Project Norway: Summer Edition

For the past month or so, I have been blissfully unaware of the developments taking place in the plot of land behind my garage.  It has been so easy to focus on the daily rigors of school, work, and parenting and the tangled mess was carefully tucked behind the garage.  It took effort and intention to see this mess, so it's been easy to tell myself, "I'll start the garden later.  There will be just a few weeds to pull. No big deal." However, today I had to confront the reality when I was summoned to the garden area by my daughter who had discovered a bird's nest filled with baby birds in the carport that abuts the garden.  The mess of overgrown weeds and disorder was impossible to ignore when I had to walk past and through it to admire the baby birds.  The symbolism just smacks you in the face, right? In order to get to the hope and promise of new life, I had to wade through the weeds. Okay, God...I get it!

This is my garden...of weeds...  A starting point!

Summer is always my favorite time of year and not just because I get three months "off."  Not only is the weather a bajillion times more pleasant than most any other time of the year (bring on the HEAT!), but the break from the every day intensity of my work has often allowed me to restart and recharge.  I usually try to use the summer months, when I theoretically have decreased responsibility, to reflect on where I'm at with life and set some goals for getting back on track.

Back in January, I began this blog with a similar mind-set and it wasn't a total failure.  I did a complete round of the Whole30, something I'm really proud of!  I did get outside during the cold winter months more often than I might have even if it wasn't every day.  For a stretch of time, I was my best self more often than not - I was praying/meditating consistently, eating healthfully, hydrating responsibly, sleeping well, getting in some movement, and reacting mindfully to social interactions. And then...I wasn't anymore.  There was no one good reason for the regression and about a million little things that contributed to this setback.  

In the past, I might have beaten myself up for the failures and, if I'm honest, there has been a bit of that going on.  I've been distracted by all sorts of nonsense that I'm too embarrassed to even chronicle on this blog.  This silly, ridiculous stuff has taken me off track and distracted me from the real challenge right now - nurturing myself into health and strength so that I can go forth in life mindfully and with confidence.  

The beauty of this moment is that this time next week, I will be wrapping up the 2015-2016 school year.  I will still have some work responsibilities this summer (don't listen to people who say school personnel just rest on their laurels all summer long), but they will be less intense and dictated by my schedule.  So, while I have had a few weeks of self-loathing and relative hopelessness, in this moment I feel a sense of peace that has eluded me for too long. The 10+ hours of sleep I got in the past 24 hours probably helped.  It probably also helps that I just weighed in this morning for a new weight loss challenge that will span these summer months.  In any event, I feel ready to restart this journey and set some new goals for the coming three months.  

So, the summer edition of Project Norway looks something like this:

1. Lose at least 15 pounds over the summer
2. Train for the Ragnar so I can participate without dying
3. Participate in the Mora Half Marathon
4. Eliminate as much fake food as possible
5. Eliminate dining out completely
6. Write/Journal every day (hopefully there will be many more blog posts)
7. Decrease screen time significantly
8. Tend a garden for an entire summer
9. Meditate and/or do yoga every day
10. Figure my sh&% all out...  This one might be a little difficult.

And there is no time like the present to get started!  I have a garden full of weeds just screaming to be pulled to make way for homegrown produce and this sweet symbol of promise built on the beams of the gazebo I have in storage for inspiration.

On my mark, get set, go...Project Norway: Summer Edition has begun!  

P.S. If you have some summer goals, please share them with me!  Let's help one another stay accountable!