Day 1

Health + Fitness

Today, I have just realised how unfit and unhealthy I am. I went to the gym this morning with a friend and suffered so much. 10 minutes on the cross trainer left me panting as if I had ran a marathon. Having only succeeded with a very short cardio work out I though maybe a nice relaxing yoga class would do the trick...it was awful, I now feel old and inflexible as well as unfit. I mean I couldn't even touch my toes! Then when we went to do something balancing on one knee, it kind of hurt, I mean that little thin thing they call a yoga mat really isn't enough cushioning - is it? I looked around but everyone else seem to be getting on just fine...I will not let this put me off! I will do more exercise tomorrow! 

Food wise...well I've had a Marmite and cheese toastie, and chicken with pasta and homemade salted popcorn...not great but then I have done much worse before.

Oh I forgot to mention that I stood on one of those scales that tell you how much body fat you have when I was at the gym in the morning - big mistake! I'm more than a third percent fat - disgusting I know. I would tell you the exact number, but I can't find that piece of paper. I should probably staple it to the cheese!



List update:

• need to get more flexible - must touch toes!
• slim into 'average' body fat range - my health depends on it!

Books

I haven't done much reading yet, the little reading I have done has been "Still Alice" which I know isn't the book I said I would read next, but I really fancied a story! I'll put it down and pick up "The Happiness Project", it just seems too relevant to not read next.

Fashion +Beauty

Complete fail...I went to the gym this morning, so wore my gross, old trainers. I didn't wear make-up or do my hair. I haven't put on make up all day...I need to do better, even for the gym!

'Mini' Projects

I haven't even attempted...ah I'm blogging, so I guess this does count! go me! Few - I was honestly starting to think all of yesterdays intentions had already flown out of the window. Tomorrow I want to sew some cushions, I will let you know how it goes!

Films

I watched Mama Mia for the second time in a row, I watched it whilst blogging yesterday too! OK so that doesn't exactly count as I've already seen it far too many times, in my defense I haven't actually written the film list yet, so I couldn't have started on this one yet.

Today I've updated every categories which makes up the larger project, I wont be doing that for every post. Just the things I think are worth mentioning, or things I have actually done. Let's just see how this goes...I'm off for a night time stroll...need to walk of the popcorn.

Let the listing begin...

So like I said I find it impossible to narrow things down, there are always so many things I want to do simultaneously, so here goes nothing.

1. I want to loose 2 stone
2. Start an online business
3. Get fit
4. Eat healthily
5. Save money
6. Dress better
7. Improve my hair
8. Do my make up
9. Stop wearing trainers all the time
10. Improve my posture
11. Sew, make things from scratch
12. Blog
13. Stop eating out
14. Read a list of books I've been meaning to read
15. Watch a list of must see films

OK, so that's 15 items which I have literally just listed without organizing them what so ever. Some of them can probably be grouped together, others will probably emerge as I make them more specific.

Reading through them the over all categories should be:

A) Health + Fitness

B) Books

C) Fashion + Beauty

D) 'Mini' Projects

E) Films

These categories don't carry equal importance to me, but I still like to list everything, some things will have time lines, others...well lets just say I'm not as fussy.

Health + Fitness

• Loose 2 stone; I have gained an incredible amount of wait over the past couple of years, mainly through mindless eating, some times even knowingly over eating...I can't explain it, but I do want it to stop!
• Get fit - I want to feel physically well and on top of my game. I guess it ties in with the above.
• Eat healthily - I really eat for pleasure at the moment without a thought about what the food is doing or not doing to my body. I need to educate myself and eat nutritiously - again that should help with my number 1 aim!

Interim goal: loose 11 pounds by Christmas.

Books

I have just finished reading any possible book that Sophie Kinsella (or Madeleine Wickham) has ever written and I have loved them. I also read a lot of self-help style books on various topics from weight loss, to business to financial investment. I tend to buy these books in frenzies and some times don't get round to reading them all. There are also books that I get recommended by family and friends that I really want to read - I am officially committing to these books for this project and will read them in the following order:

• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, recommended to my by a friend, seems kind of crazy that I haven't read it before writing this...what did I tell you about me wanting to do everything at once? Even I know it doesn't make sense...so this will be my next book that I will read!
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova, another recommendation, a novel, don't really know much about it other than it's one I have to read.
• What French Women Know by Debra Ollivier, again, this was recommended to me, I am really intrigued by this one and cant wait to get to it!
• The Tools by Phil Stutz & Barry Michels, I bought this after an Amazon frenzy, it was a bestseller and just seemed to call my name, I started reading it, then never finished...I'm easily side tracked!

There will probably be more to add, but these four are on the to-do list!

Fashion + Beauty

I used to make an effort with my appearance, but have got to the stage where I just don't care. Personally, I blame the weight gain, which has just made me want to give up - anyway the whole point of this is to improve!

• I am going to wear trainers less (I still want to walk to work in trainers or boots now that it's getting cold!) and wear nicer shoes.
• Wear make up and take it off in the evening (may be obvious to some, I find it a faff!)
• Dress better - honestly my clothes are atrocious, but (I know, there is always a 'but'!) I don't want to invest in new clothes before loosing some weight, so the interim goal will have to be to make the best of what I have and mix it up, rather than sticking to  my favourite few pieces.
• Hair - I always were my hair down, or in a pony tail, usually depending on when I last washed it. I am going to put some effort into some new hair do's, this will have to include some research into easy, effortless hair styles...

'Mini' Projects

Honestly, I'm not sure how mini these really are, more sub-projects of The Self Improvement Project - the ultimate project!

• Start an online business - I'm not sure what this will be yet, but I wanted it to be on the cards.
• Sew - I have bags, cushions and other projects I want to do. The cushions should really take priority as I need them. I really like the idea of making things, recycling clothes and turning them into something new. It's a chance to be creative.
• Blog! Keep writing about The Self Improvement Project and make sure I am doing enough to blog about!

Films

There are quite a few films I would really like to see. I quite fancy the idea of creating a list of films for me to watch, I'm going to draft in some friends to help me create this list and post it later.

Well this should outline the project - most entries wont be  as long as this one - at least now I can refer back to this list...scary thought.

The beginning...ish

My "Self Improvement Project" unofficially started ever since I can remember - probably even when I was a child. There was always something I wanted to do better, or was sure I would be able to do some day like play the cello or be an amazing singer - don't we all?! It just seems that everything I started ended up being more of a phase - which I always assume is normal for a child.

Well I am not a child anymore - far from it, and I am still always torturing myself about something I really must do, or very often not do...it just seems inevitable that I will always have great intentions, but not much follow through. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I do badly, there are just so many things I would like to do, in fact I do believe that is my problem; there are so many things I want to do/achieve/improve that I simply cannot choose a single goal - I have more than I can remember! I've tried focusing on just one thing, but I am not a patient person, if I think of something I want to do NOW. So I guess its pretty obvious why I never finish anything...it is so clear what I should do and yet I can't make myself stick to just one thing, mainly because I don't want to. 

Instead, I am now going to blog about it, which will help me record what I have done, hopefully encourage and keep me on track. It also means I'm doing something else I have always wanted to try and not quite had the courage to do - blog! So here I am blogging about all the things I want to do and achieve, ultimately trying to be the best version of myself. Wish me luck!