as in “i am 41.” for about 12 hours now.
i had big goals for my challenge this year…because i’ve decided that my 41st year is the one when i will go back to school. i will figure out how to fund my master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition (hopefully from Hawthorn University in CA (so if you happen to know someone who has $11,000 sitting around that they don’t know what to do with…i have an idea.)), and I will hopefully do it with scholarships. so…i found about 50 for which i could apply, and decided i would apply for 41 of them by the end of today.
then i took a cake. then i took another one. and got a last-minute request for one more. so. between the cakes and the birthday date with Joe (En En’s and Gone Girl…still haven’t decided what i thought of that), absolutely no time whatsoever to write 250 word essays about “where i want to go.”
and definitely not 41 of them.
so i rewound a little.
my last official challenge was three years ago. 38. i printed it, revised it, and decided…what the heck.
interestingly, when i did that challenge, i remember not getting through my whole list and thinking that there’s a reason these challenges are often given a month or so. hehe. and here i am with one day. again. i’m so good at this. so i set my sights a little lower than a month-long challenge would be.
1) wake up at 6:50 (410 min into the day). [i woke up at 5:35 and couldn’t fall back asleep, but i tried.]
2) 41 minutes of yoga [PiYo Drench counts, right? 47 min]
3) 41 pushups without stopping [sadly, i dropped to my knees at 25]
4) 41 pullups [nope. not today]*
5) 410 core exercises [i’m at 300. i’ll get the rest in. i promise.]
6) 41 thank yous on facebook for birthday wishes [i’m at 160 or so]
7) 41 oz. of water, am and pm [41 am, i’m at 32 pm]
8) 4.1 cups of espresso [uh, yes.]
9) $41 to charity [Merry Christmas, Brayan!]
10) 41 trips up and down the steps [Mom’s dogs thought i was playing with them. 🙂 ]
11) 41 kisses to the children throughout the day [went way over that. easy.]
12) eat 14 pieces of candy at mom’s [it was a splurge day. no guilt in splurging when you haven’t had sugar in 8 weeks]
13) work in the kitchen for at least 41 minutes with mom. [check. one of my favorite parts of every Sunday]
14) eat 4.1 eggs for breakfast [i got through 2…the other two will be bednight snack.]
15) 41 minutes of reading for pleasure [if reading my facebook wall counts, we’re all good]
16) 41 minutes blogging [ 🙂 ]
17) 41 minute nap. […i suck at the nap thing. i need to not do that one again]
18) 41 minutes of read-aloud with the kids [well, we watched Prince Caspian…so we ran out of time. we will read aloud tomorrow…]
19) make pie crust in 4.1 minutes or less [check]
20) read 41 verses [day 98 of my 100 day reading plan]
21) listen to all the songs that were number 1 the week of my birthday since 1973 [it’s Sunday. that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow]
22) pray specifically for 41 people [22 and counting…bedtime my brain will settle]
23) pin 41 items on pinterest [this was actually harder than i expected…but…done]
24) eat 4 half-pieces of gluten-free faux pecan pie [holy carb day]
25) take 41 pictures of things i want to remember and upload them immediately [87. check.]
26) 41 crochet stitches [as soon as i finish this post]
27) 41 second planks, 4.1 times. [held the 4th one for 46, just for good measure]
28) drink afternoon shakeology with 14 oz. of ice water [didn’t happen. will do it for breakfast]
29) brainstorm 41 Christmas gifts for my kids and family [36 and counting]
30) say 41 encouraging things to my family throughout the day [i didn’t actually count…but i hope this is true every single day of my life]
31) donate 41 items to the salvation army [i have about 5 already sorted…will do it tomorrow]
32) 41 burpees […not yet]
33) 41 Joey kisses
34) say “Go Purple!!” or “Great Job, *child’s name*!” 41 times at Bryson’s soccer game.
35) watch 41 minutes of soccer [i was grasping at this point on the list]
36) watch 41 minutes of football [does listening to the game playing on my phone and my mother-in-law’s phone next to me during Bryson’s game count?]
37) 4.1 oz. of merlot […totally out of wine…and Fazzary’s was closed! 4.1 oz. of vodka and cranberry.]
38) 41 minutes of worship music [well…probably like 20…but 57 of worship!]
39) 41 minutes of Gilmore Girls [yesterday i killed that…]
40) 41 thing son my Thousand Gifts list [done by 4pm]
41) pet Chani 41 times. [have definitely doubled that. times 5]
i don’t know why i love these so much. but it feels good to set goals and accomplish them. it feels good to get another year older, and know that i’m stronger than i was last year. even if i’m stronger in different ways. i’m T25/PiYo strong this year–last year, i was X3 strong. pull-ups kicked my butt today…but i can do splits and run and see muscles i didn’t have last year. and i weigh about 5 pounds less. because something is working. this year, i have a goal that i love thinking about. and it’s not just to figure out how to lose weight.
i like 41. i like getting older. i mean, it’s not like you get a choice…you might as well embrace it.
right?
next year i’m not going to my knees on the pushups.
All Is Grace 