Keep moving

I've been lacking resilience for 'extras' - having to fix the internet, questions from the accountant etc etc - but pressing on pluckily. Realising you're not going so well is the first step to managing, well der.
Calf raises, knee squeezes (so the quad and the patella will play nicely) and hip hitches aplenty have led to pain-free walking - no running as yet becuase I am a sooky unfit sook - and I am going back to dance class tonight! Woot!
I've lost 2.5kg and hoping for more, in spite of the unfortunate episode of overwhelmed-face-stuffing on the weekend. I'm using VLCD shakes for two meals on work days - do not frown so, gentle reader! I need to shift lard so I can exercise and be happy and shift more lard. This is a temporary thing until I am light enough to exercise at a useful intensity without injuring myself all the time.
I'm so excited to be going back to dance. Fingers crossed it doesn't piss the knee off!

(totally our class)

More anon, high-steppers!

that escalated quickly

...as the kiddies ay these days!
Since last I wrote, so many things have happened!
I adulted my calf injury like a mad thing and it healed well.
I started running, very gingerly.
We went to Espiritu Santo on Vanuatu, which was heaven. You should go.
I started dance classes, which were the best fun!
I did something bad to my knee, which was extremely upsetting
A couple of extremely upsetting personal things happened, but I'll be ok. All is well at home, which is the main thing!
I went to pieces for a week. If you'd bought shares in a tissue company you'd be doing well right now.
I went to my dour magician physio, who says it's patella femoral syndrome, which he is well acros.
I am doing many exercises and have sorted out my bike.
I am visualising going to the pool and not being irritated by dickheads. No success there yet.



Next week I'm allowed to run, very very gingerly.
Noddie starts at her new school on Monday. She worked super hard all on her own for two years and won herself an academic scholarship. We are so excited and very proud of her.
So it's been not all good but now it's all good.

 Glamour shot

In the tank

It's been an exciting few weeks at Chateau LBTEPA!
All of a sudden I have found myself with enough oomph/energy/backbone - not a wishbone any more! - to do what I've known I needed to do for a long time. Let's not kid ourselves: there is no such thing as Just Do It. You can't just walk out the door and run a marathon. You have to start where you are, and if where you are is without the wherewithall to challenge your dear husband's emotive eating behaviours or your own let's-treat-overwhelmedness-with-wine! stupidity, then that's where you start. You have to do what you can do - go to the gym, walk after dinner with the offspring, drink more water, and definitely make sure you have your medications every day. If you can't do All The Stuff, then do the Stuff you can manage.
Then one fine, magic, wonderful day, you will wake up and know that you can do The Hard Stuff, at least sometimes. You can be assertive with the Spousal Unit - food is not love and not every meal has to be a feast - and you can insist on smaller portions and leave food on the plate at dinner. You can have a vanilla chai latte or a cup of hot grass clippings herbal tea when you're watching tv of an evening. Wine-and-telly is a habit; unhelpful habits can be subbed out for better ones, if you have enough in the tank to concentrate on them.
Well VROOM VROOM my friends!!

More anon, rubber-burners!

Over and out!

Over the nasty bug, over too many clients, over tiresome (people who shall not be named), over just feeling crappy all week...and out the door with my big girl and our two furry girls!

Did I mention that Spring is here? I don't care if it's still freezing and raining and blowing a gale half the time. If the plum trees are out, summer is coming!

More anon, blossoms!

You know you're out of shape when too many downward dogs give you a wrist injury *sad face*
However, one-legged squats and imaginary skipping practice continue apace. It's clear that I will have to add REGULAR swimming to The Plan.
Onward!

Imaginary skipping

So far, 'operation virtual walking mate' with the lovely Shauna has been WONDERFUL. I hope she's not getting bored with my burbly messages - please do tell if you are, darl! - but I'm finding her friendly and good-hearted accountability to be such a boon. I'll walk in the rain at 8.30pm because I told her I would go today. It's leading to better problem-solving, too. I've split 'operation get up earlier' from 'operation do something sweaty every day' becuase it wasn't working. Failure is discouraging. You have to start where you are. AT THE MOMENT I can get up fifteen minutes earlier and stagger around blearily in my dressing gown, but not get up an hour earlier to go for a walk. I am currently able to make time and energy to exercise after work. Redefine the problem, and win at everything!
.....imagine what this post would be like if I'd already had the coffee I'm going to have in a minute... scary.......
I went back to yoga again yesterday. I'm still rubbish at it and still hate it, even more so when I didn't get there super-early so ended up in the spot where the warm air from the ceiling heater blew right on to me. Downward facing drippy sponge woman, that was me. Ack. However, I am starting to understand what's going on in class now. Even though I can't do it. So that's progress.
In other (ahem) "very exciting" news, I can do 25 single-leg calf raises in a row now. I can now also do imaginary skipping without pain! Imaginary skipping is for people who can't safely be given fast-moving ropes. Ask me how I  know.....

You can find ANYTHING in a g00gle image search....

More anon, hoppers! (that's my next goal)

Bend it like... the tin man

I cannot describe to you how much I disliked yoga. It was hot (not hot yoga, just a warm room) and muggins here didn't have any water. It was difficult. I felt sick because I very foolishly had my lunch at 3.30 pm - trap for young players there! I didn't know what was going on and the teacher had a very thick Chilean (?) accent so I couldn't understand her very well unless I concentrated so hard that I fell out of my (ahem) 'pose'. I was watching the clock from 6.05, thinking about when I could possibly legitimately make a run for it, until 6.50, when we got to lie on our backs with our eyes closed. I was in the back corner next to an uber-lithe 20-something yoga goddess who could do headstands, and then I noticed that I had on odd socks! I didn't even realise I owned odd socks! #socialdeath #ohtheshame
I could do some of it, though. At various points I was quite surprised when I could do things!
It is a sad but unavoidable fact of having Let Yourself Go that you have to feel utterly crap for quite a while before you feel good and strong again. So back to yoga tonight I go! I have promised the lovely Shauna that I will. Ewwwwww why did I do that? Still, an LBTEPA's word is her bond. I have water, didn't have much lunch and am ready to sink into the warrior pose.... More anon, creakers!
*Update: Neither vomit, flatulence nor undignified falling marred my practice! I only started glaring at the clock at 6.15! Progress! Woot!

Peer pressure

In exciting news, Team LBTEPA has united with our favourite 'ranga, the Fabulous Shauna to be Virtual Walking Mates! The twenty-first century has arrived! Shauna pootles dreamily around scenic Scotland; I drag my crabby backside out of bed at 6.30 and stomp around the wetlands listening to birdsong and frogs; we message each other 'well done darl you're a bloody legend!'; and a good day is had by all. I'm disappointed to report that the adult hip hop/jazz dance class I had planned to attend this term - no, really! - sold out before I stopped sooking and got around to enrolling. That'll teach me. Next year I will have my pants on baggy and my cap on backward! However, I am going to a yoga class instead! Move over Gumby! More anon, adventurers!

Pigeon is better than duck, or how to amaze your bum

It's been almost a month since I posted last. There has been much afoot (hahahaha), including many calf raises, including single-legged (!), and two weeks on the road to dance eistedfoddau about the state. It all went much better than last year, owing to the absence of feral troll teachers, toxic duo partners, and their vile, vile mums. I went to pieces a bit - it's crazy! Over the years when everything WAS going to shit, and Noddie and The Spousal Unit were in real trouble, I could take anything and keep going. Now, when everything is actually FINE, the slightest thing, like an extremely minor (but uncalled-for) ticking off by a bitchy dance teacher from another part of the state, who I'll probably never see again, sends me into a flat spin. I am quite the socially inept stress mess these days. Oy karamba. Oh well, I'm sure it will pass.
But overall (after I calmed down) we had a good time, the motel was just luverly (with a spa, mmmmmmmmm), Noddie danced beautifully and brought home lots of lovely bling, and we caught up with my dear friend the Mighty Emma and her eight week old daughter Queen Alice. We believe that Princesses lack ambition.
I also went to the Dour Physio, prescriber of calf-raises. He pointed out that when I walk or run I have duck feet, pointed outward.  Hello, torsion! Hello injury! If my feet are pointed straight forward, it feels to me as though they are pointed inward like pigeon toes. Hello new hobby! I walked 10km on the weekend, pigeon-toed (ish), and my bum muscles were amazed. I went so fast! I also went swimming on Sunday!!!!!!! I love swimming. I'm going to blog whenever I go to the pool - hello peer pressure!

More anon, flappers!

Pop!

....is the sound of both my calf and its grade 2+ (?) strain = 3-4 weeks no running/minimal walking/cycling donotaggravateit!! = no half marathon in July. Lesson learned: don't let optimism lead you to make non-cancellable hotel bookings bugger bugger bugger way to rub it in. It is also the sound of my happy little bubble of progress toward my Big Scary Goals. Bugger bugger bugger. Mood: discouraged but determined. I've taken down my marathon medals from the bedroom wall and given all my old 'one day I'll get into them again' clothes to the Red Cross. If I drop some lard I'll get new ones.
This is my life now and that's how it is.

(picture not to scale :P)

All core and glutes and upper body, all the time. I may even go swimming one of these days. I haven't pulled out of the Melbourne half yet, because I can get a refund until the end of August. I can't cancel that hotel either. Bloody optimism!
Of course, it's not all bad!

Gratuitous topless red hot spunks - blessings: counted!
More anon, gym bunnies!

Be where you are

I've realised I'm in the 'really crap at it = sucky and discouraging ' part of returning to actual really real running i.e. longer than a minute at a time. Alas, this is an unavoidable part of getting to 'looking forward to doing/enjoying it because I'm quite good at it now'. Currently sucking up: 2.5km will cause a calf niggle which will take a week to settle. Solution: run 3min/walk 3min. That's more than I was doing anyway. Be where you are!
Also: turn my back on my glutes for a second and they skive off. Slack bastards. We are arguing about single leg bridges at the mo'. I'm winning.
Currently not sucking up: as much wine as I used to! I reckon I've dropped it by almost half the last two weeks! Go me! If some lard shifts as a result of this, that should help with my calf too.
Also:

I said I would do three sets of ten by the end of May, and I DID.
What awesomeness are you up to?
More anon, hoppers! (I can do that too now yay!)

two steps forward

Quite exciting times, LBTEPA fans. Quite exciting. I ran all the way around the lake near the fancypants gym I go to on Wednesdays!!!! Without stopping!! It was like that Rocky movie! I was a bloody superstar! I ran non-stop for 25 minutes again on Sunday too. I was beyond chuffed. I've been keeping up the gym too - I'm feeling good, doing all the good-life stuff like filing and crochet and playing the piano. My sleep is quite poor/broken, which is a pest but I'm getting enough overall. It's all good.
Yesterday after work I started out around the lake again. It was cold, and I shuffled off feeling a bit stiff. About half way around, my stupid #*&^$% bastard calf GRABBED like a tiger was biting it. #$%& me it hurt. I kept going, although I had to stop and swear stretch a few times. I was having that twenty minutes of sweating, by golly. Then I went to the fancypants gym and crossly pushed heavy bits of metal around, becuase that is the LBTEPA way. Today I'm walking like the tin man. #$%& me my leg hurts. Stupid thing. Deep heat, ibuprofen and rest.
Today's g00gling: calf strengthening and glute activation. Not quite back to the drawing board, but a slight-ish change in focus.

More anon, bun-burners!

I can't begin to tell you...

how EXCITED I AM about what I did at the gym yesterday
It's all tragically Captain Obvious, but isn't everything in hindsight? Maybe my tale will help others.... #sofullofmyselfLOL
Anyway, the other day, my gym companion (the lovely Noddie) pranced over and proudly announced that she'd run 10 minutes non stop on the treadmill at 8km/hr.  She's been working on improving her cardio so she was stoked about it. I was actually thrilled and proud of her, really I was, and I tolde her so, but I must confess also to shame, disappointment, and to spending time in the what a loser I am I'm kidding myself I'll never do (top secret unmentionable goals) I might as well give up headspace. I've tried running at 8km/hr and generally manage about 3 minutes before running out of oxygen the will to live steam.
Luckily just then the LBTEPA brains trust galloped into town, six-shooters blazing, and smacked me over the head with their white hats. How about you set the treadmill a bit slower? they said, in slow, patient voices. Oooohhhh.... I said, I hadn't thought of that. I was too busy wallowing in being a failure ....
We know, they said, before riding off into the sunset, shaking their heads.

So yesterday at the gym I ran for 10 minutes at 7.2km/hour, stretched a bit and then did it again.
Twenty minutes. Minute after minute after minute. Not stopping.

Thanks Noddie!
More anon, penny droppers!

Climb every mountain

See this woman? Not me, obvs. She is doing an exercise which I am assured is called a mountain climber. Last week I was doing a variation of this exercise where I started in the position shown, and then swapped legs by jumping.  I mightn't have explained this properly but try your best to imagine it as it Will Not be on y0utu8e. This may seem unremarkable to my five faithful readers, but when I first started back at the gym in January, I couldn't do it. I worked on my core and my glutes all last term, and now I can do it! I am stoked!! Yay! At the 'mo I am doing 3 sets of 5, but by the end of May I will be doing 3x10, I promise! I'm certain that a remarkable improvement in my running cannot be far behind.
In other (ahem) 'exciting' news, I accidentally did a 18.5km walk instead of the 14 I planned, and finished at the same pace as my last half marathon in October! I have 3 months until my next half mara, during which time I will a) incorporate running into my long workouts and b) drop a few kg, so I am now officially gunning for a new post-reco PB. Yay!

I didn't have enough nutrition with me so I was ever so happy to get back to the car.
More anon, sweater girls!

Notes to self

1. Good on you, you're doing really well with the regular exercise! Loving the extra energy and better mood!

2. Ditto cutting back the wine! Yay!
3. Next thing: we have to bite the bullet and morning workouts - evenings get trashed too easily, especially now you're seeing such a stupid number of clients and getting very tired. It's hard when we sleep badly though.... but it can be done!
4. Magnesium before bedtime is meant to help(?)

5. Anyway, good job
6. Go harder in the gym. Don't be afraid of being tired.
7.. I reckon if you drop the speed slightly on the run part of the treadmill workout you'll be able to run for longer
8. seriously, good job with 2.

More anon, pillboxers!

Go me

I am happy with that. There's lots to be pleased with, and lots to improve
More anon, tickers!

Just keep swimming

...or rather, not. I'm just not swimming at the moment, even though it's on The List. Must Do Something about that. I do have a Plan, of course, and I'm getting on with it. Thursday nights are no longer 'excuses excuses' night - I spend the whole day giving myself a stern talking-to about what's going to happen (a workout) and what's not going to happen (excuses/the couch/a glass of wine with my Mum straight after work).  Once I get into the firm habit of Thursday night workouts it'll be easier to make it a Thursday night swim. Isn't it stupid how dislikes form? I love to swim, but part of me Just. Doesn't. Want. To. Don't worry darls, I will conquer that!
In other THRILLING news hahahaha I'm now walk:running 3min:2min on the treadmill for 35 minutes twice a week. Woot! My plantar fascia is grumbling, but I'm taping it and stretching, so so far so good. When I think that I used to be able to run 10 walk 2 for 5+ hours I get all sad, so I don't think about it. My goals for this year are to give 3 hours a nudge in the 2 half marathons I want to do. I have weight loss goals too, but I haven't thought out a plan to which I'm really prepared to commit, so I'm not writing them down right at present. No point writing down a lot of BS, eh?

More anon, dream chasers!

Take that

That's enough, I said to my disorganised self. This has gone on long enough (not very long, a far shorter time than usual actually). In my own defence, the sinuses of doom had yet to respond to the best practice treatment regime sent to me by the mighty Cilla (currently on hols in Israel and Jordan, the lucky duck), as a result of which I am now sleeping well and feeling BRILLIANT, and for which I shall be eternally grateful
but I digress
Self, I said, self, drain that mug of HTFU and Make. It. Happen.
Do. The. Stuff.
Oh! Ok! So I did! I just did it!
Workouts: check. Reasonably helpful-to-goals eating: check. Life maintenance tasks: check. Not all of it, but lots of it. That'll do, indeed it will.

In other thrilling news: I started doing single leg presses at the gym and it's now clear why my left foot is playing up. My left glutes are weaklings! But not for long......
More anon, reinforcers!

Blip

If you looked at my Chart of Awesome this week there wouldn't be many gold stars. But there are hardly any zeroes, either! I went to the Big Smoke for some absolutely brilliant training and made the rookie mistake of assuming my schmicko hotel would have a gym. Hmmm. No. I had to miss Wednesday's session becuase the Melbourne train left when I would normally be working up a sweat in the fancypants gym in Sale.
Being as the word of the year is 'ASSERTIVE' and the mantra is CHANGE HAPPENS NOW', I did what I could. I stood in the breakfast queue at the coffee cart at the training venue and inched past the fabulously-desirable-stop-your-salivating-missy almond croissants to the register, WHERE I ORDERED YOGHURT AND MUESLI. Such a legend I am. I walked up and down the long thin training venue at breaks and I walked around the city after dinner. Such a trial, what with all the Japanese restaurants, and shops with cardigans in them, but plucky is the LBTEPA way.
Speaking of which, have you read the Rivers of London series? We're inhaling it over here - so clever, thrilling, witty and well written. But I digress.
I ate carefully but with huge enjoyment - I was in the Big Smoke for heaven's sake, far far away from the epicurean wasteland whence I reside - and felt very happy with myself. Saturday was meant to be the parkrun but I got off the train at 11pm so I slept in and then painted the living room, which was a monster most-of-the-day workout especially given that as usual I chose to paint the most humid day of summer.
Sunday was the day I Adulted like billy-oh. Holiday eisteddfod hell season is fast approaching, so Noddie had extra rehearsals in Sale; I planned to usefully occupy the time by doing the shopping and going to the fancypants gym. UNTIL.... I forgot my ****ing shoes, didn't I? Being rather hungry, quite tired, and very disappointed, I immediately indulged in an extended rendition of the oh woe oh woe it's not fair I never get to do what I want I'm so stupid chorus.
But then I stopped. I had something to eat. I thought about what I could do. I tried to buy some new shoes but was thwarted by the selfish wish of all local purveyors of athletic footwear to spend Sundays at home with their loved ones. I did the shopping. Then I remembered that I had my togs in my gym bag, and a cap and some goggles, and my (little, smelly: whatevs) gym towel. And the angels sang! There would be a workout this day!

Further: it is with tears in my eyes that I recall that everyone in the lap lanes was keeping left.
More anon, faith-restorers!

Miracle cure

May I just begin by extolling the miraculous properties of turmeric? I read a mention somewhere that it had anti inflammatory properties, and somewhere else that it has been helpful for some people with chronic sinusitis (but is ok for the medications I take), and then I miraculously remembered these things while I was actually at the chemist....and now my nose is still dripping and blah blah etc etc BUT it's not hurting me like my face is filled with acid, I  have close to normal energy, and I can sleep!!!! I don't care if I start looking like a curry puff (so far so good): that stuff is gold in my book hahahaha see what I did there? and I'll be scoffing it on a regular basis from now on. Thank you, turmeric!

I'm so happy with Project "Change happens today". I'm being clear and assertive about what I want to eat, and the Spousal Unit appears ok with that. The big change is, I'm no longer bothered whether he is or not!  We've planned and shopped and generally achieved a hitherto unheard-of level of adulting, to the point where we went 5 weeks without unplanned takeaway! Woot!
The other 'miracle cure' I've 'discovered' hahaha is the gym near my house. Even in the dark days before the arrival of the Blessed Turmeric, I was dragging my weary snotty self through my program at least three times a week, and slugging through half an hour on the stationary bike a couple of other times. Everyone knows that little and often is the way to make changes, but this is the longest I've actually stuck at it for quite a while. The feedback is so gratifying - yes, several people have commented on my appearance, which is nice, but more importantly, I'm feeling powerful again! Physically, a bit more so, but it's early days yet of course - more importantly, powerful in that I'm not drowning in the hurly burly of life. My life is still about my family and my work, but it's also about me again too.
Now I'd better go and do my piano practice - my teacher is a slave-driver, but I can feel my brain humming with it so it's all good!
More anon, ivory-ticklers!

A little less conversation, a little more action

Hi Blog! Long time no hear! Contrary to my previous habits, I have not been sitting about wringing my hands, making excuses and getting weaker and lardier, no no no no no. You will be so proud of me, Blog! I made A Chart, and I am actually sticking to it. It's wonderful. I'm loving it. I can't actually say I feel great, because, well, A Bunch Of Stuff including chronic sinusitis (= sleeping very badly), and J needing (not serious) surgery in Melbourne two Fridays in a row, one of which was my 50th birthday so not only did I spend the actual day hanging around a hospital, but then my party the next day of course had to be cancelled, which upset me A Lot, but hey, Noddie and J made me a cake.

Anyway BLEAT BLEAT whatever - I feel WELL! I've dropped several kgs, which is nice, but mainly I feel stronger, more trim, and DETERMINED.
Here's a photo of my chart!

The obvious things are on it of course, but I also wanted to systematise things that make life work better (filing, stretching) and more satisfying (my photo albums) that would otherwise fall by the wayside when the Washing Machine of Life goes into spin cycle. If I clean out a drawer each week I don't get overwhelmed by the habits of my beloved hoarders, and keeping at my crochet might get my current rug finished before Noddie leaves home. I might add 'piano practice' on future versions (did I tell you I've started piano lessons? Wow, talk about brain stretching!) but at the moment I'm scared of my teacher (and she gives me such hard stuff to learn) that I make time for it. I *heart* my chart.

The other thing I've done is 'engineer in' a gym day. Noddie has three and a half hours of dance classes on a Wednesday in a town 45 minutes from our place. Being amazingly clever, I have scheduled my piano lesson for then, and bought myself a pass to the FancyPants gym there too. Don't get me wrong, I like our gym here - it's adequate, cheap, and five minutes from my house - but the FP one has all shmicko machines, a view of a picturesque lake, and charming, ripped people who kindly help newbies work out how to use the shmicko machines.
Operation Assertiveness is going great guns. I now tell the Spousal Unit what we are going to eat, and he makes it happen. This works So Much Better than making vague suggestions when your beloved thinks 'fried with cheese' is a food group. Our Friday night fish and chip habit has been abandoned, becuase a) they don't fit in with my health goals and b) this is Bairnsdale so they usually weren't very good anyway.  J and I have 'date night' dinner while Noddie is at her Tuesday dance classes and we now go for a walk around the picturesque lake (the one near the gym) after we eat. I get eye rolls and bit of whingeing, but he comes along. It's all good!
Maybe I should put 'blog' on my chart? That would help with my focus.....
More anon, funksters!

Back again

I'm excited. This is already a good year - we went to Italy! I saw in the New Year at St Mark's square in Venice! We're so lucky! - and I actually have a Real Proper Plan about how to Fix My Life. While we were away I did a bit of reading, and it was all a reminder that I do know how to Do Things Properly. You know those articles about 27 Things Productive People Do? I read one that actually struck a chord - effective people (I'm not so bothered about 'productive') HAVE ROUTINES. I used to have routines.  Now I don't, and I don't get stuff done. Hmmmm.....
But I digress. I read Swimbikemom's blog. It's very open and also very encouraging. Towards the end of the year Swimbikemom set her readers (should they choose to accept it) the task of reflecting on the years behind and ahead by answering the following questions
3 things I did right in 2016?
1. I went to the Grand Final. I was scared out of my mind, a gibbering idiot most of the leadup and hardly watched any of it (I achieved the standing foetal position for several hours, not an easy task, even with many beers) but I made myself book the hotel two weeks out and get on the train and go into the ground and stay there all day, and it was all good! I was willing to risk heartbreak (for it would have been, I'm telling you) for delight, and I'm so glad I did, for it has changed my life in such a good way!. It's nice to have a wonderfully life-changing event at 49!
2. As summed up in this post, I walked the Melbourne Half Marathon and then did the mini tri. "I broke out of the prison of my own fearful thoughts and I'm never going back there". NEVER. More on this later
3. I GOT REAL.  That was my mantra last year. I didn't change much of the way I went about things last year, but I stopped bullshitting myself about it. What a relief. I stopped weighing myself too.
3 things I will change in 2017
1. Regular exercise. I have A Plan, and A Chart! About which more later. In a nutshell, for starters, if I do All The Stuff, I can buy a book; if I don't, I can't. I love books so this will do as an incentive until getting off my arse gets automatic again
2. Food. I tried delegating to the Spousal Unit, and the end result was that I wasn't eating how I wanted to. Getting Real means sucking up that if I want to eat better I have to put more energy into planning, shopping and cooking. I will be assertive with my junk food, fried-with-cheese, food-is-love sweetheart. We will eat less dodgy takeaway and more home-cooked veg.
3. Other people. I don't have many IRL friends nearby. I work quite long hours, by myself; I'm quite isolated. I need to work on this. I've put my name down for a book group and I'm going to start a group exercise thing (more on this shortly)
My 'action word'
TODAY. There's been too much putting-off. This word will remind me that I need to do stuff all the time, and stop focusing on barriers or difficulties. This leads me to
My Mantra 
Change happens in the here and now. A bit 'Oprah meets Captain Obvious' but I think it'll get the job done. Nothing valuable happens 'later'. Do it now. Go to the pool right now, even for just 1k. Ride your bike for 20 minutes. Clean out that one drawer. Drink that one glass of water. Take 5 minutes to buy those carrots on the way home.
That's enough for now. What do you do to reflect on your year and plan your next one?
More anon, stargazers!