HIKES & HAMSTRINGS

It’s the fall. I love this time of year. There’s something about the start of September that has me pumped to start new adventures and conquer goals. No doubt this is due to the scholastic schedule that I experienced for many years. And now, working in an academic setting again where I’m on main campus with all the new and returning students, there’s a sense of ambition brewing in me.

I knew I had to cultivate that ambition somehow. Which, of course, translated into reflection, lists, and a catchy tag line: “What the “F”! My Fall Focus”. I’ve come up with a game plan to tackle the next few months. Work is important and a must-do, so the list doesn’t include work-related activities like learning R or brushing up on my statistical methodology. Relationships and friendships are very important and will always get my full attention. So other than those, I’ve included the following “for-me” items into which I need to put energy. And they all start with the letter “F”:

Finances. Let’s just say that quitting my job in March and then going on a crazy expensive trip to Ireland a few weeks later were not the best decisions for my finances. (The trip, though, was great, so I wouldn’t change it for anything…). It would be many months following the trip that I’d see my first pay cheque, and though I had several people helping me out or offer to help me out, it was quite the financial hit. Here I am, at the end of September, and I finally feel like things are on the up and the cash flow is steady. But I’m still in the red. My goal for the fall is to be completely aware of my finances: where my money is going, how much I can spend, and then spend less than that. In the last month, I’ve completely rejigged where I store my money, my expenses, how much I contribute to RRSPs, and what I can budget for the month. I’ve also done a bit of consolidation, closed accounts, and paid off loans, which has been pretty awesome!

Fashion. It’s no secret that my fashion has gone down hill. I’m not saying that I don’t have fashion sense- I actually think I have a good idea of what fits my body well. I will say I’m not that adventurous with colours, but I’m trying to change that. But the aspect of fashion I’m most concerned with is my work attire. I actually showed up for work in shorts and running shoes two weeks ago. This prompted someone to say, jokingly, that it’s no longer summer. I don’t think it was jokingly. I think it was a polite way of saying that I need to step it up. So as much as I’m on a budget, I do have to put a little bit of money into sprucing up my wardrobe. I’m thinking Express will be a good place to try. Their clothes fit me well, look presentable, and are always on sale. I may be funding new clothes, but I’ll certainly be as thrifty as possible.

Fitness.  After a summer of laziness and travel, I gained some weight (true story). So on June 24th (my scheduled start day of my new job), I made a commitment to start ramping up my fitness. I’m no stranger to initiating long bouts of fitness activity, and although I’ve made it a lifestyle choice, I certainly do better when I’m on a “#”-day program. I recently passed the 90 day mark since June 24th and I’m seeing results. The reason? Doing as much hiking as I could fit in, and starting Beachbody’s / Shaun T’s Focus T25 program.  Shaun T has quickly become my fitness idol. I find him incredibly motivating. Through Instagram and Facebook, it’s clear that he puts everything into living a healthy and active lifestyle and inspires others to do the same. But he also has crazy cheat days and cravings and still looks the way he does. That point keeps me in check: I continue to watch my nutrition and what I eat, but it’s okay to indulge every now and then. To me, the most important part of my Fall Focus is my fitness. I’ll be tracking my workouts, cooking as many healthy meals as time permits, taking progress photos, and trying to push my limits as much as possible. Nutrition was 2013 goal of mine, and I’m putting it back into focus. I recently committed to the Banff Subaru Triathlon next year, so this fall goal may include some swimming. Apparently I need to know how to swim in order to survive the triathlon. Yikes. Oh, and cross-country skiing, because it’s a crazy complete body workout. And it’s fun. Fun starts with “F”.

Needless to say, I’m quite excited about the next few months, especially with the fitness aspect. I just found out that P90X3 will be released in December, so this will prepare me well for the 2014 Winter Challenge! More on that later, of course.