January is over and there is a lot I'm grateful and excited for. But like any phase in life there are ups and downs. I have settled into regular routine that I am enjoying. I've mentioned it before but its basically "get up, make tea, journal, stretch, treadmill, intermittent fast...and carry on with the day". Are there days I don't want to? Sure! Have I skipped a few days in January? Yes, I did BUT overall I am so happy that I am doing this over 95% of the time.
My PT "gig" as a project manager is very rewarding and paying off with clients. The environment is so uplifting and I really enjoy my time with the company. In fact, my time will likely increase as they are seeing what I can bring to the table. I have noticed that it is harder to get in my 10k steps/day when I'm busy so I am looking for ways to keep the pace. This may mean another treadmill session but as the weather warms up it will probably be adding outside walks instead.
My BIG change for January was getting certified for a Travel Advisor. I even made my 1st booking which is thrilling. I love to travel and many years ago even had my own concierge ski package business. The detail focus is right up my alley but so is the wonder of new places and dreaming big for clients. Get the best for the dollar so they have an amazing vacation. The company I'm with is amazing, their training and resources are bountiful. My only downside? I'm outrunning the technical difficulties I'm running into with some of the partner sites, but I know it will get resolved.
Podcasts! As I have listened to quite a few speakers/experts during January, I realize that I tune into ones that have scientific professionals speaking to things like pain management, emotion, etc. I am really enjoying Huberman Lab. Dr. Huberman is a neuroscientist at Stanford and I highly recommend his podcast (no I do not get anything for saying that lol). While I did listen to many motivational podcasts, I sometimes find their "already perfect" lifestyle to be a bit of a "non" motivator. I mean here is me, still searching to figure it out at 59, I need to hear from others in similar situations, not a 30 year old who has mastered meditation, fitness (mental and physical), journaling and being full of gratitude and devotion to abundance. Don't get me wrong, I admire these people so much but they are reminders that I didn't have my shit together sooner.
All in all I'm very happy about the routine, the progress, the energy and better sleep. At my lowest I had lost over 6 lbs but OMG the fluctuations are nuts and make me a bit nuts. I am puzzled that I still have considerable lower back and neck pain even after stretching and regular exercise. Think I'm going to go to the Doc and ask her to do a scan followed by PT. I recall one time I had chronic pain in my hand...when I had it checked out they found some long word I can't remember but basically the sheath covering the tendon was continuously enflamed and causing pain. When I went to PT, they gave me these exercises which at the time seemed ridiculous and I couldn't fathom how they could help BUT THEY DID! So I'm a believer and would like to exhaust all non-invasive efforts.
It has been a great start to my comeback year. I keep trying, I keep learning and I'll keep going. Happy February everyone!