Happy Birthday @msmeghanbrown!!!

Goodness gracious, we have yet another birthday in the house today. Let's see 12-9 = 3 ... OOOHHH your parents were totally boning on St. Pattys day!

SUH-WEET! 

Well Ms Meggy Meg Meg, either way Happy Birthday! 

We here at TNTML superly duperly appreciate you, and got you a little something for this blessed occasion ... 

Yep, that just happened. 

HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY GIRL!!! May this year be the bestest one ever, and like for real - I mean that, this shit had better be the best year ever ... OR ELSE!!!!!

<3 @TNTML

 

Meghan's Metamorphosis: Don't Try to Boil the Ocean

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meghan. She came on board months ago to write for us, and then very unexpectedly had her life change. No like for reals - her first email to me was how she was in this relationship ... and how awesome it was ... like literally a week later, they broke up. She hasn't been able to write for months and is now dipping her toes back in the water. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT MEGHAN!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @MsMeghanBrown

So I’ve been failing at changing lately. 

I’d been doing pretty well for awhile with the whole “Meghan’s Metamorphosis” concept, and then some stuff happened (as it does) and all of a sudden I was back to (almost) square one. The weight I’d lost? Gained back. The “living like a grown-up” progress? Kept it for the most part, but still have keeping-the-kitchen-clean problems. The writing part? Over before it began. I’ve spent some time in the past few weeks feeling pretty awful about the way that 2011 is ending. 

My friend Barry is a professional dating coach, and was kind enough to throw me a few sessions on the house. We had our first session today, and I was surprised (and relieved!) by how little we actually talked about dating. We talked about what I’d want in an ideal partner, and, conversely, what that imagined partner would want in a partner. Unsurprisingly, the areas where I fell short were the EXACT ones I’d previously identified: fitness/health, quality of life, and career. 

Barry and I also talked about the concept of celebrating little victories. I tend to set myself up to fail by subscribing to the “go big or go home” way of thinking. I want things to be perfect NOW. If I’m not magically 100% perfect NOW I don’t feel like I’m making any progress. So I spend hours crafting these ridiculously complicated lists and schedules that are impossible to keep, and then I throw an internal temper tantrum when I blow it within the first week. 

Today Barry said, “don’t try to boil the ocean”. I love that. Because that? Is exactly what I’d been doing. Trying to get everything going at once. I need to work on accepting the fact that the little victories are still victories, and that not being able to CHANGE EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW doesn’t make me a weak, lazy person. 

So, Internet. I’m changing speeds. I’ve already accepted that I might not hit my goals for the year... but that doesn’t mean I’m abandoning them. I’m gonna start by boiling a cup of water at a time, and see where I end up. 

(If you have any questions for Barry, feel free to contact me through Twitter and I’ll DM you his info!)

xo

-Meghan

#nerdsunite

click here to follow Meghan on twitter

and check out her tumblr over yonder!

Meghan's Metamorphosis: How to not be a slob

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meghan. She came on board months ago to write for us, and then very unexpectedly had her life change. No like for reals - her first email to me was how she was in this relationship ... and how awesome it was ... like literally a week later, they broke up. She hasn't been able to write for months and is now dipping her toes back in the water. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT MEGHAN!! </editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's @MsMeghanBrown

1. Hit rock bottom. Come home to a filthy kitchen and no clean clothes. Notice that your Internet's been turned off. Convince yourself you paid the bill. I mean, you remember writing the check, right? Oh, wait, no. You're out of checks. And stamps. Find the unpaid bill under a bunch of beer bottles that have been sitting on your counter for a few days. Muster some righteous indignation (and maybe a lie or two) as you prep to call the ATT&T people to get the Internet turned back on... then remember that you can't call them, because your phone's broken and you've been too lazy to take it in. Go take a shower to calm down. See that you're out of facewash. And soap. Wish for a fresh start. You're ready now. 

2. Do what you can, and do it quickly. Give yourself a half hour to clean as much as humanly possible. A half an hour isn't so bad, right? Clean the shit out of that half hour. Play Robyn's "Body Talk" album, put on a gross t-shirt and get in the zone. Run bags to the dumpster. Throw in that first load of laundry. Make a stack of unread mail. Put things in vaguely organized piles. 

3. Feel better already. Decide that cleaning isn't so bad. Cancel your plans to go to drinks with your friends. This is important. Clean for another hour. Scrub things. Throw stuff away. Go through those piles.

4. Wash your bedding. It's time. Seriously. Don't be gross. 

5. Feel oddly euphoric. It's not the bleach you're using to deep clean your tub (though, good job on that--way to take initiative). That freaky happy feeling? IT'S CALLED GETTING YOUR SHIT TOGETHER. Enjoy it. Clean for however long it takes. Clean til it's done. 

6. Make the scary list. Now that your space is at least halfway decent, commit to the next level of not-slob. Sit down and take stock of every last thing you need to do to make your life work. No task is too big or too small. What still needs cleaning/organizing? What do you need to buy? What annoying tasks have you been procrastinating on?

7. Pick a day to be superhuman. Devote the whole day (THE WHOLE DAY) to your scary list. Get your car smog checked. Buy everything you're out of at Target. Wait in line at the post office to mail that weird annoying thing you've been forgetting to mail (and while you're at it, BUY THOSE STAMPS). Do some preemptive purchasing. Do you always run out of conditioner? Buy two bottles. Call in refills on prescriptions BEFORE you're already run out. Fill up your gas tank BEFORE you're at empty. Take this time to take care of the small annoyances. Does your printer not work? Take an hour and try to fix it. Send every last email. Make those annoying calls. 

8. Take legitimate stock of the worst parts of your life. What's your bank balance? How much do you owe on your credit card? When is your car registration due? Put every scary date into your calendar. Make a plan and stick to it. Not knowing is the world. 

8. Freak out on how good you feel. Make a healthy grown-up dinner. Do your dishes right away. Light a candle. Listen to music and read instead of defaulting to bad TV-on-the-Internet. Realize that the quality of your life is your responsibility. 

9. Accept the fact that this is a process. You're going to have to keep doing the work. A week of not being a slob doesn't mean anything. This is your life now. Make some rules. Now that you're caught up, you want to stay that way. Commit to small rituals. Open your mail every day. Pay every bill as soon as possible. Use Mint.com to track your budget. Remember what shambles your life was in just a week ago and vow never to go back. 

10. Keep that vow. Revel in your preparedness. Smile looking at your spotless floors. Yum. 

xo

-Meghan

#nerdsunite

click here to follow Meghan on twitter

and check out her tumblr over yonder!

Meghan's Metamorphosis: Working On My Fitness

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meghan. She came on board months ago to write for us, and then very unexpectedly had her life change. No like for reals - her first email to me was how she was in this relationship ... and how awesome it was ... like literally a week later, they broke up. She hasn't been able to write for months and is now dipping her toes back in the water. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT MEGHAN!!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meghan Brown

So a massive part of the general self-improvement plan is getting into some semblance of shape. While I have been FAR (VERY, VERY FAR) from perfect these last few weeks, I have managed to figure out a couple of things that make it easier to stay on track. 

1. Wake Up and Work Out

90% of fit people in my life have been saying this for years, but as an avowed anti-morning person (and couch potato) I totally ignored them. Turns out? The skinny people are correct. If I wait til the afternoon or early evening to exercise I will not do it. Promise. Also: it's considerably easier to behave food-wise after starting the day off right. Plus, my morning mood is considerably less miserable after getting some endorphins buzzing. (Do endorphins buzz? I feel like they should.)

2. Keep the Fridge Stocked

I am turning into a preemptive grocery shopper. It's imperative that my fridge is constantly full of healthy foods THAT I ACTUALLY LIKE at all times... because otherwise? I'll call up one of my girlfriends and end up at Heidi's Pies. And no one wants that. 

3. Exercise Socially

I am crazy-shocked by how eager everyone is to go on walks. I currently have walking buddies scheduled three times a week, and have a handful of friends who have expressed interest in dropping by every once in awhile. Working out with friends is so much fun! Plus, I'm considerably less likely to bail on exercise when I've got a partner in crime. 

4. Cook in Bulk

I'm currently in a dieting phase that can only be described as "repeat til bored". I aim for the same breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack combo daily... and while that might sound HORRIFICALLY BORING, it makes things SO MUCH EASIER as far as "sticking to the plan" goes. Example: This week, I made Weight Watchers Chili for six and and have been eating that for dinner. I make an easy chicken salad or sesame chicken lean cuisine for lunch. Breakfast is always Special K and a yogurt. Snacks are all fruits and veggies. Having a relatively set food plan for the week makes things super simple and is considerably less time consuming than cooking something fancy every night (though, of course, that would be nice). 

5. Stop Being Weird

I definitely have a few weirdo hangups as far as food an exercise are concerned (don't we all?), and examining them has been REALLY helpful. Looking at when I want to eat poorly and why has shown some pretty specific patterns... and now that I see the patterns, it's a lot easier not to fall prey to them. 

I'm still a long way from where I want to be (and, after a pretty awful week and a half awhile ago, I'm a little concerned about hitting my twelve pounds by my birthday goal), but I'm finally starting to feel like I'm figuring out a way to make long-term lifestyle changes work for me. 

Any tips? 

xo

-Meghan

#nerdsunite

click here to follow Meghan on twitter

and check out her tumblr over yonder!

Meghan's Metamorphosis: "We're Different" - Musings on friendship

<editorsnote> Nerds, meet my buddy Meghan. She came on board months ago to write for us, and then very unexpectedly had her life change. No like for reals - her first email to me was how she was in this relationship ... and how awesome it was ... like literally a week later, they broke up. She hasn't been able to write for months and is now dipping her toes back in the water. I only have one more thing left to say ... HIT IT MEGHAN!!</editorsnote>

#TalkNerdyToMeLover's Meghan Brown

I’m a big Grey’s Anatomy fan (shut up). It’s my show. I love it best, even when it’s soapy and stupid and ridiculous and hello? Did I not tell you to shut up? Because I’m pretty sure I did.

ANYWAY. This week’s episode concluded with the remaining three members of the original Seattle Grace gang sitting around at Joe’s. Karev was apologizing(ish) for a comment he’d made earlier about George (WHOSE DEATH WAS VERY TRAUMATIC, THANKYOUVERYMUCH).

Alex: “O’Malley wasn’t a creep, OK? I just don’t like thinking about him because then I have to think about Izzy and I get all sad and sappy. George is dead and Izzy is gone, and we’re all different. We’re different.”

Ouch. Ouch the most.

We’re all different. And we really are, aren’t we? I look at my college friends, my high school friends. We’re all different! What a wonderful, terrible thing, to be different. To be grown or close. Self-sufficiency. Congratulations, us. We’re not in Millbrae or Irvine or Burbank anymore.

But I miss those co-dependent college days. Those high school nights spent singing in the car. I miss the days when my friends were like my family. I miss sharing books and music like secrets, sharing secrets like songs. I miss feeling like there were people who knew me better than I knew myself.

Because now? I know me the most. Learning to stand on my own two feet. Getting myself together. Putting down the phone and opening up Ommwriter. I’m on my own this time.

Relationships change. Everything does. I’ve lost the numbers of the people I used to call first. The first boy who felt like a brother hasn’t spoken to me in years. Girls who felt like sisters drifted.

Not all of them, of course. I’m remarkably lucky to have kept in fiendish touch with the vast majority of people I’ve been really close to throughout my life. But… even then. We’re different. It’s not the three of us at every party. It’s not movie dates and grocery shopping. It’s not a life entwined. And sometimes… sometimes I really, really miss that.

And I’m worried this just gets easier. Letting everything go. Realizing that we’re not the same people we were at sixteen or twenty or twenty-five. It won’t ever be the four of us, or the five of us, or the two of us again. It won’t ever be us against the world. There are new soldiers on our sides.

Progress, ladies. Progress. Yum. Ouch. Yum.

xo

-Meghan

#nerdsunite

click here to follow Meghan on twitter

and check out her tumblr over yonder!