Step By Step

If you recall, for the month of February Big, Middle and Little Sis each decided that the answer to Wayne Gretzky’s question “You want a challenge don’t you?” was “yes” and so they each chose something that they want to accomplish over the month. And being the wise women that they are, they know accountability is key when you are trying to make a change so, it seemed that a good way to do this would be to post a progress report for all the world to see. With this in mind, read on to see how the Sisterhood is doing at the halfway point in their quest for glory, personal satisfaction and perhaps a bit of humble pie.

I’m Fasting

by Middle Sis

I have to admit, I thought that my challenge to reduce screen time would be pretty straight forward. So I didn’t really have any concrete strategies in mind when I started. I just had to put the phone down! Well, you are probably not surprised that things did not go quite as I thought they would. In fact the first week of the challenge my screen time actually went up. That’s right! I started with a baseline of two hours and nine minutes and the tally at the end of the next week was two hours and forty minutes. Whaaat???

Not wanting to be the only Sister who failed in her challenge, I decided that desperate times call for desperate measures. So I am using a cell phone version of intermittent fasting by restricting the hours that I use my phone and setting a timer so I can avoid going down the black hole that is social media. I am happy to report that intermittent cell phone fasting appears to work better than actual intermittent fasting has worked for me. This week my usage is down 12% from last week to 2 hours 20 minutes. Baby steps….

And, in the interest of full disclosure, my husband informed me that it was actually Mark Messier, a teammate of Wayne Gretzky, who said “you want a challenge don’t you?” Apologies to Mark and Wayne, both of whom I’m sure are regular readers of our blog.🤣

A Bridge Too Far?

by Big Sis

There is so much to say about my Bridge challenge that I don’t know where to begin, but I will start at the beginning.😊 After much deliberation, I decided that my best course of action was to enroll in a weekly Bridge course that lasted for 6 weeks. To be clear, that’s 6 long and difficult weeks, which would become a test of my ability to process information and clarify my learning style. I hadn’t bargained for that.

Even though they were billed as beginner level, the classes were packed with information so that each week, in order to keep up, it was necessary to both review the previous class and prepare for the next one. This was serious business and I started to feel a bit panicky. I hadn’t bargained for that either.

So, I bought a book that was highly recommended by veteran Bridge players. And in the short term, it helped. However, to my surprise, I soon realized that I also “learn by doing” and that I would greatly benefit from private instruction. Of course that was a pipe dream, so I did the next best thing and turned to the internet for guidance and free practice games.

You guessed it! Playing games against bots quickly became quite addictive and now I was facing a real dilemma. Should I hone my Bridge skills and continue to increase my online presence even more, or should I give up all other social media just to learn Bridge? Hmm….. Until next time, I leave you pondering that existential question.😉

Off To A Slow Start

by Little Sis

I was hoping that I would be a little more motivated than I was when I began my challenge. Turns out my challenge was actually getting motivated. It was a struggle at first. When I got home from work my first priority was to get a snack, turn on the tube and veg out. This lasted a couple of days, when I noticed I was starting to run out of snacks. Oddly enough, this actually inspired me.

Instead of getting in the car, and driving to the store, I laced up my walking shoes, grabbed Biscuit’s leash, and we proceeded out the door. The walk was about 1/2 hour, so by the time we got to the store I was too tired to go in and get snacks. So I sent Biscuit in. Imagine my disappointment when all she came back with was a bottle of water and some dog biscuits. Don’t get me wrong we were both thirsty, so the water was actually welcome. We drank our water, and then began our journey home. By the time we got back, we were both ready for a much needed nap.

Fast forward to the next week. Since I realized just how out of shape I was, I began going back to the gym, and have been going a couple of times a week now. I have also gone back to working at the office, and weather permitting I go on at least a 30 minute walk on my lunch break. My challenge is starting to become less of a challenge, and more of an opportunity to get back into shape. I am starting to feel better, and Biscuit is much happier too as she gets a chance to get out more, and stretch her legs. Here’s hoping this challenge will eventually become a habit.

The Saga Continues

One can clearly see that the Sisters have eagerly embraced their individual challenges and are making remarkable progress towards the finish line. The next two weeks are crucial in their quest for success, but rest assured that all will be revealed in due course. Until then, as difficult as it may be, try not to let the suspense overwhelm you. After all, anxiety can be debilitating.

We will be doing a new post every Monday, so look for our next one entitled “Most Women Wouldn’t Know That.“