Steve v5.0

Posts Tagged ‘focus’

OK, so the year is winding down memory lane and I’m thinking, “What the hail happened to all my plans and intentions?” Here’s the thing, though- I really only had/have one goal set (you know, that one where I lose a total of 198 lbs. before my next birthday). I think that that might not be ambitious enough.

Looking back, I was always- and I mean always more successful overall when I had a number, nay, a schedule of short-term goals guiding myself to the completion of a larger goal somewhere down the road. Not too many- that tends to make them boring and meaningless, but good, achievable goals that marked significant progress. Oh, and a schedule.

I naturally tend to create ongoing rituals for myself based around recurring activities and mundane frequent tasks. Soon things like brushing my teeth, taking vitamins, putting on my pants, and all the other little activities that make up my typical day get assigned to autopilot. I do them without thinking. The trouble is that not thinking about stuff gets me in trouble on the off-days when some little thing messes up my schedule and trips up my autopilot. Putting on my pants now requires conscientious thought and planning (once bitten, twice shy- as they say).

So it goes with many other things. I vow to consciously live my life, to pay attention to daily details, to turn off my autopilot and make deliberate choice my co-pilot, and above all, focus.

 

So, we’re two weeks into 2009 and I’m just a tad befuddled.  Where is everyone?  Why are there only three if us in the gym?  Last year, the place was crowded through February- this year, nada.  The “pose and gossip“/resistance training class was cancelled because there weren’t enough people enrolled and even the aerobinazi has fewer bodies to scream at.  What gives?  Have New Year’s resolutions become passé, or has everyone transfigured into physical perfection over the past year?

Truth is, neither is relevant to my own little predicament.  I don’t need to make resolutions because I am self-mandated to improve each and every day and that, dear soon-to-be-Steve v4.8, is the crux of my transfiguration.

Change relies on decision only long enough to set the wheels in motion.  Once decided, it’s all action, baby.  It isn’t an annual tradition made to break in 90 days, it’s life from here on out.  It isn’t joining an aerobics class an hour a day three times a week, it being the class, teacher and student 24/7/365.  Decide, do, be.

Moving on…

I’ve been tracking what I eat over at FitDay.  It is truly an eye-opener and an aggravation to discover how much crap enters my gullet without thought.  Tracking it adds thought, and what I’m thinking is that paying attention to what I eat has got to be a habit I create for myself so that it becomes more automatic/subconscious.  Right now I’m thinking that there really isn’t any reason why a habit of healthy eating in moderation cannot be created by just doing this each and every day for the next month.  Now that sounds like a plan.  I’ve decided, that’s what I’ll do, so that’s how it’s going to be.

Rock on.

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The gym was open this morning so I trotted on over. There is still a lot of snow and (mostly) ice on the ground so biking was way out of the question for me. My son was out on his last night- he’s a daredevil and ultimately very hard on stuff- especially the ground. He survived though and probably would have provided some decent Warren Miller-esque footage had someone been around to capture his ride on video. Anyway, cut back to an old fart, penguin-trotting to the gym…

So, I got there a little later than normal- due mainly to the dorky way I was running and this being a Wednesday, was risking being run off by the pose and gossip class that meets a couple of times a week in the weight room.  Ultimately two of the students did show up but the instructor offered to let me stay and continue my workout if I wanted to.  I opted out and stepped on the scale to weigh in before heading out the door.  I feel out of place amongst the pretty people when I’m getting my grunt on.

It was a moment I won’t dwell upon… er… it was a moment upon which I will not dwell? I dunno.  I’m still kind of frozen from the penguin-style, tucked-tail, turkey trot of shame home from the gym.  Maybe confidence on ice comes in a pair of golf shoes.  Now, that’s an image.  My neighbors thank the darkness, I’m sure.

Moving on…

While I probably should have stayed at the gym, I did have a vigorous- albeit brief workout, which fits right into the series of changes I planning to get the weight loss ball bouncing down the scale again.  I am going back  tomorrow morning for a longer workout but today (and evermore) I’m going to focus on food- and really (I mean REALLY) pay attention to what I’m eating.  I realize that I’ve let the weather modify my exercise habits a bit.  What I probably haven’t been paying attention to is an increase in consumption.

Lately it seems like my diet has switched to fattier foods- more pork and beef than usual and I know I haven’t been eating as much vegetables and fruit as in the past.  That changes today.  No more sloughing off!

Rock on…

Flab-off.

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