Lifestyle

Don’t Flake On Yourself: An Update

August 25, 2018

Last week a made a post about the importance of taking the promises you make to yourself seriously and actually following through. You can read the whole thing here!

Today, I’m here to share my week two and week three updates, which includes some small changes I made to make it more successful.

Week Two

This week was so much better than the first, although, I am still deciding if it is because my schedule was just more conducive to following through with these personal promises, or because I actually put more effort into following through.

I had 5 goals total and I was able to follow through on every single one of them. One thing I did do differently this week is that I told some of my friends what I was doing, in order to hold myself accountable. I sent them a screenshot of my goals in the note section of my phone, and then on Saturday they checked in with me to see how I did. Obviously my friends wouldn’t have been upset if I didn’t meet my goals, but for me, I know it can be easy to not follow through with something because I’m the only one who knows about it and will be affected by my decision.

Week Three

Uhhh this week was not good. Now, I’m thinking that my success last week was strictly based on my schedule and not my willpower to push through when I really didn’t want to. This week was the first week of school (I teach 1st grade if you’re new here) and I simply put all my time, attention, and energy into work. While maybe this is okay and at times it is important to prioritize it doesn’t mean I needed to make this an all or nothing situation. I could have kept some of my promises and not have just given up simply because I knew it was going to be a long week.

With school back in session I need to create some new routines that allows me to prioritize work as well as the personal promises I have made for myself. So for this upcoming week, my goal is to gracefully balance both.

Have you made any person promises to yourself? Let me know so I can hold you accountable!

Lifestyle

Don’t Flake on Yourself: Keeping Promises to the Most Important Person, You

August 14, 2018

I’m writing this as I sit cozied up in a bus seat on my way to NYC. I just finished listening to the audiobook Girl, Wash your Face: Stop Believing the Lies about Who You Are so You can Become Who You Were Meant to Be. Despite my goal of reading more fiction, I found myself back with another non-fiction, self-help, inspiration read, and I’m not sorry about it.

In one of the early chapters of the book, the author, Rachel Hollins, brings up an idea that has really stuck with me. Don’t flake on yourself. If your tell yourself you are going to do something, then do it. Even if something else comes up and you have to do it at midnight, do it. Can you imagine a friend who constantly made plans with you but always cancelled because they wanted to watch one more episode of Netflix. Now think about how often you do that with yourself. If you wouldn’t repeatedly do that to your friend, then don’t do it to yourself. Don’t flake on yourself.

With this idea of self-discipline floating through my head, and the start of the new school year approaching, I’m thinking about how I can incorporate some new habits, or promises to myself that I will not flake on. I have been working on these goals for only one week now and let me tell you…it’s hard. Life comes at you fast and there is only so much time in the day. But I’m going to follow up this post, with a week two update, so stay tuned!

Week One

In the first week I promised myself that I would workout 4 times a week. Seems manageable right? Well I didn’t want to go Monday or Tuesday, but I pumped myself up and used some good self-talk and went. I felt so good when I was done, way better than the typical post workout high, because I knew I almost didn’t go in the first place. Wednesday I had to work late, but I knew this and could have planned around it. Same for Thursday. On Friday, I chose hanging out with a friend instead of working on (which was the right choice). The weekend? Welp, I went to NY this weekend. So I worked out twice. I flaked on myself and didn’t keep my personal promise.

I had other promises to. Praying every day, having quiet time with the Lord, adhering to a morning and nighttime routine. And guess what, I flaked on myself more often than not yet. Even with the goal in mind, I still flaked on myself.

I did flake, but I did learn something. In order to do hard things aka keep personal promises you have to 1) be selfish with your time, or 2) use your time more wisely. For this specific promise of working out, I could have/should have woken up at 6am to make one of the early classes in the morning. Or maybe I should have not worried about making it to a CrossFit class and instead just gone for a run at home instead. In order to not flake, I need to be flexible, creative, and release my grip on the ideal plan.

This is hard work. I want to be a person who follows through for other people and myself. As I go into week two of this self- discipline mindset I want to what I can improve on.

Recipes

Potato Stack Nation: A Quick and Tasty Side Dish

August 11, 2018

A few weeks ago I was looking for recipes for a dinner party I was planning. After some googling, and some time browsing cookbooks that my roommates own, as well as cookbooks I browsed through in the aisle of Walmart. I found this potato stack recipe from Joanna Gaines Cookbook. I made a few changes (aka I didn’t add the cheese because ew) (I know I know) but it was so good and so easy!

Potato Stack Recipe

Pre-heat the oven to 375
Find a cupcake sheet, or a pan (like a pyrex) and some toothpicks
Slice 3-4 medium sized potatoes as thin as possible (you decide if you want to peel or not, I didn’t)
In a pan, start heating 2 tablespoons of butter and 3 garlic cloves minced. Wait until it starts to smell magical then add:
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper
After 2-3 minutes take off the heat and go back to the potatoes.
If you are using a cupcake sheet stack layers of the thinly sliced potatoes in the individual cups of the pan. If you are using a normal pan, stack the potatoes into little towers and stick a toothpick through the middle of each of them.
Carefully pour, or spoon the cream mixture over the potatoes and sprinkle a pinch of salt on top of each tower.
Stick in the oven for 30 minutes and cook until tender. When you you take them out if you really feel it is necessary you can sprinkle cheese on top, if not chop up some fresh chives and call it a day!