monday musings

I checked in with myself last weekend, so I thought I would make this a regular weekly thing.

Over the past week I:

• started the new term, and it seems to be going well. I’m excited about both my classes.
• pitched an idea to my boss about a new project.  Got a generally good response, but of course, still have to think about funders.
• made it to the climbing gym 3x (if you count yesterday, Sunday).  Yesterday, I climbed: 6, 8, 9-, 9+, 8, 9+, 9, 10, 9.  Pretty damn good.
• got some interesting comments on some recent posts.  Lots of people have very fascinating thoughts, and I’m eager to hear more!
• spent more on groceries than I had planned, but it did include paper products and fire logs, so next week should be better.
• had pretty decent results with my early wake-up plan (at least until a cold derailed it). But my body is naturally waking up earlier each day, so that’s a good sign.
• didn’t make it to yoga. 

finding an activity plan

If you’re like me (and trust me, you are), you hate to exercise. In fact, I find “exercise” to be a distasteful word - too similar to “exorcise”, a process that just scares me. I also hate the term “working out”. Unfortunately, with our eating habits and sedentary workstyle, we are all in need of a good workout now and then.

I grew up never exercising, and in college hit my all-time weight high (which isn’t really all that high). But I was ridiculously out of shape. After college, I got a gym membership, because my workplace offered a discount and the gym was right below my building. It was full-service, with machines galore and lots of group classes. I lost a lot of weight, got in better shape, and starting feeling so much better about myself. I also learned to hate exercise a little less (though I still hate the word). I no longer have that membership (or that convenience), but I did learn a few tricks to motivate myself to be more active.

1. Find a buddy. We are social animals; we like to be active together. A friend will make the “work out” seem less like “work” and more like something fun. In addition, a little healthy competition goes a long way towards motivating us to succeed. Finally, a friend provides accountability; when you’re waffling on whether to go to the gym or to go home and eat pizza, your friend will make sure you make it to the gym. An alternate option is to take group classes, and makes friends with others in the class (and the teacher). They’ll know when you miss class, and you’ll have some socializing to look forward to. I hit up my existing friends, my work colleagues, my climbing gym, and even Craigslist to find activity partners.
2. Find an activity you like. You absolutely must enjoy what you’re doing or you won’t stick with it. Again, it should feel more like fun, than work. So think hard about what you like to do (and don’t like to do). If you don’t like running, then don’t start a workout plan to jog 5 miles a day. This can be harder than it sounds, and I might post more about this later. Currently, I rock climb at a local gym; I find the activity to be both physically and mentally challenging, both things I require.
3. Find a comfortable spot. If you feel off-balance in your place of exercise, you won’t settle into the habit. It doesn’t have to be a gym, it can be your own home, your neighborhood, wherever. Whatever the activity, it has to done somewhere where you’ll feel relaxed. The people who work at my climbing gym are wonderfully supportive; they help me out whenever I need it, and make me feel welcome. In addition, my yoga studio is like my sanctuary. I look forward to going to both.
4. Find your learning curve. Think about those times you developed a hobby. You had to put in an initial investment of time and effort, yes? Building an activity plan is no different. If you’ve decided you like step aerobics, don’t expect to be an expert in your first class. You’ll trip and misstep, but that’s part of the learning curve. Climbing was extremely hard for me at first, but over time, as I learned technique, I began to eagerly anticipate hard moves that made me pop off the wall. Climbing is an activity that one can never be perfect at - there is always upward movement.
5. Find a goal. Decide what you want from your activities. Ideally, you should think big picture - not just weight loss, but also maintenance. In addition, consider other elements, such as flexibility, endurance, muscle strength, etc. There also goals within specific activities, such as running 5 miles within a certain amount of time. For me, I set a goal of being to climb at a certain level by a certain time. Then I set mini-goals to achieve it. I’ve also set a goal for my yoga practice that I will be developing in a few months.
6. Find your passion. Don’t half-ass your life. It’s the only one you’ve got. Find something bigger than yourself that’s worth living for and worth keeping yourself healthy for. Maybe your kids, your dog, your community. It doesn’t matter. Feel the interconnectedness we all share. Commit.

first blog carnival

I’ve started submitting posts to Blog Carnivals, mostly because they look like a lot of fun. Here is my first appearance, and hopefully there will be more to come.

My post how much should you save for retirement? was included in the Carnival of Personal Finance, hosted by The Dividend Guy.