2012 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge

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I have decided to seek another challenge or two to help me meet some of my 12in12 commitments, one being: the 2012 To Be Read (TBR) Challenge (as I heard about via a friend’s book review blog).

Some of these books have been on one of my shelves for more than ten years. The to-be-read pile became a to-be-read shelf, then 2 shelves, and now… well I don’t know yet. I’m not yet organized since our move. I did however receive 3 books for Christmas in addition to the half dozen I have accumulated since moving. But, shhhh, don’t tell you-know-who! 😉

My to-be-read books for 2012 follow:

The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison

Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follet

The Widow of the South – Robert Hicks

Animal Farm – George Orwell

Life of Pi – Yaan Martel

Cry, The Beloved Country (Oprah’s Book Club) – Alan Paton

The Known World: A Novel – Edward D. Jones

Midwives – Chris Bohjalian

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood

Here On Earth – Alice Hoffman

Unless – Carol Shields

Alt:

Charming Billy – Alice McDermott

Wuthering Heights – Emily Brontë

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

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12 in 12, Month 1 Day 4, OR “2×15 = 30”

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Sometimes you just do what it takes to make things happen. If your commitments are important enough to you, you realize that it is all about choices, taking control of you life in whatever small way necessary and making it work.

Yesterday I had two medical appointments and obligations to fill as Moms Taxi, in addition to new furniture arriving and belongings needing to be re-organized back up off of the floor. So the likelihood of my fitting in a 30 minute walk were slim. However, 15 + 15 = 30, so how about two short walks? I set the rules here, and this is what works for me. So I park 15+ minutes walk from one appointment and walk to and from the car to the office. Walking… done!

What do you do to fit in those important, but all to often pushed to the back-burner activities?

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12 in 12, Month 1, Day 3

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One thing I have learned over the years is that there is usually greater success in making change, for myself and/or for the greater good, when accountable.

Publishing my plans, commitments, goals and inspirations helps keep me on track, especially if I publish regular reports of my progress. It’s the times that I have nothing to report that leave me feeling awful for not sticking with my plan.

I also rely a lot on my Partner-in-crime to keep me honest. He asks me if I did what I committed to doing. He encourages me to fit it in even when I feel like I can’t. He cheers for me when I follow through.

Today I almost didn’t get my walk in. I had great plans and was really looking forward to it. Then things came up, and my pain escalated. Ian came home and sent me out the door before I did anything else. It was a lovely evening for a walk and I truly enjoyed my solitude for the 30 minutes. 🙂

What are you working on that could use a little boost? Have you made it public? Are you reporting to those who know about it? Have you found the strategy to be useful to you?

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

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12 in 12 – Month 1 – Day 2

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30 minute walk complete.

Weather was really awful, and I had no idea what time to expect my children to be dropped off by their dad, so I opted to use the treadmill to get my walk in anyway in the morning. After reading more from Steve Kamb about barefoot running on Nerd Fitness I decided to try barefoot walking. I could definitely feel a difference in my stride, etc. Otherwise, I came off unscathed. Perhaps I’ll try again sometime.

People ask when I have a regular fitness routine how I fit it all in. Having a treadmill certainly helps. I actually don’t mind walking on the treadmill … because I can read! Try doing that safely outdoors! (I’ll admit to listening to audiobooks when walking/running sometimes though). I’m reading a light read right now: “Knit the Season” by Kate Jacobs. It’s book three of a series I quite enjoy about a bunch of women with intertwined lives and friendships.

Somehow every escape story I have turned to since mom’s passing has had something in it about a mother (or other parent) dieing, and frequently of cancer. This is no exception, which I’d forgotten, however that actually happened in a previous book. Now people are getting on with things. Hopefully that’s me/us too.

So that helped to get the walk done, thanks to a little prodding from my hubby.

The rest of the day was spent finishing putting Christmas away, researching online, and shopping with my girlies.

Tomorrow? Who knows, but there will be a 30 min. walk in there somewhere!

How are your new year’s resolutions or 2012 commitments coming?

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

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Filed Under: 12in12, balance, Books, Cancer, General, Health & Fitness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

2012 – Day 1

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So here we are, a new day, a new week, a new month, a new year. I made a plan for this year. 12 in 12: 12 commitments, 12 months in 2012. I simply plan that I will commit to one thing every month for the year of 2012. This month I am committed to walking. EVERYday.

There are plenty of changes that I want to make. Not because it is a new year, but because I am on medical leave and need to become healthy again. After an extremely stressful 2011, I can only hope things will begin to improve. Now that the holiday hubbub is over, and all of the major events required after my mother’s death complete, things have GOT to settle down.

I wrote in September how much I was looking forward to October, that is was finally time for me. Two weeks later mom was diagnosed with an untreatable cancer and her health began to decline steadily and rapidly. Time for me, was once again put on the backburner. And time for my mom & dad became the top priority. I still have things I wish to do for my mom, and with my dad, but there are no real timeframes anymore.

So this year is my year. It’s time to figure out what the hell I want to do when I grow up, and it’s time to do it. It’s time to get this pain under control. It’s time to stop living for tomorrow. Rather, to do right now and live for today, for this moment.

So I have things I wish to change, lots of them. I know that to jump in head first will have unwanted results. I need to make small changes in increments and make them for life. So until I get this walking thing established, all other changes that require consistency and discipline will wait.

Today, I walked. Tomorrow, I will walk again. One foot in front of the other. Babysteps to better health and wellness.

From 2011December3WeddingEdits

How do you implement change, and what are your priorities for the foreseeable future?

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

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12in12 – a pleasant twist on resolutions

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12 in 12 – fantastic take on resolutions from Fitarella.com

12 commitments, 12 months in 2012.

These are mine:

January

Walk at least 30 mins. Everday

Pick one for the next month Before the month end!:

Write (journal and/or blog) at least 60 mins. Everyday

Read at least 60 mins. Everday

Make and share one photo Everday

Unplug by 9pm Everyday

Practice yoga Everday

Cycle Everday

Run Everyday

Practise Mindfulness Everday

Practise Meditation Everday

Call someone I care about Everyday

Go to Goodlife Everyday

Please share your 12in12 with me below or drop me a note!

Drop me a note in the comments below, or connect with me on Twitter @ceilidhontherun, email me at ceilidho at ceilidhontherun dot com, or use my contact form!

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