These are unprecedented times and that require some adaptations and flexibility. Here’s one way I’m dealing with that, maybe it will help you find your way through too.
Hi, I’m Alison and I am super excited to be a part of the inaugural ScrapHappy Blog Design Team! I’ve been an avid scrapbooker since 2009. It all started when I was waiting for daughter #3 to be born. Yep, I have three daughters, a husband and a new puppy so you might say I have 5 children! LOL!
I live in Beautiful British Columbia, Canada where I scrapbook, act as chauffeur for my kids, sell Epicure, and (as of last week) am a Homesense Associate. The photo below was taken a year ago from a local mountain resort area called Sasquatch Mountain. Now all three girls are approaching my height and we’ve added the puppy to the mix. I wanted to share this because it relates to my layout and my story.
I started a journey to better health and wellness in September of 2018. On that journey I lost over 30 pounds, started a career with Epicure (a Canadian based Gluten Free and clean ingredient spice, meal kit, and kitchen utensil company), and gained both perspective and purpose through regular reading, journaling and working with a life coach. Being able to take the hike that led to the photo above was such an amazing feeling! One that I tried to repeat this year with very different results.
In January of this year I set goals. In fact, I set 20 goals and called it my 20 for 2020 list. Then COVID-19 hit, the entire world stayed home for months, and I found myself struggling to reach my goals in the new reality that we all faced. It took me awhile, but with some help from Gretchen Rubin, Elizabeth Craft and their Happier podcast, I found my answer.
Shift my goals.
Goals such as traveling to Epicure conference in Las Vegas clearly wasn’t going to met. Goals like running races also weren’t going to happen. So … I made a new 20 for 2020 list and I call it my 20 to Finish 2020 Strong list. There are small things on there like making a dentist appointment. There are big things on there like finish my book draft. (Yes, I am writing a book.) If there’s one thing I have discovered about myself the past few years, it’s that I am both capable of so much more than I give myself credit for, and I have huge dreams!
My Stay at Home time hasn’t gone exactly as planned. My eating pretty much went off the rails and some pounds have crept back on … BUT … as I say in my journaling above, I persist. I get up each time I fall down and I keep going. On this particular day I reached the top of the trail and fell on my way down. My right foot slipped on some loose rock and my left knee (unstable after a severe injury as a teen plus arthritis now that I’m “old”) couldn’t hold on and buckled. Down I went! But like in all things in my life, I got back up again and made it safely down the mountain to my sister-in-law’s cabin where an ice pack and a cold brew were waiting. Another set back in my fitness and health journey for sure, but it will pass and I will be stronger in the long run for all these stumbles.
Scrapbook layouts (IMHO) should reflect the good, the bad, and the ugly (sometimes). I love layouts like this that reflect the changes, the present situations, and tell stories that would otherwise stay hidden. I encourage you to sit down with your favourite supplies (this is a combination of Simple Stories I AM collection, plus Wild Whisper True North) and tell YOUR stories. Even if you’re the only one that ever sees it, I bet you find the process therapeutic. I know I did!
Here’s my full 20 to finish 2020 Stronger list in case you’re interested. Hold me to them will you? And if you’d like to learn more about me, my journey, and my love of all things Epicure, please visit me on Instagram or Facebook. And you can check out the current Epicure catalog here (this is the Canadian site but you can easily toggle to the US site at the top of the page).
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I’ve already been able to cross off #1 and I have an appointment next week for a haircut and colour. TOP TIP: when making goal lists like this, add several items that are easy to cross off. It helps you feel like you can tackle the rest when you’re able to cross something off.
Looking for your scrappy people? Join the ScrapHappy family! We’d love to have you.
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