Happy Chinese New Year!

Wow! What an amazing week.  Even though I was not feeling 100% I decided to dive in and participate in the New Years challenge. I did so knowing 1000 push ups and sit ups was not realistic for me at this time,  but what a great opportunity to push myself and see what I could accomplish. I can't wait to see what I can accomplish next year.  I loved being part of the banquet set up Friday night and Saturday. It felt good to contribute and be a part of everything. I'm already seeing the benefits of being a member of the I Ho Chuan team for myself and my son.

This is the third banquet I have attended and the first one as a student. Every banquet has been memorable and I hope to never miss one in the future. I have had only a glimpse of all the hard work and effort that goes into preparing for this night and I am truly appreciative of the final results.

Congratulations to Sifu Tymchuk and Sifu Beckett on their black belt promotions as well as all the others who received awards and promotions. I loved Sihing Csillag's speech about mental health. It was truly inspiring. Thank you!  Well done to all the students that performed at the banquet and a big thank you to all the instructors and volunteers. An amazing night and an amazing week.

Journal #2 Make a plan and stick to it.

My personal goals are all very attainable. They involve family time, budgeting and finances, reading and healthy eating. I am keeping Sundays free of physical requirements and using this day for the majority of my personal goals. As long as I log numbers daily and keep a running total, I will be able to  keep track of what I have accomplished and what still needs to be completed. For me this is crucial to my success as I tend to be forgetful, lazy and I like to procrastinate. A log book will help to keep me on track. 

Physical requirements are going to be more of a challenge for me. I have had some health related issues over the past year and struggle most of the time with low energy levels and dizziness at times. I have been able to push myself and slowly improve over time. I can already see the benefits to joining the I Ho Chuan team. I'm just not sure where I see myself physically by the end of the year or what is even realistic for me. How do I set a goal for myself without it being too easy or too difficult? As long as I can progress with number of reps and technique and keep some consistency going I will be happy.

When I feel overly stressed and tired, I have a tendency to withdraw into myself. I don't talk to friends and I don't like to venture away from home unless necessary. I feel awkward asking for help and need to learn to be kinder to myself. These are all things that I will work on throughout the year. Thankfully I am stubborn, resilient, and I don't give up. Also most importantly, because I am hard on myself I will need to remember to recognise my successes every day; big and small.

Successes this week:

Journal #2 done and done on time(for me this is Sunday)

130 push ups on Friday

Journal #1


Ahhg!!! This is very, very difficult. I have started and restarted numerous times. So here it goes.

The month of January has been very trying. I am not knowledgeable when it comes to computers and never thought I would be part of a social media group. I also find it difficult to ask for help. After some trial and error, much anxiety, procrastination and last but not least help from fellow team members. I am now at a place where I can start to journal and although I have a good start on the computer stuff, this too will be a journey. My path to mastery will be comprised of many mini journeys and some not so mini.  I just have to remember to stay in the moment and ask for help when I need it. It's not about the the destination, it's about the journey! When I look at what I have accomplished since I signed up in November. I can already see many successes. While my push ups are not where I had hoped they would be, I have been able to gradually increase the number of reps that I am able to do at a time and I have muscles. I also made it through the computer setup. I am creating a routine and schedule that seems to work well. Still need to fine tune and add in some other components but as long as there is a good solid base I can fine tune and adjust as needed. Sounds good so far? Only time will tell. And as long as I don't look too far ahead I'm not freaking out.

When I read Mastery by Stewart Emery, something that stood out for me in the last paragraph was the line, "It's necessary to be able to correct yourself without invalidating or condemning yourself-- to use the results of the correction process to improve upon other aspects of your life."

I cannot truthfully say that I am looking forward to the year ahead, but I can say that I am looking forward to all the benefits, successes and personal growth in the months to come.

Michele Ward