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Monday, November 21, 2016

When Can I Expect To SEE Results?

Results!
You want results?

 What kind of results?
Direct results?
By-product results?
Earth changing results?

The real question here is, 
"What do YOU want to accomplish"?
Question -
Can you do a 120 second plank?

I mean TWO minutes!
Surely you can do something for TWO minutes.

Well, good luck with that.

I began 2016 with several very specific goals.
Some I continue to work on,
others, not so much.

One of my goals was to physically get in shape.
To eat better and exercise regularly.
You know I headed right over to Pinterest to find exercise routines for old girls like me right.
I set up a board, Exercising and Eating Healthy.
Click HERE to see my board.

I found lots of things to pin about exercising and I started trying them out hoping to find a few I liked and could stick with.

Cause that's the secret!
Stick With It!

I'm not looking for super model status, but I believed if I could get in better physical shape, I could improve my overall health.

So what was my goal?
Get in shape OR improve my health.
Which came first the chicken or the egg.

Back to the 120 second plank.
I found a post with a 30 day ab challenge.
Click HERE to see the plan.    

I didn't even look at day 30.
I only looked at what exercises were necessary
(only 4)
and on day one it started with a 15 second full plank,
9 second side planks,
and 8 crunches and 8 bicycle crunches.
I thought, Wow!, even I can do that!

The goal is to work up to a 120 second full plank,
76 second side planks
and 120 crunches and bicycle crunches.
(Glad I didn't look at that part of the challenge)

The point is, OK, there are several points here:
  1. Set a goal
  2. Make a plan
  3. Follow through
  4. Rinse and repeat!
It's going to take me longer than the 30 days to get to the end of the challenge, but I am about 2/3 of the way through!
Go ME!  
It doesn't really matter what the goal is.
It doesn't really matter what the plan is.
What really matters is 
the STICK WITH IT part.   

Learn to shoot free throws:
Shoot more free throws.

Learn to play a musical instrument:
Practice more and harder music.

Learn to write:
Get in front of the (I almost said typewriter) computer
and write, anything, everything.

Learn to paint:
Get the brush in your hand and paint.

I've painted in Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days online challenge 4 or 5 times.
What do you learn painting 30 paintings in 30 days?
You learn to paint.
You learn to plan.
You make time for it.
and then,
You start to see some results.

Not thinking about painting.
Not planning to paint.
But the actual painting.

Back to my 120 second plank.

I did not see any results the first 10-12- or even 14 days.
I'm on day 21 and to be honest 
I'm not sure I'm seeing any physical results.
I mean, really,
I'm 64 years old, I have a chronic illness, and I've had 4 children, but my original goal was to improve my health.
But one of my points is: what if I'd given up on Day 12?

And the results I'm seeing are:
  • I am stronger
  • I have more stamina
  • I can do more
  • OK, my abs are not quite like the Pillsbury dough boy's anymore, so there's some physical improvement.
  • And, Here's an interesting part, I want to do more.
Learn all about what you want to learn about.
Read about it, watch it, listen to it, view it,
But then you have to actually do it
and do it,
and do it,
and do it some more,
if you want to get better at anything.

A few months ago I wrote a blog post about painting clouds.
Click HERE to view that post. 
It's what has to happen to get better at anything.



This is one of the cloud paintings I did in the 30 in 30 challenge.

I'm working on another painting right now with beautiful clouds in it.
Click on the link on this blog for available paintings to see some of my available art.


Baking delicious bread or a pie does not come with reading recipes, all though that is a good place to start.
You actually have to learn how to bloom the yeast,
measure accurately,
get dough all over your hands as you learn to knead the bread,
Learn how your oven works,
Then you have to learn how to slice the bread.
Then and only then, do you get to enjoy the fruits of your labors and I'm real sure your first loaf of bread will not be delicious.  But make another one. And then make another one.  And pretty soon you'll have delicious, yummy, can't wait to eat it bread.
Bottom line:
I have the exercise thing down and I am getting stronger.
(Now I have to remove the ice cream thing to lose weight).

 

Thanks,
and have a great day
and Happy Thanksgiving! 

 




2 comments:

  1. You are so right...practice makes perfect!
    I am happy you are getting into the shape you want to be. I admire that. The one thing I really like about painting is it is lifelong learning. Getting better and better...forever!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love that too Julie. Life long learning is wonderful. Keeps the brain moving and engaged. And I also love that what I couldn't do 2 months ago, with lots of practice I can get it. Keeps me working on future dreams.

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

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Ghent, Kentucky, United States
I'm a nature artist and I love to paint old barns, rivers and lakes, trees and fence rows and flowers. I work almost daily. You can purchase paintings by contacting me at slgraves6@gmail.com and there is also a tab across the top of my blog for available paintings and one for small paintings with buy now buttons. You can also purchase through my Etsy shop using the name of Fine Nature Art. . Thank you so much for stopping by.