100 Days

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You may have seen the article over at yahoo about the woman who committed to working out for 100 days and what happened for her over that 100 day time period.  She was certainly better off in more ways than one, by the time that 100 days had passed.

Inspirational type videos and such don't always do much for me.  I feel that in the internet world a lot of that stuff is overblown and just annoying.  What can I say?  I''m not always the touchy/feely sort.  Especially when I feel a story, pictures, etc. is being done for reasons that are other than noble (reasons that scream 'look at me', 'I need attention', 'no, seriously, look at me!').  Sometimes though, I do find myself a bit inspired by something I've seen.  Sometimes things feel genuine enough to make me wonder how this person's experience could affect me and my life.

This time around I'm thinking I'll take this woman's 100 day experience and convert it into something I can use for myself.  Something a little different than the usual New Years resolution type fare. 

Since I feel 100 days is doable for just about anything, and I'm curious as to how this type of approach could work for something I've been thinking about doing anyway, I'm going to attempt 100 days straight of a good skin care regimen.

This may sound silly.  For me, skin care has always been an issue.  My skin is not the typical commercial worthy terrible and yet it has been not a lot of fun for a very long time.  Yes, at very nearly 40 I am still dealing with occasional acne breakouts and have had this problem since way before I was a teenager.  I have tried so many things and most have been way too harsh and didn't really help.  However, by chance and by listening to a good friend who works in the skin care field, I have realized that if I can just stick with a good cleansing and light moisturizing routine I can improve my facial outlook dramatically.  And since I am turning 40 I would like to finally get this issue under control.  I'm just not so good at sticking with the routine.  As soon as I get things looking better, I kind of 'forget' to keep it up.

Isn't it funny how we forget to do things for ourselves? 

It is hard for me to do the little things that mean taking care of me.  This is one small thing that I feel could make a big difference for me and that I deserve to take the time to do for myself.

What about you?  What would you like to attempt to do for 100 days?  Would you be willing to take the time to do it?  Does 100 days seem like a long time to you?

Do You Push Yourself?

As my husband and I have been preparing for his upcoming reconstructive surgery we have been working on increasing his stamina.  He has a desk job and isn't really familiar with pushing himself physically.  He has worked extremely hard even with his current physical limitations and is doing amazing well.  This has gotten me thinking more and more about the whole idea of pushing myself as a human being in general.

I have come to the conclusion that my body does best when I push it a bit.  And also my mind. 

It seems to me that really when we stop pushing ourselves, that's the moment when things start to go downhill.  Now granted that can mean different things for different people at different points in our lives.  But really, if we're not willing to push ourselves some then aren't we just waiting to die?  That may sound harsh, but I can't really justify softening the sentiment when I feel so strongly about what happens when we just settle in and get too comfortable.

I've seen this idea in action many times.  We all know people who have pretty much given up, even at a young age.  They sit in front of a computer or TV and slowly watch their lives slip away.  Or they sell their lives out to long hours at work that don't ever really produce all that much.  Their health goes downhill fast.  They lose their zest for life. 

Meanwhile there are those who seem to make every last drop of life count to its fullest.  I once worked for a 93 year old woman who had always told herself that her home would be ready for visitors at any given moment and she made sure that it always was.  Not only was her home a wonderful and inviting place, but she was a fantastic conversationalist who had clearly kept her mind at the ready for those she would entertain as well.

I almost always feel good when I have pushed myself some.  Sometimes the process is scary and feels a little edgy.  In the end, the satisfaction with learning that maybe there is one more limit that I can break for myself is immense. 

While there is no good reason to do things that we absolutely do not enjoy, surely we all can find something that will stretch us just enough to keep the mind and body elastic and living well.

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