{"id":6739,"date":"2016-01-25T07:11:17","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T13:11:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/?p=6739"},"modified":"2016-02-08T06:44:33","modified_gmt":"2016-02-08T12:44:33","slug":"from-merely-surviving-to-truly-living-a-one-step-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handsfreemama.com\/2016\/01\/25\/from-merely-surviving-to-truly-living-a-one-step-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"From Merely Surviving to Truly Living: A One-Step Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DSC_0050\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe'll never be as young as we are now
\n<\/em>The faces in the crowd are thinning out
\n<\/em>And I'm not saying stick around, but stick around
\n<\/em>And we may never have another like today, tomorrow is brand new start away
\n<\/em>And we'll never be as young as we are now, as we are now.\u201d
\n<\/em>\u2013Saint Raymond, As We Are Now<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

2015 ended with a few words I thought I\u2019d never hear:<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, there\u2019s no need to make another appointment today. Hopefully, I won\u2019t see you for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was standing in my doctor\u2019s office when I heard those glorious words. My doctor worked closely with my urologist (one floor down) and my gynecologist (across the street). They all agreed that with my internal pain slowly subsiding, my elevated blood pressure back to normal, and having pristine blood work and kidney ultrasound results, I was free to go on with my life.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until I pushed the elevator button\u2014the one I pushed with shaky hands over and over throughout the past year\u2014that I was overcome with emotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t be back here for a long, long time,\u201d I whispered, both as a promise and a prayer.<\/p>\n

I would never be able to un-see what I saw at my impressive collection of hospital stays, CT scans, and medical appointments over the past year. But what I saw at the cardiovascular institute for my recent kidney ultrasound offered the greatest motivation to care for this precious body God gave me.<\/p>\n

A long, healthy life doesn't happen \u201cby accident,\u201d and I knew some of my poor habits would catch up with me eventually. Although I am a daily exerciser and healthy eater, I still had two problem areas that could greatly harm my health. I still hadn\u2019t kicked my on-going Coke Zero addiction and often sacrificed sleep to get work completed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s time,\u201d I said out loud, knowing the new year was an ideal time to ditch old habits and begin new ones.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cBut \u2026 but \u2026 but \u2026” my inner Taskmaster quickly piped up making a clear argument for keeping Coke Zero and late nights in the picture. And it was a good one: I had an entire book to write.<\/p>\n

The manuscript for my third book is due to my publisher on March 1st. Due to the resurgence of health issues in November and December, I was not able to begin writing the manuscript as planned. This left me with the challenge of writing 70,000 words in eight weeks. Even for the most proficient writer, that is quite an undertaking.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019ll take a lot of Coke Zero and many late nights<\/em>,\u201d my inner Taskmaster said smugly.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no, no, no, no,\u201d<\/em> my Self-Care Advocate piped up. She was new. I hadn\u2019t really needed her until my on-going pain could no longer be ignored. She asserted herself to puzzled medical specialists who suggested I might have to \u201clive with it\u201d. I also heard her voice when I needed stern reminders to take care of myself so I can be here to nurture and guide my daughters as they grow.<\/p>\n

\"hospital<\/a><\/p>\n

Because it was not yet January 1st when I had this little talk with myself, I promised to think about it. Although it seems like a no brainer, sometimes productivity and perfection overpower self-care and common sense in my Type A brain. But this time, I promised myself I would consider giving up soda and late nights despite the writing challenge ahead.<\/p>\n

On January 1st, I did what I always do before I begin writing a book. I created a Writing Calendar<\/em>. Although writing is my passion, the thought of \u201cwriting a book\u201d causes stress, doubt, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm. Drafting\u00a0a 70,000-word manuscript\u00a0requires great discipline, focus, and stamina. And because I know from past experience how hard this process is for me, it makes getting started very difficult. So on January 1st, I did what I did for Hands Free Mama<\/a><\/em> and Hands Free Life<\/a><\/em> \u2013 I broke down the parts of my book into small, achievable chunks and wrote one chunk inside each box of my blank calendar. Eventually, those small chunks would add up to a completed goal\u2014a finished book on March 1!<\/p>\n

\"Banjo<\/a>

Banjo & Writing Calendar for\u00a0HANDS FREE MAMA<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Writing<\/a>

Writing Calendar & book notes for HANDS FREE LIFE<\/p><\/div>\n

The task for January 1st on my new Writing Calendar<\/em> immediately stared at me. It said: \u201cBook intro\u201d. Of course, the book intro is the hardest part for me. I took a deep breath. \u201cTime to start writing,\u201d I said to myself.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd crack open an ice, cold can of pure energy,\u201d added my inner Taskmaster.<\/p>\n

I ignored the temptation and instead reported to my family there would be no more\u00a0Coke Zeros for me except on special occasions. My daughters actually got up and\u00a0hugged me. Their relief and excitement was exactly the motivation I needed. I filled a pitcher with water and sliced lemons. I decided to keep track of my water consumption on a sticky note. The filled note at the end of the day would bring a feeling of triumph and fuel me forward.<\/p>\n

My head began to hurt from the lack of caffeine, but I knew it would only be temporary. I was looking forward to being less tired and having glowing skin, among countless other health benefits attributed to increased water consumption.<\/p>\n

Later that night, I came across an article entitled, \u201c50 Ways Happier, Healthier, and More Successful People Live on Their Own Terms<\/a>\u201d. The title intrigued me (or maybe it was the photo of Bradley Cooper) so I began to read it. The first recommendation on the list was was \u201cstop consuming caffeine\u201d. It said:<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough people think they perform better on caffeine, the truth is, they really don\u2019t \u2026With healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise, your body will naturally produce far more and better energy than caffeine could ever provide. Give it up and see what happens. You will probably get withdrawal headaches. But after a few days, you\u2019ll feel amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

I actually looked over my shoulder. Someone was definitely trying to tell me something.<\/p>\n

I kept reading. Soon, I got to #14: \u201cGet 7+ hours a sleep a night.\u201d The article<\/a> linked healthy amounts of sleep to:<\/p>\n