Preparing for 2013 part 1

 

I’ve decided to go back to creating habits for myself. Knowing that habits will make or break me, last night I wrote down the habits I want to create in my life. Turns out all of them have to do with health and fitness.

Is this a sign?

Oh, wait. There was one habit I did write down that had nothing to do with that category and that was writing! To write a minimum 2 crappy pages a day. Setting the bar low so I can feel good about myself. Stepping stones. Stepping stones.

I planned out my next 6 months of habits. Only one habit a month. Trying to do too many habits at once will make me end up with zero habits in the end. Again, another learning by failing.

I was thinking what habits do I want to have when I’m back home to the states in March. Biking in Amsterdam is already a healthy habit I picked up rather quickly when I moved here so how could I translate that when I head home? From my inspiration on the Nature Quest, I decided that I could take a walk every day no matter where I end up living. Some places back home are more dangerous than others but there’s usually always a side of the road to walk on.

So my first habit I will cultivate is walking for a 1/2 hour everyday. This I will do every day in December and we’ll see what happens from there. The intention is for me to keep this habit going through all the other months so that I continually bring on habits into my every day life. Again, we’ll see how this turns out. Practice, practice, practice.

As for the rest of the months, here they are. These could change and I may even start to do some of them every once in a while to get in the groove but once their month comes around I’m committed.

January: 20 push ups a day

February: Write a minimum 2 crappy pages a day

March: Meditate for 5 mins morning and night

April: 1 hour of me time a day (not sure how this one will go because it’s so vague)

May: Run 1 mile everyday

June: Turn off the internet at 9pm every night

These could all very well change but it’s always good to start with a plan and then change course along the way.

Paleo It Is

I’ve been doing CrossFit since the beginning of March here in the Netherlands. I was doing it sporadically since August of last year back in Annapolis but always had other classes to check out and my obsession with bikram yoga was in full swing back then. However, I always knew it was the workout for me since my basketball days were over.

When I first started CrossFit and was doing the introduction classes, the folks over at CrossFit Annapolis told us about the paleo diet and how it can really help with your CrossFit training. They called it the Whole9 and suggested we try it out for 30 days. I looked through the packet they gave us and on the second page it showed what the diet consisted of: meat, fish, eggs, fruit, veggies, and nuts. No dairy, no beans, no grains, no sugar, no alcohol. Nothing processed.

Everything looked good except for the fact that you couldn’t eat beans and I you had to eat meat and fish in order to benefit from the diet. I thought about trying it out without eating animals but realized that was a ridiculous idea and nixed that right away. It would be quite silly for me to go for it because I’d be nutritionally deficient and wouldn’t have the energy that apparently the diet gives you.

Fast forward 8 months later and I’m now completely obsessed with CrossFit. I go at least 4x a week and love the community that is being created at  Mobilis CrossFit. It definitively gives me a balance with my life at Knowmads.

If you hang around crossfitters long enough, you start to get curious about this paleo thing. Everyone who’s on it can’t stop talking more highly of it. They all say it has helped them so much with their training and they’ve never had more energy in their life.

The thing is I’m a vegetarian.

Can I go back to eating meat and fish?

As I’m contemplating this paleo diet, this vegan thing is in my face too. I’m hearing people going on a 30 day vegan challenge, other’s are turning vegetarian, I end up watching a 70 min lecture on youtube about veganism which reminds me why I want to be vegan in the first place, and then I find this 72 yr old woman who looks like she’s in her 50s and she claims it’s the diet. Oh the internal struggle!

After really contemplating it for a week, I have decided to go completely paleo for 8 weeks starting the first day of summer, June 21st. It’s extremely weird to think about eating meat again. As I think about it right now I wonder if I can do it. I may just eat lots of eggs for the first week or so. Maybe  have a piece of bacon or sausage to ease into it.

Mmmm bacon.

Not really sure if I can withstand eating fish. Currently the smell of fish makes me want to vomit and there’s lots of that around here because of the herring or whatever the heck I see people eating on little rectangle plates with tiny pitch fork utensils (you also smell a lot of weed depending on how the wind is blowing).

My goal is to test how my body reacts to this new diet. Will I have loads of energy? Will my body feel it when I have pasta, sugar, or dairy? The goal for the first 8 weeks is to go as strict as possible. So no dairy and no sugar. The alcohol thing will be my 10%. I also won’t beat myself up if I end up having some of this or some of that. It’s the “summer” and I’m on a European adventure so of course living life to the fullest is key.

Compassion for my body and the animals is the focus for the next 8 weeks starting Thursday. I will be conscious of the animals I eat but I think I will end up eating mostly fruits and vegetables anyways. Time will only tell. We’ll see how my body reacts.

3 Questions

During our inspiration session last week, the guy who was leading the session, Martijn, asked Tribe 4 & 5 three questions to help us create our own inspiring story.

First question was What drives you?

What do you do that gives you energy while doing it.  What do you do that makes you be in the moment and in a state of flow?

Everyone in the room had to write down what drove them. Then we shared them with everyone. Tom said something really that hit me before we all started to share. He said there’s no reason to be ashamed of the things that drive you so there’s no reason to be afraid to share. I think his line goes with basically every situation when you feel vulnerable. There is no reason to be ashamed of who you are and sharing what’s important to you. Shame is what holds us back from getting what we want and need in life. I could go on but that’s not my topic today.

Ok here are my drivers in my life currently…

• Inspiring people
• People who go after their dreams
• People who choose to be themselves and not let society stop/deny them from being themselves
• Possibility
• Wanting to live a remarkable life
• Fear of being mediocre
• Helping others achieve their dreams/goals/live a remarkable life
• Change
• Adventure
• Laughter-connection with others
• Challenges
• Creating something from nothing and reaching the goal
• Learning/curiosity
• Seeing what my limitations are mentally and physically
• Feeling of bliss

I read these now and I feel good about them. I wrote on my paper for this questions, “I feel like I’m missing an important one.” I did add more once I heard what drove others (the power of sharing). After I read mine, Martijn thought for a moment and said, “Sounds like you want to be a coach.” AHHHHH interesting observation and I do but I don’t. Again, another blog post.

2nd question was Who do I want to be?

Warning, this is a long list because my brain is not good at regurgitating adjectives (and feelings and needs for that matter) so I searched on my iPhone a list of 1100 adjectives. Here are the ones that I want to be.

• loving
• vulnerable
• open
• courageous
• independent
• grateful
• clever/witty
• helpful
• peaceful/calm
• tender
• powerful
• funny
• kind
• gentle
• charming
• classy*
• spontaneous
• focused
• creative
• successful
• confident
• positive
• responsible
• serene
• inspiring
• honest
• abundant
• acceptable
• adaptable
• adventurous
• fearless
• healthy
• fit
• strong
• encouraging
• enthusiastic/energetic
• outgoing
• knowledgeable
• initiating
• giving
• happy
• action taker/doer
• free
• accountable
• emotional/expressive
• compassionate
• affectionate

There are probably more because I only got to the letter K in the list but it feels good to have a starting list. The 1 adjective that seems the hardest for me is vulnerability so I’m making more of an effort to be vulnerable. I watched the TED talk about vulnerability again on yesterday and I grabbed a great quote from it.

What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful.

This is what people who embrace vulnerability believe according to the research done by the speaker. Maybe this will be the first tattoo I get (haha kidding mom).

Martijn’s suggestion was to put this list by your toilet so every time you go to the bathroom you are reminded of who you want to be and are. I am going to tape them up after I get done with this post.

*The whole room laughed when I said classy which was funny (2 points for being something that I want to be) but also it makes me wonder what vibe I’m giving out to the world. It may have to do with the fact that I wear yoga sports wear every day. Or that I can be a goofball. Can’t you be it all? Can’t I be a living paradox. Maybe it’s the Gemini in me.

The 3rd question was Where do I want to go?

This is the toughest question for me to answer right now but it helped to be forced to think about it.

I want to…

• Be in a place where I can go and do anything. Where money isn’t a problem.
• Be in a loving relationship
• Inspire others to live a remarkable and courageous life
• Create a company that moves people and has a social impact
• Travel to countries and create adventures
• Move a group of people into greatness
• Be living freely (I think what I meant was having the freedom to do what I want but who knows)
• Push my body to the limits mentally and physically
• Be surrounded by a loving community

So there you have it. 3 questions to ask yourself to create your own inspiring story.

Was I inspired after this? In terms of writing about it yes. I thought these were 3 great questions. I also found myself getting lots of energy from it so yes I was inspired. Listening to other people’s dreams get’s me excited, energized, and inspired to think bigger in terms of what I want out of my life. I actually found myself participating in Power Hour (where we clean all of Knowmads) right off the bat and cleaning way more than I usually do. Had to do something with all that energy!

The most important thing I got out of this day was Martijn’s definition of success.

Success = being able to create the world around you that you want

Maybe I’ll create one of those motivational posters that you see all over Pinterest with this quote. Just a thought.

This is not the motivational poster

What’s Stopping You?

This is the background on my computer. I seriously think it’s one of the most motivating posters I’ve ever seen. When I look at it I think of all the excuses I’m telling myself about the things I want to do in my life. Seeing this quote knocks them down (and out the window when accompanied by some pumped up music) and I put on my courageous hat to do what is needed.

What motivates you? What get’s you inspired to go after what you want in life?

Enough with the excuses. Just go after them.

*I’m sticking to my 30 day challenge of posting everyday. Would love to write more about this subject but it’s already 1am here in the Netherlands and I have another fantastic full day ahead of me which includes a WTF Prom put on by some super cool dudes of the Knowmadic Learning Lab.

Higgenberries out.

Making Exercise Work

I read a lot of books on successful entrepreneurs and what it takes to be successful (whatever you may define as successful). One of the common threads throughout most of the books is the importance of working out and getting in your exercise for the day. Think about it. How many overweight successful people do you know? Definitely not as many in shape people I’m assuming.

There are many reasons why exercise is so important for those who are successful and are striving towards the road of success and here are just a few…

1. Exercise helps tremendously with keeping stress levels at bay.

2. Exercise gives you energy which entrepreneurs and busy people need because there’s always lots to do in a day.

3. Exercise strengthens the immune system, keeps you healthy, and away from that sick sneezing coughing fun

4. Exercise creates ideas. Have you ever been out running or walking and end up with coming up with an amazing business idea or a solution to a problem? Could be because of being surrounded by nature but I have gotten some of my best ideas from taking a walk. And biking counts especially since we bike everywhere around Amsterdam.

5. Exercise clears the mind. If you’re playing a sport or have to move using any eye-hand-foot coordination you’ve got to be present. Being present gives you the space to not worry about what else is going on in your life. It’s focusing on the now and all of your surroundings. Exercise keeps you focused on what you are doing at that exact time and space. It feels wonderful to not have think about your responsibilities for 1-2hrs.

6. Exercise just makes you feel good about yourself.

In my vision of my life in 10 years, I have written down that I get up early everyday (though there isn’t an exact time), meditate and intend for 1/2 hr and then workout doing either yoga or some other fun activity I’m involved with at the moment like CrossFit before I get my day started. I know that to be the type of successful person I want to be in 10 years I have to workout and act like a successful person.

So here I am back in the present and committing myself to workout for at least a half hour every day. My fitness goal for February is to workout 29 times and my health goal is giving up sugar for 29 days.  Keeping the goals easy to track is the trick to achieving goals as well as telling everyone around you so that you’re held accountable. I’m starting up Knowmads next Monday so I know I will be a lot busier since I’ve gotten to Amsterdam Jan 11th. Making sure I make the time to workout is going to be a nececesity and one that has to turn into a habit.

Since living here in Amsterdam, I’ve slacked off with my exercise habits (i.e. attending bikram yoga every day). I did go running 3 times in a row once I got some stability with my living situation thinking I had created a habit for myself but when that 4th day came around and it was raining and the 5th and 6th day just the same, there was no way I wanted to go outside for my run. I thought I’d be able to get myself accustomed to running in the cold because that’s exercise you can do anywhere but I’ve realized the costs of going out in the freezing windy city of Amsterdam are too much for me. After the running stint I found a bikram yoga studio and ended up going twice with the deal they had for new students. On top of the yoga, I also went to 2 basketball practices. Although I enjoyed every minute of the exercise, it was the time in between I wasn’t enjoying like the soreness, the fatigue, and the constant desire to take a nap.

What I’ve found is that it is not going to be possible for me to do 2 hours plus of working out a day all while being a student at Knowmads plus working at my ‘au pair’ job. Hitting the 2 hour intense workout milestone then wanting to get lots of things done and go to fun places makes for a pretty exhausting Knowmadic Kristin. The long workout actually has an inverse effect on my body and all I end up wanting to do is take naps. I realize I don’t want to workout for 2 hours here in A’dam because it’s not the true focus of why I’m here. I know that working out is extremely important which is why a mentality of “get in and get out” at the gym/apt is perfect for me this Knowmadic year. No fooling around, lolly gagging or slow jogging around A’dam. A quick intense workout on most days and relaxing recuperating yoga on the other days I think will do just the trick for a balanced lifestyle.

I’ve always been a person who will work my butt off at a gym and will go to 2-4 different classes just because they sound fun. But looking back on those times, I was usually unproductive the rest of the day because my body was so exhausted. Changing my mindset to small intense workouts (30 mins max) plus yoga sprinkled heavily in between is the best bet for me. Do I smell some CrossFit Amsterdam in my future?

Here’s to balancing work and fitness!

Are you getting your daily exercise? If not, set some goals, get an exercise buddy and start moving!

72 Euros

 

Me in 14 days…not a hand model yet but now that I think about it, a good way to make 72 euros a day

72 euros in 14 days = 1000 euros by Feb 6th

That is what my fellow Tribe 5 member, Anastasia, and I came up with today. We both need that much to put a down payment on our tuition fee. Breaking down the big goal makes it seem very doable (it works for any goal just try it).

72 euros a day! That’s it.

Now comes the time to put on the ol’ entrepreneurial hat and create ways to earn 72 euros day. We spent 2 hours today brainstorming ideas. Talking about what we like to do, what we are good at, useful skills, birthday parties, cash flow game nights, meditations for manifesting, all sorts of things. We didn’t come up with any solid solutions thus far but we created a lot of great places to start.

Being surrounded by people who want to create cool things and who have similar intentions is why I’m so excited to start this journey with the Knowmads Business School. Anastasia and I both want to create sustainable social businesses that provide us with a passive income because what it really comes down to is the desire for freedom. The freedom to do whatever we want so that we can help people live lives full of passion and happiness. A fun possibility just as possible as 72 euros a day.

As I write this post I’ve come up with a brilliant idea. Taking our love of food and cooking and combining it with our passion of helping people achieve their dreams, I have manifested this brilliant idea and now have a fun challenging mission to accomplish <Look! I’m already manifesting and I haven’t even started my manifesting meditations tonight!>

The mission: Cooking dinner (and dessert of course) for 15 people each night at Knowmads and give a goal coaching session and possibility lecture. Attendees pay as much as they see fit. Perfect world would be 10 euros/person. The fun challenge is to get food from restaurants, food market, and farms around Amsterdam through donation (and we’ll give a coupon for a free goal coaching session in return). That’s finding 15 people each night who want to eat, set goals, and live in possibility!

Dig the idea? Want to help Anastasia and I reach our goal of attending the Knowmads Business School? Spread the word. Share it. We have 210 dinner seats available. Now through February 6th.

If you don’t live in Amsterdam and you want to help us achieve our mission, I have started a social student loan where you can loan whatever you feel like loaning. If you mention this blog post in your ‘donation’ through the site I will give you a free goal coaching session via skype. Goals change peoples lives so it’s a pretty sweet deal

Go here to ‘donate’: http://www.greennote.com/student.aspx?id=475

Now off to do my manifesting meditation on gratitude!