Nobody Asked Me: Stories, Advice, and Unpopular Opinions
You know how you read articles, watch YouTube videos, or see other content where the “expert” leads off by saying, “People are always asking me X, Y, Z…” Then they go into their elevator pitch on said topic?
This is not how I come up with most of the stories I share, wellness or otherwise. Generally, nobody asked me about anything I’m writing.
Like I tell people when they run in my pace groups, “Come along, I’ll make it fun!”
Now, there have been a couple occasions where I’ve written about a wellness topic because someone actually did ask me. These scenarios usually happen because I’m…well, unique.
I often act differently than what’s considered normal. Most of my opinions are unpopular ones. I’m happily disconnected from the mainstream, pop culture, and, in general, the realities of my generation.
This oddball nature has been fascinating at least a time or two, enough to the point someone has asked me.
But let’s not get too crazy here; most of the time, when I share a story or point of view, nobody asked me.
It’s inspired me to create a new series on this wellness blog, still keeping it real, and in the best way possible: stories, advice, and unpopular opinions that, quite literally, nobody asked me to share. I hope you’ll come along. I’ll make it fun!
More to come! Until next time,
Lindsay
The One Holiday Budget You Should Create
Setting a holiday spending budget. It’s something we should do every year, right?
But in the shuffle of budgeting money for holiday gifts and decorations, travel and food, we may neglect the most important budget of all. The budget to manage our most important resource; one that holds even more value than money: Time.
Taking time for things that really matter.
Time is finite. You can’t make more of it. And, unlike money, we all get the same amount of time each day.
In the same way you budget money to make sure there’s enough to go around, budgeting your time is a great way to make the most of this asset. Not so you can do more this holiday season…but so you can DO LESS. It’s crucial to your wellness – and, especially, your holiday wellness – to save time for yourself.
In my latest Fargo Mom blog post, I share five tips to create a time budget for the holidays that leaves plenty for you this holiday season. I’ll share a quick snapshot below, but definitely click above to read the full post!
1. Plan Ahead
2. Don’t Schedule Too Much
3. Divide and Conquer
4. Define Need vs. Want vs. Waste
5. Just Say No
I hope this helps you budget your valuable time and make the holiday season a bit merrier and brighter.
That’s enough for now. Until next time,
Lindsay
Let’s Keep Running the Miles for Mark
Imagine something in your life that is the essence of who you are and root of many of your proudest moments. Now, think about a person who had the most significant impact on that something. Regardless of your “something”, the person is probably a parent, maybe a grandparent, or, if you were lucky, a really great teacher.
For me, that “something” is running and that person is Mark Knutson. He wasn’t a family member or a teacher, but he was a friend and someone I respected as a leader.
In one of his more well-known capacities, Mark was the founder and director of the Fargo Marathon. He was incredibly hands-on with Fargo Marathon and every other race that he put on.
I was shocked and saddened on Sunday afternoon when I found out he had passed away after being hit by a truck while biking earlier that morning. Both because of the tragic, unfair nature of what happened but also because of how much I was personally affected by his passion and hard work in bringing the Fargo Marathon to life nearly 20 years ago.
My first full marathon circa 2009. Oh, that photo quality…
Run Fargo
Now I know the Fargo Marathon certainly was not the first race to exist in the community. But for me, it was the beginning of my running journey. It was the reason I gave running a shot and dove in headfirst, signing up for a half marathon as my first race when I was 23 years old.
And while I have other people to thank for helping me get into running itself, I’m not sure I would’ve been inspired enough to get immersed and stick to it had the Fargo Marathon not been there to help me fall in love with everything about running, the full process.
The Fargo Marathon introduced me to this bizarre concept of training for months and paying to run 3.1, 13.1, or even 26.2 miles. It gave me a lofty goal to put on my calendar and achieve – year after year. It is where I’ve had the privilege many times to help others achieve their goals as a pacer.
It was because of Mark all that happened.
The Power of Running…and Gratitude
Anytime I saw him out on the course or around the expo, he’d always smile and say hello, and I’d be sure to offer him a sincere thank you for putting on the race. I had an enormous amount of gratitude and appreciation for him, not only because I know how much hard work it takes to put on events, but also because of everything the Fargo Marathon has given me.
Would I have run my first race, qualified for the Boston Marathon, and experienced so many proud moments had it not been for the Fargo Marathon? I honestly don’t know. All I can say for sure is that I was and am grateful to Mark for making racing accessible. For creating community and bringing together so many people in Fargo. For giving us the reason to get up early, power through those tough long runs, and get to do something healthy and fun.
Today’s run, the first of many #milesformark
It hurts to know I won’t see Mark at packet pick-up, at the start line, or out biking the course ever again. It’s bringing me to tears right now, actually typing those words and coming to terms with the reality. It’s amazing the significant impact someone can have on your life and they never knew it – honestly, I never really acknowledged it or even realized it until now.
So, everyone reading this, I hope you will pause to acknowledge the impact Mark and the Fargo Marathon made on your life. If you’re outside the Fargo-Moorhead or Detroit Lakes communities, consider getting inspired to run a local race or at least get out there and do something that makes you proud.
Looking ahead, let’s all keep running, walking, or biking the miles for Mark. I think that would be a great way to honor him and keep his legacy strong.
That’s enough for now. Until next time,
Lindsay
How to Meditate? 3 Ways to Try Meditation
There’s only so much you can avoid something that you know is good for you. Enter meditation.
As much as I love being mindful and taking moments to breathe, meditation, as a practice in itself, has never stuck with me.
But, not long ago, I realized it was something I needed.
Shhh…it’s meditation time.
I recently wrote a blog for Fargo Mom about my experience of trying to get into a meditation habit. Read that full article or check out my summary of three ways to meditate that might work for you.
1. Morning Meditation
Upside: How you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Beginning each day purposefully and starting it off with calm and clarity is a great reason to meditate first thing in the morning.
Downside: If you’re already a morning person with a solid morning routine, morning may not be the most beneficial time to meditate.
2. Mid-Day Meditation
Upside: Everyone is busy and everyone encounters chaos every day. The mid-day meditation offers a chance to take an intentional – and, likely, much needed – break to reset and realign.
Downside: It’s incredibly difficult to step away from work, parenting, or whatever it is that fills the day, even just for a few minutes. The mid-day meditation is likely the one that gets neglected in favor of other, pressing tasks during the day.
3. Sleep Meditation
Upside: I can’t guarantee meditation right before bed will lead to better sleep. However, when I do a meditation right before bed, my mind is way more likely to calm down or shut off, and allow for falling asleep easier and feeling more rested the next morning.
Downside: After a full day, meditation may unfairly feel like one more thing to do instead of the calming, wind-down experience it is meant to be.
If you’ve ever wondered how to meditate, consider first starting with finding the best time to meditate for you. Meditation requires no fancy equipment, it is totally customizable to your needs, and it truly is for anyone looking for calm, focus, mindfulness, or other positivity in life.
That’s enough for now. Until next time,
Lindsay
Unpopular Opinion: I Am Proud of My Age and Embrace Getting Older
Today is my birthday. I am forty!
Pro-aging NOT anti-aging.
While many people who reach this milestone like to say they’re turning 39 one more time or, worse, wishing to be 29 again, I am proud to be another year older and another year wiser. Better yet, I am excited for a new decade with new experiences.
With the big 4-0 on the docket this year, I recently wrote an article for Fargo Mom sharing one of my biggest unpopular opinions: positivity around getting older.
Check out the full article on Fargo Mom or, if nothing else, consider this thought that really sums up what it’s all about:
Aging is something to embrace, not curse. Getting older should be celebrated, not dreaded. And taking another trip around the sun deserves to be met with feelings of gratitude, not fear.
That’s enough for now. Until next time,
Lindsay
How to Manage FOMO? Live In Your Season
You’ve heard of FOMO, the Fear of Missing Out. Social media essentially created FOMO, this feeling of anxiety or jealousy about what others are doing that you’re not.
I rarely get FOMO. In fact, I embrace JOMO, the Joy of Missing Out.
I love when I don’t have plans. If I have plans and they get canceled, I’m not sad. I’d rather hang out with my kids and go to bed early than go to a party and hang out with drunk people.
Maybe it’s the introvert in me; maybe it’s the tired working mom side. I’m not sure but all I can say is I take pleasure in doing my own simple life and feeling no need to participate in what the masses are doing at any given moment.
Except when it comes to running full marathons.
I miss this season. I miss everything about it. But it’s not mine right now and that’s okay.
Having Marathon FOMO
I get serious FOMO whenever I see someone else running or training for a full marathon. Between the recent Boston and London marathons, plus the excitement of my upcoming hometown favorite, the Fargo Marathon, I’m feeling it big time.
See, I LOVE a full marathon. But not just the reward of running the race itself on the day. I LOVE the process of training for a full marathon.
I love planning all my runs then feeling the satisfaction of hitting my weekly mileage goals. I love the feeling of being sore and spending time foam rolling, icing, and taping up my body. I love nourishing my body even more excessively than my usual excess (code: I love to eat). I love extra weekend rest after those 16, 18, and 20 mile long runs.
Just as much as I enjoy the elation of running on marathon day, I love the routine, discipline, and the hard work that goes into it.
Odd, I know.
Be In Your Season
This all made me think about a piece I recently wrote for another blog about seasons of life. I’ve decided that life is less about your age and more about the season of life you’re in at any given time.
Think about it. We are all in different seasons, at any given time in our lives. Many people embarked on marriage and parenthood in their 20s, both of which I did not experience until my 30s. Others were career-focused early on in life, while some find their calling two or more decades after high school.
After changing priorities and lifestyle in my mid-20s, I found running. Those mid-20s to mid-30s, I was in that marathon season of my life. I ran at least one marathon every year, not to mention numerous other races. Oh, so many races.
This is my season now and I’m here for it.
Now, I have two young boys. My job is challenging and demanding. Sure, I could “make time” to train for a marathon, strictly speaking getting in the miles. It’s the rest of the process I cannot make time for right now. There are so many things that take my mental and physical energy, I simply do not have enough left over to put in all the work needed.
How to Manage FOMO
When I start feeling that FOMO for my marathon running friends, I remind myself that this isn’t my season to run full marathons. It’s just not. I am making that choice and I am very much okay with it.
I share this story to remind you to live in your season. If you find yourself feeling jealous or having FOMO, it may be because you’re not in the season to be there.
Everything in life requires time, energy, and focus, all of which are finite. Where we choose to put our time, energy and focus is one of the most powerful choices we get to make. And I know where I’m putting mine, the season I am in, is exactly where I want to be…even with those little twinges of FOMO!
I’ll end with a great quote I once heard from a CEO who shared her advice for working mothers: “You can have it all…just not all at once.”
That’s enough for now. Until next time,
Lindsay
The Gear You Need and How to Layer to Run Outside in the Winter
Special post: Winter running tips: What you need to run outside
“There is no bad weather, just bad layering.”
Layer up & get out there!
I am sure someone said this long before me but I’m not here to take credit for the quote. Rather, it’s my way to introduce something I can’t get enough of: winter running.
Yes, it can be enjoyable to run outside all winter long. All you need is the right gear and a good layering strategy.
In my latest post for Fargo Mom, I break down all the winter temps – including below zero – and share my top gear must-haves, as well as a layering strategy for every occasion. Click and read the full post to learn what gear to get and how to layer to run outside in the winter.
What are your running tips and must-haves for getting outside in the winter? Is there anything you especially love about winter running? Please share a comment here or on the Fargo Mom blog.
Connect with me @lindsayinreallife on Instagram or @LindsayIRL on Twitter. Subscribe to Wellness in Real Life for more about running, wellness, and keeping it real.
Is Your New Year’s Resolution Doomed to Fail?
Special post: New Year’s Resolutions: Are You Setting Up for Failure?
Not one, but TWO posts dedicated to New Year’s Resolutions? And both positive ones to boot? Who is this writer and what has she done with NYR-hater, Lindsay??
Make a resolution because of something you want to do that will improve your life – not something you “need” to fix.
Still me, folks. This holiday season, I wrote two blogs about achieving New Year’s Resolutions – one for wellirl.com about a New Year’s Resolution you can achieve, and one for Fargo Mom. You can check out the one for Fargo Mom, a different way to approach New Year’s Resolutions, which looks at one, key factor that is often missing from them: positivity.
Whether you’re still thinking about making a New Year’s Resolution or you’re already guns blazin on yours, take a pause. Step back. Consider the change you’re making and look at it thru a positive lens.
Read the full post on Fargo Mom and please let me know what you think! Also, if you made a positive New Year’s Resolution, please share it.
Connect with me @lindsayinreallife on Instagram or @LindsayIRL on Twitter. Subscribe to Wellness in Real Life for more about running, wellness, and keeping it real.
How About This: Make a New Year’s Resolution to Stop Something
“Instead of starting, try stopping.”
New Year’s Resolutions are the worst. People make a New Year’s Resolution, get so amped up, maybe even spend money, put in an enthusiastic effort…and then quit.
The stats are mixed on exactly how many people quit their resolutions vs. actually adopt them as a new way of life but, overall, the research does not tell an uplifting story of success.
Why is it hard to keep New Year’s Resolutions? I have a multi-fold theory. If you are interested in more on this, specific to health and fitness New Year’s Resolutions, please read my previous blog.
Something to start? Journaling is a great resolution – just remember it adds one more thing to do.
The other part is what I want to talk about today. At its most basic level, the root of a resolution is about making a change. And change is hard.
Why Do New Year’s Resolutions Fail?
My resolution is to work out more. My resolution is to be more organized. My resolution is to start a morning routine. My resolution is to meal prep.
All of those are popular New Year’s Resolutions and all require a change in behavior to achieve. Depending on where you’re at, that change may be small or it may be huge.
More than the difficult act of making a change, these popular resolutions have one more commonality that makes them tricky to achieve. All are about proactively doing something that wasn’t being done before, adding one more thing to your day, your life.
We already know change is hard. Guess what else is hard? Doing more is hard. We live in a world where most people are already over-committed and stretched too thin with all the things.
Yet every year, people still make New Year’s Resolutions with the hope that, this year, this time, things will be different.
What Kind of New Year’s Resolution Should I Make?
I have an idea. We know doing more is hard. How about New Year’s Resolution that is all about doing less?
Something to stop? STOP spending time with tech & get out to make memories.
Resolving to stop doing something, that should be the new trend in New Year’s Resolutions. And it’s a trend that could catch on because it could work.
Resolve to stop negative self-talk. Resolve to stop spending so much time on your phone. Resolve to stop saying yes to every committee, event, and work assignment. Resolve to stop worrying about things you cannot control.
Is that still hard? Of course. In a way, we are kind of right back to where we started and not really that different than a typical resolution. It is all about making a change. And change is hard.
However, I believe it is easier to stop doing something that to add more. And stopping something that is causing distress in life is the absolute best kind of change to be made. So if you’re going to go all-in on a resolution, and you really want to succeed at your New Year’s Resolution, consider the idea of stopping something vs. trying to start.
What do you think about this idea for a New Year’s Resolutions? What could you stop doing that might not be too hard, yet could bring major positivity into your life?
Connect with me @lindsayinreallife on Instagram or @LindsayIRL on Twitter. Subscribe to Wellness in Real Life for more about running, wellness, and keeping it real.
5 Tips to Stay Mentally and Physically Well During the Holidays
Special post: Simple Tips to Take Care of Yourself During the Busy Holidays
Ah, the holiday season. It often evokes thoughts of sitting around a warm fire, putting up decorations, spending time with loved ones, and general feelings of joy.
Stay merry and bright, friends.
That is the fantasy. The reality is that the holiday season often brings stress, overwhelm, exhaustion, and feelings that are anything but joyful.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Surviving the holiday season, even thriving during it, is possible. How? By prioritizing mental and physical wellness.
In my latest post for Fargo Mom, I give you my 5 easy tips for staying well during the holidays. Highlights are below, click the link above to read the entire post on Fargo Mom. And it’s not just the tips; I share advice for how to achieve each wellness goal.
1. Just say no – to all the things
2. Drink water – lots of water
3. Exercise – all movement matters
4. Eat intentionally – emphasis on EAT
5. Practice gratitude – every day
How do you prioritize yourself and your wellness during the hectic holiday season? Please share a comment here or on the Fargo Mom blog.
Connect with me at lindsayinreallife on Instagram or LindsayIRL on Twitter. Subscribe to Wellness in Real Life for more about running, wellness, and keeping it real.