't account for in the meal plan. 
2. Spend less money on food each week: Not sure yet. But I'm getting better at buying off my grocery list and avoiding impulse buys. 
3. Cook more: Definitely did that. Not sure if I'm much better at it yet, but I did manage to make a couple of stir-frys without looking at a cookbook. I'm not an intuitive chef by any means, so that's an accomplishment.
4. Only go out to buy food when I'm with other people: I may have caved and bought myself a snack a couple of times, but for the most part I focused on packing myself meals & snacks every day. So I'll count it as a success!

My unofficial goals for January were:

1. Workout 3-4x a week: The first 3 weeks were successful. One I did 4 YouTube yoga/pilates videos, which ranged from 15-40 minutes. Another week I made it to the gym 4x for group fitness classes. Another week I did a bit of both. The last week was tech.... I focused on sleeping that week.
2. Try more yoga/pilates: I like how I feel after doing those types of workouts and focusing so much on the breath and being present. I used to HATE pilates, but I can feel my body getting stronger, and that's a pretty cool feeling! :)
3. Get a reasonable amount of sleep each night: HAH. That's funny.
4. Give myself plenty of time to prep for my classes/directing & choreo projects: I was doing really well at this! ....before I went into tech. Now I'm just trying to catch up and stay on top of the work. 

So overall, I feel pretty good about January. I find it easier to get more veggies & proteins when I prepare my food at home or plan ahead what I'm going to eat, which got me through tech week hell, and I feel calmer overall. So, now onto February! Another month, another focus:

February: the month of tidying

I'll be spending some time over the President's Week break tidying, eliminating, and clearing space in my home. I'm bizarrely excited to go through all my possessions and surround myself with things that spark joy. Though I definitely won't be following her strategy 100% -- there are some books that aren't going anywhere, nosiree. I also want to read her new book this month. 

My bonus focus for February is the Life With Intention Online class that Jess Lively of The Lively Show podcast is hosting this month. I LOVE her podcast and highly recommend it to anyone who wants some cheerful inspiration in their lives, and her class has been great so far. Lots of things to ponder about how I want to live my life and how to live my life with intention. Or, essentially, how to live my life in the present. It's less than a week in but I've already gotten some great takeaways, and am super excited to continue the course!

In other news, I've been delving into social media like Pinterest and Instagram, and still journaling away in my Passion Planner. Also still brainstorming ideas for March's monthly focus. Probably something either fitness or creativity focused.... Maybe a month of blog posts, or 30 days of exercise? Though I'll be in tech again for A Little Night Music.... Luckily, I have time to ponder.

Happy February!