Share 4 Somethings—February 2024
For the 2024 edition of “Share 4 Somethings,” Jennifer asks us to share each month:
- Something loved and/or disliked
- Something accomplished
- Something improved upon and/or that needs improvement
- Something noticed
I also share my previous month’s One Second Everyday video . . .
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Something Loved
- FIGHT RIGHT
I finished up this fantastic book last week. I will write a full review soon. But in the meantime, I’ve already been recommending it to people in my life.
Fight Right by John and Julie Gottman is full of practical and insightful advice about how to have clearer and more productive discussions with your partner, without it leading to even more conflict.
One of the big takeaways for me is: stop assuming you can solve every disagreement. You can’t. Much of the time, simply understanding each other’s viewpoints is a win itself.
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Something Accomplished
- A MONTH OF YOGA WITH ADRIENNE
I don’t do yoga regularly. But the past few Januaries, I’ve attempted to participate in a 30 day yoga journey with Adriene (and her sweet dog Benji) via Youtube.
In January 2022, I completed it mid-March. In 2023, I stopped midway in January because my feet and knees hurt too bad to keep going.
But this January, I completed every single day, in real time, of Flow: A 30 Day Yoga Journey.
The key this year? Modify, modify, modify. I worked within my own limits and didn’t push myself to do all the moves that Adrienne does (as if anyone can do all she does!).
I enjoyed it more than ever this year. (Maybe I won’t wait until January 2025 to do yoga again.)
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Something that Needs Improvement
- DECLUTTERING MY KINDLE (AGAIN!)
It’s happened again. I have downloaded so many sample books to my Kindle that I’m feeling overwhelmed by them. Awhile back I made a major effort to either read or skim all the samples I’d accumulated, then delete them all. I succeeded. It felt freeing.
Of course I’ve since added more. No problem. That’s to be expected. It’s helpful to look over a book’s content to decide if I want to bother finding and reading the whole book or not.
The problem is when the number added greatly exceeds the number I actually look at.
I need another mass cleaning soon because I’ll never have enough time to read all the books I’d like to. There are too many!
Fun and relevant memory from Facebook today:
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Something Noticed
- SMALLER GOALS
My overall One Word of the Year is Curiosity. But every two weeks, I focus on a separate word related to Curiosity. For February the two extra words have been Mindfulness and Concentration.
What I’m noticing is this: Instead of writing only “Mindfulness” on my calendar, I also added the word SLOW. I’ve found that when I slow down, I automatically become more mindful and curious.
And instead of writing only “Concentration” this week, I’m also writing STOP MULTITASKING. Because when I remember to do only one thing at a time, I’m far more likely to give it my full concentration, and thus be more curious.
What is something you are loving, accomplishing, improving, or noticing this month?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
I’m linking at these blog parties
- Find Something to Hear, to Say, to See about Your One Word of the Year
- 7 Books I Recommend—February 2024
I agree about multi-tasking, Lisa. I do OK with it when it’s certain more mindless things but if I really want to accomplish a serious project, I’m better off focusing.
Wow…I can so relate to your smaller goals. STOP MULTITASKING needs to go on my to-do list every day. I KNOW that when I concentrate on doing just one job at a time, I do it well, but then I look at the list and think I can accomplish more by multitasking. When will I learn?
I also want to read Fight Right. There’s always something to be learned when it comes to marriage, right?
Oh my – but I need to purge my Kindle. So many downloaded book samples!! Not feeling my best today and I think that is a perfect task for today. Thanks for the suggestion!! Yoga also sounds like something to try – but perhaps net week:)
I’ve never done multitasking successfully, Lisa, until the point where I don’t even think it’s truly possible. Something will always be out of focus when we try to do too much at once. Loved your video!
Yay, Lisa, for doing the entire month of yoga, that is awesome!!! And, don’t ever feel guilty for modifying someone else’s workout to fit what you can do. Something is better than nothing. I have to tell myself that often, especially on days when my BP is waaaayy too close together! I have been working on reading my physical books and Kindle books, as I have way too many unread. Especially on the Kindle. I don’t download free samples, I used to download all the free books. I am WAY more discerning now, and rarely download the freebie, unless it is something I think I am going to love, and the library doesn’t have it. Have a great week!
I always love the second-a-day videos. That’s a good idea to adjust exercise routines to what we can do.
Good for you for following along with Adrienne for a whole month! I love her workouts but yeah, I can’t do ALL the moves either. I keep saying I am not picking up any more books from the library until I start reading the ones on my Kindle.. and then I see a book review that sounds good and immediately click on my library app to order it! In the meantime I have tons of books piling up on my Kindle. It’s a good problem to have I guess.
It looks like you had to shovel away ice this month! As I get older, I am disliking ice more and more. I really like your idea of focusing on words that relate to you one word. Slowing down does increase our presence, and make us more curious overall, doesn’t it?
I think last time you cleaned out your Kindle you prompted me to do the same. The thing is I don’t even use mine! I just keep on collecting those free chapter samples so I can decide if I’m going to get the book from the library some day.
There’s gotta be a better way.
I enjoy your videos and in this one, I loved seeing your completed puzzle!
As always, I love the video, Lisa! I find this so true – “Because when I remember to do only one thing at a time, I’m far more likely to give it my full concentration, and thus be more curious.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve not been able to multi-task. And I think we miss a lot, too, if we don’t give our full concentration to one thing at a time, right? Love and blessings to you!
Good for you to complete the month of yoga program, Lisa! I don’t have a Kindle to declutter but my email inbox is still needing work. I go in fits and spurts with that, and it’s building back up again. I always love your 1-second-a-day videos too. 🙂
Love your 1 sec a day videos. I don’t multitask well these days. I enjoyed hearing about your 4 Somethings.
Visiting today from Share 4 Somethings.
xo
I feel you on the need for a Kindle purge!
I definitely struggle with multi-tasking too much and never feeling as though I have permission to be fully engaged in what I am doing without also worrying about what else I should be doing.
I loved that you said modifying was the key to your successful yoga month. I think that can be true of so many things. While it can be helpful to join someone else’s plan or goal, making it our own is usually the path to sustainability. Thanks for sharing your lovely February insights!
Hello Lisa thanks so much for sharing 4 somethings in February with us at #WBOYC? I enjoy doing Yoga with Adrienne and good for you ticking off every day. I’ve been trying to do something similar – moving 30 minutes a day and so far I’m ticking off the calendar each day. I like your idea of slowing down to achieve Mindfulness. I’ve shared the Action for Happiness calendar on my blog and this month it is Mindful March. Enjoy March and I look forward to reading your post next month. x
I find this so encouraging as I have started and quit yoga several times too. Maybe time to try again!!
Hi, Lisa – Thank you for joining us for #WBOYC. Last year, I did the January Yoga Challenge with Adrienne every single day without fail. This year, I’ve been into a different morning excericise routine (Body Project) so didn’t join in. I did miss it though!
Hello Lisa! I did the Flow journey with Adriene as well. It’s fun to think that we were doing yoga together. I love the way you are approaching your Word of the Year with small monthly words of support. I’m going to file that away for consideration next year.
Hi Lisa, Yoga with Adriene and Benji is always a positive thing to do, well done on making the whole month! Do you know I’ve never downloaded a sample from Kindle at all, I’m an ‘all in’ type of reader and if the blurb works for me then that’s it! Such a great month, thanks for joining us for #WBOYC
I’ve never downloaded samples on Kindle – I tend to go all in … Nor have I managed the whole month with Adrienne, so well done on that. I’m not a big one for self-help non fiction, but the Fight Right book resonated with me – I’m not great at fighting well at all. Thanks for linking up with us.