January Challenges Update

Hey 2015 crusaders!!!!

Can you believe it’s already halfway through January!? I feel like we just kicked things off yesterday, but at the same time, when people ask me “how’s the new year so far?” I feel like Jan 1 was so long ago. Why is time so hard to pin down? Time is a weird thing. Don’t let me go down that rabbit hole, though. Speaking of rabbit holes, have you guys seen the Alice in Wonderland movie with Johnny Depp? I love Alice in Wonderland so much. I think it has a lot to teach us about our own reality. There’s a scene in that movie that makes my stomach flip around. It’s the scene where Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter) realizes he might not be real, he might just be a figment of Alice’s imagination.

Oh my god I just got teary-eyed watching it. Especially the part when she says, “I’ll miss you when I wake up.”

I love this because it shows how powerful our imaginations and minds actually are, and how much we can influence what happens in our lives. Limitations, possibilities, it can all change – poof – with a change of thinking, a change of a belief system. We can change the way we experience the entire world.

Kinda nuts, right?

Now I’m getting overwhelmed so I’ll continue with the topic of the blog, which is an update on my January Challenges!!!!!!!

As you know by now, on the quest to live a better story and become the person of my own dreams, I’ve embarked on 2 challenges for the month.

1) Hydration Challenge (drink 3 liters of water per day for 30 days)

2) Blogging Every Day Challenge (publish a blog every day for 30 days)

Here’s how it’s going after 15 days.

Hydration Challenge

It hasn’t actually been that hard for me to drink 3 liters per day. I’ve been keeping my water bottle on hand at all times, and MOST days it’s been pretty easy to hit that number. There have been a few days where I forgot, or drank much less and had to make up for it later in the day. The 2 areas I’ve noticed the most change:

• Energy — the days where I’m drinking water throughout the day, my energy is so much higher. The days when I forgot to drink water throughout the first part of the day, I noticed myself dipping way more in energy and even needing naps (which I don’t usually take). One afternoon I was exhausted and almost reached for a coffee, but drank som ice cold water instead and felt incredibly energized. Overall, I think drinking more water has a significant effect on my energy levels. 

• Hunger — drinking this much water in a day makes it (almost) impossible to snack throughout the day and overeat. I said almost impossible. Of course I still reach for certain snacks out of habit, but hydration makes that picking-at-food thing way less likely. It also really helps if you’re the kind of person who eats when you’re tired, for energy. Water cures that immediately. The days when I didn’t drink as much water throughout the day? Not only was I more tired, I felt hungrier and snackier. Drink more water, eat less mindless food. That’s the way I’m experiencing it.

Otherwise I haven’t experienced too many insane changes, although someone at an event told me that my skin looked radiant. But who knows, sometimes people just say that to make conversation. :)

By the way, I’m donating $5 to Charity Water for any person who tells me they completed the water challenge (30 days, 2-3 liters per day) by the end of Feb. That means you still have time!

Blogging Challenge

This one has been more difficult for me, as it involves creatively expressing myself in some way every single day. If my energy is down or I’m not in the best mood or I feel sick or I’m just busy doing other things, it feels like a big amount of effort for me. But it’s a muscle I’m committed to working, and the more I sit down at the computer, the more SOME type of SOMETHING ends up coming out of me and onto the page. Sometimes it’s something that feels incredibly powerful, sometimes it’s a few lines from the book I’m currently reading.

The best part, though? It’s getting me back to WHY I started blogging. My first blog ever was an insane hodgepodge of my thoughts, but I loved the expression of it all. It felt so good and freeing to share whatever was on my mind. And I’m getting back to that. It feels more real. I really like it a lot. The creative process DOES need to be “set up” sometimes. I’ve always had this idea that I “need to be inspired” in order to sit down and write. Most successful writers will tell you the opposite – you have to set yourself up for it. Sit down, open the computer, begin typing. Not wait for the wind to be just right before you begin.

So it’s all a good thing. And you know what? I’m really grateful that you’re even reading this.

It’s only been 2 weeks of 2015 and I feel like I’m making an effort to live a better story – I’m doing my best, at least, when I can remember to. Not every moment, of course. But I feel alive this year, as I learn to look at myself as a character who is willing to overcome obstacles.

Some big changes are happening, and I’m kinda sorta feeling like an adult in 2015. Or maybe, I’m just facing some things that I didn’t think I could do. It’s not really right to call it “an adult thing to do” because plenty of adults are clueless and plenty of kids are responsible geniuses. Either way, I just actually got my own health insurance for the first time in years, and today I signed a lease on my own apartment – a situation where I actually had to apply and show them every single little piece of my finances. Everything. And they approved it. I’ve never had my own place before, and in New York City it’s not an easy feat to get approved for an apartment (am I right, New Yorkers!?) You may not think these are big things, but for a self-employed blogger, it was a moment I’ll likely remember for the rest of my life. It was in that moment I knew my hard work over the past few years (read: how I got started blogging as a business) had paid off, and that I was living a story I could be proud of. And I’ll have my own little bright, cozy nook to write in, and cook in, and drink tea in. Typing away on my little laptop, looking out the window, Brooklyn Carrie Bradshaw style. I can’t believe it.

Sometimes my dreams come true in a way that makes me feel sort of scared. Do you ever feel that way? Like, can I actually contain this much happiness in this physical body? How long do I get to hold onto this feeling? I think this is one reason why people like to numb out with drugs and alcohol – feelings are sharp, good or bad, and impermanence is a real thing. But I’m gonna feel it all, if I can help it.

Wow. Lots of detours in this blog, but hopefully you don’t mind too much. Maybe it’s entertaining, at least.

I really want to hear from you. What challenges (if any) did you decide to set for yourself in January? Are you hydrating with me? Are you getting out of your comfort zone in some way? Have you experienced any big changes? Are you happy in 2015 so far? If not, what can you change, today, in order to make your life feel great?

Love you. Thank you for being here. :)

Mi corazon.
Jenny