Saturday, July 5, 2014

Goals

I have just completed Day 13 of my Whole 30 challenge.  I feel empowered although I am still waiting for the awesome tiger blood energy to kick in! Never fear, it is rumoured to appear from day 16 onwards.  On the whole I think I am in a better place than before I started this challenge.  My thought process is less cloudy, I feel more alert and I am needing a lot fewer naps.  My hands became a lot less puffy early in the process and haven't changed much since.  I am hoping that they improve a little bit more.

My sick leave has been extended which I am in two minds about.  I am grateful for more time to focus on getting into a better place health wise and allowing time for the doctors to figure out exactly what is going on.  But there is always the longing for the challenge that is critical care nursing and the pride in earning a wage.  I am trying not to focus on the latter as it will come and I will be back working those crazy shifts that punish my mind and body.  In fact I have been doing a lot of soul searching in recent weeks and wondering if critical care nursing is for me.  I've worked in that field since 2005 and I love it or is that loved it.  As you can imagine it takes a toll on you emotionally.  I am starting to feel that there are other areas of nursing that I could thrive in.  Areas that had no night shift which would ultimately be better for me and my immune system.  I must remember that I have to be well enough to be in the privileged position of being a nurse for others.  I pride myself in being able to serve them in times where sickness as hit and the joy of seeing someone get back up on their feet and take on the world again can not be described fully.  Therefore over the next few weeks I am planning to update my CV and have a look around for other jobs.  I may not fully give up critical care nursing at first, rather keep it as a safety net while I test the water elsewhere.  I am ready for a new adventure and challenge in my professional life.

I am always up for a challenge, however it has to be the right challenge.  Over the past year I have found this frustrating as I couldn't find any suitable challenges due to my ill health and chronic pain from my arthritis.  Last week I made the decision to stop letting the arthritis dictate what I can and can not do.  I bravely enrolled in an event in October here in Brisbane called the Neon Run.  It is a 5km event and whilst I do not plan to run it (I've never been a runner) I am planning to get out there, with my husband and supportive friends and walk those 5km.  For many of you reading this 5km does not sound like much, but for me with the daily battle of arthritis and the joint pain and stiffness which comes with it, the 5km is a big deal.  Also being out in the community participating is a big deal especially for someone like me who suffers from depression.  Getting involved in large events can cause feelings of anxiety and in recent years I have had to learn to overcome them.  I am going to walk those 5km with pride and happiness, I am fighting back and winning.  The event is also for Beyond Blue, an organisation which helps people battle depression and other mental health issues, something which remains a battle for me.  I am extremely excited to be able to participate in this event and will be heading back to the gym after a short 3 year break! to walk on the treadmill and get some fitness back and some muscle growth happening.

Do you set yourself daily, weekly, monthly challenges and goals?  Tell me about them in the comments, I would love to hear them.


4 comments:

  1. Well what I can say Kat is, that despite you having some kind of mental health issues, it seems apparent to me that one way or another your true beauty always shines through and that the true you is never hidden for long and that person often finds a way to shine their light as bright as anyone could do :-).

    I don't set goals. I train the same pretty much all the time. My only goal is to live as long as possible, but I don't live anally about it and I don't worry about one or two things I do, I just make sensible choices and smart choices and let my conscience do the rest.

    I completely understand why the 5k would feel like a big undertaking, whereas to some it would feel like a mild undertaking. You're experiencing a serious health concern on top of one or more other things and I imagine that at times it may have felt like something that you could never achieve, or that it could all go wrong, or something serious will happen and whether your body will even be capable of getting to the point where you make it race day let alone finish and if you've ever felt like that it would be completely understandable, but then you could be doing something that is a success and something you will never forget because you will prove something to yourself and continue to prove to others, what a fantastic role model you are and what an inspiration you are.

    As for your work situation, you must do what your heart tells you. You know best how the work you do makes you feel. You're someone that has shown by your work and dedication to it, the amount of heart and character you posses and you should never stop being proud of every second you have dedicated to others, even though at times like many people in your profession, you may have been exposed to abuse and a few acts of violence, but also spent time having to go through your IBD and getting a serious insight into life on the other side of the fence, so you know to some extent, what it feels like to be the sort of person you've helped before and there's not many people who have been in your position before and very hard and extremely challenging both emotionally and mentally, has no doubt been an education in one form or another, so you are more than best placed to know what feels right for you and what feels like the sort of decision you need to make that makes you happy.

    I am certain you will make the wisest choice Kat an find the right balance between work and life and be proud of that decision always.

    You are again displaying so much of the inner beauty, intelligence and heartfelt expression, I find so touching and unique and amazing and all I can do now is wish you every luck with the work situation and with the 5K, and everything you are coping with at the moment and I would like to say that my 10,000,000% support for all your goal, dreams and wishes will remain yours as long as you'd like them and as one Brit to another I couldn't be more proud of your amazing strength, heart, beauty, fight and outlook on life and I hope you will soon enough find the breaks you deserve and as many of your troubles are banished for good as soon as is humanly possible.

    Have a wonderful day Kat, chin up, be strong and keep believing. If you believe in the 5K hard enough, I don't doubt you will find a way to overcome your physical concerns and add another small piece of amazing history to your impressive life and you will have my greatest of respects and utmost pride in all the things you do, because I just think you're such a brave, emotionally beautiful and ultimately incredible Lady and Britain's loss is Australia's gain :-).

    Take care and best wishes.

    Matt

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    1. Thanks Matt. It is always good to bounce ideas about work and career paths off people before making the choice. I sure hope I am Australia's gain :-)

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  2. Hey Cat,
    great to read about your #whole30 journey! I've been seeing it around a lot at the moment and whilst it appeals on one hand… i really love carbs! hahaha. We eat predominantly whole foods and make most sauces etc from scratch, but i have porridge nearly every morning for breakfast and a piece of toast for a snack most days! Have you found it more expensive?

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    1. Hey Jenn. I agree I love carbs, I used to be a carboholic, so I was apprehensive about doing whole30. However I am finding that I only wanted or thought I needed the bread etc for the first few days. Now I don't even think about it and it isn't the first thing I think of when I plan what to read at the end. If you aren't organised it can be expensive. I have started shopping at Costco and local fruit and veg stores and butchers, I am actually saving money by shopping local and for whole30. Hope you and the little one's are doing well and not to cold. Bris is freezing!

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