No idea. I found this on my desk. Feel free to caption

I got a physical today and I’m still super healthy. BMI 23, BP 112/65, Pulse 53, O2 saturation 100%. Good to go!

I did manage to get out yesterday when I realized I was out of coffee filters so I went and got some. I can manage without going for a walk but not without my coffee!

(Note lack of tile in unfinished kitchen)

lol – wouldn’t it be great if you could go to sleep and wake up a new person?  And by that I don’t mean wake up a newborn – I mean wake up and suddenly be that perfect person you are always striving to be?
That’s not how it works and you know it but I applaud you, me and everyone for taking the opportunity of a year change to hit a reset button and vow to try harder.  Goals are good.  They’re really good when you write them down and make a plan to achieve them.  I think that’s where most of us fall short.

Here is a quick guide to a few things you can do to take steps toward that new you you are forever trying to create.

1).  Choosing your Word  – Setting a word for the year is a really streamlined way to focus your energies on what’s important.  I had a really good word for last year; I just don’t remember what it was ,so write yours down or join a group where you note your word. INC magazine has some helpful material on coming up with a word. Use the word – check in with yourself from time to time and see if you are living your word.

2).  Try a journal method.  I tried the Bullet Journal last year and failed pretty miserably even though it’s a great system. But, like all systems, you have to stick with it and, more to the point, the system itself won’t change who you are or how you deal with things unless you actually use it.  I started strong but devolved into my normal, take messy notes self.  I still survived the year and I have some notes on some things I did so not a total loss.

There is a whole culture around Bullet Journals and some people do some very  fancy stuff.  It’s really  fun, but it’s not me.  Check out this blog for some fancy bullet journal tips.

3).  Try a time management system.  There are several but one common one is the ABC method (not an official name)   Every day you list your tasks and assign them a priority (a,b,c or 1,2,3). Start with the A/1s and work your way down.  As things come up during the day, add them to the list and give them a priority.  Several times a day, reassess the list and re-prioritize the tasks, if needed.   It’s pretty effective but you have to not be the kind of person who gets too caught up in the moment that you forget to do the assessment.  This site talks about it an refers to several resources to help with this strategy.  You also might want to look into the Eisenhower Matrix which is a way to put tasks in a quadrant that defines them by urgency and action.

4).  Find a good online organizing tool.  There are many. OneNote comes with MS Office now and has a lot of features for organizing your day. as well as being portable across platforms an accessible via the web.  Another one I really like is Toodledo which has a serviceable free version and then some premium features you can pay for.  Also accessible both by browser and mobile app so it goes everywhere with you.

5).  Forget about multitasking.  Multitasking as a way to get more done per unit time is  a myth.  What you end up doing is losing focus on all your tasks and not doing them nearly as well as you would have if you had just paid attention.  When you are on a conference call, don’t be reading and writing emails unless your participation is optional.  You’ll get caught, anyhow.  How often do you hear (or do you say), “excuse me, could you repeat that?” because you realize you weren’t paying any attention at all and someone has asked you a question. Don’t be that guy – pay attention!

That covers your daily tasks and work life. What about all those fitness goals, eh?  That’s a story for another day but for now don’t forget to note your planned workouts  and your new, healthier eating plan in your journal/task list/Eisenhower Matrix/online organizing tool.    Happy organizing and 3 cheers for the new you!

It was 25 degrees today but I did it – I went for a run/walk.  When I started out I thought I might die of the cold but I kept going.  My hands were so frozen they hurt so much I wanted to cut them off.  My toes were frozen.  I persevered – for 1.6 miles. That was it – that was all I had but I celebrate because I didn’t just turn around and head back to the car – I made a circle!

Apparently I benefited in ways I never considered

You know that line – it sits on the calendar right at January 1 and it marks the day when you will stop eating crap, start working out, remember to be grateful for what you have and quit wanting what you don’t have, find a new job, be nicer to people, be less nice to people, practice self care, lose weight, do a better job managing your money, plan an adventure.  We all know that day and, with few exceptions, we fall right in to its little trap.

We tell ourselves, it doesn’t matter what day it is –  I can do this every day!  And yet we find ourselves inescapably drawn to the magical  powers  of renewal and growth brought to us by January 1.  We think,  “I’m going to practice Dryanuary!  I’m giving up sugar – let’s see how far I can make it!  I know the gym will be crowded but I will be there, too!”

So guess what? Me too!   Because, why not?  Why not draw a line and then get it together? There’s so much getting it together energy in the world on January 1 and it lasts at least until January 20th so I’m ALL IN!  It’s like surfing at Mavericks for those first few weeks and then you just have to remember how much you love surfing and hang in there with the regular surf.

This is my year to race again.   I’m already signed up for a 5K on March 3

I joined a triathlon group in May and have yet to meet anyone. They don’t even answer my emails any more.  I never met these people and they have given up on me – ouch!  But  I have not given up on me and the joke’s on them – I paid my dues and I’m supposed to get a t-shirt and I WILL HAVE MY T-SHIRT! (yes, I’m talking to you MidCarolinaMultisport.com).  And I will meet them and I will train and race with them.

I’m going to start swimming with Durham Area Masters on Wednesday.

I’m starting a running program with Kenzai.com on the 15th.

i joined Coeur Sports Collective Beat program.

It’s happening!   I am going to regain my fitness and my self esteem and serenity right along with it; Right after I eat a quesadilla for dinner and work on that pint of Ben and Jerry’s I bought for my birthday yesterday.   I mean –  right after I celebrate New Year’s Eve with a group of young people and their pre-schoolers tomorrow night.  Right after that – right on January 1, 2018