This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Splenda. The opinions and text are all mine.

Big Moves

My family recently finished a big move, relocating from Minneapolis to San Diego for work. I was born and raised in Minneapolis, I was diagnosed with diabetes there, I met my wife there, we raised our kids there, and our first grandchild was born there. Moving was no small decision, but c’mon… Minnesota winters versus San Diego? It’s a no-brainer, right?

The mySugr office is on California’s historic Pacific Coast Highway, and we’re less than three blocks away from Moonlight Beach. Life feels pretty grand for the Johnson family right now. Did I mention no more Minnesota winters?

Big Dreams

We’ve known about it for a while, but preparing for the big move took a long time. There was lots of planning to do, a ton of logistical details to work out, a million people to coordinate, and sometimes just a lot of waiting.

In all of the excitement, I started a list of all the things I want to learn after settling in.

• Surfing – I live in one of the world’s legendary surfing spots. I have to at least give it a try!
• Yoga – The area is also world famous for yoga, which is something I’ve wanted to learn. I’ve been intimidated by it in the past, but there’s no better time than now to give it a try!
• Speaking German – Many of my colleagues at work speak German, and I think it would be a great skill to add. Thankfully, work is bringing in a language instructor pretty soon. I’m excited!
• Bass guitar – I don’t know if I have any musical talent, but I would love to learn bass guitar. It also feels like a therapeutic release and change of pace from my regular workdays.
• More basketball – I enjoy playing basketball, and want to keep enjoying it for as long as I can.

Small Steps

I spent most of March, April, and May facilitating the move. Everything went well. I feel like the dust has settled, and we’re finding our way again. But it took a lot out of me. My physical fitness and health were not a priority while coordinating the move.

Looking at my list of things I want to learn, over half of them are physical (surfing, yoga, and basketball)! It would be a mistake for me to jump headfirst into any of them, so about a month ago I started taking small steps in the right direction and exercising a little bit at a time.

My friend at work introduced me to the beach stairs. It’s a great workout that gets my legs and heart cranking! On a full day, we cover nearly four miles of coastline going up and down every set of stairs along the way.

For the first couple of weeks, I couldn’t do every staircase. It was just too much for me. Now, I’m doing every staircase and even play a few games of basketball afterward. Pretty soon I’ll be flying up those stairs!

The Next Steps

I’m far from where I want to be. The guys on the basketball court are taking me to school, and I don’t feel anywhere near as fit as I’d like yet. But I know I’m making progress. And one of my favorite mantras ever is “focus on progress, not perfection” (thanks, Birdie).

With that in mind, I often think about how I can take one little step closer to where I want to be. I’ve got the exercise piece moving along, and that will get better with time (and patience). Maybe finding a few easy food/drink tweaks in my day will move me forward a little bit, too. I know from experience that small, simple steps can add up to big changes over time.

And right on time, I received a request from SPLENDA® Naturals Stevia Sweetener to sample their 100% natural stevia and share my thoughts with you. Perfect!

I’m happy to find this the best tasting stevia I’ve used. There’s no bitter aftertaste and it’s 100% natural. According to the product information I received, SPLENDA® Naturals is made with stevia extract Reb D instead of Reb A (stevia extract Reb A is known for bitter aftertaste).

The Plan

I’m not going to learn to surf while doing yoga, speaking German, and playing bass guitar in the next two weeks. I know it’s an awesome visual, but let’s wipe that image from your mind right now. Again, 3/5 of my things are physical and exercise related, which I have a good start on. Another great lever to pull here is some small steps around my nutrition and hydration habits.

What I am going to do is:

• Start a few of my mornings off with a nice fruit smoothie. I’m notorious for skipping breakfast and going right into work. I have early morning meetings and jump right into a busy day. I think it would be an excellent small step for me to get a nutritious start to the morning. Frozen berries, protein powder, plain yogurt, SPLENDA® Naturals, some ice to thicken it up and off we go! Do you have any favorite smoothie recipes? Fill me in!
• Reduce my Diet Coke consumption. I have no interest in eliminating Diet Coke from my lifestyle. Sorry. It’s one of my things. It brings me joy.
  • However, I admit that I probably drink too much of it. On that point, I commit to swapping some of my Diet Coke for water, and I’ll also introduce some strong coffee and tea through the day instead of more Diet Coke.
  • In that coffee and tea, I’ll use SPLENDA® Naturals instead of sugar to satisfy my urge for sweetness without adding calories or carbs.

I’ll work on these small steps and keep you all posted as I go. It’s important to know that small steps matter, and if I slip up, I will not give up.

Birdie’s mantra rings in my head so often, and I’m forever grateful. “Focus on progress, not perfection.”

Stay tuned!

Disclosure:
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Splenda. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.