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April 24, 2023

Intentions for the Week

Intentions for the Week Workbook by Tracy Benjamin now on sale!

Intentions for the Week- Week 17 in 2023

Happy Monday, friends! I spent the entire weekend away from the computer at the Forage Retreat. It was relaxing and totally inspirational to be around so many creative women. I have so many pictures to sort through that I am going to make a separate post about that this week. Stay tuned!  This is my 305th Intentions for the Week list. Isn’t that crazy??! Wow, time flies. 

Wanna do some journaling together this week? Sign up for my Zoom class this Friday- 5-6:45PM PST! 

We will work on our Currently Workbooks together and process April 🙂

Anywho! Here are my Intentions for the week!  

CONTINUE READING

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April 23, 2023

My Everyday Life Week 16

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 16 

I’m in Sonoma this weekend!

My Everyday Life Week 16 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

At The Forage Retreat with my friend Emma. 

My Everyday Life Week 16 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

I am so inspired by all of the visuals this weekend. 

My Everyday Life Week 16 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

We have done some writing. 

My Everyday Life Week 16 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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April 21, 2023

I LOVE LISTS

 Let Go or Be Dragged --- i love lists// shutterbean.com

I LOVE LISTS 

  1. I love a silly sign.
  2. Discontinued things that should come back.
  3. Letter spacing fails.
  4. Are Sleepovers Finally Over?
  5. This Hack Uses Pez Dispensers to Store Lactaid
  6. 16 Ways To Practice Do No Harm (But Take No Shit)
  7. An AI image won an award and makes us question everything.
  8. The most walkable cities in the country.
  9. Pixel abstracts made with Excel.
  10. We have great burritos here in California.
  11. The massive art installations at Coachella look like legos.
  12. I forgot that Wes Anderson recreated these movies. 
  13. Look! A real-life Snoopy dog! 
  14. Big Hair, don’t care. 
  15. I am in love with this blanket.
  16. Depeche Mode orchestral covers.
  17. How are classic films are restored to their former glory?
  18. Off to find a jam jar…
  19. How to secure a bracelet with a bobby pin.
  20. Weekly Reading: Unbroken: The Trauma Response is Never Wrong 

I wrote a post about my Mom’s Grocery Lists on The Handwriting Club this week 🙂

 

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April 17, 2023

Intentions for the Week

Intentions for the Week Workbook by Tracy Benjamin now on sale!

Intentions for the Week- Week 16 in 2023

Happy Monday, friends! We are back in the mix. The weather has been beautiful here and I’ve been outside working in my garden, hiking with friends and doing some spring cleaning! 

In case you missed it, I shared How I Created my Workout Routine! 

Creating a Workout Routine- Tracy Benjamin from Shutterbean shares how she created a workout routine!

Anywho! Here are my Intentions for the week!  

CONTINUE READING

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April 16, 2023

My Everyday Life Week 15

Here’s what this past week looked like- My Everyday Life Week 15

HIIIIIII. In my happy place under redwoods.

My Everyday Life Week 15 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

Found some spirits in the woods with Caley.

My Everyday Life Week 15 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

We’ve been friends since 7th grade!! <3

My Everyday Life Week 15 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

CONTINUE READING

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April 14, 2023

I LOVE LISTS

Do it for your future self! I love lists // Tracy Benjamin Shutterbean

I LOVE LISTS 

  1. I love people who play with food (ahem, MATT!!)
  2. Cool pics that could be album covers.
  3. How to capture the Wes Anderson look in photos.
  4. I want a time machine so I can take this train.
  5. How long do you keep important financial docs?
  6. Artist makes portraits out of stacked books! 
  7. Are these the best films of the 21st century?
  8. The food at Coachella looks good.
  9. How to conserve water in your garden.
  10. This solar-powered trailer can get you off the grid indefinitely. 
  11. This apartment in a converted schoolhouse is cute.
  12. I love looking at stickers on Etsy.
  13. These are a TJs staple of mine too.
  14. Speaking of- These are my favorite TJ’s pantry items.
  15. Also, another something to try at Trader Joe’s.
  16. It’s a good thing I’ve never liked peeps.
  17. The smoothest way to fold jeans. Whoa.
  18. A whole bunch of Mother’s Day gift ideas. 
  19. This place looks like my kinda heaven! 
  20. AI technology + aging celebrities. Fascinating! 

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April 13, 2023

Creating a Workout Routine

 

Creating a Workout Routine- Tracy Benjamin from Shutterbean shares how she created a workout routine!

Creating a Workout Routine

There are a few things that have helped me lose 50 lbs (!!!!!!!)  in the past year and I plan on getting to all of them in due time. It involved a lot of hard work, practice, and a deep dive into my relationship with food.   The first/most important step in my health journey was FINALLY creating a workout routine. I’ve been asked a lot about it and here it goes! 

For years I have had “create a workout routine” on my intentions for the year list. Every time I tried to create this habit,  I would get a few weeks in and lose steam. The collapse usually had to do with getting off track with eating and letting life/stress get in the way of my health. 

 

The three main things that helped me create a workout habit: 

  1. Starting off slow to build a routine 
  2. Checking in with others
  3. Tracking progress

My Everyday Life Week 38 - Shutterbean

1. Building the routine:

It took me far too long to realize that getting in the requisite 30 mins x 3 a week was unrealistic for me. I would make excuses throughout the week (too tired/didn’t have the time/missed the opportunity to, etc!)  and by the time Friday rolled around, I would have only one workout under my belt and WHO WANTS TO WORK OUT EVERY DAY DURING A WEEKEND? Definitely not me. 

Instead of giving myself the goal of 30 x 3 times a week, for the first month of my plan, I decided to try to work out on my elliptical machine for 15 minutes a day, every day. If I wasn’t in the mood to do elliptical, I did one of my favorite workout videos and danced! What I know about myself is that it takes me about 15 minutes of doing something to get into a good rhythm/hyperfocus state.

Favorite Productivity Tools - Shutterbean

If I went past 15 minutes, GREAT! If I didn’t, that was fine too. The point was showing up and making the effort.  After the first month, I increased my workouts to 22 minutes which sometimes turned into magical numbers like:

22:22

33:33

44:44

55:55

(I’m motivated by angel numbers)

It took me a little over 2 months to make the routine stick. After month two, I got to the point I actually CRAVED working out and could see a big difference in my energy level and how my body felt when I didn’t work out. 

Discipline is Self Care -- I love lists Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com 

2. The Power of Accountability:

Checking in with others who share the same goals has also been key to my success. I’ve been involved in my friend Sam’s book club for over a year now and what I learned in showing up and doing the work is that there is power in community and accountability.  One of the books we read was A Road Less Traveled, by M. Scott Peck what he said about discipline really made me think-

“Self-discipline is self-caring.”

Basically- DISCIPLINE IS SELF-CARE!

I had expressed interest in creating an exercise routine at the group level because I got tired of doing things on my own and failing.

Sam became my accountability buddy because he also wanted to create an exercise routine.

We agreed to the 15 min plan.

My Everyday Life Week 31 of 2022- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

(here’s my Fitbit Versa that I use to track my workouts!)

We started sharing our progress via texts to encourage each other to stay on track.  He worked out in the mornings while I worked out in the afternoons/late evenings. Getting a snippet of his progress at the beginning of the day was the push I needed to complete my workout for the day. We both shared our efforts at group level and it encouraged a few of our friends in the book club to move their bodies too.  I also check in with my friend MC who loves to dance too!

YAY, FRIENDSHIP! 

My Everyday Life Week 22 of 2022- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

3. Tracking Progress:

I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I like to see the results of my hard work. My initial goal wasn’t to lose weight- it was to find the discipline to make exercise a regular part of my life.  It was also to use the elliptical machine that collected dust over the pandemic! 

I hung up my monthly printable calendar on the wall I face while I worked out and filled in each day I completed a workout with a colored pen. Every month had a different color. I used whatever pen was nearby so the different shades have no significance.  I didn’t write down the length of time- just that I did it. I wanted to see how many days in a row I could accomplish my goal of at least 15 minutes.

As you can see, I started this practice in June of 2022. 

My Everyday Life Week 1 of 2023- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

After the first month, I gave myself a rule that would keep me on task.

I would try not to go more than two days without exercise if I could help it. 

There was a week in December when I went three days without moving and I felt like SHIT so I would say my rule works! 

Currently March 2023- -Currently Workbook by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

I’ve been keeping up the practice! 

Favorite Workout Videos by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

The thing I like about doing  Workout Videos on youtube is that they’re FUN and quick. It’s amazing how fast 30 minutes of dance routines can go. I also overdid the elliptical in the first few months and tweaked my ankle so they were a nice reprieve while my body healed.

My Everyday Life Week 45 of 2022- a photography series by Tracy Benjamin of Shutterbean.com

A month after I started my workout routine, I recorded a podcast about Binge Eating with my friend Benjamin that began my journey of unpacking my relationship with food. There’s so much to tell you about that and I’ll be writing about that soon!

If you’re looking to create a workout routine, my advice is to start slow, build some accountability into your practice, and track your progress so you can see your hard work pay off! 

Move through the Discomfort- i love lists - shutterbean

I hope this inspires you to take good care of yourself and move through the discomfort! 

YOU ARE WORTH THE EFFORT!!