Practice Makes Perfect: The Power 9 Challenge
Blog 3 of 4
By Stella Drepin
OK, so, practice makes perfect. And this week, I am making real progress and finding out what works for me. I have been on this power 9 challenge where I am supposed to adopt 3 of the Power 9 habits of Blue-Zone individuals who live very full and healthy lives. The three that I chose to follow are move naturally, downshift, and engaging in community.
Last week, I downloaded an app to help me remember to move naturally, especially while I type up these last, end-of-the-semester papers. I really like it because it is a friendly reminder that sounds off every 45 minutes and tells me to just get up and move. I’ve set it to only go off on days that I am at home and am more likely to sit for long periods of time. On top of that, this week’s weather has been heavenly and I took a leisurely bike ride with my fiance! I look forward to more activities such as this in the days to come. I feel great about my progress in this area, and to continue to improve, I will start digging in my garden very soon!
I have also made progress in the category of downshifting this week. I found a time slot for this habit. My commute to school is about 25 to 30 minutes and I have recently started listening to inspiring podcasts on my way to and from school. It helps me relax and be reflective about my life and it also helps me be much more optimistic. I am feeling great about my progress in this area, and to continue to develop this habit, I think that I can set time aside when I am at home to just have some quiet time and listen to a good song and pray, maybe after lunch.
Engaging in community is going to continue to be a challenge for me, but last Sunday, I had the privilege of supporting a member of my small group by rejoicing with her as she got baptized! And later that day, my fiance and I also went to our small group. I feel hopeful in my progress for this week, because I am meeting new people at church and becoming more involved. I think I might sign up to volunteer in the children’s department this summer as well. But to develop this habit further, I think I should engage in my community outside of church as well. I am still looking for ways that I can do this.
Leave a Reply