"You're a Hard Habit to Break"

Chicago was spot on at depicting the way I hope I will feel as I attempt to form long-lasting habits that I am consistent at this school year. I know that it takes about a month to six weeks to even form a habit that sticks and it's crucial to not attempt to form too many at once. Been there... done that.

I have so many goals I'd like to implement in an effort to change my life and bring more peace, contentment, and fulfillment to it. I have tried to simplify them in terms of daily, nightly, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. timeframes.

Listed below are the goals I have where my habits are concerned. I'm most definitely posting them on this bloggy blog for accountability purposes:

Daily Habit Goals:

1. Brush & floss 2 times.
2. Apply Vitamin C.
3. Drink collagen, Trim Fit, Ovasitol, Greens, & a probiotic.
4. Drink 2 Stanley 40 oz drinks (at least 80 oz).
5. Drink Fair Life for breakfast.
6. Walk at least 5000 steps or more.
7. Read scriptures.

Nightly Habit Goals:

1. Use cleansing balm.
2. Use Beauty Bio's face wash.
3. Potentially use Pomifera's and/or Oliveda's new anti-aging formulas.
4. Use Rodan & Field's active hydration serum, neck cream, & eye cream.
5. Use Lumene.
6. Wear retainer.

Weekly Habit Goals:

1. Sh.
2. Exfoliate 2-3 times.
3. Glo Pro 1-2 times.
4. Do a hydro facial at least once.
5. Do a face mask at least once.
6. Use Tretinoin on Friday nights.
7. Whiten teeth on Saturdays.
7. Do the weights tape 2-3 times.
8. Listen to or read at least one Conference talk.
9. Read a portion of a self-help book.
10. Meal prep at least a few meals.

Bi-Weekly Habit Goals:

1. Dermaplane (1-2 times a month).
2. Use hair mask for hair.
3. Glo Pro.
4. Do laundry.
5. Learn more about PCOS.
6. Blog.

Monthly Habit Goals:

1. Do service.
2. Do something I've never done before.

Habit Goals for Every 3 Months:

1. Clean the house.

To all of these habits I'm listing, I'll strive to one day, channel the words of good old Peter and "become addicted to [all of] you..."

Time. will. tell.

"Hard Habit to Break" by Chicago

Better Late Than Never

Wow, to say it's been too long is an understatement. I have wanted to write here too many times to count, but somehow other things have gotten in the way and *life* has happened. I have an Instagram and have posted more on there since it allows me to keep the summaries of my life short and sweet, but I will always love this forum for expressing the innermost thoughts of this crazy mind of mine in short or long lengths.
I see that the last post I wrote on here was my vision board from the very beginning of 2020 before life exploded into a million weird smitherines.

Cliff Notes version:

*Covid wreaked havoc on life in March of 2020, causing everyone to live in 2 years plus of unprecedented times. I taught remotely at Sunset View and worked my freakin tail off during the first few months of it. I have never had to work harder to Zoom, record videos, meet with students and parents, etc.. I feel tired just thinking about it. Add to it that everyone was so isolated during that time- it felt so depressing and lonely.

*I left my job at Sunset and moved back to Pennsylvania in August of 2020. I left with a broken heart.

*I spent 2 years in Pennsylvania and learned Utah was a better fit for my career. I experienced the *WORST* year of my teaching in my second year there. My mantra that year was "Grow through what you go through." I joke with my friends and loved ones that I grew... horizontally. Jokes aside- I feel like I'm finally at a place where I feel like I have mostly healed from that time.

*It was SO HARD to leave my mom after being around her for those 2 years in PA. I lived at home during that time and will forever cherish my time with her. <3

*Those 2 years didn't count. That's right- I'm not the age I am according to my birth year. I'm 2 years younger... birthdays felt weirder during Covid. Life was strange as all getup. It honestly felt like being in limbo.

*In June 2022, I moved back to UT and got hired at Canyon Crest, where I am currently teaching. This school is in the same district I taught in before. It's the best school I've ever taught at and it has healed my heart. I LOVE my job teaching the English side of Dual Language Immersion (DLI). I have Sean Edwards as a principal and I am about to work with my best friend, Taylor! Does life get any better?! I think not.

*I will never forget the joy that I felt when I returned to UT. For a whole year, everything felt brand new to me. My gratitude always runs deep, but I wish that I could bottle up the way I felt and save that feeling forever. To quote a line from one of my favorite movies of all time, "The Outsiders," "Nothing gold can stay." I think that's why I love the song, "Stay Gold" by Stevie Wonder as much as I do.

*I got Covid 3 times- once in January 2022, then in November 2022, and last in November 2023. I'm getting scared of November to be honest. My bout of Covid in November of 2022 led to me getting pneumonia in February of 2023, which was scary. Then near Thanksgiving/December of 2023, having had Covid again that November, I had issues with my lungs again.

*Things happened my first year, which hurt me near the end. Life moved on. This past year of teaching felt great and I was honored to receive the "Teacher of the Year" award in May.

I honestly can't believe that I have been back in Utah the same amount of time I was gone in Pennsylvania. That's where the limbo or time warp comes in. Time always feels strange and as if it can go faster or slower at various points in your life. But I submit that amidst Covid and those 2 years of weirdness (2020-2022), it went at the strangest speed yet.

I loved the days of posting a song to depict how I was feeling or even just a song I was digging at the time. I would like to return to that... I am wired to think in terms of movies, shows, and songs. I'll always connect to those things.

So this blog exists among the land of the dead online journals for my viewing pleasure only. This online account of my life is visible to my eyes only (I think) and I like it that way.

I'm much better at typing than I am at handwriting my thoughts anyway.

Over and out.