Debbie’s Project 365 : Time for change – An overview

Photo by Debbie Walker – 365 Project Overview

The 365 Project  – To improve my physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing over the course of one year.

Debbie Walker

Its January 2021 and I have come up with a plan of how to approach my aim to live a healthier lifestyle.

By exploring my love of photography and creativity I plan to initiate and promote change in my current lifestyle. I will create a day by day focus for personal aims, and then record and share with you my progress for one whole year.

As I’m sure many readers have had a challenging 2020, I don’t want to keep talking about my own life challenges, as if I’m the only one. I know I’m not. However, it’s from those very challenges that we grow, and learn. I have struggled with my weight for most of my adult life; gaining easily and never quite managing to lose it all again. I had a successful experience a few years back, but disappointingly, I regained it all – and more. I felt a failure and avoided facing it again. It’s taken me a long time to admit that – to myself, not just publicly. I did begin a blog a few years back to try to motivate myself but I hadn’t realised just how long it would take for me to adjust to the changes life had already dealt and I struggled to maintain my resolve. And then, just as I thought I couldn’t have any more challenging times, I discovered that there was a lot more to endure. Loss of loved ones, of work, emotional pain and grief all at a time when the world was entering the pandemic from Covid-19. All of this played a part in my poor lifestyle choices. I’m not making excuses, I just recognise where I am and that I need to instigate change. A change that I am actually in control of too – now that’s a bonus!

‘If nothing changes ; then nothing will change‘

I think I’m ready. But it’s scary. I know how I’d like the outcome to be, but the journey to get there is quite daunting. Even as I type now, my brain is telling me to stay here, in my comfort zone…don’t change, it’s okay to stay the same. However, I have to over-ride that thought with an excellent quote passed down from my late Uncle, “If nothing changes, then nothing will change”. So, I was musing how to approach the changes I need to make when my cousin and his friend both spoke to me about the 365 photo project; I believe that it’s about inspiring people to enjoy photography, whilst also keeping a record of what they were doing on a particular day. I love taking photos, so didn’t feel the need for a project to encourage me, but I did want to join in with them in what sounded like a fun thing to do.

‘focus on what you can do and not on what you can’t’

WISE WORDS PASSED DOWN BY MY LATE AUNTY VAL

I suddenly had an idea – why not join them with their project, but add my own interpretation to it. Instead of taking pics for learning or being inspired for photography, I could make my focus about the lifestyle changes I want to make. Another quote that my cousin passed onto me from his recently late mum, my Aunty Val, came to mind ‘focus on what I can do and not on what I can’t’. Good advice, and when applied I realised that it’s perfect for me. I can use my love of photography to give me my daily focus … I look through the lens and that in turn gives me what I will make as my priority for the day. For the week, and eventually as a new way of living. I began last week to take photos, but quickly realised I may need to add a label for when I look back and wonder what some of my more abstract pics were meant to represent! My phone wont let me do that, so I began to make a note in my phone calendar. I then decided a short description may be helpful to look back on too, and so started to make notes in my note-app. Finally, I realised that I just needed to take the plunge and pull all of that together and consider writing a blog instead!

And so here I am. A photo a day, to project what I will focus on in my aim to live a mentally and physically healthier lifestyle. And if I lose weight along this journey then I shall be most delighted. I wont be publishing my weight as I don’t want that to be the only goal, but I shall let you know if I do lose or gain for I weigh more now than I ever have done and that must change!

If you have any tips to share with me along the way, please do comment. And if you enjoy reading what I’m doing, or I manage to inspire you in some way, then I’d love to see your support by hitting the ‘like’ button or joining me in my daily updates on my blog Dreams and Aspirations I will, of course post occasional updates here in Focused Friends too as what I’m doing compliments what Tracy is doing with her weight loss programme. However as my posts will be daily, I wanted to keep them separate and a place for which only I am accountable to (this is so that I don’t try to make excuses to myself and stop in early stages ! )