Walking the talk

It’s that time again — the new year. Welcome to 2015!

Traditionally, this is when we all make resolutions and yadda yadda yadda. Instead of doing resolutions per se, I’m setting out to make some changes by doing a few things differently. If you’ve read my blog in the past or known me out in the real world, a lot of these may sound familiar. Well, this year I’m taking a different approach: Small moves to reach bigger goals, if that makes sense. And there’s no timetable on any of this.

Here’s the objectives:
1) I want to do more with less. Or maybe a different way to look at it: I would like less stuff, but higher quality stuff.

For example, I have about 8 coats. One I called “a bar coat.” Another is a light coat. There’s a heavy coat. A ski coat. A suit coat. You get the idea. And you know which one I wear 99% of the time? A pea coat with a zip up “sherpa” hoodie underneath. When it’s really cold, I add a scarf to it. So, I’d like ditch most of these and have a few really nice coats. Same with hats. And shoes. And clothes in general.

I’m also going to go through my kitchen stuff, ditch a lot of the excess there, and start replacing it with All Clad stuff. No rush, mind you … but a pot here. A frying pan there. You get the idea.

2) I want to be healthier. To get to this goal, I need to eat better and exercise smarter.

This means I’ll be eating more paleo again (I actually like it/feel better when I eat that way), but none of that worry/guilt/superiority mentality that I’ve seen in so many blogs that eventually turned me off it. Basically, quality meat and veges with occasional stops for pizza and Primanti’s. Want 1000 Island dressing on a bunless burger? No problem. The point here will be less eating out, less super processed food, and no guilt when I do decide to eat junk.

The workouts will be a return to kettlebell training, with some basic weight training and walking during work hours thrown in until it warms up and I can go biking again. The other part of this will be lots and lots of stretching to keep my lower back from seizing up due to sitting too much at work.

My only real “vanity” goal here is I’d like to bench 275 and have a sub-34″ waist again by the end of the year.

3) Marathon not a sprint. Like most people, I have a bad habit of wanting results NOW NOW NOW, and I get frustrated (and quit) when I don’t get them as fast as I would like. So, I’m going to pare down what I try and do in a day, focusing on the most important stuff first (cooking/stretching/exercise) and anything after that is a bonus. On my weekends, I’ll do projects.

4) See what’s out there. I’ve neglected my exploration side for way too long. And this isn’t just about visiting new places … I’m going to apply for new jobs. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not unhappy with job nor “looking to leave” nor in danger of losing my job or anything like that — but there’s no harm in seeing what’s out there from a stable base, either. Maybe I’ll find something that really inspires me. Maybe I won’t and I’ll stay where I am. Who knows? But I’ll never know without seeing what’s out there.

5) Block/Hide with extreme prejudice. We’ve all seen those posts about “how to deal with negativity.” And maybe it’s right. Instead of letting various social media posts get to me, I’m going to hide/block the posts or hashtags instead of letting them linger or arguing about them.

Again, there’s no timetable on any of this. A fix here. A change there. And slowly but surely, all of these changes will get me to where I want them to be.