AM/PM ROUTINE TIME

I am taking a break from expanding on things I learned from the book: YOU ARE A BAD ASS by Jen Sincero to revive a very important Challenge for me. The Challenge? Establishing a routine for both the morning and nighttime.  Without the foundation of a solid and structured day/night routine, I feel like everything else around me goes to shit. I’m unorganized, lethargic, and uninspired.

I’m fanatic when it comes to creating routines, and have tried many different combos. After throwing my developed routines aside (not my ENTIRE fault, when you’re an actor and your nights get taken due to rehearsals/performances, you have to really have a plan B in your back pocket) I am ready to try this new structure to get me ready to go Back To School.*

*Side Note: I am out of school. And probably never, ever going back. BUT, I still mimic the school schedule. Why? Because it was a routine engrained into every fiber of my being for the last 20 years. It’s the only one I know. So, I use September as a restart. I do everything, from new supplies, new outfits, and thinking once again THIS YEAR WILL BE MY YEAR! My “back to school” date is on Monday, September 5th. That gives me time to live up the rest of my “summer break” (which is really more of a mentality) and slowly get my routines back in order.

MORNING ROUTINE:

• Giving myself 60 min(ish) to get ready before I need to leave for work.
• First stop: The Bathroom – use the toilet/brush my teeth. (2 min.)
• Drink a full glass of water (w/lemon or any type of fruit infusion if you want.) (1 min.)
• Do 3 Sun Salutations and set your intention for the day. (10 min.)
• Eat a healthy breakfast that you prepped ahead of time while looking over your To Do list (also prepped the night before.) (20 min.)
• Take a cold shower & jam out to music (10 min)
• Follow a morning face wash routine (Exfoliate, Eye Cream, Moisturize. w/SPF)
  (5 min.)
• Put on the clothes you laid out last night and grab your prepackaged bag and lunch.
  (5 min)
• On your commute to work: allow enough time to prepare for traffic jams, or public transit to fail you (CTA in Chicago is full of morning heart breaks) and listen to an uplifting podcast, playlist, the news, or NPR.

Also who could forget Jessica’s Daily Affirmation?
(Watch this when you feel like you need a happiness pick me up or inspiration.)

NIGHT ROUTINE:

• Turn off all electronics an hour before bed.
• An hour before bed make sure to hide your phone (if you’re an iPhone user) to turn the phone onto “Night Mode” and “Do Not Disturb” mode.)
• Have a clean sink (this is a lesson my mother taught me.) (10 min)
• Lay out your outfit/pack bag for the next day.  (5 min)
• Take a relaxing candle lit shower. (15 min)
• Night Skin Care routine: Wash Face, Tone, Wrinkle Cream, Eye Cream, Night Cream. 
• 50 Push ups/ 50 Sit ups (alternate every night.) (10 min)
• Yoga Stretches to help you Sleep. (10 min)
• Drink a glass of water.
• Write out your list of To Do’s  and plan for the next day. (20 min)
• Write three things you were grateful for about the day you had. (5 min)
• Read. Set a goal: # of pages, chapter, or time limit.
• Ensure you get 7 – 9 hours of sleep.

 

CHALLENGE #2: Find Your Tribe

I hope those of you playing along had a great week treating yourself like your Number One Fan  I taped up a quote to my mirror that inspired me (even if it was just for a couple of seconds) I also lived it up this weekend – and will continue to live my weekends like I’m on vacation. I found a $17 Groupon to a 60 minute Reflexology & Massage Appointment, read my book by the lake, saw a musical, did some yoga, and hung out with some friends. Truly felt like a vacation weekend! I’m going to continue keeping notes on my mirror that inspire me, as well as keeping yoga in my routine – my body missed it.

Now, onto this week…

Having a Tribe stems back to our animal ancestors. Having a Tribe was how you survived, your Tribe will protect you, feed you, travel with you – without them, you were an easy victim. This idea still rings true today. Human beings need each other in order to survive. Often times, it is easy to find like minded tribal members if you are on a sports team, dance team, in a play, in a fraternity or a sorority or any other type of group activity. But, it shouldn’t stop there. There are so many people out in the world who can teach you, stimulate you, and hear a new story from. According to Psychology Today, there is “copious scientific data proves that loneliness is a greater risk to your health than smoking or lack of exercise, and finding your tribe is better than any vitamin, diet, or exercise regimen.” So finding your Tribe could actually save your life!

So, this weeks challenge is to focus on attracting your Tribe. 

Day 01. Make a list of qualities you want your Tribal members to have, and begin attracting that desire to the Universe. Meditate on it, or spend 5 minutes focusing on the perfect Tribe. Be open and accepting to strengthen or meet new tribal members.

Day 02. Creatively list those you currently have in your tribe. Write why they are on your Tribe, and what they contribute to your world. Take a step back and look at the type of people that you have in your Tribe. Do they align with the qualities you wrote the night before? Is there any dead weight you should cut? Who on your tribe do you want to strengthen bonds with?

Day 03. Send gratitude to those that are in your Tribe, make dates with at least 3 of your Tribe members, and try to make it those that you want to get to know better.

Day 04. Make a list of potential Tribal members. Engage with people you may have met once or twice and had a good bond with, but want to get to know more. Make a time to meet up with at least one of them.

Day 05. Research and join some sort of group activity. Sign up for a class, join a book group, take a group yoga class…you may meet someone you would have never met before in a group that shares a common interest!

Day 06. Who are your mentors? Make a list of people that are, could be, and your dream mentors. Make a reach out email to them and see if they’d be free to pick their ear.

Day 07. Reflect & look at this team you’ve assembled.

Challenge: Become Your #1 Fan

This challenge is about becoming your favorite person. Truly loving yourself, and eliminating the doubts that you aren’t good enough. It isn’t easy. But, it’s just like being faithful to your favorite sports team. At the end of the day, you will always be proud of them for winning or losing, and even when the going gets tough, the most faithful and loyal fans stay strong. So, why not treat yourself like you would your favorite team?

This whole week I want you to look into your mirror while you brush your teeth in the morning and say three things that you love about yourself, or, post a quote on your mirror that cheers you on. 

“After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.”
William R. Alger

“What you do today can improve all your tomorrows.”
Ralph Marston

“Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.”
Norman Vincent Peale

Day 01. Write down all of your achievements in the last 5 years & reflect on them. What did you do to make this happen, how did it feel when this happened, how are these achievements still affecting you today, how do you get MORE of that feeling?

Day 02. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes. How do they see you from the outside? Write a paragraph on how someone would describe you based off of your actions. Don’t focus on the physical.

Day 03. Be selfish. Do something that you love to do today. Cancel those plans if it’s a burden, take the whole hour at lunch, ignore text messages. This is your day to treat yourself.

Day 04.  Take care of your body! Treat yourself to physical and mental exercise. Work out, do yoga, read something that challenges you, or listen to a Podcast to learn something new.

Day 05. Eat right. Your body is your temple. Today, eat three substantial and healthy meals  and snacks throughout the day.

Day 06. Brag a little. Post something on your Social Media feeds that you’re proud of. Either a selfie that encapsulates your Number One Fan attitude, a picture of something cool you got to do that day, a food picture…anything!

Day 07.  Reflect. What does it feel like to be your Number One Fan? What would you like to keep from doing this? What would you do different?

 

The YOU ARE A BAD ASS Challenge

I was given this book YOU ARE A BADASS by Jen Sincero by my closest friend, who knows me well enough to know that a book of this nature is the only type of book that can get through to me. I was, of course, skeptical at first, by the way my friend was singing this books praises. How could anything ever amount to the hype she was giving it? However, after reading the first three chapters, I couldn’t put the book down. Soon, I was feeling lighter, more centered, and ready to take on whatever challenge I have ahead of me.

You can purchase the book by clicking here.

I want to start off my personal challenges with what I was able to take away from Sincero’s book and expand on what she writes about, and dig even deeper into what she’s writing about. There are many moments in her book where she says “do this now.” Which, I didn’t have the time for. So now, I am able to dedicate the time to really delve into the book with a hands-on approach.

The idea to have challenges was given to me by my Life Coach to help keep me on track of my goals. I’ve been inspired by many Buzzfeed Challenges (which I will also share in the future) and by other online challenges that I’ve Stumbled Upon. However, now, I’ve decided to take my challenges online publicly, and hope to inspire others to participate in these challenges with me!

Here we go!