To Get Out You Have To Go Through

Can I be not only honest, but also transparent here and say, I’m in a 9-month “fuNk”?  Have you been there?  My guess is yes, because that’s life.  There are MoUnTaiNtOpS and vAlleYs and everything in BetweeN.   

At first you try to do everything you know to do.  Maybe there is just a slight adjustment you need to make.  For example, if you are hitting the wall in your career maybe you attend a motivational conference, get additional tRaiNing or search for a new job.  If you’re struggling in a relationship, maybe you work on being a better listener.  But, then there are those times where you have tried everything you know and still, no PrOgReSs.

In these times God feels like He is a zillion miles away, your prayers seem to make it no further than the ceiling and nothing seems to work regardless of how hard you try.  These are the “dark nights of the soul”.  And if we are honest, they hurt.  You would cry, if you could, but you can’t even seem to do that. 

My confidence and fAiTh in this whole process is that “This too shall PaSs.”  I’ve been down this road before and because I have the experience under my belt I know this isn’t “fOrEver.”  I also know that the only way out is to go through.  Because of this confidence, I know I will OveRcOmE.  It’s like that first heartbreak.  You think you will never survive.  But next time around, although you may be heartbroken, you now know that you will be OK.

The apostle Paul fully understood the need to PeRsEvEre and eNdUrE.  In Philippians 3:14 (NIV), he said, “I press on toward the gOaL to win the PriZe for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”  The word “press” here, implies that a force is resisting his forward movement.  What’s resisting your forward movement?  Lack, sorrow or grief, defeat, discouragement, depression, addiction, bad habits, afflictions, trouble?     

If you are experiencing the “dark nights of the soul”, take heart.  The valley won’t last forever.  There are mountaintops ahead, but until then. . .

Press on Baby, Press on!! 

~Robynn

Goodbye Joneses! Hello Freedom!

So here’s the truth: I have never considered myself to be a very good writer.  When I first started blogging (1 month ago!) it was easy to give up b/c of the following thoughts:  What if people think my posts are horrible?  What if someone thinks I’m not very SmArT?  What if people look at my pictures and think I’ve gained weight since they saw me last? Writing is a bit out of my CoMFOrT zone, BUT I’m never going to be a good writer unless I work at it and have someone critique me.  Society influences makes us think we need to be perfect.  The thing is, look how many of these thoughts keep us from doing what we really want to do?

Yesterday I wrote about living on a budget.  For a moment you may have considered taking a deeper look at your own finances.  Then, after a few minutes, you talked yourself out of it b/c your thoughts sounded something like this: “What if I traded in my new car for something older and used that money to pay off my credit cards?  Forget it…I can’t bear to look silly driving a car that is more than 5 years old!”  We’ve talked a lot about ‘what would you do if you knew you could not fail?’  So many of the reasons why we never attempt to answer that question is because we are so worried about what everyone else thinks. The thing is, what does it really matter what others think?  Can you really call the people who don’t support you “F R I E N D S“?  Why surround yourself with people that aren’t going to encourage and support you in doing what is best for YOU?  This is YOUR LIFE. You have the power to choose how you want to live it.  Don’t give in to society.  Follow what is in your heart.

So whatever life change you want to make (drastic or not), remind yourself of WHY you are doing it.  Don’t live in misery b/c of what you think everyone else thinks! Don’t limit yourself on the things you want to accomplish b/c the Joneses are standing on your doorstep. I’ve been there too.  It’s okay.  It’s normal.  Acknowledge  this challenge and ChAnGe your way of thinking to take control of your life.  Focus on what is going to bring peace and happiness in YOUR life regardless of what the Joneses think.  Get excited about feeling F R E E and the rest will come.  Trust me. :)

~L

*By the way, this is a  picture of me and my daughter taken by my husband this evening  :)

F R E E D O M is F U N!

Life on a Budget

Let me tell ya, the word “budget” was not in our vocabulary when Doug and I got married 5 years ago. Like many newly married couples we graduated from college, moved to a new city, got good jobs and spent money on the weekends rewarding ourselves for all of our HaRd WorK.  BUT about 3 months after living like that we couldn’t seem to figure out why our checking account wasn’t increasing?!  We knew our paychecks were coming in every 2 weeks, but where were they going?  The only way to find out was to write down everything we spent for the entire next month.  Which we did…and oh was that a wake-up call!

After seeing that in 1 MONTH we spent over $275 eating out and over $400 in gas (not to mention the large amount we spent on household items, clothes, entertainment, etc) we knew something had to change.  We didn’t want to live paycheck to paycheck and knew it was time to come up with a plan.

From that point forward we were committed to tracking every dollar we spent. To eliminate the chance of failing we did the following:

1)Create a monthly budget in an Excel spreadsheet (For example, click: Sample Finance Spreadsheet)

2) Hang the new spreadsheet on the FRIDGE w/ a mini-accordion file.  Label each section of the accordion file w/ a different category.

3) Every evening write the total amount spent for the day (in their categories) and then put the receipt in the appropriate section of the mini-accordion file.  If we didn’t have time to write on the sheet, attach the receipts on the cork-board.  Only put the receipts in the accordion file AFTER they are written on the sheet.

4) In the middle or end of each month transfer the numbers from the sheet to the excel file on your computer.  This will give you automatic calculations of how much you spent in each category—if your goals were met—how much you saved, etc.

5) At the end of each month transfer all of the receipts and the written spreadsheet into a large accordion file that has a section for each month.  This accordion file will contain all of the receipts and expenses info for the year and come in handy during tax season :)

Happy Budgeting!

~L

“Fueling Up” – The Challenge (Wk. 1)

If you began the challenge with us on April 1st, you already have a few days under your belt. CONGRATULATIONS!!

When taking a road trip you have to fuel up every so often.  During THE CHALLENGE, we will be “fueling up” on Mondays.  This day seems the most logical since it allows for a fresh start at the beginning of each week. Our purpose for “fueling up” will be to motivate, challenge, InSPirE, and encourage you. Feel free to share your “fueling up” tips by commenting on the bottom of this post!

Today’s Fueling Tip:

H.A.P. (Have A Plan) – Whatever your G O A L or dream, make sure you have a plan for TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THIS WEEK! Many times it’s easy to set the dream/goal, but not really have a plan to get there. Sure, you may want to get out of debt, get organized or lose some weight, but how in the world are you going to do that? Your plan needs to include the following:

· A breakdown of steps required to achieve your dream/goal (If your goal is getting out of debt, your steps may be: 1.) Get on a budget, 2.) Cut up credit cards, 3.) Read a Dave Ramsey book, 4.) Get a second job, 5.) Have a garage sale, etc.) – maybe you don’t know exactly everything that will be entailed, but try to come up with as many steps you can think of. You can adjust these steps as you go.

· A timetable for how long each step will take – Include specific dates for each step.

· What resources do you need to reach your goal – A SuPpOrT system – maybe this is a support group, an accountability partner, encouraging and inspiring books to read, time, advice from someone who has done what you are wanting to do, a class to learn a particular skill, workout clothes, a running partner, etc.

· Obstacles you will likely face along the way – Discouragement; temptation to spend money you know you shouldn’t; family gatherings where food is in abundance; no immediate results; slower progress than expected; unsupportive spouse, friends, family; etc.

· A “Plan B” – Your plan for adjusting and adapting to situations that don’t go as you had hoped (By the way, it’s almost a given that things won’t go as planned, so if you know this ahead of time you won’t be thrown off when it does. You can just adjust and move on!)

Did you see the theme “A*D*J*U*S*T” over and over? Yes, you are going to have to adjust. Research shows that those people who can adjust to adversity have a much better percentage at succeeding compared to those who can’t adjust. So, don’t get discouraged if things don’t go exactly as you would like. Just MOVE ON BABY, MOVE ON!

~Robynn

Lara’s 6-Month Challenge….Become a trainer

As you know, Robynn and I are starting our 6-month challenges this week.  At first I wasn’t sure what I wanted to focus on.  I went through the normal list—be a better mom, save more money, exercise more often, etc.  It is easy to think of all the surface level stuff when wanting to ACCOMPLISH something (especially each new year!) but this time I’ve decided to dig a little deeper.

I have always been a worrier.  For as long as I can remember the devil has tried to make me anxious about something.  In this world that we live in, it is E A S Y to lose sleep over what people think,  losing our jobs, or getting diagnosed with cancer.  It becomes a vicious cycle and oh, so exhausting!

Over the years I have learned different ways to keep the devil on a diet.  He is constantly hungry for more chocolate as I am throwing him Slim-Fast bars as fast as I can.   Which brings me to my 6 MoNtH ChALLeNgE: continue to find the best way to keep my worried thoughts at bay. I realize that will be a lifetime struggle for me, but if I can find the tools to know how to control my thoughts, I can live my life with more JoY and keep the devil in the training room :)

~L

Robynn’s 6-Month Challenge….Peace With Food

Ok, so Lara and I talk about GeTtiNg ReAl and being TrAnSpArEnT.  Here goes. . .

Today, the S.u.e.d.e.S.o.f.a.  is beginning “The ChAlLeNgE”, a SiX-MoNtH jOuRnEy towards a goal or DrEaM.  I have a challenge of my own that I am going to be sharing with you during these next six months and here it is:  walking in PeAcE with food.  For years I have struggled with overeating resulting in the vicious cycle of gain weight, diet, lose weight, gain weight.  I have made a lot of progress, but still, I am not where I desire to be in this area of SeLf-CoNtRoL.

Although I have made great strides in this area, I desire not only to deal with this issue once and for all, but also to help others struggling in this area.  In the past, my focus has been a number on the scale, which really was just the symptom of an underlying problem.  However, this time around, I am focusing on the real issue – my ChArAcTeR and developing self-control.

My biggest challenge, when it comes to eating is consuming too much food early in the day.  I then either have to go through the rest of the day not able to eat, feeling deprived as I watch my family eat, OR I feel hopeless and just give in thinking, “What’s the point?”

My next biggest challenge is thinking that if I go over a little, I may as well blow it and go all out.  These are the two bad habits I will be focusing on replacing with the positive habits of using self-control and moderation.

So, how about you?  Do you have any goals or dreams you want to PuRsUe?  Any NeW hAbiTS you want to form?  If so, then come along with us.  The journey is a whole lot more EnJoYaBLe when taking it with a friend!!

~Robynn

Where are my skinny jeans?!

If you lived in my house you would know around the middle of every month I run around the house looking for my skinny jeans.  No matter how hard I look, they don’t seem to come up! I’ve come to the realization that even if I’m eating right or love my new hairdo, there will still be times I won’t feel like  a million bucks when I slip (okay squeeze) into my blue jeans.  That’s just the way it is sometimes.  I’m to the point now where I allow myself a FREE  PASS.  I know my jeans always turn up after a few days, so there is no need to be so hard on myself!  Of course if I’m feeling this way for weeks, months and then years…well, we all know that means I’m in a funk and you’ll need to help pull me out of that one ;)  BUT if this is just one of those days, I remind myself that A L L women lose their skinny jeans now and then and that I’m doing a-okay!

Oh the JoYs of being NoRmAL,

~L

Packing List

I don’t know about you, but one of my least favorite things about taking a trip is packing. It takes me a lot of time and preparation and I just don’t like it.    However, I know if I want to have the most enjoyable trip/vacation possible I need to be prepared.   The journey on your way to your dreams is no different.  It requires a packing list that looks something like this:

  • “S.M.A.R.T.” dream:

S– Specific (You have to know exactly what it is you are going after)

M– Measureable (You must be able to measure your dream by asking, “Did I achieve my dream?” and then be able to answer with a simple “Yes” or “NO”)

A– Achievable

R– Relevant (It is something that you really want)

T– Time Specific (When are you going to reach your goal – give a specific date.)

  • SUPPORT SYSTEM this includes resources such as books, motivational materials, friends, family and someone that you can be accountable to
  • TRACKING SYSTEM to track your progress using a journal or calendar
  • BELIEF that you can and will do it
  • RELENTLESS PURSUIT to see your dream come to pass – Determination and grit that refuses to quit

~Robynn