by Mollie Millington | May 28, 2020 | motivation
The decorating style of our flat is a little hodgepodge. We have some framed art, a card display for the post we receive, an Ikea 5×5 of ‘stuff’ and a large overflowing bookshelf. Each of these corners of our flat display different parts of our personalities, although sometimes I feel as if we still live in graduate student housing rather then adults who are put together and have a house with matching non-Ikea furniture. There are a few things on display that many homes probably don’t have- vision boards and race medal holders.
I remember watching Oprah once when she was talking about vision boards. People in her audience told tales of how several different ovens were ordered and didn’t work for some reason until the one that did she found on an old vision board when clearing out her desk. A gentleman in the audience said he didn’t believe in vision boards when his wife started making them. But he had changed his mind when they ended up on the show because his wife had a photo of Oprah pasted prominently on her vision board. I believe vision boards follow on from the manifestation guidelines of The Secret, but I have not read it. I remember how popular it was when it first came out though! Who wouldn’t want to dream of something and then have it come true?
To create your own vision board, take some old magazines and cut out the photos that you like or the phrases that resonate with you. I had trouble finding a big piece of poster board in the UK, so settled on A3 card stock. This actually worked out better because I made three boards, each with a different theme (running, travel and my personal training business).
All you need to do is make a collage with the clippings and hang someplace to help you visualise your dreams. You might not know why you like a photo or you might be looking for something specific (for example, a kitchen appliance, breed of dog, or new running shoes, or the perfect beach holiday). You can out the picture of something specific, like I did for the Boston Marathon, if you can’t find it in a magazine or newspaper. You don’t need to make themed boards, as I did this week simply because I had too many clippings. Your’s could be a sheet of regular paper with five photos on it. It is up to you and your dreams on how you want it to look. I tend to hang them near by bed so I can see the board as I fall asleep and when I wake up. Seeing them on a daily basis reminds me of what I am working towards and gives me a little morale boost. I have really been struggling with my injuries over the last few years and trying not to give up on my dream of running the Boston Marathon.
While my vision boards tend to be very handmade and arts-and-craftsy, I do like to display my race bling in a more organised fashioned to highlight my achievements (mental note: I need to update my times). I did a lot of research before buying it (mostly on Etsy). I wanted my display to be unique and reflect multi-disciplines because at the time, I was taking part in triathlons. Many designs were about being a female athlete, but that wasn’t important to me. I really like the design I ended up with, as it allows me to display my bibs (do you save your’s too?) and my personal best (or personal record) times for different disciplines. Before I purchased this board, we used to hang our (few) medals on a old door hinge leading into our living room. Every now and again we would bump into the growing collection and hear a clatter. It is nearly full now (six years later) so I need to decide if I discard some of the medals or purchase a new display. Whenever I look at it, I remember how lucky I have been to take part in so many events and how if I work hard, I can make it to more start lines next year.
If you don’t have the space or budget for a fancy medal holder, go to your local hardware store and look at coat and key racks you can adhere to the wall. We actually started out with a five hook key rack but that didn’t take long to fill! My medals are now hanging in our living room and next to my dresser. I see them every morning when I get dressed and every night before I go to bed. I can also see them from the couch while watching TV (which I have been doing a lot of during lockdown). Once in a while, I wade through them to remember the different races I have taken part in all over the world.
Hanging these visual displays really do give me a motivational boost. I love seeing my World Marathon Major medals in a separate display and look forward to filling in the last three medals. If I had a desk, I would hang a smaller vision board too. These subconscious reminders will keep me focused on what I am striving towards- running the Boston Marathon, travelling to new places, and continuing to build my coaching business. You have nothing to loose by creating visual displays of inspiration. Hopefully, they will bring a smile to your face every time you see them too.
Where do you display your bling and/or vision boards? Do you have your bibs or race shirts displayed too? Send me a photo and I will post it here. mollie@ptmollie.com
by Mollie Millington | Apr 14, 2020 | happiness, motivation
When I first heard that lockdown (as we call “shelter in place” in the UK) was a possibility. I was so excited about all the stuff I would be able to do. I was going to write hundreds of blog posts, workout every day, do amazing meal prep, clean the house top to bottom, finish a baby quilt for a friend’s kid who is now three, and start/finish my book about climbing Kilimanjaro. Many of my colleagues were worried about being bored, while I was excited to finally finish all the projects I had started over the years.
And then we got a puppy. We haven’t talked much about our previous dog, which we no longer have. It was hard decision to make not to keep her. Sadly, she was unpredictably aggressive (no matter how much we worked with trainers and the charity we adopted her from). I didn’t think we could get another dog anytime soon after that. However, when we saw all of our upcoming trips being cancelled for months on end, we figured now was the best time to get a puppy. To be clear, normally I am in favor adopting older dogs, who are already house trained, their personality is established, and they are a bit more chilled out. Our experience with our previous dog really upset us quite a bit and we wanted to train a dog to be used to us, up for the pub, and used to riding on the Tube.
Enter Maple (aka moaning_maple on Instagram). She is a Staffie-Mastiff mix and now 11 weeks old. It is estimated she will be 20-25kg when adult-sized but who knows! We love her floppy ears, big paws, and her vocal yawns. We are not keen on the fact that she wakes up three times in the night and takes a lot of coaxing on our laps to fall back asleep. We think we have a system now of setting an alarm and waking her up first, as she then tends to go back to bed right away. I bet the upstairs neighbors appreciate this too!
During the day, she is awake for one to two hours and then naps for the same amount of time, on and off all day. I work from home for a week and then go into work, while my husband is working from home full-time. We are therefore working in shifts to entertain her and work while she is sleeping. The lack of sleep is really playing havoc on me though. I find it hard to concentrate when she is awake as she still has accidents in the house and in her crate (yes, her crate is just bigger than her). When she is sleeping, I am just about able to get into a rhythm when she wakes up and needs me again. Sometime I am so tired, I nap when she naps. Yes, it is really like having a baby (so I am told).
Yesterday, we sat down to address the next phase of her training. As you can imagine, it has been difficult to socialize her during lockdown. We were ‘walking’ her in a rucksack once a day but there were not too many people or cars out. I have taken her into the shops a few times too. She has had her vaccinations now and is able to go on a 10 minute walk. We sometimes carry her to the local park so that she can meet other dogs. Otherwise, we walk her around the block so she can see people, cars, bicycles, and more.
Our biggest priority now is that she learns her name and sleeps through the night. I hope that by sleeping through the night, my energy, and mojo to do more, will return. Having a dog will take up a lot of the time I would use to exercise, craft, or study. She loves us very much and loves to cuddle, which was a treat when she weighed 3kg but also a habit we are trying to break (a 25kg lap dog might not be everyone’s idea of a good time). Once she has stopped growing, I hope she will enjoy being my running buddy.
To rediscover my motivation and get back on the fitness track (and not on the over-eating-and-drinking-alcohol train I have been on), I am starting my ’30 Days to Happy’ program tomorrow (Wednesday 15 April). Many of my friends have shared with me how tired they have felt during lockdown. How they can’t stop eating and drinking throughout the day when stuck inside. How they feel anxious about the state of the world under the cloud of this pandemic. ’30 Days to Happy’ is a safe place to feel uncomfortable, to grow a little outside your comfort zone by exploring ways to find joy through fitness, food, fun, and self-care. Activities will only take 5-10 minutes per day. For those missing structure or being able to plan out their time, this program offers you both, as well as a small distraction from what is going on outside your front door. The accountability of sharing your weekly achievements will help you complete the worksheets, challenges, and workouts we have planned over the course of the 30 days. And, of course, we will cheer each other on in our private Facebook group. A month might seen like a long time to work together but the tools I will teach you will last a lifetime.
In support of all of the healthcare professionals out there, I am offering this program for free to NHS workers (doctors, nurses, patient porters, receptionists, anyone working in a hospital, etc outside the UK). Email mollie@ptmollie.com with NHS in subject to reserve your spot. Or to register now (you need to sign up today as we start tomorrow), click here.
There is a good chance Maple will make a few appearances on the program, if you need an additional reason to join. Although she has taken my mojo, I know my ’30 Days to Happy’ participants will help my mojo return again. Whatever has taken your mojo away, let me try to help bring it back with ’30 Days to Happy.’
by Mollie Millington | Dec 24, 2019 | advent, motivation
How often do you express gratitude? Whether it is genuinely thanking the barista who makes your coffee every morning or writing in your journal a few things you grateful for just before bed, keep things in perspective by acknowledging all the good things you have in your life.
by Mollie Millington | Dec 22, 2019 | advent, motivation
This captures my ethos of ‘do what you love.’ It applies to exercise, work, and life.
Tell me- what do you love to do and are really good at?
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