Challenge 267: The Aftermath

My birthday is officially over and I can definitely say I had a really great one. I didn't do anything very fancy, but it was just how I wanted it to be. The movie was great, the puppy was adorable (OF COURSE!), I got lots of love from friends and family, and dinner was just so wonderful. I feel lucky.

I also had the feeling yesterday that it's going to be a good year. :-)

Right now I'm still in bed. Awake but not quite ready to get up yet, secretly hoping that the puppy will come in here and jump on the bed and cuddle before I have to get my day started.

Challenge 266: Birthday Day

Well...it's here! My birthday. And leading up to today, I wasn't sure how I was feeling about it. I mean, I actually wasn't feeling much about it at all. I didn't really care. It wasn't like I didn't want it to come or got weird about getting older, but it was just a no-big-deal kinda thing. I asked for the day off work, but almost went back to tell my boss I could work since I didn't really have any plans. But, I decided to keep the day off and here I am, still in my pajamas (hee hee). I slept in, cuddled with the puppy, and lazily made tea and ate breakfast.

I'm gonna see a movie later, then dinner with a couple friends. I'm getting a lot of messages and texts from people and it feels really good.

It's sunny out today and I love that. Off to shower and get ready for the day.

Challenge 265: Sally, past

I've been waking up feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Heavy is kind of a good way to describe it. It's been a good opportunity for me to practice being present. To not try to avoid those feelings (because we all know that what we resist persists) but rather allow them to be there and try to feel them fully, but at the same time, try not to attach too much to them. At times, those two feel like very different, opposing things...fully get in and feel and look at them as thoughts passing through me. I haven't quite been able to reconcile the two, but I'm working on it and getting better.

Like I mentioned last night, I'm cleaning out my drawers and closets. Right now I'm staring at three giant trash bags and one giant piece of luggage all filled with clothes and shoes and things I haven't worn in forever. It's crazy how I can be getting rid of that much stuff, but yet, my closets and drawers still look exactly the same. Still messy. Still full. Maybe I should do an extra sweep.

Getting rid of stuff is weird. I found myself hanging on to things that I really loved many years ago, just for the sake of having loved them. Almost a marker that I existed as that person who wore that thing, even though I haven't even looked at the thing in years. Should I keep it just because it reminds me of a Sally past? Where to draw the line of junk around the house, to stuff that I'll want to keep forever. And then it begs the question, if I get rid of the stuff, do I get rid of the memory? Why hang on to it?
All just questions. I think I've done a good job of keeping the important stuff and getting rid of the non-important stuff.

I'm trying to get back into my gym routine that I've fallen off the wagon of. Woke up early today and should be heading out soon.

Challenge 264: Bucket, the cat

Oops! So I haven't been doing a very good job of being "back" now have I??

I just got off the phone with Sara, my friend who is my "Staying on the Hook" cheerleader. She was saying that I should keep writing because I only have a couple more months to go, and she enjoys reading the day to day stuff since we don't live in the same town anymore and don't get to see each other often.

So here I am. Back. I'm sitting at my (very messy...surprised?) desk. I'm going through my closets and drawers getting rid of a ton of stuff I don't wear anymore. Simplifying is the name of the game. I have too much STUFF. And stuff I don't need and don't use.

Bucket the cat is sitting on my desk staring out the window at our yard below. I imagine he is looking at the boys in the backyard, wishing and hoping that he could be down there with them smoking cigarettes and drinking bourbon. Sometimes that cat doesn't come back for days and when he does, we SWEAR he smells like weed.

I spent most of the weekend in Santa Cruz with some good friends who live on the beach. Me and Coach ventured down there and had a blast. We ate lots of cheese, saw a roller derby game, hung out with great friends and just enjoyed each other.

Work is getting exciting. I'm so in love with my clients and I have a feeling there will be some newbies coming into my life very soon.

Mostly, I'm grateful for all my friends and family.

Oh...and I have a birthday coming up. :-)

Challenge 263: Time to DO

Ok. Ok. With a very sweet email, a gentle nudge, and a drill sergeant-like talking to, I'm going to keep going. I only have a couple more months.

I can't write in length right now because I'm in bed, slowly drifting, but I just wanted to say that I'm back.

AND, I will say that I got some great advice from my mom today.

She said something like, "yeah, you should do it. But if you're going to do it, REALLY do it. You've been talking about it forever. Just do it."

Wow. What a life coach! It actually kicked my butt into gear. So...I guess I'm going to do it. :-)
Working on my new site...time to DO.

Challenge 262: Ebb and Flow

As the day goes on, my productivity fades and fades. I need to continuously remind myself that I'm a morning person! That I should wake myself up and get things done ahead of time, before the day goes on and I'm useless. It's only 6pm and I feel like I'm spent for the day, even though I still have five things on my business to-do list. UGH!! I am just procrastinating and wasting time.

I have to admit, that I'm really getting bored here. It is turning into another thing I HAVE to do in the day. I'm not feeling particularly open or interesting and so it's just details of the day. I've considered just stopping writing. I mean two hundred and sixty two straight (mostly) blog posts is pretty darn good, right? But yet, I can't bring myself to do it yet. The whole point was to follow through.

So here's another post. Maybe tomorrow the ebb will be a flow and it'll turn interesting again.

Challenge 261: Weeds and Sleep

I'm feeling, lately, like there is lots to learn.
And I want to keep learning.
But mostly, I want to watch Weeds and go to sleep. :-)

Challenge 260: Lucky in Life

I had the absolute best evening ever. Amazing food. Amazing conversation. Amazing certification celebration. Amazing wine. Lots of laughter. I feel really lucky in my life.

To the Lindstroms...thank you so much!

Challenge 259: Fleas

The animals have fleas!!!! ARGH!!!!

Challenge 258: It's the little things

Today went by in kind of a blur. I'm sitting in the same chair I started in this morning, with the same tiredness of waking up. I apologize that again, I waited til I was too tired to write.

Hey...remember pig latin? Ok I know that was really random but there is this restaurant we're thinking of checking out that's called "Acote" (pronounced A-co-tay). It occurred to me that that was pig latin for "taco." And I giggled about that for at least five minutes. It's the little things.

Challenge 257: Goodnight Moon

Eek! Waited til the last minute again and I'm about one minute away from slumber.
I'm afraid I haven't much to say right now as my mind fades to dreamland.
Goodnight moon.

Challenge 256: Why not, right?

Well, it appears that I celebrated with a panini, a bleu-cheese salad, a glass of wine and a book at this restaurant local restaurant down the street I've been wanting to try since I moved here. I got done with watching Phoenix early and started to walk home. About half way there, I decided it was the perfect time to try this new restaurant. I sat at a table on the front patio, watching people and cars go by. Witnessed conversations, first dates, drunk college kids. And I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I imagined myself in Spain, doing virtually the same thing. Eating delicious food at a cafe, people watching, eavesdropping, reading. I'm thinking it might be time for some adventure.

Why not, right?

Challenge 255: Certified Coach Sally

Well...it's official as of today. I am now a bonafide, CERTIFIED COACH!!!!! I got my letter in the mail today, only a couple days after my exam. I was expecting to have to wait two weeks, but it came today and damn does it feel good. 196 hours of classroom training, plus over 200 hours of coaching (not to mention all my other training and courses). Gosh...it really does feel great.

One thing that I feel really proud of is that I went through the entire process. A lot of people just take the courses and then start being a "life coach." I respect the profession so much, think it's SO amazing what it can do for people, and I wanted to make sure that whatever I put out there is representing the profession well. For me, that meant getting certified. Taking it one step further. And so here I am, a certified coach. Sally Hope, CPCC.

In other news, the free Bluegrass festival was in Golden Gate park today. Surprisingly, I didn't actually hear any bluegrass! But it was fun and festive nonetheless. I'm sore as all get out from an amazing session with my amazing trainer yesterday. And the puppy is snoring.

How should I celebrate my certification?

Challenge 254: Easy leash

It's a gloomy day today. The sun hasn't once peeked it's head out to say hello. I didn't sleep well, and woke up early, seemingly rested. However I realized about two hours after said awakening, that I was in fact, still tired. I realized this at the Dr's office. I went with Lily and Dre to find out the sex of their new little bundle of joy. A BOY!!!! We all knew it already. It's weird. As soon as she told me she was pregnant I just had this core feeling that it was a boy. She did too. So it was no surprise, but still amazingly wonderful to know.

I've never seen a live baby in a womb right up close. I've seen people's pictures, but never the real thing. It's absolutely amazing. I imagined what it must have felt like for Lily, to be there with her loving husband holding her hand, looking at their new baby together. I got teary. It was just so sweet.

Today is a mellow day. Not too much planned, so I'm finding myself planning stuff (invoicing, writing, organizing, gyming, etc).

Oh! I got Coach a new collar yesterday that magically and instantly makes him the best dog ever on our walks. I can't believe I waited this long. It's making my life 10 times easier already.

Ok...off to fill my day.
(Seriously...I can't believe I STILL have over 100 days left to write. I know...it's getting boring )

Challenge 253: Letters after my name

Well...24 hours later and I finished my coaching oral exam. I didn't get nervous until the very moments before my first coaching session (there were two total).

On the first call, I felt I did OK. The topic wasn't very clear and I kept getting lost in the client's story. All I could do was tell her that, and ask her if she was feeling lost too. I didn't think I failed miserably, but it wasn't my most shining hour. With the second client, I felt much more connected, like I could literally FEEL her and jump into her body of emotions. This is the coolest thing when it happens. And it doesn't always happen. I think it's maybe when a client is really open or the coach is really focusing on being "over there" with the client. I don't really know why it happens that way with some clients and not with others.

So I got off the call thinking I did a pretty good job. I haven't celebrated yet. Perhaps that will come when I get my official letter.

Today is the last day of September which means birthday month is right around the corner and I don't know how I feel about it. I suppose I should celebrate but I'm not sure what I'd want to do.

I'm back where I've been the last couple years, searching MA and PhD programs online. Sometimes I feel that I am just utterly insatiable! Always wanting more or something else. But when I look back throughout the years, I've always wanted a higher degree. I just need to be able to justify spending the money and there are so many things I'm interested in...sorta. It's weird. Sometimes it feels like I want a degree just to have one, and that somehow it all fits into the bigger picture, and not like "I want to be a teacher so I need to get a degree for that." Because the end result is kind of nebulous, I go back and forth on what kind of thing to look for. I think the bottom line for me is that I'm just wildly curious and I just love learning more about the things I love. So here I am, back at square one. Absolutely ADORING coaching, but wondering if I still should shoot for more letters after my name.

Challenge 252: CPCC

I'm getting ready to take my exam. It starts in 40 minutes and I'm excited! It's the last piece of the certification pie. When I pass, I'll then be Sally Hope, CPCC, the Coachess with the Mostest.

I was going over some of my notes last night and remembering how far I've come. And not just with my skills, but as a person. It was only a year ago that I began, but it might as well be 20. Everything is different.

Today is a full day. Exam for two hours, then new client, then marketing class, then more clients. Right now I'm enjoying the quiet of the morning, drinking some tea, not yet feeling the heat of the day.

Signing off forever as just plain old Sally Hope.

Challenge 251: Leaping

I'm sitting here listening to a prep call for my coaching certification exam, going over all of the skills we'll need to use while coaching the examiners.

I'm realizing I need to go bigger. With everything. With my own life, with my coaching with my clients. Everything. I've been taking baby steps and I think I just need to leap. Even saying the words sends a wave of energy through my body. Excitement. Then possibilities.

Challenge 250: Birthday wishes

This post is dedicated to Vaughn's mom...Dorothy. It's her birthday today and she deserves the whole dang post, just for her.

So if you're reading. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS DOROTHY!!!!!!!!

Challenge 249: Here I go

I know I know.

It's hot here. Already in the mid seventies and it hasn't even broke 10am. It's gonna be a warm one, which is fine since me and Lily are going swimming (weeeeeee).

Today was my day to relax and sleep in, but still, I got up before 8:30. That's when my body wanted to be up, and that feels great. I've already had tea in the backyard, hung with the pup, and done some business. Next up, a hike.

Update on my boss...I am now ONLY doing what I want to be doing, and there has been a shift in our relationship as well (me standing firm in my wants and all). :-)
Two more months and then we'll see.

Today is all about work. The creative part. I want to catch up on my marketing class stuff and work on my website. My goal is to have something up that I like by Monday. Here I go.

Challenge 248: BUSY BEE

Well...things are plugging along here at the house. My day was completely booked start to finish, all with amazing things. My wonderful clients, exercise, my own coach, working on my new wordpress website (SO much to learn!!), donated some guitars through this awesome charity called Rock Start to this other awesome organization, Girls Rock Camp, had an amazing business meeting with my girl that I'm putting on a workshop with, more clients, sushi dinner, more wordpress. Now I'm here.

Whew. That's a lot. It all feels really good.

I have my coaching oral exam next week which is very exciting. Once I pass, I'll be a certified Coach! WOOO HOOOOOO.

I heard from my boss today. He agreed with EVERYTHING I said to him and damn...that felt really good. So glad I stood up for myself!

ANyway, off to bed now. Finally. Another long day tomorrow.