Looking Back on 2018

I think I’m over the whole New Year’s Resolution phase of my life. When I was much younger I’d start the year with a laundry list of resolutions and never get further than 30 days in sticking with them. Sadly, I’m not unique in this practice.

I believe it was a couple of years ago that I adopted the “End the year a better person than you were at the beginning of the year” philosophy. I’ve observed myself long enough to know that cold turkey doesn’t work for me. It doesn’t work for many people, but they’ve yet to discover that.

Slow incremental changes are what works for me. As such, I keep the end goal in the forefront of my mind. The path to achieving the goal may take a few detours, but as long as I keep the goal in mind I’m golden.

Weight Loss – Or as John Assaraf says Weight Release

Last year I ditched the scale and released weight. How much weight did I release? I don’t know, but I do know my daughter made me throw out my baggy jeans to buy ones in a smaller size.

I copied the term “release weight” from Mr. Assaraf after watching an interview he did with Tom Bilyeau.  Mr. Assaraf’s philosophy on “losing” weight was interesting. He termed the phrase releasing weight because what do you do when you lose something? You look for it until you find it. When you lose weight, do you want to find it and get it back? I didn’t think so. Hence, releasing weight is a more appropriate term for those of us who don’t want it back.

Trimmer and Fitter

Without the benefit of going to a gym, I became trimmer and fitter. How do I know this? Well, I spent some time working at the Post Office delivering Amazon packages. It was a physical job and I loved it! I was able to handle the job without pause. Granted, the first few days I came home and slept very well, but after the induction phase, it was all smooth sailing!

It wasn’t until I had to pick up and move a 10,000 BTU air conditioner while cleaning the storage room in my house did I realize just how fit I had become. In the past, I wouldn’t have entertained the thought of lifting it. I would have waited for my husband or son to give me a hand.

Being impatient and wanting to get the task of cleaning the storage room completed, I picked it up and moved it to another shelf. After picking it up, I realized it really wasn’t very heavy at all. I guess it’s all those Amazon packages (including the queen-sized bed frame and the full sets of weights) I delivered.

Improved Mental Health

No matter how stable we think we are, there’s always room for mental health improvement. I didn’t think so until I became more, how should I say…Zen. No, I’m not talking about sitting on a mountaintop meditating and chanting with incense burning around me (although that wouldn’t be so bad). I’m talking about a more balanced and less histrionic way of living. The pendulum of my emotional clock seems to stay pretty much in the middle with fewer large swings to the right or the left. My pea-sized spot of inner peace seems to have grown. I’m better able to take things in stride.

What caused this change? Well, I think it’s a combination of things.

• Getting better with eating keto
• Turning off the TV and the negative news/programs
• Being unwilling to engage in unnecessary derisive conversations
• Reading inspiring and thought-provoking books
• Watching uplifting and inspiring movies/videos/documentaries
• Meditation
• Making a conscious choice to pay attention to what I’m thinking. As Dr. Amen says, I kill the ANTS (automatic negative thoughts).

I’ve got a long way to go, but I’m reaping the benefits of the changes that I’ve made so far. I feel good.

Back in 2012, I made several healthy changes. Those changes are the foundation that I’ve been slowly building upon. As you can see, this is not an overnight transformation. I’ve been working on self-improvement even before 2012. It’s a never-ending journey. The beauty of this journey is that with every step forward I take, I feel a little better.

How about you? What’s your health journey been like?