A Gutsy Girl

Heal your gut. Heal your life.

goals

Half Year Mark

Filed Under: General, Inspire, Love, Wellness Tagged With: , ,

Holy cows! Saturday we hit the half year mark for 2017 already. 

This year, I decided to try something new and Bullet Journal my way through the year. It was just sort of a natural progression from my Gut Healing Bullet Journal, but I am absolutely loving the general life Bullet Journal.

Half Year Mark sarahkayhoffman.com

There is a page dedicated in the Bullet Journal each month for the previous month’s “blog review” and current month blog goals. On the first day of each month, I go to this page and review the previous month and from that set goals for the new month.

I did this on Saturday. “June Blog Review + July Goals.” 

When I do the prior month review each month, I expect growth. I want to see sessions, users, page views, pages per session, and average session duration increase each and every single month.

But in June I felt so burned out by everything in life, including my blog. When I reviewed the goals I had set for the month (new posts I wanted to publish, old posts I wanted to update, etc.), I fell short on every single one. 

And guess what?

My numbers showed it. June was the worst month my blog has seen in a very long time (ironically, only number-wise, not sales wise…..quality over quantity?!).

For a split second, I felt a gut punch. Like, “Well then what am I even doing anyways?”

But then I started thinking about what I wrote via if a tree falls in a forest, and I started feeling this sense of understanding. It’s all becoming quite clear. In the post I said,

My tree (i.e. the things I’ve been prioritizing in my life) could crash, make a sound so loud that the whole world heard it, but for what? Then what? Why would it even matter?

When my blog grows, and more people read, then what? What happens next? And why does it matter? 

Sure, I always pray that the words I write, experiences I’ve had, and the stories I share will touch someone or help change someone’s life. Please don’t get me wrong. Of course, there is meaning in that. If there wasn’t, I wouldn’t be doing this at all.

Half Year Mark sarahkayhoffman.com SKH and Isaiah

But if I died tomorrow, millions of people could know my blog, but there would be a chance that my own children and husband didn’t feel from me the very things I aspired to deliver to (mostly) strangers.

There is a great tragedy for me in that thought. 

Half Year Mark

As the half year mark has hit, I have to be 1,000% honest with you and tell you that, at least for the next while, I’m scaling back. I have to. Where I once aspired to blog 5-7 days a week just isn’t all that inspiring to me right now. 

I’ll tell you what is currently inspiring to me…..

Ryan. Samarah. Isaiah. Amiya. And everything that comes with all of them, so much of which I have never shared on my blog. California, and the sun and all the beauty that surrounds this incredible place. Books, and digging into the leisure reading (I finished 2 within the past few weeks – any suggestions for an amazing new one?!) I’ve been craving in order to find new inspiration for my own book, Gravel Roads. Healing, keeping on the physical healing path, but also peeling back the layers that exist from an emotional life journey. Exploring. Sleeping in past 4 am. The Bible, and knowing the LORD in a way I do not currently. Blended, creamy lattes, ice cream, homemade eats, and casual drinks with the babies (not drinks, obv), Ryan, and friends. Pool days. Porch nights. Working out, but learning new ways of doing so (yet again). Dancing with the babies at any given moment (we have been doing this a lot lately and man it’s awesome). Singing along with every single song possible. Breathing…..living…..embracing the now to get ready for the next piece life is going to give us.

Half Year Mark sarahkayhoffman.com Samarah, Isaiah, Amiya, SKH Redwoods

I promised myself 2017 would be the year to be Unafraid. 

At the half year mark, I am seeing that the way I thought I was going to be unafraid is nothing like how it’s turning out to be. 

And yet stepping down from “pushing and proving” (as Shauna would say) seems like the most fearless thing I can do right now. 

Because it’s downright frightening, and yet totally incredible.

Half Year Mark sarahkayhoffman.com Sleeping Samarah hair day

p.s. I really do hope y’all understand. Please know that when I post, they are likely to be more personal and introspective posts (these are the posts that take me 5-10 minutes to write because they are engraved in my heart and easily roll off the tongue – in fact, I already have one in the queue from something that happened this past weekend, and more from our book club book, Present Over Perfect.). But I believe that when you’re out living life more, the words you write and stories you tell are so much more meaningful. Because you can’t write about life if you’re not out living life.

Xox,
SKH

Week 1 Bigness Project

Filed Under: Fitness, Inspire, Love, Wellness, Workouts Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Yesterday marked the end of week 1 Bigness Project, the 14-week hybrid strength training journey I’m on.

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Handstands

I worked out on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. You read that correct. It was a 6-day workout, but I’m feeling great!

During this first week, I felt re-inspired for some new things so in addition to sharing the past week of workouts, I thought I’d share these things.

  1. No Marathon. Dangit almighty. I’m already giving up one of my 2017 New Year’s Goals. I’m laughing as I write that. But here’s what happened to help make this final decision. On Saturday, I ran over 12 miles. And it rocked! I might have been running with a frown, but I was super happy, and it showed when I snapped the below picture at the end. Despite getting the female monthly friend just one hour prior to the run, my energy levels felt great (though my quads still fatigue fairly early on). Breathing was easy, and I actually feel like I’m getting back into the “cardio shape” I want to be in. But when the run was done, I had zero desire to keep running for a longer amount of time because there were so many other things I wanted to do with my day. I enjoyed the 2-ish hour “me time,” but really didn’t feel that dedicating more time was worth it, not from a fitness standpoint, personal standpoint, and in general life standpoint. Do you know what it means to train for a marathon? Even if I would continue on a basic 3-day per week training schedule, ultimately, the long runs would need to increase more and more and more. You can’t run a marathon training on a half-marathon schedule. I mean, you could, but not if you want to excel. And at this point in my life and on my fitness journey, doing things “just because” won’t cut it. I’m extremely goal driven, and for me “just because” isn’t really a goal. So here’s the deal, yes, running a marathon could prove me unafraid. But back to the Bigness Project…..so could building muscle. And that leads me to….  Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Jen Sinkler
  2. Tough. Again, dangit almighty. Week 1 of the program showed me that I’m not nearly as strong as I thought I was. Like, at all. By far, the most challenging thing I did were the bodyweight assisted eccentric pull-ups. I’ve always been used to doing pullups with a grip where palms face each other. This pull-up version, though, has palms facing out, and the tempo is a very slow one. There is no cranking out pull-ups “kip-style.” I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you I was super frustrated. For a minute there I thought to myself, “No way. This is not for me. I’m not strong enough for this.” But that’s the point of being unafraid. Just because it wasn’t coming naturally to me, doesn’t mean I need to be afraid of it. Clearly, I have a lot of strength to work on, but after I reminded myself that it was OK to start at the beginning, I became excited for all that could be if I stayed consistent.


I still have every intention of running several races this year. I’m still going to run a half marathon at the end of March because I really love the 13-ish-mile distance. Now that I’ve already (almost) hit that distance, I can practice getting faster (which is a huge challenge in and of itself).

Week 1 Bigness Project

Click HERE to join along the journey via Instagram (+ I put a ton on my Instagram Stories, too!)

Week 1 Bigness Project sarahkayhoffman.com Kourtney Thomas

  1. Monday: 5K, paced at 8:08/mile.
  2. Tuesday: Legs, Quad Dominant. I had not done BB Back Squats in quite some time, so it felt great to hit those again.
  3. Wednesday: Chest and Back. In addition to the pull-ups, I will say that my chest and back are, by far, my weakest links. I hate training them, and it shows. But I’m going to work really hard on both to gain some much-needed strength there.
  4. Thursday: Legs, Hamstrings + Sprints. I love leg day, especially when it is hamstring-focused. I have not done Curtsy Lunges and/or BB Hip Thrusts in a very long time, and I’m excited to see how much stronger I’ll get with those exercises over the next several weeks. I did my sprints on our treadmill. All of them were 400’s. The first 6 toggled down to a 7:20 pace, and the last one was a gradual hill climb. This ends up being a fairly long workout when it’s all said and done, but the time spent with and by myself is worth it.
  5. Friday: OFF. Ryan and I took the kids for a long walk that night, though (we tend to do this a few nights a week). 
  6. Saturday: 12.4-mile run, paced at 8:24/mile.
  7. Sunday: Shoulders and Arms. Focusing so much on eccentric training, I had to greatly reduce the weight I’m used to doing for shoulders. But still, they are my favorite body part to work! 

I’m heading into Week 2 Bigness Project with the mantra/quote I put up on Instagram Saturday after my run,

If you continuously compete with others, you become better, but if you continuously with yourself you become better.

That quote is super legit.

Up today…..back to the Quad Dominant leg day and increasing to 4 vs. 3 sets. Back squats here we come!

The possibilities are endless.

Xox,
SKH

2017 Personal Goals

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Wellness Tagged With: , , , ,

I have been working on my 2017 personal goals for quite some time now, and while 2016 was focused on not creating them and just doing less, 2017 is shaping up to be quite the opposite.

Goals and resolutions are very different things. In fact, I might only have one major resolution and that is to drink more water. I know it sounds funny, but I am the absolute worst and drinking water, and now that I can no longer do Stevia my DIY lemonade concoction won’t work. 

But a goal? This is….

the end toward which effort is directed

{Note: it’s also the terminal point of a race, which will be super relevant when I share my 2017 One Word, Unafraid.}

I am writing this post mostly so that I have all my goals down in one place, but feel free to steal any of mine for your own 2017 goals.

2017 Personal Goals

2017 Personal Goals New Year Goal sarahkayhoffman.com

  1. Make a Vision Board (#74 from HERE). (+ many other things from that list, just wanted to highlight that one)
  2. 31 Days AIP Paleo in January. I have continued healing rapidly, but I’m looking to give it a boost and, while I finish the Atrantil protocol button up the things I’m putting in my body. (p.s. Have you seen paleoishmama?!)  2017 personal goals AIP Paleo sarahkayhoffman.com
  3. Personal Wellness Retreat. Yay! I’m finally doing this. A dear friend (also on her healing journey) and I are going on The Healing Farm’s retreat in Calistoga, California from January 13 – 16, 2017. It’s a Paleo retreat, so every single thing I eat and do will fall 100% in line with my health goals and objectives. I could not be more excited!
  4. Work. My plans are to return to work in some capacity. I have stayed home full-time, I have worked part-time, I worked less than part-time, and I have worked full-time. What I know for me, right now, in this season is that I need to work, I need my own outlet. More on this later.
  5. Bullet Journal. I bought a journal conducive for Bullet Journaling, the Essentials Grid-lined Notebook. After years of not getting exactly what I needed from a yearly planner, I’ve decided it’s time to just create my own and implement a system that works for me. I’ll share it once it’s ready. (This journal also includes many more, smaller, daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals.)
  6. Go snowshoeing.
  7. Take the kids on a few mini trips! Once Isaiah turns 2 in May, we will do less air travel, so I’m trying to be brave and piling us all into the car to go, go, go. 
  8. Adopt Amiya, despite our current adoption hiccups. Obviously. Once she is adopted in 2017 (fingers crossed), then we will have finalized adoptions in 2015, 2016, and 2017. So lovely!
  9. Deep clean, declutter and reorganize 1-2 rooms per month:
    1. January. Kid’s playroom and guest bedroom
    2. February. Our bedroom and Amiya’s nook
    3. March. Kitchen and Pantry
    4. April. Samarah’s room and Ryan’s office 
    5. May. Isaiah’s room and my current office area
    6. June. One of the front rooms of the house/dog’s room
    7. July. Main living room
    8. August. All bathrooms
    9. September. Mudroom and entryway closet
    10. October. Garage (although, this one will need to have an initial sweep in January since there is so much stuff I need to get rid of before I can put a treadmill in there!)
    11. November. Upstairs hall and bookshelves
    12. December. Laundry room
  10. Expand food photography and editing skills + update portfolio.
  11. Read, read, read.
  12. Tropical Vacation. Ryan and I are taking one, probably in March or April. Sun, beach and relaxing. For Christmas, I gave him money that we can put towards it. Yes, we can buy more things whenever we want or need them, but I’m at the point in life, our marriage and family life where I 1,000% believe in collecting memories, not things.  2017 Personal Goals Collect Moments Not Things Quote Quotes sarahkayhoffman.com
  13. Give up something (or do something) for 40 days during lent.
  14. Join a small group at church.

….and so many more things!

But wait a minute, what about the fitness goals I’ve been alluding to? 

Those goals fall under my main theme around being unafraid, and they are coming in the next post. Stay tuned….

I’d love to hear your 2017 personal goals!

Xox,
SKH

The Time is Now

Filed Under: Inspire, Love, Wellness Tagged With: , , , ,

Timing is never right, but the time is now to do whatever it is you’ve been needing and/or wanting to do.

I stumbled upon this quote yesterday.

The Time is Now sarahkayhoffman.com

I mostly agree, but would even take it a step further in saying that people also look forward to “Monday” for the same reason.

People, in general, are always looking forward to a new start of sorts – fresh starts, but can anything really be new when we are still clinging to the old?

The Time is Now

Click HERE to save this post for later.

The Time is Now sarahkayhoffman.com New Year Inspire Goals

The time is now to break old habits.

We all have them, even if we don’t want to admit it. The bad news is that habits are hard to break. The good news is that research shows habits can be developed in as little as 21 days. If you really want to break an old habit, 21 days is a small sacrifice to pay to begin the change you might desperately need.

The time is now to let go of your past.

Jet pilots don’t have rearview mirrors. You can’t go back to yesterday and change what’s been done, so you might as well do your very best to move forward.

The time is now to get healthy and well for you because you’re tired of feeling sick and tired, not because of a societal standard.

My 21-Day New Year, Wellness You Program is not called New Year, “New” You intentionally.  I do not believe that we need to become a new us in order to feel better and live fuller lives. Dropping those last 5 pounds won’t make you a better person. It won’t give you more success, and if you find love because you lost 5 pounds, then it’s not likely the kind of love you need. I know there are hundreds of programs out there, starting on Monday, that will tell you all of the above, and that will tell you how much better you’ll be when those last 5 pounds are gone.

I will tell you the truth: it’s a lie.

I know because I’ve been there.

The time is now to simply be healthy and well, and this looks different for everyone which is why my programs are so effective.

{Here are 36 New Year’s Resolutions that Have Nothing to Do with Weight Loss.}

The time is now to just make that decision that’s been hanging over your head.

I lived, for most of Samarah’s first two years of life, with a constant pit in my stomach trying to decide what would be best for her and for our family as it related to me working. I tried everything: working for someone part-time, working for someone full-time, and working above and beyond full-time. All along, I felt like something was not right, and that I needed to make the decision that something had to go (or at least that’s what Ryan helped me see). I sat on it and sat on it, until one day I just made the decision – almost out of nowhere. Endings are hard. Decisions are crucial.

The time is now to start living instead of waiting for something better (or worse) to come along so that you can start living.

A friend messaged me on Tuesday after reading my blog post on less. She said,

Yesterday I took a walk to the corner store with my youngest niece.  She is 7 and always has lots to say. ???? Kids are so in the moment. I love that she noticed the “sparkle” in the snow and that the “sparkle” spoke to her. ❄️ I love that you are slowing down and doing less. I hope as you do, that you will notice more of the “sparkle” and that it will speak to you.

I will pass this along to you, may you find your own sparkle in the now.

The time is now to find meaning in your life.

We all have a purpose, but I’ll be the first to admit that it can take a really long time to figure it out. All the things in life that we think have meaning usually are meaningless. Without finding meaning, we spin in circles chasing people and possessions that only have us craving bigger, more and better. It can lead to so much emptiness. Find your meaning, real and lasting meaning.

The time is now set those goals, and plan out the ways for achieving them. 

I love this quote by Karen Lamb.

The Time is Now a year from now sarahkayhoffman.com

And remember, there is nothing wrong with setting goals for yourself, no matter what they are. This is your life. You get one shot at it. Whatever it is, make your SMART goal and go after it. On the first day of my program, we are going to make them. I hope you’ll join!

The time is just now. Don’t make a fresh start on your old habits. Not only do you have the power to decide you want a change, but only you have the power to physically make it happen. All the talking about and planning in the world will not matter if nothing changes.

Do this for you.

You are worth it.

2016/2017 Update: Running Goals + Life Goals.

Xox,
SKH