30 Day Challenge #1: Meditation

I find it really funny that I have a draft for the 30 Day Challenge #1: Meditation that explains why I wanted to start this challenge and today (11/11/2015), which is also a day where different countries celebrate what we consider a day when "peace", to whatever degree and form, started. 

This is my draft for the first article about me starting the Meditation Challenge.

"30 days of meditation.

I'm going to be honest with all of you right now, I'm not very confident with this 30 day challenge.
"Aww. Why? Why would you say that even if you haven't even started? What's wrong with trying?"
But any late 20 adult will tell you that at this day and age - it is so difficult to just "pause" and meditate. More so to do absolutely nothing.
Yes, I will embark in this 30 day challenge of mindfulness and tranquility and dabbling on just taking time for myself to focus on me, my breath and nothing else.
So, what will the 30 day challenge look like?
It will be starting tomorrow, October 14th and will end on November 12th. I will start with 1 minute of meditation (starting point) and end with 30 minutes of meditation on the last day.
I will be letting all of you know from time to time how this journey is going - how I feel about it and how it (hopefully) is changing me for the better.
I've attached a simple, 30 Day Challenge planner sheet, for this specific challenge.
This is something you can do - and start anytime - you just need to adjust the dates.
I've always wanted to do this and will finally embark and finish this task.
Tony"

Anyway, I changed the 30 Day Challenge tracking sheet that I used (but didn't post - silly). You can get my 30 Day Challenge #1: 1 Minute Meditation here.

P.S. I finished my 1 minute meditation. 29 days more. Looking forward to it.

Keep on Planning and Doing,

Tony

30 Day Challenge #1: Meditation (supposedly Day 27)

What I feared really did happen. My first challenge - meditating for 30 days - did not go how I positively wanted it to go. I didn't meditate after Day 7 and I feel bad about. I'm not going to make any excuses but will just honestly say - I did not do it. I didn't put more effort into actually succeeding with this first challenge.

Three things that I've been pondering over since I realized how I've forgotten about the whole challenge.


1. Following the Plan
I made an actual calendar just for this challenge. I printed it out and all. But, as how it is already under a pile of paperwork, at home, under my desk. It did not serve its purpose. I provided myself with all the necessary tools to succeed in this challenge but then I let life overwhelm me. Which in a sense, is a huge irony with the purpose and benefits of meditation.

I'm going to go at it again - I assure you. I'm not giving up. But the challenge will be done differently this time.

2. Starting small. 
From the get go, I've laid out a number of fears before even getting a week into the challenge.
I need to always add one more minute. I have to put a timer and not break my state of calmness. I need to do it first thing in the morning. At the end of the challenge, I will be feeling so much better than how I am now.
I've essentially set up myself with a whole lot of factors to make a 30 day challenge, many times more difficult than what it truly was to start with.

I started the challenge with a goal in mind - I will achieve this small win and move on to greater things.

3. Owning the Challenge.
I'd like to think that the tools that were set up to complete the challenge of meditating for 30 days were adequate. My mindset, however, made a little detour. I started the challenge with a part of me saying, "it is alright to fail this challenge, since you can always repeat it". This is true, but this also justifies all the other "things" that I've started and did not finish. Or even things I've finished but could've done better at the end.

I will be starting the challenge again tomorrow (11/11/2015). But it will be a 30 Day Challenge: 1 minute Meditation.

Have you experience a similar "fail" like this? I'm sure for some of you, this is a simple matter. But for myself - like what I said - this is a small win that will serve as a stepping stone for greater challenges to tackle.

30 Day Challenge #1: Meditation (Day 2)

I know this is Day 2 and based on my Day 1 - I always set the timer to be 1 minute more than what it's supposed to be. So my meditation took three minutes today.

But something different today - meditating while standing up. I was definitely not comfortable at first but then I started noticing things about myself.

Posture. Symmetry. Weight bearing preference. Space.

I vaguely recognized how my entire back and shoulders are sort of dropping into a slouched position even while standing up - I can imagine it being worse when sitting down. This is something I'm not aware of and possibly a learned habit of mine already. Thinking back on meetings, patient care and conversations with team members - I was in this posture and who-knows-what kind of image I was projecting all this time. A projection of weakness, lack of self-confidence and maybe even incompetence. These may be a bit harsh descriptions but these are somewhat appropriate if I picture myself.

So I'm typing this while imagining somebody is pulling on my back and shoulders back and up.

I also feel my preference of putting all my weight onto my right side as well as how I have a more stable stance when dealing with right side resistance during exercise or any kind of movement (carries, jump, reach) which doesn't really feel natural to me, now that I've gained a little awareness.
I definitely need to do exercises that will encourage my left side to catch up and the same time keeping my right side from declining to compensate - but to continually progress while I work on my left side more.

Personal space is such an important aspect of pragmatic language and when interacting with other people. It signifies not just a defensive lining but also a measure of self-awareness. Being aware of your personal space helps you to increase your focus on your own movement and expressions - which in turn influence our communication with people we interact with.

Keep on planning and going,

Tony

30 Day Challenge #1: Meditation (Day 1)

I have to be honest. I want to do good in this challenge - and by good - I want to reward myself of the opportunity to say, "You went over and beyond to complete this 30 challenge, good going!". That's what I'm thinking right now.

So, what did I do today exactly?
I got my trusty old (digital) kitchen timer - set it to 2 minutes and focused on my breath.
I did this as soon as I got to work - and since I got here about nine minutes early - I had a couple of minutes to spare.

I set the time to 2 minutes. Closed my eyes. While sitting upright - I focused on my breath. I didn't bother to count how many breaths it would take to complete the two minutes. And when I opened my eyes and broke my concentration.

00:19

I completed the 30 Day Challenge #1: Meditation (Day 1) for 1 minute 41 seconds - that's a little over one minute but still.

Keep planning and going,

Tony

Welcome, Fellow Planners!

I'd like to welcome all of you to The Planner in Me. This is a virtual venue for covert and overt planners alike to express their joys, triumphs, frustrations and overall progress with their Planning.

Planning for what? You may ask. It is such a broad question and that is what makes this blog so much fun!

Are you planning for your first 30 day challenge? Good! I've made a plan like that. (1 mile a day for 30 days - boom!)
Are you planning for your Meal Prep Sunday - I'm with you on that. Chicken, veggies, hot sauce and salad in jars. Yum, right?
Are you planning for your exercise schedule for the week? Yeah! Wednesday is Deadlift Day for me.
Or are you planning for just your daily activities? your things to do or TTDs? your next big project?

Planning - in my opinion - is for everyone.
Everybody does it. To some degree.

Some make it as simple as using post its (it works!). Some have elaborate planners with (hand-made) stickers and (personalized) paper clips (awesome!).

Even if you have friends that say - Why bother? You won't be able to do all of the things you wrote down, anyways. But that's the point. I have friends who are immaculate planners and they stick to their schedules and lists to the dot. I'm happy if I get to plan and reflect on my day and then look forward to the next weekend, next month, tomorrow or even that late night movie with my girlfriend.

Black one is for work and SLP related.
Mercury drug notebook is for everything else.
Finances. Trips. Blogs.
Don't mind the weight/ body fat goal.

My point is - Planning is for everybody - and that is why, I'd like to invite all of you to get to know and grow with - The Planner in Me as well as The Planner in all of you.


Tony