There is a reason I am not a doctor or any other profession that makes you preform well under pressure. I just don’t handle it well. In fact, it makes me anxious just thinking about it. But I do think that a lot of people handle pressure well and thrive off it, like my husband. They don’t call him Last Minute Cotter for a reason ya know? 
Anyway, I do have a point here. Let me get to it.
Pressure points, or lack there of. During the week I usually have a few deadlines, classes to teach, Healthy bites to make, recipes to share, clients to train, etc. Yes, it’s a semi structured agenda, but always has wiggle room.
I thrive for that wiggle room. It means less pressure to fit it all in. It means I can change my mind without changing my purpose or my plan. It means that even though I have priorities, sometimes ditching those “to-do” priorities are a life priority. Ya know? A weight is lifted. And you know what? A sense of clarity fills the air. In fact, sometimes that clarity allows me to get the most done or do my best work.
This weekend was full of wiggle room.
Since changing plans for the ZOOMA RACE, the pressure for a weekend run was off. But in fact, I did run and what was meant to be a short run for fresh air turned into a long(ish) leisurely run on the trails. Nope, not saying how far I went or calories burned. I didn’t count those, just ran for time.
The weekends are also my class free days. The days where I don’t have to teach. But I had a little wiggle room on Sunday and decided to come up with my own workout at the gym anyway. My muscles were wiggling from all the Kettle bell work!
Dinner was a good pantry cleanse since we were leaving to house sit soon. No pressure to fix something intricate, lots of wiggle room to work with here. So I got creative… kinda.
Steamed potatoes, sautéed green beans, herbs, and canned salmon mixed in a balsamic cream (cream cheese, garlic,and balsamic glaze mixed) with a little chili sauce on top. Oh and a romaine salad.
Not too bad for a pantry cleanse.
Healthy Bites. Lots of wiggle room this weekend. In fact, I didn’t plan on working on so many orders but I was on a roll and due to some wiggle room in our schedule, I got lots done. Oh and I was also able to make a few surprise custom flavor orders. Those are my favorite!
Chocolate Almond Banana Protein and Cranberry vanilla Rum Pecan
But I have to say, all that pressure I sometimes put on myself during the week, it means nothing. The truth is I am made for wiggle room, perfectly imperfect, always room for INTERNAL improvement (if I want it).
I have a husband who loves me for who I am, not what I do. Which makes me want to do more for him! And which makes me love and respect him more.
I have my faith, and though at times it feels so heavy, I know God’s strength can lift ANYTHING.
I know, pressure can be a good thing. It can break us out of our comfort zones, it can mold our character. I get that. I believe that.
I also believe that we’re human. Just a little bit of wiggle room can help take the pressure off to be someone we’re not and instead embrace who we really are.
Perfectly imperfect.
Do you thrive under pressure or are do you like the wiggle room?
Cheers,
LC
Since I didn’t announce the March flavor Healthy Bites, I’m thinking I’d like to do a giveaway for them. Yay or nay? I know, tough question.
Custom orders are my favorite, too. I’m thinking of changing my business model to private custom Nutty Butter.
It’s hard to say what I prefer…I needed due dates to get things done in college, but I find that as more and more gets piled on me in ‘life’ the more quickly I am apt to shut down. So maybe I need a little wiggle room after all.
I can say that pressure is actually detrimental to me, so I love the wiggle room concept. Usually I call it “loosely-fix”. Deadlines and fix appointment usually stress me, and since my moods and energy levels are far from being constant, I feel much better when I can allot my time rather freely.
I absolutely love this post,Lindsay! I feel the exact same way!! Sometimes a little healthy stress/pressure is good, but I usually perform best with wiggle room!! It’s about doing what’s right in the moment fir me, for my family- fir our health & happiness! That’s how I am trying to live each moment right now!!! Thank you!!
I definitely like wiggle room!
Like the new layout…I always read from my phone so I never noticed.
Hugs <3
I always described myself as flexible, not wanting to be set with a rigid schedule. I think the wiggle room expression is soo much neater. I need room to just be. Breath in and out and be and you can’t have that with constant schedules and pressure. Thanks for a new perspective that really makes me appreciate this quality in myself.
John David and I were talking about this today! You KNOW I need my wiggle room. I need more and more of it as years go by…
yes! we can wiggle together. tee hee
Totally last minute kind of person… it allows me to focus at the task at hand. But not when it comes to running. Running is definitely something that I plan out well in advance. The calendar is up for months… I may not stick to it, but the plan is there.
Healthy bites every day!
sheesh, like my husband. But in the best possible way. 😉
I used to thrive under pressure, and I suppose at work I still do. But more and more often, I am in such need of wiggle room in life. I CRAVE it. I feel like I’ve crammed so much in for the last few years that my brain has gone in to permanent overdrive.
Also- these bite flavors look delicious.. I may need to order again soon!
thats me! overdrive is never good! i feel ya
I feel ya–I love having a schedule, plans and full agenda, but I also love putting NONE of that in stone. Great if I want to stick to it, I have some structure then, and if I don’t? I’ll do what the moment strikes me with!
Cranberry vanilla rum pecan?? Ohhhh YUM. And yeah, any time I have a chance to win some free bites so I can try them? Haha, that IS a no-brainer of a question, I say it’s giveaway time 😉
Cheers to wiggle room! I like to be able to change my mind and go with the flow!
i bet you need that wiggle room with twins!
Also FYI your “subscribe” button doesn’t work for me. It just opens a new blank window. I’m using Google Chrome.
oh thanks for letting me know! i’m so bad with computers. LOL!
I crave “wiggle room” too. I actually enjoy being very busy, but having too many things planned stresses me out. I’d rather do things spontaneously depending on what I feel like doing at the last minute!
I like wiggle room, but I have a bad habit of scheduling myself to tight to have any wiggle room. I really need to do better about that. I would say I do fairly well under pressure during the pressure situation but I tear myself up about it before hand. Not good!
it’s hard not too, but i think realizing it is always a great way to start wiggling. 😉
I’m definitely a fan of wiggle room and would love more of it in my everyday weekday life… Weekends tend to have a bit more opportunity for wiggling, but the weekdays are working 9-5, workout, eat, repeat.
i love that you wiggle more on the weekends like me. It’s so needed! agreed!
we need our wiggle room!! there are certain moments where we can thrive under pressure but not the best for our stress levels 😉
ditto! i’m learning to stress less too. wiggle and thrive! hehe
I wish I had more wiggle room. With three small children, a household to take care of and marathon training I feel like there is never wiggle room, ever, sometimes this gets me down, but if I stop for too long to feel sorry for myself everything will pile up, so I just have to keep going. Sometimes my husband and I look at each other and say “What THE?” and then say “I guess this is just modern life.” It’s exhausting at times. Thank goodness for our faith, that’s what gets us through.
I admire you so friend! You are an amazing woman, wife, and mom! Wiggle room will come when the last one hits 18, yes? sending you LOVE
I love how pantry cleanings make you have to be creative! 🙂
me too! i think it’s fun, well most of the time. haha
I’d love a bit more wiggle room, in theory, but really the more room the less I get done.
I think you should do a giveaway and then rig it for me.
Did you decide which Zooma race you are doing yet? I am pulling for the Cape since I will be a blog ambassador for that race 🙂
oh i am so thinking cape cod!! I heard great things!
GIVEAWAY! tee hee. obviously.
and having wiggle room is always a great thing to have. i use to be so structured and would freak out if things didn’t go “according to plan” but now i am so much more a roll with the punches type of person. as long as we stay calm everything will get done and if plans change. owell. roll with it 🙂
i agree. It’s about perspective. Calm approach helps so much!
I have been trying VERY hard to get that wiggle room back in my life, hence the #presence2013 project and finding ways to cut things out of my days that I simply do NOT need, no more pressure, no more jamming so much in my head might explode, not so much go-go-go. I’m learning. And the more I focus on wiggle room, the happier I’m becoming. Why did it take me so long to figure that out?? LOVE your outlook my friend, always. xo
it took me forver too! I think i thought it was invincible. HA!
Again we are way too alike! I need my wiggle room and like my wiggle room and love just running, because it feels good and your body feels no pressure, it just wants to go. It’s such a peaceful sensation and one that I which happened more often not just with running, but life too. 🙂
yep! love my running these days for that REASON!
Oh I LOVE lots of wiggle room… but if I have too much I get NOTHING achieved – it’s tricky business finding the right balance for me 😉
and you have a wiggle worm toddler, so you it’s all about balance, right? hugs!!
Absolutely loving this post Lindsay! I think we can all relate in some ways!
A little of both worlds is probably what’s the best, but finding that balance can be a little bit of a challenge 😉
Love this workout!
totally! balance in the wiggle. LOL!. And let me know if you try the workout
Usually, yes, I thrive under pressure. I like to be busy and a deadline helps me be more productive. There are times that I need a break from all this and I’m getting close. Luckily, vacation is also coming up. Good timing!
Australia is so soon!!!!
Not quite yet – next up is an off week at the end of this month, then about 2 months to go!
Nowadays I too like wiggle room and I think our professions allow that! I never was one to wait till the night before to start a paper either! 😉 LOVE this KB workout!
And, I’m always in favor of an HB giveaway!
yep, i think we are so alike here jess!
Beautifully said, as usual! 🙂 I thrive under pressure at work, but in my real life I desperately need the wiggle room. Because I am definitely perfectly imperfect. And I like it that way. It lets God be God! 😉
And a Healthy Bites giveaway is a no-brainer! (As is a HB order….)
Yay on the Healthy Bites give away, and open to everyone 😉
LOVE those flavours of healthy bites. 🙂 our runs this weekend were identical- as I found myself on a long one instead too!
I like pressure 99% of the week, but need to know that I have one day of the week where I can have an afternoon of wiggle room 🙂
I most definitely do better with wiggle room to make my own schedule and go about things in the order I choose to!
as for a healthy bites giveaway, yes please! 🙂
Balsamic cream?!? I love how you think, Lindsay.
I think it’s best to find the balance in pressure and wiggle room. A little of both keeps me most productive and happy! 🙂
I’ve loved using KB’s lately in my workouts. Such a great tool, and I’m lucky that the gyms I’m at now actually have a variety of weights for ’em.
I *need* the wiggle room right now. Life has been throwing me a few curveballs lately. I do well under pressure, but I am only human at times and can do only 1-2 things at a time. I will say having the pressure seems to light a bit of a fire under my rear to get me going!
a… freakin….men
I may complain from time to time, but I do like a pressure cooker. My boss likes to say a healthy dose of panic is motivating… LOL!
i think there is wiggle room for complaining for what you do, just sayin. 😉
Hi, stumbled upon your blog for the first time and I am impressed. Loved your writings.. Subscribed and looking forward to more interesting posts. Keep rocking. x
Thanks,
Borntoworkout.com
so glad we found each other!! Love your inspiration!
Wiggle room makes me so antsy. I love pressure. /crazypeopletalk
you are crazy awesome!
Pressure to a small extent is healthy but wiggle room is important and essential in my opinion. 🙂
I am excited for the healthy bites giveaway. Woohoo!
yep, my thoughts exactly!!
I used to ALWAYS be the type of person who had to live under pressure! It was such a thrill for me. But ever since leaving the corporate world I have learned to enjoy the “wiggle room” and have really come to embrace it and be thankful for it. Every now and again that pressure is nice, but only if it’s for a short period of time! Have a great Monday Lindsay! 🙂
sometimes we need a forced wiggle room, and then we learn to embrace it, yes?
sounds like a great weekend! I’m definitely a planner, and like to have structure and know what needs to be done next… but wiggle room is nice! I probably don’t give myself enough of that!
I actually do NOT do well under pressure. I buckle. LOVE wiggle room and need to give myself more of it. Thanks for sharing those faith quotes. LOVE them!!! Wiggle room and wine go nicely together I think, yes?
love to wiggle with you ANYDAY! hehe
Lindsay! Reading those quotes I literally laughed out loud at their accuracy…then proceeded to get some strange stares from my fellow cafe-goers. Love this post and can’t wait to try your kettle bell workout.
PS GIVEAWAY?! Yes, please!
let me know if you try it Meg! YAY For KB work
This is so ironic. Just this weekend I was thinking about this. I’ve always thought I was one who thrives under pressure, but then I got to thinking – I wonder if I really do thrive or if I would perform that much better if I weren’t always under pressure. I always procrastinate and I always get things done and usually done well, but what if I didn’t procrastinate? Would I be a super star?
I doubt I’ll ever know. Because, when given room to wiggle, I wiggle. A lot!
see…. twins. for freakin real
I do love having wiggle room and I think that’s the reason that I like being a freelancer and working from home. I usually have one or two things that I know that I want to accomplish each day and then the rest I figure out. But I will say that if I really really need to get something done – a deadline helps. I need that pressure. And Healthy Bites giveaway? Is that even a question? 😉
i agree. working from home kinda makes it hard but it’s worth it to plan your own wiggle room. yes?
Wiggle room is the best..I have it everyday. I really think it is a big stress reliever!
Glad you used your wiggle room for some fun this weekend–the eats looked great!
me too! see, i knew i liked you too much! 😉
yayy for healthy bites giveaway and hopefully I win :). Thanks for sharing this KB workout, I am in need of some booty kicking at the gym and I think this will do the job!
oh let me know if try it kaitlin! it was tough!
Beautiful faith messages, you know those are my fave.
Pantry cleaning, seriously amazing what you can find – and what you’ll figure out what to eat it with, lol.
Your run looks perfectly springy.
i post those for you, my sister!
Great thoughts for a Monday morning! I struggle with “wiggle room” but I definitely recognize its importance, and I am working on not planning everything out, but rather embracing how I feel in the moment–it’s hard, to be sure, but important work! Happy Monday 🙂
so true! take it as is comes, or try to! yes?
I am learning to give myself more wiggle room too! in my schedule, my day, everything. WHAT a difference it makes! I LOVE that you ran for time, not distance or speed. You are my kind of runner, friend!! PS LOVE the new HB flavors you made!! and agree, giveaway 😉 hehe.
i know! i wish we could run and frolick together! hehe someday, soon!
Love it – totally need that wiggle room! Gives you room to breathe and exhale a bit.
oh yes! and we need to breathe! hehe
I NEED wiggle room! Tony is the pressure man. I hate that kind of stress! Sounds like you had a great weekend! You sound happy and relaxed. I LOVE it! I hope this sets you up for a great week my friend! xoxo
we married similar men, and we think alike. Gosh i wish we lived closer!
I so am like you about stress – I do stress easy & I DO NEED wiggle room! I love that you have planned it out for you!!!! The run sounded wonderful too!
OK – both those bites above sound amazing!!!!! Are the protein ones more % protein for people like me??? 😉 OMG – cherry vanilla pecan – YUM!!!!!
yes yes, so the bites are protein based! You’d like them!
EXCITING!!!!!!!
oh oh yes giveaway 😉
I think working from home feels like endless wiggle room… some Mondays I go to PT and don’t work for hours while on Sunday i work for 8 straight because I”m just rolling with the flow.
so true, working from home is a wiggle worm wonderland! LOL
What a great post, as usual! I honestly don’t think some one could possibly say they don’t need any wiggle room. There is always one time in each of our lives where we just need time to breath & relax.
I need wiggle room — and I also need to remind myself that there is wiggle room. Sometimes I get SO stuck on my to do list and get stressed! PS I’m in for a give away — but I also need to place an order ha 🙂
I’ve been giving myself a little more room and making a point to wiggle a little more.
Yay to giveaway! I will be ordering soon as my competition is coming up! 🙂
Wiggle room is a very good thing. Everyone needs a little room to breath.
By the way, love that quote about the mountain and the shovel. It’s a great one!
I will miss you at the Zooma Race we will meet up for sure!
I do thrive under pressure. If I don’t have enough to do at work, and I’m not under enough pressure, I get so bored! I used to procrastinate when I had to write papers in college, because they’d be so much better if I was working under pressure. The funny thing is, I’m also a planner and very type A, so I like to know when I’ll be under pressure, rather than have it sprung on me at the very last minute, if that makes sense :).
Surprise, Surprise I do better under pressure haha
I like to have wiggle room too. I used to not. But now I like having some flexibility built in.
Wiggle room is good!! I do thrive under pressure, but I can’t maintain that kind of stress… it’s helpful for finishing up a big project or task, but in the day to day, I like to step back and breathe.
i def need a little wiggle room but i also need a little pressure if that makes sense. i’m a really bad procrastinator but when i have a time crunch it makes me get the job done… but not too small of a time crunch or i freak haha i need balance!
I NEEEEED wiggle room.
MARGINS OF SPACE IN MY LIFE.
more than ever these days….