Getting the Ball Rolling with Work, Life, Fitness

Hey!

Work

Work has been bananas and that’s not even the work itself. My days have gone from unstructured contract work of waking up when I want, doing work when I want, and the monthly board meeting I attend. Time was my friend. Now my work hours start at 7 AM and I have a 40 minute commute each way. Thankfully I have a shuttle I take and so I don’t have to be awake for the ride to work, I just show up. But that makes for 4:30 AM alarms, 5:30 ride to park and ride, and 7 AM at my desk. The shuttle leaves work at 6:15 PM and I’m not back in town until 7 PM. It’s cray. But it pays. So I will be sticking to this for the next little while. My main thing is since I am sitting for 90% of my day I need to pack foods that energize and fuel

Fitness

I now have about 2-3 hours a between arriving home from work and heading to bed so I try to make the most of it. I’m starting a half marathon training program with RunKeeper that begins Tuesday, April 1 and ends race day, July 19. It schedules runs on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. So during the week I have runs Tuesday, Thursday, Mondays now are free, Wednesdays, so far, are dedicated to washing my hair (I don’t want to spend my precious weekend washing my hair so this was my plan to get that out of the way mid-week). Oh and I went for a 5k run yesterday as it was actually gorgeous outside. The sun was out, the temperature was up, it was feeling spring-like and lovely. I had to take advantage of it.

Hey! If you have any fav workout songs let me know in the comments. I need to amp up my running tunes.

Update: went for a run today too! couldn’t convince anyone to go with me so I went solo and it was great 🙂

Life

One of my besties has been engaged for literally 2 years now. It’s kind of a joke between the three of us. Being named her bridesmaid, and being the only bridesmaid living in the same town as her, I’ve tried my darndest to try to get a date out of her but she’s just that girl that can’t be bothered yknow? She’s starting a business in September so finally feels that push to just get married before all hell breaks loose becoming a business owner. Friday I took her out to lunch and she told me her and her fiancé decided to just go away on their own and get married on the beach at sunset just the two of them. I totally support her. Her dating her fiancé has brought some tension in her family and I think the two of them eloping is, honestly, great. We will be here for a reception or get together after the fact and although I would love to see my best friend of 20 years walk down the aisle looking absolutely gorgeous (as she always does) I also absolutely know this is the best way to go forward. I’m so excited for her!

Yesterday I spent the day with my bf B, and it was so cute. We ran into a couple of his friends and his boss and he introduced me as his gf and it made me think aaaaaaw every time he said it. We’ve been dating for 3 months now but I just think it’s the cutest thing ever. He’s adorable.

I’m incredibly excited for spring and summer to get here. I am so invested in making the most of the area I live in. There are going to be so many adventures this season. Hiking, swimming, walking, running. I plan to run a half-marathon on Haida Gwaii this summer, I want to ocean kayak, and hike mountains, bike far, I want to stand under a waterfall and take a breathtaking photo on the top of a mountain. I so want to do it all because it’s all right there. I’m going to make the absolute most of this summer. And it’s so nice now that I have a job, I actually know I’m going to be staying in town, I won’t have to move and can actually make plans with my friends. I’m so excited!

I had a solid tequila night last weekend. My bestie, L had some peeps over and we planned to make tequila sunrises, and they were delicious, and I had many. It was a good night. Then this weekend she had peeps over again for games night and we ended up having this spontaneously amazing marshmallow fight. We never ended up making s’mores but we all had some great marshmallow victories. It was hilarious and so much fun 🙂

Money

I get to start posting about finances now! Yay! I have to say, I spent over $100 on running gear yesterday, I got an Under Armour top and leggings but I think I will be returning them because although they are great quality and look amazing I don’t need them. I want them. And that’s unnecessary, especially at that price. I can find items for less and I should spend the time to look for something in my budget. Just because I have money doesn’t mean I need to spend it. So I will be returning those today. I have two running leggings already that both cost a pretty penny and I’m only running 4x a week so 2 wears each and laundry day. With 3 pairs one will fall to the wayside so I’m happy with this decision.

I have 3 financial goals now that I’m employed.

1) Put a dent in my student loans.
It was perfect timing that my student loans payments started up again. My minimum monthly payments are $391/month *sob*. So I plan to drop more than that amount every month and get working on my principal amount.

2) Pay off my last credit card.
I put a good chunk on my card last pay cheque so I really want to get that out of the way in the next month or two so I don’t have to worry about interest and charges and my only debt will be my student loans.

3) Get some savings together.
I want to have a good amount put away for savings. I want to be able to take a trip, save for a car, I want to have options. I know that my living amount is incredibly low seeing as I don’t have a car, I live at home so rental is minimal, I don’t really buy groceries, so I feel like this is the perfect opportunity to squirrel away as much money as I can.

Every purchase needs to have a purpose. If I don’t need it, where could the money be better spent? I’m going to return my running gear and there’s now $100 I can put on my MasterCard. Now there’s a good use of my money. I also need to start living the cash life. If I don’t have the money in my wallet, it looks like I’m not spending. Impulse buying is no friend of mine.

Hair

I work administration on a construction site so it’s mandatory to be outside with a hard hat so that means no top buns for me. I’m really trying to save myself the hassle of loose hair and so I really want to be rocking mini-twists or a mini twist-out 100% of the time. It’s easy to maintain, it looks good, I can fit a hard hat over it. It’s a win-win-win. Weekend I may let my hair free but I honestly just want my hair protected and out of the way for the week. Right now my hair is loose so I’ll be twisting it up today before bed so I’m good until Wednesday wash day.

So that is my update for you all! I plan to post about topics individually so if it’s a finance post I’ll name it as such, hair, fitness, etc. Have a great day and you’ll be hearing from me sooner than later!

My Words Are My Wings: My 250th Post!

I started this blog May 2012.

I’ve appreciated every comment, every like, every follow. At 150 followers (eeeee!!) I really enjoying putting something out there and I do my best to ensure what I’m placing on my blog has substance. My blog has evolved since my first posts and it has continued to grow and reflect my interests. I try to cover what’s important to me without being all over the map.

Natural hair was my first love and I still enjoy writing about Rocco, through trials, tribulations and success, I am still in love with my natural hair.

Fitness is also something I try and incorporate into my life and therefore my blog. I have been on both ends of the spectrum; slothful and sedentary and then insanely active. Both are easy when you’re into it. Not moving from the couch is so simple, yet getting up for a morning run can be equally as easy– once you’re into it. The hard part is the transition! Going from that couch to putting on those running shoes and hitting the road is brutal. I’m in that place now. But once you’re out there, tunes on, hair up, it’s a great feeling and your body thanks you. Biking and running, count me in.

Money stuff. Not so thrilling to chat about but it is part of every day of our lives. It influences our actions, decisions, and those decisions affect us. I want to be in control of my money and not at its mercy. That’s me.

Minimalism and simple living. I found myself diving into the world of minimalism, allowing the simple themes to influence my living. I removed a lot of stuff from my living space and felt a huge freedom in that action. I try and incorporate this simplistic ideal in other areas of my life and it has proven worthwhile.

Cooking. A little side addition, but I’ve shared some recipes that I’ve tried and liked. I plan to add more.

I also write the occasional poem and oftentimes I surprise myself.

So thank you for reading this blog. Whether you were there at the beginning or came across it recently, it’s great to know My Curly Potential has been enjoyed by others.

Ndeshimona

That Little Voice

Earlier this week I spent two days with two very dear friends. The three of us have been friends since we were 8 and aren’t often all in the same town to hang out.

S & J are my besties. They both have long, black hair and both wear it down and straight. We met with another mutual friend, K. K and I were neighbours growing up and I often played with my brother and her two younger brothers. We both live in the same town at the moment but are mainly friends through S. She also has long, wavy, black hair. As I sat with my three Punjabi friends I thought, people with my hair texture pay a lot of money to wear their hair as my own. And I thought… how strange.

My hair is currently in a protective style. Last week I put mini braids throughout my hair and when I go out I’ve been pinning it up so it looks like I have very little hair. After cutting my hair short last year my love, esteem and confidence in how I look and how I present myself took a turn for the better. While I’ve always loved myself there always seems to be that small voice comparing myself to everyone around me. It doesn’t matter who I’m with, I sometimes hear this voice going ‘If only I had her eyelashes/legs/hair/skin’. It’s a waste of time. It really is. But nonetheless it’s there.

The same goes for life in general. I think we all do this. If only I had __________. It seems simple in theory: acquire the characteristic/item and achieve whatever it is you envy. But we all know that’s not how it works. It’s an exhausting and misleading train of thought.

It’s a portion of why minimalism is something I value. It’s so easy to get on that track, of accumulating and always being on point while the wheel keeps spinning. It’s hard to keep up. That’s what makes it so profitable. If we could all achieve this ‘ideal’ then it would be game over and there would be nothing to it. I don’t want to hang on to that wheel, dizzying myself.

It’s funny because I noticed that throughout our days together both S, J & K each wanted more. S wanted to work out more and stop being so lazy. She envied my running. J was sick of her thin hair (she has very fine strands). She bee-lined for AVEDA that had a sign advertising a product for thin hair. K was jealous of my booty. Haha!

Some things we’re given, others we work for. When are we happy? 

It’s going to be interesting going home. It’s a small city and a lot of the people who grew up there stayed there, are engaged or married, have children, bought (or built) houses, have careers. It’s going to be interesting for me, when interacting, not to allow myself to dig myself a hole and bury my head in it. Or to build these individuals up too much in my head and thus picking myself apart because no good will come of that. That is not how I want to spend my time while home.

How do we measure success? Is it the carrot held in front of us? Always out of reach…

We each have our own journeys, stories, ups and downs. To compare apples to cucumbers… we’ve got things to do people and so much potential to make them happen.

$240/year SAVED – Reviewing My Cell Phone Plan

It’s a lovely Saturday morning and I’ve just paid my cell phone bill of $70. Not fun. But necessary. My phone is a great tool. But am I utilizing that $70…? Turns out I’m not!

I looked at the plans offered and found a combination that allowed me to pay $45/month. With tax that came to $50/month.

My plan was quite outdated. I was on a Student plan for $55/month and had to add $8/month because Call Display wasn’t included. Now their plans include Call Display so I was paying for a feature that was now offered as included in rates. There was also a warning as I was changing my plan that my Student plan was no longer offered and I wouldn’t be able to go back to it. I was quite willing to swap my vintage plan for a functional one that better fit my needs.

Since I just paid that bill, my next bill will show the changes and I will actually have a credit. Awesome!

My savings: From $70 to $50 I save $20/month which translates to $240 that stays in my pocket over the course of a year. In turn, I’ve upped my $20 weekly contribution to one of my savings account to $25. $80/month has now become $100/month thanks to that savings. *self high-five!*

It’s worth looking into the services package you have to see if it still fit your life’s needs. Where can you save?

On a minimalist note: My 3-year contract is up next month and there’s upgrade to this and that for this many years. I have an iPhone 4 and I’m quite happy with that.

I actually had an iPhone 3 about a year and a half ago and my dad had an iPhone 4 (it came with his new business package) and a Blackberry (for work). Work pays for his Blackberry so he really had no use for his iPhone 4 so he was happy to give it me and I was happy to get it!

Anyway, when the customer service rep asked me if I would be upgrading my phone to the iPhone 5 it gave me great pleasure to say… nope! 🙂 I don’t need it. My phone is functional, in one piece and I am under no obligation to stay with my service provider from here on out. I have that freedom. And I don’t need the newest, shiniest gadget out there.. considering the next iteration is probably around the corner. 

Why Minimalism Appeals To Me

To me, minimalism is…

Giving up the struggle of wanting more and more and more.

Realizing the deliberate confusion between needs and wants.

Recognizing that this insatiable need to own is primarily a marketing construction.

That happiness is not connected to what I surround myself with.

Advertising makes who you are, what you have, or how you live seem inadequate, incomplete – lacking (wanting) a fix.

I want my money to work for me and not the other way around. If I’m going to purchase something, I would like to be able to purchase it knowing that I’ve done the time for it already. Instead of the knowledge that while I can possess it now, I still have x amount of hours I need to work to actually pay for it and with interest I may be paying more for it than the shelf price + tax.

I feel like minimalism sets me in the direction to living debt free.

Minimalism is a challenge. It’s a challenge to consumer society. It’s a challenge to my own internal conversation. I think it’s rewarding. A journey.

Is It Worth The Hour?

“If you earn $50 an hour and buy a $50 shirt, then that possession represents an hour of your life. Is it worth the hour?”

-The Green Minimalist Manifesto

Happy Long Weekend! + My Spending Diet

It’s Canada Day long weekend so I hope my fellow Canadians are taking some time for themselves and I hope the weather is cooperative. I also hope that those affected by flooding are receiving the assistance they need at a time like this.

As far as my spending diet goes… I’m on week 2 and while there have been no major revelations or hiccups, I found that having these spending guidelines in addition to using my financial tracker app have made me aware of a few things:

On my road to embracing a more simple, minimalist lifestyle in the things I own and that are in my house I’ve found it easier not bringing more stuff into my home. I feel if I need to bring something in then it makes some sense that something should go out. While I’m in the process of scaling back on what I have I found I’m really just surrounded by what I need and not so much what I want which is good.

Fitness

However, the focus has kind of shifted to food and not enough on exercise. Confession time: I haven’t been running in over a month. I know. Shocker. I couldn’t run a 10k right now even if I wanted to. I would have to start again and work up to that distance probably starting with a 5k, then 7 then probably a 10. I feel the need to get back to that but I haven’t quite convinced myself to get going quite yet.

These panniers have made my life soo much easier.

And now my back is happy not to be sweaty from my backpack.

 

My weight, which normally would reflect my non-running and inflate, has been maintained and it’s probably due to my cycling! I commute to work by bike so at the very least I’m biking 40km/week. I try and bike slowly sometimes so I’m not a sweaty mess by the time I reach the office (this hair is like a greenhouse under a helmet) but I keep a good speed and it usually only takes me 11 minutes to get there. And my legs feel stronger so I’m kind of happy that I have another method of keeping myself active even when I’m not running.

Plus, now that I have bike panniers my life has been made infinitely easier. Although the trick is not to fill it just because you have space. And it’s also tricky, sometimes I’ll take only pannier but then realize I need to take my work laptop home and then I have to stuff everything into one and then I feel lopsided… Anyway! It’s great having these. I recommend them.

Money

Now, on to money. I realize, more than I need to do a spending diet, is that I need to budget. I recently purchased a ticket to visit a friend in Alberta at the end of July. This has been long overdue and I’m excited to finally go so on Thursday I purchased a ticket. I did use Airmiles so I only paid the taxes and fees but those were still $173 (boo). But! I’m going on a plane that is taking me somewhere other than to visit my parents for the first time… ever actually… It’s going to be fun!

I realized I was spending too much on groceries. I found since I didn’t give myself a budget, and that groceries were a ‘necessary’ item, I would go to the store more often than needed and spend a little too much. To remedy this I’m going to create meal plans,  two weeks at a time, and a budget.

I don’t know that I will continue the spending diet which kind of sounds like a cop-out, but I’ve recognized my shortfalls, what works for me and what I need to work on (less chips being one thing).

Plus! I opened a savings account specifically for putting away money for my 2014 Angola trip! Yay me!