Lisa Spagnolo's Journal – December 2010 Archive (5)

I had planned on posting this on Friday, and then Christmas happened. 



Successes the previous week included persisting with the routine during the darkest days of the year, and overcoming some deficits after a very social day with dinner guests. Adjustments to basics made during class have been incorporated to practice at home, and I feel my balance improving with the kicks that require it most.



I've been able to redirect, at least a little bit, the weasel mind, who likes…

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This week's overarching theme is overcoming resistance from my lizard brain, which doesn't like to be uncomfortable, and taking the long view. It was hard to get up a few days this week--my body definitely wants to hibernate for the winter.  But, I'm enough of a data geek for the spreadsheet tracking to motivate me. I have to keep filling in those cells! The wake-up calls--crickets from my phone so as not to wake up David--has been effective most days.



There are some areas I need to…

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Over the course of my working life as a manager, I have occasionally heard the question "when are we getting back to normal?" The answer is usually "this is the new normal." Time passes, and whatever change that was met with resistance is often incorporated into routine--until the next changes come, and they come fast these days.



It goes without saying that I'm applying the "new normal" to the first couple weeks…

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I realized I had been talking about my goals earlier but hadn’t yet posted my letter of intent. Here are my stated goals for the Ultimate Black Belt Test, some of which intersect well with some things that were already in mind. I have really appreciated how lessons at the dojo have contributed to a developing practice of discipline, which has seemed unattainable in certain areas of my life. Although still a white belt, I feel the UBBT represents a daily order for living that I… Continue

It is only a few days into our UBBT journey, and I can already see new habits forming, a new way of responding that my body and mind were not used to before. Each of the three days began with a 5:30 gym visit, more consistently than I have ever done this, especially as a confirmed nightowl.



And yet, each of the three days was different as far as the challenges that came along: a moderately busy workday with class in the evening--easily time for all of the physical requirements; an… Continue