Me & My Quite Contrary Life

NUDGED: "List 3 moments of joy every day this week" BACKSTORY: This nudge came from the book "Option B" by Sheryl Sandberg that I recently read. She lost her husband very suddenly so she was working through grief and figuring out how to continue on with her life and future without him. She began a process of writing 3 moments of joy every day, which helped her to notice joy and feel grateful. I liked this idea when I read it and added it to my own journaling moments, but it didn't last. For this nudge, I want to make this daily practice a habit and want to discover what things give me joy throughout a normal day/week. QUOTE: "Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day." - Henri J.M. Nouwen HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: This nudge was relatively straight-forward and easy to start and continue. Each evening before bed, I made a practice of mentally reviewing my day and listing the moments of joy that occurred...

NUDGED: "Try a new food from a menu" BACKSTORY: I am not known to be adventurous with what I eat. My tendency is to find foods that I like on menus and continue to select the same thing each time we go to that restaurant. I play it safe. The goal behind this whole nudging challenge is to get me out of my comfort zone. This week, I want to try a new food item from a menu at a restaurant - something out of my normal selections.   QUOTE: "Use everything as an opportunity to understand, grow, and expand." - Unknown HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: For over two years now, my husband and I have been trying new restaurants in our city. We made a list of all the places we haven't eaten at until that point, and included restaurants that recently opened. We intend to try all of them! We want to support new businesses and find new favorite places to eat. It is a slow process though as we usually only go out to a new place once a week, and so many places close/open that our...

NUDGED: "Complete a random act of kindness, anonymously" BACKSTORY: I love hearing stories of random acts of kindness. It's encouraging to hear that there are good people in the world being kind to others. When I turned 30, I made a list of 30 random acts of kindness that I worked on during my birthday month. All 30 were completed! I really enjoyed focusing on good deeds, and thought it was time to try it again. The challenge this time would be to keep it completely anonymous - doing good for others without any recognition or appreciation. The other part of the challenge is to not spend much money on this per my rules. How can I make a difference without being known or spending much money? QUOTE: "Together we can change the world, just one random act of kindness at a time." - Ron Hall HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: This is a tough one to blog on as I want what I did to be completely anonymous. Without giving any specific details, I completed this nudge by per...

NUDGED: "Read/explore 3 new blogs" BACKSTORY: I enjoy reading blogs but rarely step out of my comfort zone to find new ones to read. My usual categories include health and fitness, religious, books, and home improvement blogs. I have my favorite people that I have followed for awhile, but I realized there might be new blogs out there that I would enjoy also. I could learn a lot from expanding my view with new ideas and perspectives. My nudge this week is to find three new blogs to read, and to learn at least one thing from each of them. And, go! QUOTE: "Telling your story is transformative. For both the storyteller and their audience, a new bridge to understanding is created." - Susan Burton HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  I started this week with a big step out of my comfort zone. I felt overwhelmed with the large number of blogs available and needed to find a way to limit the number to three (ish). I made a post on Facebook asking for recommendations of blogs an...

NUDGED: "Use a household item in a new way" BACKSTORY: Recently, I started to get creative and re-purpose items around the house for other uses than originally intended, like using a relish tray to hold craft supplies and using a decorative bowl to hold dog bones. I wanted to work on this nudge to look at my possessions in a new way and see if I can utilize things differently. I intended to give an item new life with a new purpose. QUOTE: "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change." - Wayne Dyer HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  I was much more aware this week of intended purposes of items around me and how I was actually using them. I made a list of some things that I love and use in a non-conventional way: I hung a chandelier in our laundry room. It is so unexpected and pretty, and gives lots of light to see stains! My Grandma's cookie jar now holds scraps of fabric. It held cookies for decades before this and I love how it still ...

NUDGED: "Figure out new Bluetooth headset" BACKSTORY: I struggle to embrace new technology, even when it would make my life easier. My brother got me a nice Bluetooth headset (Zealot H1 Wireless Stereo Headset) for a gift awhile ago. Truthfully, the only times it has been used and out of the box are the two times he has showed me how to work it. Figuring it out on my own and actually using it has been a LONG TIME item on my to-do list (over a year), and this was the "nudge" I needed to try.    HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I had a head-start this week as recently I had my brother showing me how to get this to work again. With some kind of younger person technology magic, he got my phone to finally recognize it and it worked! I was getting tired of dealing with the cords of my earphones at the gym when lifting weights and wanted a wireless solution. This valuable piece of equipment was sitting at my house collecting dust and could be the solution to my problem of enta...

NUDGED: "Put together a puzzle" BACKSTORY: Working on puzzles was something I enjoyed doing in the past, but haven't made time for it in awhile. I keep myself busy working on other things and those things are usually not fun hobbies. One of the goals of this "nudges" challenge was to have more joy in my life, and this nudge is a perfect example of doing just that! HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  Great timing for this nudge! I have been sensing dark clouds on my emotional horizon and have been trying to "stay light" and into hobbies I enjoy to resist the darkness. I needed a project that prioritized fun. The challenge this week was to make time for myself. I had to set aside my to do list and my need to be productive, and focus on one activity that was fun for me. I prioritized myself...and it wasn't easy! I started a puzzle on Sunday afternoon and worked on it during free moments the next few days. I was hoping to get it done within the week and...

NUDGED:  "Compliment a stranger" BACKSTORY:  I am okay with talking to strangers, but don't compliment people often that I don't know. In fact, I don't compliment people often at all. This nudge will encourage me to look for good aspects or qualities in other people to compliment them, and then say it! I am excited to see the reactions!  QUOTE:  "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." - Leo Buscaglia HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: The easiest, most natural way for me to compliment someone is to notice a Jackrabbit or SDSU logo on clothing and then compliment them on having good taste for a good school. In fact, as I was pondering how to complete this nudge, I had several strangers compliment me on my new SDSU purse this week. I had to wait until a good opportunity came up, until I spotted somethi...

NUDGED: "Research a topic (be an expert!) in a specialized area" BACKSTORY: I am a curious person who knows a little bit about a lot of things. I am trained as a journalist, so I have a wide range of study but lack depth in a specialized (niche) area like other professions. I find myself doing web searches often to learn new things. I am quickly satisfied when I find an answer that seems plausible and move on, lacking depth. With this nudge, I really want to take time to research and go deep into a topic of interest. QUOTE: "If you are not learning, you are stuck. It doesn't matter whether you are 25 or 70 years old. We were not put on earth for a few years to learn in high school or college, then just float through the rest of our lives. Learning today is becoming easier and harder for many reasons, but in the end, if you don't make it a life mission to learn something valuable every day, why are you still here? Learn something new today." - Tim Conn...

NUDGED: "Wear a baseball hat" BACKSTORY: I liked wearing baseball hats when I was a teenager. I was still trying to find my unique style, and hats were a part of my fashion experimentation. I stopped wearing hats when I went off to college, ironically during the years I bought the most baseball hats - school pride!! This nudge was a challenge to go back in time to see how adult me likes a style choice of teenage me. Women wearing baseball hats have become very stylish these days. Would the look work for me still or would I find it too uncomfortable? QUOTE: "If you wear things you adore, you just look better." - Margherita Missoni HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  Great timing for this nudge! I just received a new "Resisterhood" baseball hat in the mail last week and looked forward to wearing it proudly. The "Resisterhood" is a worldwide women's movement that fights fear and oppression, and is led by Jen Hatmaker. She posted a picture on her s...

NUDGED: "Throw something out" BACKSTORY: For the past year, I have been decluttering our house. I have gone from area to area, through every storage space, drawer and cabinet, and getting rid of items I don't need or use. My physical space feels better as a result, but it made this nudge more difficult! What else can I get rid of when I have already purged so much? I am very sentimental too and struggle to get rid of things, even things that should have been tossed a long time ago. This nudge challenged me to reconsider ALL of my things and to let go. QUOTE: "Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle." - Marie Kondo, "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" (good book!!) HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I watch our dog Coco utilize her purposeful, tunnel-vision focus when she searches...

NUDGED: "Floss daily" BACKSTORY: An instruction to floss more seems to be said at every dental cleaning. I have no problem brushing my teeth twice a day, but the habit of flossing regularly has always eluded me. This is something I want to work on and this nudge will help me to do it! QUOTE: "Each tooth has five surfaces. If you don't floss, you are leaving at least two of the surfaces unclean. Floss is the only thing that can really get into that space between the teeth and remove bacteria." - Alla Wheeler, RDH, MPA HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I was laying in bed the first night when I realized I didn't floss! Although tired and ready to fall asleep, I got up and flossed. It only took a few minutes and gave me a sense of accomplishment afterward. The next morning, I put my floss container on top of my toothpaste so I wouldn't forget. I realized part of my problem with flossing is that I just forget - the container is hidden in my drawer so I don...

NUDGED: "Increase my online presence" BACKSTORY: I maintain a minimal online presence, commenting on posts as necessary and staying silent in most online groups. It's not that I don't have things to say - I do! So why don't I post more? What would happen if I am more active on social media websites? Would I feel more connected and fulfilled, or would I find it a hassle to interrupt my life to put updates online? That's what I wanted to figure out this week!  QUOTE: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: My work on this nudge happened little by little each day this week. I commented on more FB statuses than usual, posted a picture with a recent happening on FB, changed my profile and cover photos, offered encouragement and support on posts to online groups, commented on a blog for a popular author I admire (and got a response!!), updated the appearance of my blog, posted a new blog post mid-week about books, posted two new pictures to Instagram, made a public commen...

NUDGED: "Connect with someone I haven't talked to in over 6 months" BACKSTORY: Last year, I reached out to a childhood friend that I hadn't seen in over a decade, and we went out for breakfast and caught up. It was a little uncomfortable at first going through the "what happened to you after high school?" questions but the more we talked, the more we found familiar ground. We reminisced on the "good old days" (ha!) and how life was turning out, and encouraged each other on our journeys. It was so awesome to see the girl I played dolls with as a child turned out to be an incredible, confident woman who is changing the world. I am so proud of her! I added this nudge to my list as a way to connect to other people who have impacted my life, who I lost touch with for whatever reason. Throughout my life, my path has been crossed with special people and they have shaped who I am today, although some people were in my life for just a short time. I am ...

NUDGED: "Rearrange clothing drawers" BACKSTORY: This nudge suggestion came from a family member (thanks!) and was an opportunity to switch items around between drawers. I am accustomed to reaching for things absentmindedly when getting ready in the mornings, not really considering what I have. It also gave me a chance to purge unneeded clutter. Win! QUOTE: "Try to see things differently. It's the only way to get a clearer perspective on the world and on your life." - Neal Shusterman HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:  My hubs and I completed home renovation improvements this past spring, which included painting kitchen cabinets blue, new wood flooring and wood stairs instead of carpet, new paint on most of the walls, and updating some items. These were big changes that really improved how our home felt and we love how it all turned out, even though it was an adjustment. After those big changes, it's hard to compare rearranging dresser drawers to that level of c...

NUDGED: "Wear fun nail color for one week" BACKSTORY: I found myself painting again this week, on my fingernails this time instead of canvas. The idea for this nudge came from the project founder's past nudge of " wear red lipstick every day ". I challenged myself to wear a bright, fun color on my fingernails for a week, something I haven't done for a very long time. It would be visible to others and be a great reminder to me to get out of my comfort zone. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I admit that my first instinct was to paint a subtle, soft color like a light (barely visible!) pink. Not bold enough! My other options included a bright blue, Vikings purple, or bright red. I chose red in honor of the red lipstick challenge referenced above, and painted them on Sunday to display the color for a full week. RED! I had to be careful at work all week after I discovered that they could leave light red marks on white paper. I also had to get used to them ...

NUDGED: "Paint a picture" BACKSTORY: The excuses not to complete this nudge started soon after I saw the task for the week. That really surprised me as I always enjoyed being creative and crafty when I was younger, expressing myself through painting, coloring, drawing and writing. I currently have all the supplies to paint, but never get around to actually creating something. Why? My reasons for why I can't paint a picture right now: I'm not a good artist (perfectionist!). I don't want to waste good supplies that I may use later. I don't want to make a mess. I don't know what to make. There isn't a purpose for the artwork right now - what am I going to do with it when I'm done? QUOTE: "Art offers sanctuary to everyone willing to open their hearts as well as their eyes," said Nikki Giovanni. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I gave myself permission to create something, even if it looks awful, to see how I felt while doing it. It is okay t...

This is the first week of my 52 Nudges project. NUDGED: "Change my routine" BACKSTORY: I have my schedule planned out by the minute. I do the same thing at the same time each day, with little variation, for the past few years. While I love this predictability, I wanted to see what happened when my schedule was altered. Could I be flexible and go with the flow, or would it totally throw me off for the entire week? Would it help me to avoid going through the motions on autopilot? Would I find better ways of doing things? QUOTE: "Insight and discovery are most accessible to us when we break up our routine. Only when the brain is confronted with stimuli that it has not encountered before does it start to reorganize perception." - Gregory Berns, as quoted in "Thrive" by Arianna Huffington HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: I made some changes to my schedule, which may not seem like big adjustments, but were a bit uncomfortable for a planner like me! Deep breaths....

I started working on my new challenge before I even knew it was a challenge. My "tasks" sound totally random, but I discovered later that they were all connected. Isn't it amazing when the picture suddenly becomes clear? There were several random, seemingly unrelated moments recently. I walked the halls of my middle school and elementary school, both places I hadn't stepped foot in for over two decades at least. I tried one class of aerials and learned I could survive doing something scary, and that it was okay if I didn't love it. I ordered a mystery clothing box from an online retailer and enjoyed trying on different styles that I normally wouldn't select for myself. I was immersed in a completely different culture while on vacation and had the opportunity to try new foods, ask lots of questions (of course!), and experience new things. It all came together when a friend mentioned the " 52 Nudges " project. Kathleen Guthrie Woods began this pers...