As I mentioned before, I've been doing a bit of self analysis. One of the things that has become oh so painfully clear is that I have gotten lazy! A number of things have contributed to this laziness but regardless of that I now have two areas of flab - body and mind.
The Problem
The body part is pretty straight forward; if you lower your calorie expenditure (ie. sitting in front of a computer all day) and don't also lower consumption (ie. stop stuffing the face with - now extinct - Twinkies), you're inevitably going to grow (fat) and shrink (muscles). I haven't eaten a Twinkie since I was probably 10 but you get the idea. Now, I'm not 400 lbs by any stretch but I am seriously out of shape and some overweight.
I once rode a bike everywhere I went and could run for long distances without issue. These days, I get winded walking up a flight of stairs. My blood pressure is pretty good but my heart rate sitting down is the same as that of an athlete RUNNING.
This Sucks! I've got to get it together!
My mind has gotten rather loose around the edges as well. Prior to my current job, I was a self employed technology consultant, which means that I ran around all day answering questions ranging from, "how do I link the computers my offices together" to why won't my computer come on in a blackout? (no kidding) Basically, I had to do regular research and analysis of complex issues and sometimes questioned if I was being punk'd. All of this kept me engaged in learning and problem solving on a daily basis.
Since 2006 I have had a desk job. I am still working in IT and troubleshooting issues but the range of questions is much shorter. I can answer most questions without too much thought through repitition and therefore have settled into a routine. Just in case you didn't know, routines are bad. While they give stability, stability does not promote growth and in the case of mental activity can cause decline. I am amazed at how much I've forgotten how to do.
More than a few years ago, I attended technical school to study computer science and electronics. I later went on to college and studied more of both. I was a member of IEEE and we participated in robotics competitions which was the most fun I've ever had in school. Robotics became a hobby of mine for a short time. Life moves on and routines come and go. I had a family and jobs/roles changed. Available free time gets thinner and thinner. Enter 2012.
I pickup copy of Make magazine one day and... I'm lost. I've forgotten how this stuff works! I have to look up equations I once could spit out at will. Hell, I've forgotten or am unsure of a lot of basic algebra! I have become a passive observer rather than an active doer.
This Sucks! I've got to get it together!
The Plan
Over the next 90 days I have set the following six S. M. A. R. T. goals to achieve:
- Time management
- Lose 20 LBS
- Build up core muscle strength
- Reduce average resting heart rate
- Read and test each chapter of "Basic Algebra for Dummies"
(The only adult textbook style algebra book I could find under $100 - how sad is that?) - Read and test each chapter of my intro to DC electronics book
At first glance, these appear to be pretty basic and probably to those who've also had such goals, likely to fall to the way side. For you naysayers, I have an action plan for each of these goals! Over the next six posts I'll detail each one, starting with the first - Time Management.