Happy New Year Stairmaster
50 Coffee Dates (2015), This New Year (2016)
When I woke on January 1st I was glad to wake up to new prospects, new discussions…a way of looking at the past. In 2015 the fog of 2014 had cleared and with a bit of action on my part, that fog was replaced by a humble voice– animated and cheerful in spoken conversation. Feeling better doesn’t always feel good when you are in recovery mode. The talks I had over coffee in 2015 for my New Year resolution project of 2015 weren’t always comfortable but they were important strides to take. 50 Cups of Coffee was a big part of how and why I am sharing with you today.
Last year my life changed. Significantly. And not in any of the usual ways. This time last year I set out to network with creative professionals in Portland, Oregon who had become my peers and colleagues when I relocated from San Francisco in late 2012. In 2015 I initiated a New Year’s resolution project titled 50 Cups of coffee and as I’ve only completed 25 I am using a new project for 2016, This New Year, to house a new discussion concerning what I learned in 2015 and what I am experiencing in my new-new year, New Year’s resolution project, This New Year (2016).
How 50 Cups of Coffee Can Change Your Life by Peter Thomson.
Ch-ch-changes.
Many people make an effort to change habits over the New Year. My bad habit in 2015 was isolation. Last year I resolved to change that behavior. Why I chose to isolate myself is a longer tale and perhaps with This New Year we will get to it. Just know that I’m engaging you the reader, my ever so patient reader that I am no longer isolating. I’m up for a new challenge and a new conversation and I’m prepared to make a shift in my new inner dialogue.
Stomp.
This New Year I will become physically active. I will also become a better writer as This New Year is intended for publication. These are the new habits I will do my best to adopt in 2016. I’ve set out to do so daily. I am a practicing graphic designer. I’ve been doing this work for just about 20 years. Writing as a professional shortcoming is no longer acceptable. I am a mid-career designer, and it’s not a matter of me taking myself more seriously; rather, it’s a matter of taking those I work with more seriously. There are so many instances when I could be writing instead of waiting for content. So, every day I’ve scheduled time to write, however briefly, even if it’s just a sentence or two. I’m training myself you see. It’s the work of the designer to work with text in addition to images.
A sedentary lifestyle can contribute to many preventable causes of death. I could argue that if I weren’t to become physically active, I’d likely have fewer years to choose or not choose another New Year’s resolution– or a new project for that matter. A little bit of exercise and a little bit of writing, and, by design, I should be prepared to take on yet another project in 2017. We’ll have a year to find what will unfold.
Ready? Ok. Eh-hem.
In order to take on my new habits of physical activity and writing I will climb 5 flights of stairs and journal daily. I’ve been doing great with the daily writing so far. On the days I don’t the stairs I write about why. At least I can do that sitting down. But getting up and away from the desk to exercise however briefly has proved more challenging.
I started off very much in the right direction with 6 successful days climbing 5 flights of stairs each day. Off to a great start. On January 7th I skipped on January 8th I doubled my efforts as a way to repay myself. 10 flights. Yes, it took twice as long to accomplish and felt 10x more painful, even though it was only 2x the work. I’m really out of shape! No wonder, I am 45 pounds overweight. Change the conversation. Steer this chatter onto a more productive track. But before I do let me keep track for the day I skipped and made it up to myself. I was proud for having gifted my body the extra set. It was a difficult and painful. I had something to prove.
“How do I justify 10 flights after skipping a day if if I set out to do 5 flights daily? Not sure yet.”
Having proved that if I skipped a day I could make it up to myself, I skipped Jan 9th and doubled up again on the 10th.
“Did I skip or miss the day.”
“Yes, no or skip and yes or no tomorrow?”
Didn’t I commit to a daily habit? I noted in my journal (yay for writing) that day that I had worked two long work days back to back, which had required me to work well into the night rather than sleep. Or exercise. This is not uncommon for designers, especially freelance ones. Long days and long nights.
Trouble Will Find Me. A 2 three 4…
Having skipped Jan 7th and Jan 9th due to a couple of late nights I’m now behind on sleep. I opted to skip climbing 5 flights of stairs on the 11th, 12th and 13th, noting on the 12th in writing that I owed 2 sets. My task was to complete 4 sets of 5 flights of stairs on the 14th accounting for the set required for that day. Explanation for my lack of discipline on the 14th? Sleep. But having skipped three days of exercise I was rested up. Catch up time.
On the day I returned to the 5 flights, Jan 14th, I only completed 1 set of the 4 5 flights of steps. Still leaving myself with 3 sets. Every day there is set of 5 flights of steps awaiting. On the 15th I completed 3 sets but failed to complete the one waiting for me that day. Three flights in a day! Woot. A celebratory cocktail! But still not on track.
Skipping, I thought while sipping my whiskey and ginger, isn’t really cheating. It’s down right tiresome. Finally on the 16th I managed 2 sets of 5 flights of stairs. Feeling guilty, either for the cocktail or for bullying myself with exercise I got caught up with the 1 remaining set along with the one for that day.
With every day comes a new set and with a new set comes the question, did I complete yesterday? For what it’s worth I wrote that the task of two flights before breakfast in the morning was slightly easier than I expected. I normally eat first thing but on a whim I took to the stairs first thing on the 16th.
“Normal people understand that you should exercise rather than eat, don’t they”
Sunday the 17th I skipped but no surprise there right? What a loser.
And this is how honoring my 2016 New Year’s resolution began during the first month of 2016. As you already know This New Year is intended to find an end to my New Year’s resolution project from 2015.
In the first of month of 2016 I’ve discovered that while much has changed since 2015 there is something that has not. I could go back to my cave or I could go on with the work of 2015 and finish the task of meeting 50 new people. So far in 2016 The writing is going great. It’s the physical exercise that’s proving challenging.
What do you mean?
The conversation, well that changes from day to day.
“I hate this!”
“Why?”
“Really?”
“10 15 20 flights of steps, wtf?”
And there it is again,
“You loser.”
This inner dialogue take the form mostly as negative banter. Slights. The conversation regarding the desired new habits did eventually shift from something I had to do (the exercise), to something I deserved to do (the writing), and then something I would punish myself with (extra flights).
And then maybe it’s okay to be sick and tired. Time. Most of us have so little of it. I for one have today. And you, my friend, to meet in the near future. That’s plenty.
Nothing takes the past away like the future. -Madonna
When I came down with the cold and flu I considered that I would end the year as a failure. That, I was big sissy. Then today, feeling better and feeling alive, relieved to not be ill, in the writing, a reward of the new habit of journaling:
This is just the beginning. Just one set today. You are on the mend.
Happy New Year, you stairmaster.
Won’t you join me?
Hey Portland! I’m serious about meeting for coffee.