As a middle school teacher, I’m committed to creating an environment for my students that is warm and friendly, but most importantly, encouraging and motivating. I want them to leave my room energized to not just embrace learning, but to feel good about themselves. If you know a teenager, you can relate. So when it came time for me to begin my own diet and exercise regimen, aka my 2012 New Year’s resolution, I became a student of my own philosophies. Teacher, teach thyself.
I have set my goals and committed them to writing. I plastered them in places around my house. I set up an action plan for following through. Okay, great. But the missing piece was what we educators call the “daily objective,” the “teaching target,” or “learning goal.” It is the why. Why do I want you to learn this? What will it do for you in the grand scheme of your life? What is the take-away from this lesson? I needed to establish the “why” for myself. I knew that in a few weeks or months, I might face discouragement or lack of motivation, and I would need reminders. I needed to surround myself with that same positive, encouraging environment that I give my students.
So here it is, my list of 56 Reasons to Exercise Today, originally titled, “40 Reasons to Get off My Butt and Exercise.” I have since expanded my list, thanks in part to contributions from some Facebook friends (you know who you are, thank you!) The health-related reasons are drawn from actual articles I’ve read about the benefits of exercise, including but not limited to the Mayo Clinic’s “Seven Benefits of Regular Exercise Activity.” http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676 Any one of those health-related reasons on here can be researched if you want further or more specific data.
I have posted this list on the wall by my bed as well as on my front door; these are the places in which I feel the most tempted to slack off and put off. I scan the list until one or more of these reasons resonates with me that day and I make that trek to the gym or the pavement. Add to them any of your own personal reasons. We all have them. May these give you the kick in the butt, the target objective, the Why, to accomplish your own fitness goals.
56 Reasons to Exercise Today
Anne Thingelstad Blackburn, copyright 2012
1. Because I am writing the next chapter of my life.
2. Because I don’t want to avoid-or hide-in photographs anymore.
3. Because the pain of regret is worse than the pain of discipline.
4. Because I want to take long hikes and not get winded.
5. Because I don’t want a giant butt like Aunt ________ .
6. Because I like the way it makes me feel afterwards.
7. Because when I accomplish this goal, it will increase my confidence for other challenges in my life.
8. Because once I do start, I’m always glad I did.
9. Because I want there to be plenty of space in my airline seat.
10. Because I never want to undo the top button ever again.
11. Because of pretty lingerie.
12. Because the joy of health is much greater than the joy of laziness.
13. Because it increases my energy level.
14. Because I like turning a few heads.
15. Because summer is coming.
16. Because it improved mental focus.
17. Because muscles are sexy.
18. Because it improves symptoms of depression.
19. Because on a rack somewhere in a boutique is a LBD waiting for me.
20. Because I want my curves back.
21. Because baggy clothes are an excuse.
22. Because it increases metabolism and helps me burn calories faster.
23. Because it makes me look younger.
24. Because I want to live longer.
25. Because of that moment in the dressing room when I realize I needed a bigger size.
26. Because next week there might be a party or an all-you-can-eat special.
27. Because it increases neuron activity and may actually make me smarter.
28. Because knee and foot pain is for old people.
29. Because it improves posture.
30. Because it increases my self esteem.
31. Because I can keep up with my kids.
32. Because it improves my sleep.
33. Because of all the clothes in the closet that will fit again.
34. Because water sports require wet suits.
35. Because it increases my ability to handle stress.
36. Because there are medical issues in my family I’d rather not have, thank you.
37. Because right now my thighs say to each other, “excuse me, pardon me.”
38. Because I like me. I choose health!
39. Because it increases bone density, and when I’m older, I’ll appreciate that.
40. Because I think I finally figured out what Victoria’s secret really is.
41. Because today is the first day of the rest of my life.
42. Because if I don’t, I may not get up and do it ever again.
43. Because it reduces the risk of heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes.
44. Because I want to go forwards, not backwards.
45. Because I might actually want to buy a thong someday.
46. Because I made a decision to improve my health, and I want to stick with my resolution.
47. Because the dog needs it, too.
48. Because the secret to getting ahead is getting started (Mark Twain)
49. Because research has proved it will improve my sex life.
50. Because somewhere there is a beach I’d like to visit.
51. Because I’d like to remove “muffin top” from my vocabulary.
52. Because it’s a great way to meet new people.
53. Because it will boost my immune system.
54. Because my health is important to my future grandchildren. I want to know them.
55. Because I’m done spiraling up and down in my health and fitness.
56. Because I can’t think of an acceptable reason not to.
Tags: benefits of, fitness, health, motivation encouragement, reasons to exercise
For years I would get a pit in my stomach during the last week of December. One look at the empty Christmas tree is all it would take for me to feel that familiar societal pressure: set New Year’s resolutions. I disguised my hatred in a variety of ways, usually with comedy, but the truth is I hated them because I failed at them. Why continue doing something that did nothing but bring self-loathing? And failing at something as sacred as a resolution reeked of personal failure. Avoidance seemed the best solution. How could I fail at something I didn’t attempt? Connotatively, the word resolution brings to mind legal jargon, of laws set in stone. Personal growth is never concrete or predictable, and it certainly can’t be quantified. As with many of life’s principles, I learned this lesson best when I had to teach it. Once again, the teacher became the learner; once again, in parenting my own children and teaching in the classroom, I myself got schooled. The first lesson was in deconstructing the sanctity of the resolution. I had to bust open my paradigms.
Lesson One: Bash those paradigms
- Resolutions are not sacred. I don’t even use that world anymore. Let’s call them goals.
- They can be set at any time, not just in January; however, there is something refreshing about a new year, new start, blah, blah. If you are not able to make yours until February or March- fine. Don’t beat yourself up about it; in fact, stop beating yourself up-period. If you don’t have any goals, ask yourself what your dreams-or wishes are-and start there. Benjamin Franklin said, “Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes.”
- Have some. At the risk of sounding cliché, you honestly can’t go anywhere if you don’t have a destination. The key to overcoming that feeling of failure is to gain confidence. Once you attain a goal-no matter how small-you will find new courage to try it again. Remember, even a baby step in the right direction is still a step in the right direction. Start small. “The man without a goal is like a ship without a rudder” Thomas Carlyle.
Inspiration strikes at odd moments. Over Chinese food one day, my daughter and I were reading the Chinese New Year placemats, describing our birth year “animal” and what it said about us. It was then that I came up with the idea of having a personal “theme” for my year, something from which I could hang my overall growth as a human. Of course I’ve read Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits for Highly Effective People (and so should everyone) and crafted a personal mission statement, but a yearly theme, well, that had a malleability to it that was much more attractive to me than a mission statement that stood for my entire reason to exist. From that point on, after personal reflection and prayer, I have declared each year its own theme and attached a Bible verse or inspirational quote along with it. There was the “Year of the New Song” (the year following my divorce); “Year of Renewal” (the year I became an empty nester); and 2012 looks to be the “Year of Discovery” as my life is venturing into new waters.
Lesson Two: Picking a Personal Theme
- What is truly on your heart, tickling your spirit? What do you desire for yourself as you go forward this year? Are you facing big challenges? Maybe 2012 is “Year of Faith,” of “Year of the Silver Lining.” Have you come out of hardship and grief? Then maybe your 2012 is “Year of the New Song,” the time when the melodies return and a new song is put into your heart. Whatever you pick, phrase it in the positive.
- Find a Psalm, Proverb, or inspirational quote to attach to your theme. There are hundreds of quote sites on the internet. Narrow your search by typing in something like, “proverb, beauty” or “health, quote.”
Lesson Three: Nuts and Bolts
Next I break my goals down into four arenas: physical, spiritual, social, and intellectual. Regardless of your faith-based system, there is enough convincing scientific data that proves that the mind, body, and spirit are connected. To ignore one of them is to deny a part of you.
- Try to follow the SMART acronym (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-sensitive). I also limit myself to three or four in each area, something else I’ve learned by trial and error. When I set too many, I’m setting myself up to fail. Start small and set yourself up to succeed. There’s something in the specificity of a goal helps you reach it. Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you might wind up someplace else.” Saying that I want to read more does nothing for me, but saying “I will read ten books by November” gives my brain the exact data and deadline it needs to help me achieve.
- More quotes. Find a quote to fit with each of your four categories.
Physical: I always include a health component to my goals. How many days a week will I exercise? For how long? Do I want to reduce my caffeine, sugar, or carbohydrate intake? I include my physical environment here. Which closets will get cleaned, will I put that new garden in this year?
Social: The older I get, the more I appreciate my friends and see the need to be intentional in nurturing relationships. It sure doesn’t happen accidentally. How many encouraging notes a week will I write? How many events will I host? Which relationships will I focus on this year? Where do I want to travel this year?
Intellectual: Professional development gets included here, as well as books I want to read, courses I want to take, new skills I want to learn. Lillian Smith said, “When you stop learning, stop listening, stop looking and asking questions, then it is time to die.” May I never stop being a learner! Travel could also go in this category-put it where it feels right to you. Even if you can’t travel very far, go someplace new. Maybe that’s just to a new restaurant; it doesn’t matter.
Spiritual:. Get your spirit healthy and the rest will follow. What will I do to nurture my own soul? Bible reading? Counseling? Take a course on grief loss? Meditate? Whatever it is, it must be daily. As I feed my body good food every day, my spirit deserves no less.
Lesson Four: Putting it All Together
Now for the fun part.
- Now that you’ve got all this in writing, type it up in an attractive, readable font. Print out multiple copies and tape them up in the various rooms and areas of your life. I put one on my bedroom mirror, by my desk at school (it’s great for my students to see that their teacher practices what she preaches), my car console, day planner, and refrigerator. I also laminate a few of them in smaller font into a bookmark.
- Read them frequently. There is power in coming face to face with goals you’ve set to writing. Zig Ziglar said, “A goal properly set is halfway reached.” I’m no brain researcher, but as a lifelong student of the language as well as a writer and teacher, I can testify to the power of the written word. Put it in writing and put it in front of you, and watch how your brain helps to make it so.
“Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.” Thomas Jefferson.
It’s taken a couple decades, but I have made friends with the notion of setting resolutions. I refused to do anything because of peer-or societal- pressure, but that was never the problem in the first place. It was all in my attitude and approach. Somehow I had to turn that pit in my stomach back into my control instead of letting it control me. Perhaps that was the goal all along.
Tags: achievable, habits, intellectual, New Year's goals, personal, physical, resolutions, social, spiritual
Their blank looks said it all. “Do we have to?” “Are you kidding me?” Three weeks left in the school year, and I was handing out a new project that would take them to the final few days of 7th grade. They wanted to say “yes,” but their eyes said something else entirely. I knew they would do it; it was a fun assignment and they’d been anticipating it as I built momentum for the final push of the year. The majority were hard-working students with solid work ethics, but the timing couldn’t be worse in their opinion.
Keeping students motivated before and after vacations and assessments, around holiday time, and leading up to nearly every three day weekend is child’s play compared to keeping them engaged during the last month of school. “They’re done.” “Put a fork in me.” “They’ve checked out.” “Spring fever.” Around every staff photocopy machine the talk is the same. We pull out our bag of tricks. We post motivational phrases. We are not above cajoling and forms of bribery, otherwise known as positive reinforcement. At some point we daydream about caving in and watching movies for the final days, but our professional code of “TEACH TO THE BELL!” prevents us. And so we push onward.
This year I tried a few new strategies and so far they seem to be working well. I’ll get back with you on those come June 1st on just how effective they were. Here are a few tips that have helped in the past, along with a few new ones.
What’s worked for you?
* Enlist students to form a committee to plan the class party on the last day. This gives them ownership over how the last days will be spent and gets a buy-in from the others to contribute to its success. I let them meet in “committee” during the last ten minutes of class. They soon are texting and facebooking one another with party plans. Their ideas for a class party are always better than mine.
*Invite parents in for a showcase of their final projects of the year. Let them make invitations. When students present their work to family members, their commitment level increases. As part of their presentation, have them present their post assessment data.
*Bring in a guest speaker. Regardless of the topic, I’ve found another voice besides mine saying the same things hits the mark when mine are still floating in the nebula near their brains.
*A group performance is always a fun way to end the year and keep them engaged. Readers’ Theatre is a tried-and-true activity. My students practice and perform for the younger grades in the building. A win-win for everybody. Readers’ Theatre improves fluency, develops team dynamics, and builds self-confidence. The primary teachers will love you for it, too.
*Sheer bribery…er, reinforcement. Set goals for the final days. Put goals and incentives on a data wall. My students love my prize drawings. I pick things up at thrift stores that can be repurposed.
*Extra-Credit-Palooza: Many students lose motivation because they are convinced they can’t raise their grades in time. I am not a big fan of extra credit, philosophically, but this can be very effective and accomplish your instructional goals as well. Take a look at the most common missing assignments in your gradebook. Give students a chance to earn “extra credit” but give them parallel lessons, not the original ones. The extra practice serves a dual purpose: you cover the concept they missed, and they hold on to some hope of making their grades move skyward. And how many of us appreciate a second chance?
Just when I feel frustrated with my students enough to scream, one of them goes and does something really beautiful and I am reminded of how lucky I am to be in the front row position of watching and helping humans grow up. And it’s not always a tidy process.
An unsolicited apology letter dropped on my desk, the turnaround for an otherwise level 10 stressful week. With two weeks left in the school year, I was faced with a sobering reality that my students were not where they needed to be, that they had not matured as much as previous classes. What more could I have done? Beyond the conjugations and prepositions, what life applications had I not imparted?
My error lay in forgetting a crucial truth: growth increments. They are not sequential, orderly, or predictable. Most importantly, they are not uniform in size. I remember the days when my son was a toddler. The first time he tripped merely walking across the floor, I thought nothing of it. I would soon learn it was a warning flare that would land us in the shoe store. The scale was next, soon followed by too-short pants. It was always the same way with him-first he’d have to stumble before the growth would appear.
How like my middle schoolers, all 120 of them. Stumble, then grow. Stumble, then grow. And it took a deceptive, manipulative cover-up and lie from the one student I least expected to remind me that this is how it is. Oh, how I needed that reminder.
As I held her apology letter-covertly dropped on my desk-and watched her slink out of the classroom, I faced these truths, and my own expectations. There it was, in between the lines and the misused apostrophes. Insight. Understanding. Remorse. Maturity. Neither of us will be the same, nor would we want to. From here we move in the only direction we can-forward.
Come Monday, there will a hug and few words exchanged, for we both know the truths exposed in those moments, and words would just be superfluous. But what she may never know is the growth she uncovered in me, the reminder she delivered in the stumble across the floor.
First stop: Ireland
1.. Don’t say “pants”…it means panties. Call them trousers.
2. Men in Europe are now wearing capris. They call them ‘three-quarter length’ trousers.
3. Say “Thanks for the lift”; not “Thanks for the ride”..which means something different entirely.
4. Irish tea is quite strong, quite good, and served with biscuits (cookies) at just about any time of day.
5. Irish men do not wear kilts. That would be the Scots.
6. During the World Cup, the Irish cheer for any team that’s opposing England. They’re not terribly fond of the French, either.
7. When the sun is shining, the Irish shuck their layers (for a sun sighting is a rare thing)—-and subsequently get sunburned. A sunburn is something of a trophy.
8. There’s nothing quite so beautiful as an Irish countryside, and nothing quite so confusing as the Irish language, even to the Irish.
9. The Irish don’t drink much water. They believe the properties in tea might make up for their need for it. It’s quite possible the Irish have found a way to absorb some of the moisture falling from the sky into their skin, hence no need to drink much of it.
10. Irish men will crawl across 20 naked women to get to their Guinness (okay, this was a joke told to me, but bears some resemblance to the truth).
11. Candy bars and cookies come in more variety here, and are just better than what’s offered in America. Candy companies are holding out on us.
12. Same thing with fuel-efficient cars.
13. Men in Europe are now wearing short shorts…. watch out, America! By this time next year, I predict American men will be, too. Are we ready for lilly white thighs again?
And then my journey led me to Scotland…..
1. Don’t worry about using the word “pants” with the Scots. Since they don’t wear any under their kilts anyway, they don’t giggle when you mistake that word for trousers.
2. Fewer “capris” in Scotland. Scottish men have less variety in their wardrobe compared to the Irish, but what they have they wear with more confidence.
3. “Lift” and “Ride” mean the same in Scotland as it does in Ireland, and mixing them up results in much the same sort of knowing smile.
4. Scottish tea is less robust than Irish tea, but they make up for this lack in their whisky.
5. The kilt-clad Highlanders have become synonymous with prowess in battle; my father called them “the Ladies From Hell.” Regardless of one’s own kilt-confidence, you gotta give them props in the “secure in their masculinity” department. Besides, there’s something inherently sexy about them.
6. The fiercely independent-and often underdog- Scots love their soccer, rugby, cricket, and football teams, no matter how dismal they play.
7. Known for their thrift, don’t be surprised if the Scots found a way to bottle the rare sunny day and save it for later.
8. Called “Gay-lic” in Ireland and “Gal-lic” in Scotland, the two languages, while they share a similar root base and are similarily confusing, differ most in pronunciation. Scots seem less intent on preserving theirs than the Irish; could be due to that pesky little Treaty of Union in 1707.
8. Addendum: The only thing as beautiful as an Irish countryside is the Western Highlands with a bagpipe playing in the distance. Adding a soundtrack is never a bad thing.
9. The Scots drink plenty. Scotland is the only nation whose own soft drink outsells Coca-Cola. Lovingly called “Scotland’s OTHER National Drink,” Irn Bru (Iron Brew), like the Scots, will never surrender without a fight. As for their whisky, there are nearly as many varieties as there are tartans.
10. If Scottish men crawl across twenty naked women, it won’t be for a beverage.
11. One word: shortbread. That, along with bagpipes, Wallace, whisky and haggis may be what comes immediately to mind about Scotland. The Scots would kindly (in a sexy brogue) like you to add medicine and Rabbie Burns to that list.
13. Forget short shorts. Make the world a happier place; wear a kilt.
Visualize, you say.
See yourself writing, and it will be so.
I visualize a million things that race
through my synapses
like crowded goldfish
in a pet store tank,
fluttering, pushing, shoving, vying for attention;
to be the one that rises to the top
and plucked from the watery depths.
Do it now.
Focus.
Prioritize.
But how, when bug-eyed ideas
keep staring me down?
Copyright 2008
He moved out yesterday while I was at work.
The house must feel weird. Empty. Out of synch. Out of kilter,
Like you’re in a matrix thing.
It’s just so sad. Tell me I’ll make it through this
You are about to go through the hardest trial you’ve ever had.
You will hurt in places you never have before.
And you will make it through this.
Thank you. How long before things get better? Will I ever feel normal again?
You will be changed. You will be different. Your kids will be changed.
But you will all be okay. You’re going to be okay.
You will see God like you never have before.
God is about to reveal his face to you. It’s radiant!
He will fill in gaps before you know you have them.
He will be a few steps ahead of you in everything.
You will need him like never before and he will catch you.
You will feel just how strong his arms really are.
He will fill you with words of love and acceptance.
You will feel weak and totally dependent on him,
And sometimes you will feel strong and empowered.
You will feel like all you do is cry.
You will feel like you are a burden to your friends,
And you will wonder if you will ever feel like yourself again.
You will question who you are because for so long your identity was tied to a man.
And God will take your hand and lead you on a beautiful journey of discovery and renewal and unveil who you are as He created you to be.
And for the first time, you will fully understand what it means to tie your identity to Christ.
It will be a hard journey, but you won’t be alone.
He will be with you, and He will surprise you with new friends along the way in unexpected places-and you will lose a few. That will hurt and confuse you.
One of the surprising new friends will be yourself.
You will learn how to be gentle and compassionate to yourself.
Some old friends will rise up again, some will fall away.
And you will make it through.
Anne Blackburn
copyright 2009, all rights reserved
“I don’t care what you’ve done, I don’t care why you’re here, where you were, or who you used to be. I’m not going to read your files, because it doesn’t matter. I only care about what you’re going to do, and where you’re going from here. The past does not equal the future.”
Shocked into silence, my students stared quizzically, gauging my seriousness, testing my sincerity, daring to consider they could trust someone they just met. They were not trusting people, this classroom of boys with identical haircuts, shirts, shoes, pants. Even their laces had to be tied the same. They were felons. Trust was a luxury they’d learned they could not afford to give, and there was not a single one there who had not broken at least one person’s trust in them. It was my greatest joy-and mission-to give them that priceless gift-a relationship built on trust. Together we embarked towards new territory for them, and while it wasn’t an incident-free journey, it was marked with rich lessons, optimism, and hope.
In the years since my time teaching in adolescent adjudication facilities, I have come to fully embrace the concept of the Do Over. Thankfully, most of my former students served their time and went on to lead healthy lives, righting their wrongs and forging through tough reconciliations and restitutions. A few still stay in touch, and I have a growing collection of wedding and baby pictures, thank you notes, and updates from various points on the globe. Their stories of Do Overs are forever embedded in my heart. I went on to teach in the inner city, and then a suburb, but the Do Over remained with me. Faces, uniforms, hairstyles, and ages have changed, but one thing has remained constant: every one of my students hangs on those words: “The past does not equal the future, I don’t care what you’ve done or not done, only what you’re going to do. You have the chance for a Do Over.” Each new school year brings with it the promise to reinvent oneself, right wrongs, begin new habits, rebuild trust, and grow-both for the student and the teacher. I use the metaphor of a video game. Once they’re over their shock I know about such things, they grasp onto this concept. In video games, when your character fails, you have the chance to come back to that level with inside knowledge of where the danger lies and what tools you need to take with you to succeed and move on to the next level. Depending on the difficulty setting, it may take multiple tries to make it through, but with each attempt you’re wiser.
Life doesn’t come with a difficulty setting. But all around us, if we look and grab on, are opportunities for a fresh start, a clean slate, to learn from our mistakes, let go, and move on to a new chapter. With every loss, every failure, comes a new beginning. Each day brings a new promise, new mercies, and we can face it with the wisdom and knowledge we learned from yesterday and the tools we need to make it through to the next level.
As an educator of middle school-aged children, I must constantly weigh the value of the worldly influences outside our textbooks and decide whether to bring it into the classroom. As a mother, I am continually aware of the pressures that world wants to put on my children to conform to its views, and I combat cultural values different from my own, sometimes even my government’s intrusion into my place as the ultimate authority and primary educator in their lives. This battle between the mother and the teacher in me has served me well in the relationships I’ve formed with my students and their parents, and has made me a better educator; but it has not always made me popular in the staff lounge or at the water cooler.
I have backed completely away from the controversy surrounding the Obama address to schoolchildren. I have insisted that my students will not watch it live. This is one battle the mother in me has won. A Presidential speech of this nature, as with most political speeches, belongs in the decision-making hands of the parents, not the school system. This is one speech families should watch and discuss together. I’ve read the transcript; I hope every parent does the same. Form your own opinions. Decide whether your children’s best interests will be served, according to your values. Check in with their school. Will they be broadcasting it live in an assembly? In the classrooms? Or will they record it to use later at a time they determine more fitting? http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/
In my classroom, students will not be missing nearly an entire morning of learning to listen to a speech on the importance of education. I’ll work that in later when the lesson presents itself and when encouragement from our nation’s President will reinforce that lesson. And that’s something on which both the teacher-and the mother-in me agree.
To the lulling sounds of barn animals,
a woman groaned in childbirth,
shivering in the night air,
pains intensify,
she grasps her husband’s hand.
A squeeze, a touch, a bearing down,
gentle hands wipe her brow,
whispered prayers ascend.
As night turns deepest,
a light begins to glow,
wings beat and flutter;
warmth surrounds
a world gone cold.
Mystified, they come.
Penetrating light filters
down on ten fingers, ten toes.
A sigh, a nod, a knowing smile.
“This…changes everything.”
Anne Blackburn
Copyright December, 2008
Reproduction and/or distribution prohibited without express permission from the author.