Resolution Reflections

I recently came across this article in the NY Times about how exercising willpower in one area of your life can in the short-term, negatively affect your ability to exercise it in other parts of your life, but in the long run will improve your willpower overall. While the article specifically references financial restraint with reference to the apparent economic meltdown happening south of the border, the results certainly apply to almost anything where willpower is involved.

Using my own recent New Years resolutions as an example, while eating apples and flossing regularly were initially the tasks I had the most success in completing regularly, my goal of blogging regularly fell sorely by the wayside. It wasn't until a couple of months later, once I was confident that eating healthy and flossing were a part of my regular routine was I able to start focusing on my blogging goals.

Sure, I'm not exercising as much as I was in January, but I'm also finding that I don't need to. Walking to and from work everyday is enough to maintain my goal weight and a pilates session once or twice a week tones everything else up to where I like it. The addition of long weekend walks and dancing lessons certainly means I get enough exercise to be considered "healthy", and I didn't even need to join a gym. I would still like to visit a yoga studio once a week, perhaps in lieu of my at-home pilates; as a way of multi-tasking on my goals for this year: stay fit & meet people.

This is certainly the best I've ever done at keeping new year's resolutions, but it is also the first time I have ever taken keeping resolutions so seriously. Obviously, moving across the country is a drastic way of rebooting your entire life, but I might as well take advantage of this opportunity, right?

Resolution Self-Evaluation

So it's been about 4 weeks since I started on my various self improvement programs and now seems like as good a time as any to take stock. So, how did I do? Well, if you've bothered to check this blog since I started, you've probably noticed which resolution I was least successful with. There are various excuses I could dredge up to account for my lack of bloggy-ness, the fact that L is monopolizing our one computer probably being the most pertinent, but dreaming of my own MacBook Air isn't really helping anything and I'm happy his writing, editing, composing and trying to find a new job.

Oddly enough the two resolutions I am having the most success with are the most mundane: flossing and eating more apples. I am also doing pretty good on avoiding sugary things (I have pretty much cut out all snacking) and exercising (4 - 5 times a week). I've even managed to drop 5 pounds and keep it off for a whole week. Yeah me! I try to do three to four 20 - 30 minute workouts during the week before I get ready for work and then one hour long cardio workout on the weekend. If our weekend activities include cardio heavy activities such as dancing or ice skating, then I usually skip my extra weekend workout. The side benefits of exercising so frequently are that I sleep much better and I have more energy. I don't even need my morning tea anymore (I gave up coffee years ago due to stomach acid issues I nicknamed the "proto-ulcer"). When not felled by a cold I can get up at 7:00 A.M. with no problems and I don't really start to feel saggy until 4:00 PM or later, which usually just means I need dinner. Also, my jeans fit better, even when I'm wearing long-johns under them!

The eating allergens thing has been going okay, but I do admit to drinking a few beers here and there or forgetting to tell servers to omit certain things. Most recently I was confronted by the fact that both of my herbal teas at home contain lemon peel, which does in fact make me itchy. But the fact that I have been able to resist the temptation of eggs bennedict for an entire month is some at least I am proud of.

As for the blogging, I'm going to try a couple things over the next month and see how they work out:
1) Take advantage of my slow periods at work, of which there are many right now, to make notes or start/finish posts in gmail.
2) Stockpile posts developed in this manner to improve my consistency.

I had been hesitant to blog while at work, but for some reason writing my posts in gmail and then posting them later when I get home doesn't seem as bad to me. I am fortunate to be working somewhere that understands that we have slow periods and doesn't mind if you use that time to check Facebook, write emails or catch-up on your gossip as long as the work you do get assigned gets finished in a timely fashion. My workload can change drastically from one day to the next, so instead of trolling the nets for some way to entertain myself, I figure I should get over myself and take advantage of this gift of time. Of course this would be a different matter if I was posting trade secrets about my company, or making money off my blog, which given that it is invite only would be pretty hard.

Happy New Year!

I know that most people my age have given up on such things, but I've decided to make some resolutions this year. I've tried to stick to things I'm pretty sure I can accomplish and I've made them specific enough to yield measurable results. In some cases I have even added time frames so that the resolution does not seem as daunting.

1. Floss every day
2. Eat one apple a day (pears and apple-pears are also acceptable)
3. Blog every day
4. Exercise 5 times a week for 30 days (I am hoping to fit in morning work-outs before work since my commute time will be a mere 10 - 15 minutes)
5. Eat nothing I am allergic to for 30 days
6. Cut out sugary deserts and candies for 30 days

To help me reach my goals I have implemented a few tools and hacks to keep me focused. The first one is Sciral Consistency, which is more of a "fuzzy to do list manager", but I am using it as a sort of "don't break the chain" style motivator. It should also help me to remember to water my plants as I carry the curse of the black thumb.

I have also added To-Do List to my Google homepage as a further reminder. And, if all else fails I have the mantra "How does this help me achieve my goals?" for whenever I am feeling weak.

If you've got resolutions or tips/tricks for staying focused, please post them in the comments.