Continue to SOAR

~ patwdoyle11

I’m learning that my seasonal bucket lists get me moving – the “A” in SOAR being Activating.  They are actually an amalgamation of a bucket list, a check list, and an action plan.   By putting it out there (in public), I feel compelled to do more of it than if it was just in my own head.  Talk about accountability partners!

My Spring Bucket list had the theme of 10 New Things to help me SOAR in three areas:

  • Healthy Living which focused on expanding healthy cooking, exploring new mind-opening areas like meditation and restarting weekly yoga
  • Out & About which focused on getting up to 5 activities per week, trying 5 new restaurants, and restarting my travel thinking.
  • Home Organization which included getting my office set up (finally) and doing spring clean up inside and out (paper purge, planting beds)

I did OK as I hit strongly on all three areas, even if I didn’t do everything I had listed in each area. I felt however, that I was “SOAR”-ing this spring and trying lots of new things, many of which were not listed as the original 10.

Summer brings with it much more outdoor time and great fresh produce.  We are starting our summer in Florida, so lots of outdoor activities that I hope begins a personal trend for the rest of summer. I also just read Julia Cameron’s The Artist Way for Retirement (blog post review forthcoming) so I feel the need to push on creativity this summer.

My 3 areas to SOAR this summer:

Healthy Living

  • Increase movement using Fit Bit tracking – exercise activity 5 days a week, 7000 step goal 4 days a week (an increase for me) – continue yoga, zumba, walking, get out on the SUP, walk the dog.
  • Eat more healthy with cooking healthy dinners with fresh stuff (berries, tomatoes, corn), exploring new recipes, hydrating more, and watching sugars better.
  • Get outside more.  My space meridian continues to be blocked, so I need to create more space in my life, both physically and mentally.  So… go barefoot (to connect with the earth), eat on the patio, take a hike, walk on the beach.

More Out & About- Summer Fun

  • 2-3 Summer road trips: ideas: Wright Patterson Air Museum (and Dorothy Lane store); Mammoth Cave; Syracuse Family visit (new thing – Air BnB!); Ohio State Fair
  • 5-6 Summer Lovin Mini-Adventures with hubby – ideas: WW SUP, Farmer’s markets; Findlay market; Oakley Final Friday; Mad Tree Market; Goetta festival; ArtWorks Walk & streetcar (downtown); Cincinnati Nature Center hike; Riverbend concert; Motorcycle ride; Walk to Norwood Dairy Bar!
  • New Connections with friends: ideas: Dog-days-of-summer pot luck; Girls mid-day movie (Oceans 8, Book Club); Morgan’s Twilight Canoe & Dinner (Thursday Night); FCC Soccer game.
  • Plan Iceland trip for fall and explore opportunities for fall birding;

Explore Creativity

  • Continue blogging and writing – post a blog weekly, continue to do link-ups, explore book publication, more yelp/foodie reviews
  • Explore Podcasts: Richard Fidler, Thanks God its Friday, Mama Mia, Oprah
  • Reinstate Artist Dates and restart creativity exploration. Read Byron Katie book, create new Vision Board, and write new scenarios.

I am hoping by putting this all out there that most of it comes to fruition!  I want to continue to SOAR this year.

What are your summer plans?

 

Picture Credit: Pixabay

 

Published by patwdoyle11

Life is a series of transitions and my blog captures my retirement transition journey.

20 thoughts on “Continue to SOAR”

    1. Thanks for stopping by Suzy. Some folks love to live spontaneously and that’s great for them! My hubby is like that. But, I’m a planner and had to just realize that I need a plan to be happy. The plan can change (and often does and that’s fine), but I do need one.

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  2. Pat, I like how you set summer goals that align with SOAR. Like Janet, I have some unwritten plans. I think I’m a little stuck though. The community association that I belong to is planning its annual rodeo in early July and I feel that I can only move forward when that is over. There are many little details to be tended to and my mind is focused on them; it’s like the proverbial albatross around my deck. I have to disengage from that mindset and move forward. I saw Oceans 8 with my young cousin (connect with her monthly-check) and Book Club (while on a road trip with a friend-check). I’m looking forward to the new Mama Mia release. Seasonal demands take up time and fulfill the need for physical activity, i.e. lots of grass cutting, garden and flower bed tending (check). I’ve committed to tending to my ageing mother’s yard this summer as well. A goal is to connect with my granddaughters monthly and I just visited with them a week ago. If a face-to-face visit isn’t possible, I’ll write to them. As usual, I’m working on old lists! My SIL says – there’s always a list of things left undone. I thought of that yesterday when I tended to a number of leftover tasks. One of my new year’s goals was to visit a list of people I wanted to connect with. I think I’m halfway through that list. Summer will be bookended with the previously mentioned road trip to SK and another trip to a BC resort area with a group of friends. As I write this, I’m reminded that life is full with home, family, friends, activities.

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    1. Mona, I understand that feeling of being a bit in limbo before moving forward. Your reason however sounds like a big check – getting all the details ready for an annual event is a huge check off accomplishment! My limbo is 3 weeks in FL at the beach… with the highlight of my day being a walk on the beach for shells. OK, I’ve been focusing on being active everyday (check), but not eating quite as healthy as I should be, not engaging with friends (most local friends ended up taking these weeks as their vacation time away – hah). You’re moving forward with the rodeo details, with still hitting the people connection, getting in physical activity, and making plans.

      As for old lists…. I’ve got undone things on mine as well. I’m starting to ask myself why I haven’t gotten to the items and if I really want to do them for me, not as should, not as expectation, not because they are on a list… but really want to do them. It’s a hard thing to admit that I wanted to do them at some point, but now just don’t. Is that failure, or growth?

      Yes, your unwritten lists are full of home, family, friends, activities and travel… and you just wrote them all down! LOL.

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  3. I love these seasonal bucket lists, but haven’t linked up this season. I especially love reading the bucket lists from the other side of the world & the opposite season! I listen to Richard Fidler’s Conversations – I think it’s the best all-round podcast going around. So many interesting people doing fascinating things.

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    1. I will put Richard Fidler’s to the top of my list then! I also enjoy reading all the bucket lists… I look to the other side of the world for ideas for future seasons! So many great ideas out there for things to do.

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  4. Love your updates, Pat! I confess that I’m not nearly as productive as you are… but I’m having a nice summer so I’m happy. I’m looking forward to reading your review of The Artists Way for Retirement. I understand from others that it’s the same book as It’s Never too Late to Begin Again (how is that possible?) but I haven’t read that one either. I love both titles, though, so I’m interested to read your impressions. Your Summer Fun list has given me some ideas for my own out-and-about possibilities.

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    1. Janis, I’ve heard the same thing about her books but as I said below… I’m not buying the second to confirm! I’ve read a few of her Artist Way books now and if you’ve never read one, I would recommend it. I liked “for retirement” because all the examples were retirees. I got the most out of the first one I read though (which was actually “for work”) because it introduced me to many of her tools/exercises which I did. I’ve a firm believer in her “morning pages” activity. I also use her “lists of things you love” (I call mine “jolts of joy”) and agree with a lot of the advice she gives on goal setting, being mindful, etc. I’ve got a post drafted…maybe I’ll get it out sooner (looks like rain today, so an inside day!).

      So glad I could inspire you on summer fun… you’ll have to post about what you do.

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  5. It sounds like you have a busy summer ahead full of new things to explore and enjoy. It seems to me you are soaring nicely!! 🙂

    I’m looking at my summer calendar and it is already chock full of planned activities and I have so many more that I haven’t yet managed to schedule. For me, summer is all about squeezing out as much activity as possible before the cold weather arrives again!

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    1. Hi Joanne, Even as I wrote it I wondered if I’m being too ambitious! So I’ve told myself to reach high and not beat myself up if it all does not happen. I agree that summer is all about being active… there is so much to engage in! I’m still happy in the warmth, even though I’m more a cooler weather person. Usually by mid August, I’m looking forward to cool weather again, but not yet.

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  6. Hi Pat,
    You’re sounding great – strong, happy, enthusiastic, and confident. You are truly SOARing my friend.

    I want to read Byron Katie’s book this summer too. Thanks for the reminder. It has been on my shelf for ages.

    And I’m working through It’s Never too Late to Begin Again (same book as The Artist’s Way for Retirement – not a smart publishing move to have the same book with two different titles). Anyway, I’m working through it thanks partly to your mention as you’ll see in my RAW NEWS Update post. Love the idea of restarting Artist Dates (I’ve got to do that too) and of a new Vision Board – probably at the end of working with It’s Never Too Late.

    Like Janet, I’d love to hear more about meridians. Oh and I just today went for a professional Tarot reading. Fascinating stuff! I’ll be blogging about it next week. You just might want to add that to your summer SOAR plans.

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    1. Karen,
      I’m reading Byron Katie’s A thousand Names for Joy and it is not going well. I’m finding her thinking almost against my personal beliefs. It is hard for me to read … I’ve asked Kathy (below) if maybe I started with wrong book. Many folks I find inspiring do like her writing!

      I’ve heard Julia Cameron’s 2 books are the same…. but I’m not going to buy the second to confirm. 🙂 I’ve read 3 different Artist’s Way now… the original, “for work”, and “for retirement” and her message is pretty consistent…. as are her tools, questions, and guidance. The big difference is her examples (case studies). I found it helpful in “for retirement” that all the examples were retirees. It was good to refresh my thinking on some of her tools. And I’m definitely planning a new vision board this summer…. my last one was very much “get through cancer treatment” and now I’m feeling like living fully (even on my non-productive florida days!)

      I wrote some stuff about meridians in response to Janet below… so please look at that. And oooh, a professional Tarot reading…. I’m looking forward to hearing about that!!

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      1. Hi Pat,
        I’ll be interested to hear Kathy’s take on this. I also have the book A Thousand Names for Joy. I’ve had it for years but haven’t really gotten into it yet. My understanding, however, is that all of her books use the same process so if it’s the process (the questions) you’re struggling with, she may not be for you.

        I’ve read a pile of Cameron’s books. In addition to the three you’ve mentioned, I’ve read The Writing Diet, Letters to a Young Artist, How to Avoid Making Art, The Sound of Paper, The Right to Write, The Vein of Gold, and her memoir, Floor Sample.

        You’re right that the tools are consistent throughout her books, especially morning pages. Letters to a Young Artist differs as does How to Avoid Making Art and, of course, her memoir. Her memoir is actually a bit scary. She’s had her share of mental health problems. In her memoir she writes of a complete psychotic break where she ended up running naked and screaming along a road in Taos. At least I think I remember those details correctly. I have the book but last read it probably two decades ago. I just remember at the time thinking, Whew – she’s honest. And also Whew – can I trust her advice? Clearly the answer to the latter has been ‘yes’.

        I’ll take a look through my energy psychology books. I think somewhere I’ve seen something about meridians. I’ll type it out for you if I find anything.

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  7. Hi Pat! I love your dedication to planning 😉 and your willingness to be accountable by sharing it all with us. I’m having too much fun so far this summer and feeling (only a little bit) guilty for not being more productive. The good news is that eating right and staying active is such a normal part of our every day I don’t have to do too much to stay on track in that way….and my blog? As I’ve confessed before, that is also a habit that keeps me posting once a week. Good luck with all your upcoming plans and oh, I also LOVE both Julia Cameron and Byron Katie! ~Kathy

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    1. Kathy, I’ve just spent most of June in Florida being totally non-productive! Staying active has been my only focus. My Fitbit is helping there. I can’t say eating right… cause I’ve put on 5-7 pounds…too much eating out, but the seafood down here is so good.

      I’m working through a Byron Katie book right now and finding it challenging and almost un-enjoyable. Which one would you recommend? Maybe I picked the wrong one of her’s to start with. Or maybe it’s just not meant to be that I “get her”.

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  9. Absolutely love the way you’ve laid out these plans to SOAR. I am particularly interested in learning more about “My space meridian continues to be blocked”. Do you have resources where I can learn more about this concept and how you tell what is blocked? I know I could simply Google, but if you have a few you find particularly helpful please share.

    As for my summer plans — here in America, I feel like summer is already 1/3 down, 2/3 to go – so I’m hoping to stay on track to flip my house — not in the fun way of fixing it up to sell but in the ‘everything upstairs is coming down’ and ‘most of downstairs is moving up’. I’m making progress between my client load, road trips to help 20-somethings move cross country, and blogging/gardening/biking. I think I am making good progress — the only thing lagging behind my unwritten but ‘planned’ summer is making progress on my books. This always seems to come last….

    Thanks for sharing how you SOAR!

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    1. Janet, the space meridian info is from my Thai Yoga Massage therapist. That is the when I learned that my space meridian is pretty blocked – I could feel it as he did the massage – I asked “what area is that” every time it was very painful and it was always my space meridian. It’s more info he told me, but there is some on his website as well. http://www.cincyoga.com/copy-of-earth-element For him, the meridians represent both physical and mental components and (Thai Yoga massage is very interactive) he asked me what was keeping me too grounded and recommended I needed to do more action, take more risk, be more open to things. Visioning, planning, having courage. You’ll see a bunch of this in the past 3 months from me. I did feel “shackled” (for 16 years), so it could take time to release the space blockage. Last time, he also recommended more time outdoors. I’ve had 4 of these massages now and the pain in the meridian is less, but still there.

      I looked for more info on Google but didn’t find much myself. My therapist was trained in India, so I think a lot was just his way of interpreting things… but I found it meaningful and helpful to where I am at on my journey. If you do find anything, please let me know.

      I know what you mean by summer being 1/3 over by end of June! I’ve spend most of this month in Florida and it just flew by! I’m feeling like my summer plans are too ambitious, but I’ve told myself I will not beat myself up if all are not done.

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