After my lovely walk on Sunday, I decided that this week would be all about focusing on how I look and feel. So, in the most unnatural alliance since moveon.org and the Christian Coalition, I decided that this would simultaneously be Skirt Week and Walk At Lunch Week. I’ve done two days, which doesn’t sound too impressive I guess, but I’m pretty happy. Having the iPod certainly does not hurt.
Let me back up to Skirt Week, though, as it sounds pretty shallow. See, I’m a complete clotheshorse. Nothing brings me greater pleasure than putting together an awesome outfit with pieces I’ve had for years. I live for the thrill of the bargain hunt. Sometimes, if I can’t sleep, I’ll run through my closet in my head and figure out what I’m going to wear the next day. All this comes together to one simple fact: I’ve always done better at whatever I’m doing when I’ve felt more confident in my clothes. When I just throw any old thing on I slouch through the day. Unfortunately, the humidity and heat of summer do not lend themselves to wanting to put too much on. That’s where skirts come in! They’re like shorts, but are actually more comfortable and give a more sophisticated, I-really-put-effort-into-dressing look.
I think it’s been working, too. While I was tired today, I still felt more confident and invested in how I projected myself throughout the day. And c’mon, I just can’t help but smile when I look down and see a really cute pair of shoes.
Back to the walking. I’ve taken three pretty substantial walks so far, and have had two “morning after”s where I braced myself for the sore joints and stiffness, and nothing! I’m still a little concerned for tomorrow, as today’s walk involved some hills around the Capitol building, but I’m hanging in there. I brought my sneakers to work to change into, which I’m sure is really helping. I definitely noticed the difference between when I was in “walk-mode” in my sneakers at lunch and when I was hurrying across the same park, back in my heels, to meet friends for dinner.
I’m hoping that this motivation to just put more thought into my appearance will last beyond this week, but one week seemed like an easily-attainable goal. I’m not doing obsessive weigh-ins, or checking the inches on my waist, hips, and thighs. I’m just walking and I’m feeling pretty good.