Wasted Time

Today I'm going all the way back to a my kickthehabit posts about procrastination. I had started to make some good progress, but I've backslid quite a bit since then. There are a lot of things that are just not getting done. Why did I back slide? I'm really not sure. Disruption of routine usually does it for me easily enough.

I've found a lot of ways to put off doing what I need to be doing. Instead of designing websites (which is work after my day job) or writing, I'm exercising. Or trying to work of the energy to exercise. I've got to find better ways to manage my time then I currently do and still fit in the exercise as well.

Okay. We'll take this by the steps. Let's work through this.

Step 1 - Break down your day

Morning

1. Get out of bed between 6:30a and 7:00am
2. weigh-in, heat up water for shower, feed cats, make lunch - 15-20min
3. shower - 15-20min
4. set-up coffee, blow dry hair, dress - 20-25min
5. make-up (if time) - 5-10min

Time Required: 55-1:15min ~ Time Unaccounted for: 0min

Work 8am-5pm (not including OT)

• breaks and lunch are used for surfing internet, sometimes writing blog post. Potential for optimization.

Evening

1. arrive home between 5:15 and 5:30pm
2. optional - grocery shopping, run errands do laundry - 40-1:30min
3. cook dinner, check on cats, do dishes - 30-60min
4. eat dinner while watching TV - 60min
5. exercise - 30-60min
6. Bedtime at 10:30pm

Time Required: 2:00-4:30min ~ Time Unaccounted for: 30-3:00min

Step 2 - Find Wasted Time

Okay, there is some obvious room for improvement on those evenings. We all need time to chill as well, but how much do I really need? Is my dinner time my chill time or should I use that to multitask? Should I try cleaning while I'm cooking my dinner? Can I make better use of my breaks at work for writing or blogging?

I've never written my schedule out like this before and I'm scared of even thinking about how much time I waste on the weekends. My weekends are so up in the air all the time and when I do have the weekend at home I often find myself thinking about everything I need to do, but not doing any of it.

Step 3 - Plan Optimization

Okay, the best way to take this is to change on thing at a time. So what can I change? Where can I add or move things to make the schedule better? I can add more time in the morning, by getting up earlier. I can use that time for writing, exercise or even blogging. I can prepare my lunch the night before to free up even more time in the morning.

I can block manage my time during the evenings so that I spend less wasted time. I can break up the workout. Maybe even do some exercises while cooking. Some people find that block managing their time and focusing on one thing at a time makes it easier to get things done. I've never tried it before, but it might be worth it.

The important thing is making the changes slowly, one at a time, so that I can make them apart of my schedule and not back slide again. Once I have one change well incorporated then I can add another change and then another.

It's obvious that, like many, I procrastinate way too much. So here I go again, trying to kick my procrastination habit.

Dear Carrie,

I know it's been a few years since we talked last and now I know we never will again. Your story was one of such sadness and hope. I had always prayed that your path would remain true. I will never fully understand the struggle that you faced every day of your life, I'm just glad that you kept fighting. Had you never given it your all I would never have had the chance to have you in my life - even for such a short time.

You can rest now. Your fight is over and I hope that where ever you are, you're truly at peace. And our tears are only because we miss you. Because we loved you.

RIP Carrie. I'm sorry I never got to know you better than I did, but you are a shining light that I shall always remember.

Giving it up...

Last night it occurred to me that Ash Wednesday is less than a month away. Now I am not what one would call a religous person. I have my beliefs and I usually keep them to myself. One of the things I do like to participate in is Shrove Tuesday (seriously, a day for indulging and eating pancakes - who doesn't want to take part?) and Lent. I view Lent as a chance for change and self-improvement.

Last year I gave up sugar and I'm not sure exactly how well I did with that. This year I was considering refined and artifical sugars, but do I want a repeat of last year? I'm not sure. Fasting is often a part of Lent and I considered doing some sort of fasting - such as giving up breakfast. I could give up TV, but in reality I watch maybe an hour a day on average. Not much there to give up.

Some people add things for Lent - such as adding exercise at least 30 min a night., but I already do that and I'm not sure what else I can add to my life that would help to make a better me? I'm a little stuck on this one. If I didn't already drink 2 - 3 litres of water a day, I would start drinking more water for Lent. Maybe I'm better off with just giving up instead of adding something to my life?

Either way I go this is something that I am going to be putting a lot of thought into. I am also more than willing to hear what others have to say on the subject.

Measurements

I was talking with a friend of mine who is also trying to get rid of a few extra pounds when I realized something for the first time. It came as a surprise at first, but it was very true.

Although I've put myself on diets and exercise programmes before, this is the first time that I've lost a significant amount of weight by my own doing.

It's definitely something for me to be proud of. I'm also hoping that it means that this time the weight loss will stick with me for a very long time.

I've also decided that it yes time to start judging my progress by more than the scale. It's time to start measuring the inches. This kinda scares me, but I know my weight it's not a true judge of my success in this endeavor. The inches tell more of the story.

Guess I better get back to working out. I've got a lot further to go to get to where I want to be.

Wii Fit

So I've been watching my food to help lose weight and as you can tell from my previous entry I've been pretty successful. The first 20 lbs down and far-too-many-too-admit-to left to go.

For Christmas my sister and BIL gave me a gift card to buy a Wii Fit when I got back to Alberta. I bought the Wii Fit and I've had it for just under a week now. In this time, I've used to every day.

I started off just playing with it a bit. A balance game, the step "class" and hula-hoop. Then I started adding in the strength training and the harder step and super hula-hoop. Then the timed Free Step. And then I added extra weight. Ankle weights and dumbbells.

So what am I thinking of the Wii right now? Well I am sore, but not too sore. I work up a good sweat when I use it and I find it gives me the direction and viewable results that I need to keep me encouraged.

I'm finally learning to not hate yoga. In fact I'm finding the programme encouraging me to keep trying at it. It even makes me feel like I might one day get back to the sort of flexibility I had when I was younger.

I know a lot of people who get the Wii Fit intending to use it, but they never do. Well I think it is worth it and I enjoy it. I'm hoping to add this to my daily routine. I know I won't always be able to get a work out in everyday, but I'm sure going to try.

Losing weight isn't just a goal. It's part of a bigger plan and exercise is a part of that plan. Get healthier by getting fitter.

The First 20

I started on my current diet in early November, I may have mentioned it once or twice before. I've been, for the most part, recording steady losses in my weight - which makes me very happy.

Christmas was hard, of course, and I did lost a couple of weeks of hard work. I wasn't going to sweat about it though. It was the holidays and I knew it would be difficult to eat right. Still, I lost the equivalent of 3 to four weeks of weight loss (in actual time and pounds gained).

I am now proud to annouce that I have lost exactly 20lbs as of this morning. The first 20lbs. It is probably the second hardest part of making a diet change like this. The first hardest being the last 20 of course.

The jeans I bought near the end of November are far too loose on me now - which is good, but none of the smaller jeans I own fit me yet. It's got to be the only bad part of losing weight. Not having anything to wear and not wanting to buy anything because you'll shrink out of it too quickly.

And what this first 20 lbs really means? Well to me it means I've made a commitment to my health and well-being. It means that for once I am really going to finish something I've started.

2012

Hello New Year!
Last year I posted what I think was a very nice little entry about the coming of 2011: Letter to a Year Gone By. I certainly did not manage to keep all the goals I had set for myself last year, but that's okay. I always had a problem with setting goals to high.

Looking back:

2011 was a pretty decent year for me. My biggest highlight of the year was running a half marathon. Something that I would have believed impossible not too long ago. I did nearly cripple myself, but that just makes me more careful moving forward.

The low points were the injuries. From the near crippling I just mentioned to slicing of a chunk of my thumb. Not to mention greeting the new year with a tendinitis flare up. Still, I'm not totally broken yet so I'm not going to fret too much!

Looking forward:

I want 2012 to be a year of change for me. I'm working hard to get my weight down. I even have another half marathon goal...but this one is in 2013! Plenty of time to prepare myself properly. Moat importantly, the real goal isn't just weight loss, but overall fitness. I want to be healthy.

The health/weight thing is the biggest thi this year, but I want to do more than that. As I said, I want this to be a year of change. It may seem vague, but I want to make my life better for me.
I want it to be better in a way where I can say that my life is good. That I am happy just as things are. With just the way I am. I want to learn to find a better connection to the world and to other people.  Does that make sense?

So I raise my glass and toast to this new year. May it be the kind of year of which I can be proud of.