Today is the last day of July (unbelievable) and the final day of my Jumpstart July Challenge. What a terrific month for me! July was not about perfection or breaking personal bests. It was about resetting and moving toward a better version of myself. It was about rising out of the ashes of excuses like a PHOENIX and making myself a priority. I feel good. No, I feel better than good. I feel amazing, accomplished, and appreciative. A huge shout out to my Saturday Morning Momentum team, who helped me with accountability,
and to you, dear reader, for taking the time to read about my July adventures.
HABITS
Wake up at 5:00 AM. Except for Wednesday morning, Bailey woke me up at 5:35 am on Friday, 5:30 am on Saturday, 5:35 am on Sunday, 5:17 am on Monday, 5:41 am on Tuesday (she originally woke me up at 4:17 am; I let her out to potty; sent her back to bed), and 5:23 am today. On Wednesday, I woke up at 5:24 am and got to wake Bailey up for a change. HA!
Walk at least 30 minutes daily, preferably outside. My walking streak continues and is my biggest accomplishment this month. My walks this week began between 6:05 am and 6:30 am. I continue to NOT bring my phone with me on my outside walks, but used it on Friday and Saturday while walking on the treadmill (due to rain). I have decided to make walking on the treadmill more bearable, I must listen to music. I have made a note to create a playlist or playlists specifically for walking on the treadmill.
On Sunday morning, I did encounter a dog about 10 minutes into my walk that made me slightly nervous. He was not aggressive per se, but was initially invading my personal space and would not stop following me. He was a decent size (looked like a pit bull/mastiff mix). It is not unusual for dogs to be out and about in my neighborhood, but I did not recognize this guy. Minutes after making my turn to head back home, I saw another walker heading my way, so I mentioned the dog to him. Thankfully, the dog stopped following me, and I have not seen him since Sunday morning.
Here are my times for each walk. No more issues with that uncomfortable feeling under my right kneecap. I continued doing 8-10 squats before putting on my running shoes as well as 6-8 step ups onto my porch before setting off on my walk.
- 07/25 (30:55) – treadmill
- 07/26 (30:03) – treadmill
- 07/27 (32:22)
- 07/28 (33:22)
- 07/29 (33:00)
- 07/30 (33:30)
- 07/31 (33:46)
Drink more water. I continued tracking my water consumption. Not counting today, I averaged drinking 52 ounces of water, increasing my water intake by 5.1 ounces. Not bad, but still striving for 64 ounces daily.
Mindful eating. I have avoided dairy (4/7 days), gluten (3/7 days), and added sugar (5/7 days). On Monday, I met with Hailey at SPA 728 for my next detox protocol. On my weekly Wednesday Target trip, I did NOT buy Doritos, Cheez-its, or candy.
Keep a JOY journal. NADA!
Write a daily to-do list. I continued with writing a daily to-do list.
Track book spending. I continued with recording my book spending. I bought NO books since my last update. My year-to-date spending for 2025 remains $626.44.
Declutter/Chores (schedule). I completed chores throughout the last 7 days and decluttered a couple of hours in my scrapbook room on Friday, 07/25 and an hour on Tuesday, 07/29. I continued with keeping track of which days work best for certain chores. I like a week-to-week schedule to accommodate appointments and activities.
Creative Time/Aims (schedule). I wrote this blog post (10/25) which counts toward my 25 posts I want to write in 2025; however, still NO schedule for scrapbooking or completing my aims for this year (although a couple of aims will be completed in August).
Monitor progress (habits/routines). I monitored the progress on all of my habits (with the exception of the JOY journal). I also weighed myself today (161 pounds) for informational purposes. Monitoring helps with accountability.
Over the past 7 days and with the exception of the JOY journal, I have continued to make progress with my habits, and they seem to be sticking. Initially, I considered Bailey waking me up each morning as a stumbling block (mainly when she woke me up before 5:00 am); however, I have come to realize, she is holding me accountable in her own way, and I am appreciative. She has also helped me with forming a better morning and evening routine.
In addition to my detox protocol, I have been putting a scoop of Pure Collagen Plus (All In Nutritionals) in my morning coffee. I picked it up at SPA 728 on June 16th but cannot remember when I started using it (did not write it down). Maybe, before July 1st. I did remember to write down when I started adding Gold: Apple Cider Vinegar + Turmeric (Bravenly) to my breakfast smoothie (July 14th). This day is also when I dropped my reflux meds from 40mg to 20mg (#4 on my 25 for 2025 list).
ROUTINES
My morning, weekly, and evening routines are still in development! I am actively following routines, but have not written anything down on paper, yet.
ATOMIC HABITS by James Clear
I finished Chapters 6 and 7, and both chapters hit home for me because I struggle with my home environment, and I can do better in the self-control department. Chapter 6 is all about designing an environment for success, and Chapter 7 is about the secret to self-control.
1) Environment – This is what I am working on NOW with my scrapbook room and my office.
“A stable environment where everything has a place and a purpose is an environment where habits can easily form.” (page 90)
Ultimately, I want every space in my house organized, so my life flows more efficiently. Decluttering has to also be a part of this habit.
2) Self-Control – Invisibility is the key. It’s easier to not eat the junk food if it is not in the house. Hence, the reason I did not bring Doritos, Cheez-its, or candy into my house after visiting Target on Wednesday.
“One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.” (page 95)
One thing that helps me is to buy a single serving of a treat at a higher cost. Enjoy it! However, I will not buy it often because it costs more. For example: I bought a Strawberry Fruit Bar from the Ice Cream Truck on Sunday. It was my “favorite summertime activity” for E.D.’s Summer Spooks Reading Event. It cost $3 plus I tipped the sweet lady driving the truck a dollar. I could have bought a whole box of fruit bars for $4, but I know I would eat more than one over time, and I am supposed to be avoiding sugar. It was good, and it served its purpose.
Dear reader, that is a wrap on my Jumpstart July Challenge. It has been nice to have a month to reset and to focus on building good habits and cultivating routines. I will continue reading Atomic Habits with my friends. I am considering an August Challenge for myself, but I have not had a moment to think about it intentionally. I realize tomorrow is August 1st; however, I am in the process of wrapping up some July reading, and I registered for an event this evening at the Baton Rouge Library called Horror in Nature: Appreciating Louisiana’s Wildlife through a Different Lens. Maybe, tomorrow. Dear reader, what did you accomplish in July? Happiness!
“Small changes in context can lead to large changes in behavior over time.” ~ James Clear, Atomic Habits
The Kat Files 