Week Two!

Blimey, is it week two already?!

Welcome back to the From Sofa to Summit blog!

Did you join in on week one?  Comment below your experiences x

A lovely North Norfolk cliff tops walk to start the week!

My week went well, thank you! I stuck to the step goals and am always trying to stick to the goal of eating a balanced and nutritious diet (except for a sneaky McDonald's…, why oh why, did they come to Cromer?)  The first three weeks of a new regimen are pretty good, aren't they, as your motivation is high.  I may need a bit of help motivating come week four, though!

The end of the week and weekend were a bit more challenging as my main bulk of steps comes from walking my dog Matilda (Tilly).  However, Tilly had a little operation and deserted me! Bless her heart, she is recovering well, just feeling a bit sorry for herself.  I know she would do anything to be out walking, but no can do, vet's orders.

Tilly is being treated like royalty by my mum x

What's your go-to method of getting a chunk of steps in if you can't do your normal walk? Comment below x

But the steps still needed to be completed, and I felt bad going out for a walk without Tilly, so I turned to my favourite fitness guru, Jo, from Grow with Jo.  I love her videos.  She inspires at the beginning and at the end, but for the rest, it's just music and some amusing facial expressions!  More than my dislike of fitness people repeating the phrase, keep going, you got this, throughout their videos, Jo is so relatable and wholesome, and I can feel my body being worked out with her routines.   I am not one for the gym or structured, high-intensity, repetitive, set-focused workouts.  I would much rather exercise to feel functional in some way, whether that be gardening, looking for shells on the beach or videos like Jo’s…I feel like I am actually achieving something, you know?  Obviously, each to their own and do whatever works for you.

Having said that, I know I am one big contradiction, I love watching the CrossFit games and it's on my bucket list to see it live in America.

Jo's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growwithjo/

Grow with Jo is the best!

When I am walking, I find it the perfect time to think and ponder. If I am not learning lines or daydreaming, I am working on my goals and mindset as I breathe in the life and nature around me. This week, I have been strengthening my mindset when it comes to the quiet times in the acting industry, and they can be extensive!  Between jobs is a breeding ground for self-sabotage. Focusing on my fitness has been a blessing to help combat that as whatever I choose to focus my mind on is the answer for me.  Obviously, my mind wanders towards the negative thoughts…Is that it? Is my acting career over before it really started? Do casting offices suddenly hate me? Did I do something on a set to annoy a person, and now my name is mud in the industry?      

I mean, none of it is rational, but I am going to bet we all do it!  The skill I have been training and continue to train is to acknowledge that my brain went there, and then say no.  I always have a list of my wins handy (not exhaustive, just my top five) to reflect on. I listen to affirmations, watch a film, write, and do acting exercises like people-watching.  I CHOOSE to love myself enough to refocus my mind on reality rather than the irrational thoughts my brain wanders towards. 

Don't forget Three Trees Relaxation, where I create affirmations, meditations and motivational videos. Currently aimed at actors, but videos are coming soon that everyone can use.

That brings me on to excuses.  One of the hardest self-reflections I have had to face up to is that excuses are choices, and choices are something we consciously make.  And actors are no different, yes, self-reflection is one of our main skills, but we can still make excuses with the best of them:

*My agent is rubbish and hasn’t got me any work

*I need new headshots/footage before I can reach out to anyone

*I can't reach out, I don’t have anything to say

*I don't have any wins

*I am on holiday

*I am not feeling well

*It's too expensive

*They didn't reply to my email so what's the point

But it's not just actors, it's every aspect of everybody's lives…health, love, career, friendships, money, abundance, parenting, creativity…excuses creep in and we use them as a destructive safety blanket. 

I was a big culprit of this, right up until I waved hello to 40!  That’s not entirely accurate because it started to improve a few years before that, when I made the decision to tell a close family member (who was one of the two people responsible for my built-up childhood trauma) that I was no longer going to put up with the way he and his partner chose to treat me.  His answer was to walk away and lay the blame firmly at my feet, and there is no shortage of things that I am to blame for, of course, I'm human. However, I have learned over the years that it is practically impossible to reconcile with someone incapable of leaving their own victimhood mentality and taking accountability for their choices. After a while of reflection, I allowed myself to acknowledge that, despite my flaws and poor choices at times, I wasn't the bad guy in the relationship. It was as if a weight was lifted; their toxic (I called it dementor because of the life sucking creatures in Harry Potter) energy was no longer in my life, and I was able to start healing. Being removed from a person, whether it's your doing or theirs, is never easy, and there are so many emotions to sort through and overanalyse!  But if that person/s wasn’t a good energy in your life, then maybe it's simply meant to be.

If anyone can relate to any of this then all I want to encourage you to do is start to treat yourself kindly and put yourself first.  Your cup indeed needs to be full before you allow the overflow of beauty to pour into others. That’s not arrogant or selfish, quite the opposite, because you will radiate pure love and joy to all those around you.

Self-reflection is always the key.  Start to be completely honest with yourself but in a kind way and ask whether it's an excuse or a reason that is stopping you from doing something.  If you truly accept that it's 99% of the time an excuse, then maybe consider why you are making it.

Ultimately, acknowledge that the excuse has kept you safe and sound up until now but you are ready to blossom and be the best version of yourself.  You are ready to remove the excuse and try.  Change the word failure to progression.  We don’t fail, we simply learn and grow from the moment.

Oh my goodness, my fingers have been busy on the keyboard this week! 

Let's get stuck in with the second week of adventure prep...step increase. 

Monday   10,000 minimum steps

Tuesday 10,000 minimum steps

Wednesday 8,000 minimum steps

Thursday 10,000 minimum steps

Friday 10,000 minimum steps

Saturday 8,000 minimum steps

Sunday 10,000 minimum steps

Drum roll please....next week sees the introduction of the first addition to accompany the step increase!

I hope you have a happy and creative week.

Love Laura x