Betty on a Box

Well, well… Today marks 2 months that I have officially been a stay-at-home whatever.

People ask if I’m:

Bored - Nope
Lonely – Nope
Getting fatter – Nope
Getting out of Sunshine – Does going to West Footscray count?
Happy as a dog rolling in bird shit – YEP

Jeff agreed to a few conditions – things I wouldn’t do just because I’m home: 

1. Iron – tick
2. Empty the dishwasher – well… I have a few times
3. Can’t remember the 3rd one

Here’s what I have been trying out:

Weight and Health
I’ve been learning about the Paleo way of eating and living – this is a goodie. Of course, just like religion, I’m doing it my way. And, just like religion, it’s working out. I was really worried about putting on weight because of boredom, loneliness, and “I feel like chocolate-o’clock”, but Paleo is really helping. I don’t feel hungry, and because I’m eliminating as much sugar and carbs as I can, I’ve just decided what I’m not prepared to eat and I just don’t.

I listen to a tonne of podcasts and read heaps to understand the whole thing, like www.cutthefatpodcast.com and www.paleodietlifestyle.com

Some can be a little fanatic, like insisting on no fruit. What? A girl needs to poo.

Cheap skin care
There are just some things a girl can’t do. Like buy crappy shoes or scrimp on skincare. The thing is, I have sun damage on my face and I’ve tried everything. That Cate freaking Blanchett nearly convinced me to try SKII. But, seriously, with two mortgages and one salary, I had to let my fingers do the walking and I discovered on a number of website last night that fresh lemon juice dabbed on the face and left to dry for 30 minutes is the key to “bleaching” dark spots. FREE skincare! I’m European, so of course I have a lemon tree… Stay tuned.

No TV until after Jeff gets home
Easy. My first week, I decided to watch Dr Phil during lunch and it was depressing! People yelling and not listening. Instead I have Triple J on all day, which means I keep up with music and say things like, “I’m so down with the kids, y’all”, which makes me sound just like Phil on Modern Family.

No shopping
Man this is a hard one. I get these delightful daily reminders from MyHabit, Spreets, Brandexclusive, Dorothy Perkins, Urban Outfitters, Gala Darling etc etc. I mean, I don’t want to turn into one of those stay at homes who lets themselves go. Instead, I’m going through my wardrobe and wearing it…

Dress nicely and wear make up every day
Tick, tick. This one was really important to me. If I look nice, I feel nice.

Walk every day
Remarkably easier than expected. I used to find excuses, now I think of the puppies and it’s easy. I haven’t taken the car into Sunshine once…

Learning to like Facebook
Yep, I’m a little behind the 8-ball, but it’s served me well. That said, I like having a virtual community of people. PLUS, how awesome is it to wake up to a tonne of people “liking” you!

Start Rollerderby
Oh no she di’nt. OH YES I DID! I learned about the Westside Derby Dollz recently and I’m now training with them. I say “training” rather loosely. I’m learning to fall without killing myself or anyone else. It’s the best fun and serious bi’nness!

Hanging out with fellow homebodies
Epic Fail! Who’da thought I’d be so freakin busy? Between the pet biz and writing, it all amounts to fullness. No complaints here, though. But I know I’ll make more time over summer.

Oh yeah, and the big reason I wanted to stop working for the man in the first place (other than my brain conniptions)…

Write a book
Yes indeed. I have been planning my third book since around May. I know it’s a long gestation, but that’s just how I roll. This week I’ve had some serious misgivings about the plot. So I did as Jeff suggested and printed out all my notes and started reading all 100+ pages to see whether there’s a plot in there somewhere. And, you know, there is. Just not the plot I had originally planned. I’m planning on starting the main writing before Christmas. YE-HAW…

As I sit here on the wrong side of midnight contemplating both the SexPo ads during Roseanne and my dog’s hiccups, I’m trying to answer the question posed today by Dr Ray over at www.cutthefatpodcast.com:

What is your Kelly Harrington?

EH?

Well, for Dr Ray, Kelly Harrington was the catalyst that got him to move his ass and do something about his weight when he was 12 when she said “You’re fat, give me back my shoe” (Go and listen to his ultra motivating Episode 33 for some context)

Kelly became his motivation, his obsession that got him up and running.

So what’s your Kelly Harrington? What shakes your world up and motivates you?

Here’s the formula we need, according to Dr Ray:

BW x DAD = AR

When the WHY is big enough, the HOW will present itself. One of the biggest things I got out of this podcast is that once you’ve found the BW, don’t go looking for information, just go ahead and DAD to get AR.

Big Why x Do Anything Differently = Amazing Results

Indeed. My Big Why is that I love to tell stories.

But is that a big enough BW? How about, I’ve tried to quit but keep coming back to it? Why not…

My “Do Anything Differently” was to quit work. Work has been my excuse for not writing enough. It’s the biggest thing I could have done differently to get the results.

Has it worked? Somewhat. I’m still looking for information — and this is interesting because last week, my friend Rachael told me to “just get started”, stop researching and GO, which I did, but I’m still holding on to old ways a bit.

BUT… I’m determined to start on the actual manuscript before Christmas. I’m giving myself a few more weeks of research. I can’t cut the cord that quickly, can I?