Project Back on Track: Day 15 Check-In

Have you ever noticed that when you see a friend struggling you jump at the chance to help? You’re willing to drive miles and miles to deliver food and a little cheer. You send hopeful messages and check in daily. You offer support, advice, and a shoulder to cry on. You do it because you love your friends and it hurts you to see them hurting. It’s a natural reaction - the desire to help.

Yet, for some reason, when we find ourselves in difficult positions, we are happy to stew in our own self-pity. We allow ourselves to slip into bad habits and dark places. For some reason, we don’t love ourselves with the same fierceness that we love our friends.

That’s why I started Project Back on Track. I needed accountability for getting back to the habits that make me feel happy and healthy.

Little did I know that life would hand me an opportunity to test my progress in the first 15 days. On day 14, my father was taken to the emergency room with sepsis and then transferred to a larger hospital with an Intensive Care Unit an hour away.

He was unable to maintain a normal blood pressure. His liver and kidneys took a hit. He was confused. And it was scary. I was really, really scared that I was going to lose my dad. Things slacked that day. Things felt like they were falling apart.

Thanks to the quick action of the local critical access team and the incredible Intensive Care team, my dad quickly turned a corner was moved out of ICU 48 hours later. He is still in the hospital to get his strength back but he’s doing well and hopefully will be going home next week.

I’m so grateful that he’s okay and for the events that lead to me starting this project. If I hadn’t started this project, if I hadn’t committed to working on my bullshit and getting things back on track, I don’t know that I could have handled the last few days as well as I did.

These actions that I’ve been tracking, getting enough sleep, eating nutritiously, moving my body…all of these things supported me through that really difficult day and the days that followed.

It’s so cliche but so true…you cannot pour from an empty cup. I was an empty cup when I started this project and I needed to refill my own well so I could give of myself when called to do so. If you are feeling a bit empty, I encourage you to head back to my Project Back on Track introduction and start our own habit tracking project. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Speaking of results…Let’s talk about where I stand on Day 15 of the project and how many times I achieved my goals. Cuz you know I love me some numbers.

Mind

Read 10 pages daily: 10/15
No screens 30 minutes before bed: 9/15
Limit social media time to 1.5 hours per day: 13/15
Set 1 intention per day: 13/15
Practice an act of self-care at least once per week: 6/15 - Goal 2/15

Body

At least 30 minutes of exercise six days per week: 11/15 - Goal 12/15
1 hour of exercise at least twice per week : 7/15 - Goal 4/15
Yoga at least once a week: 4/15 - Goal 2/15
Try 1 new fitness activity per month: 0/15 - 1/30
Eat something green at every meal, everyday: 12/15 - Goal 15/15
Stick to an exclusively paleo diet a minimum of 5 days a week - 14/15 - Goal 10/15
8 hours of sleep everyday: 15/15 - Goal 15/15

Soul (Choose 1 Daily)

Meditation, 10 minutes minimum: 1/15
Affirmations, 10 minutes minimum: 5/15
Gratitude Journaling, 5 items minimum: 5/15
Nurture a friendship or relationship: 3/15

I’m proud of what I accomplished. Reviewing the numbers, I know that I want to work on decreasing my screen time before bed and increasing my yoga goal. That stuff is good for your soul.

And meditation…man, that is hard for me. Sitting still and just being is really hard for me to do. I need to keep to working on it. I felt myself avoiding it because I feel like a failure when I can’t quiet my mind. The guilt of perfectionism creeps in and I need to explore letting go of that feeling in this particular arena.

I am excited for the next 15 days. I know what I need to work on and I have a plan. And that feels really good.

If you are doing this project with me, please let me know how your doing and what you’d like to continue to work on!