Tag: adventure

New Habits – Update 2

One of the things I that helps with accomplishing the goals you set out is telling people about them, as I stated in this post. That’s why I made a big public stink about it in the first place it’s also why I’m still talking about it too, in the hopes that one of you who reads this will mention it to me in person, to help keep me on the ball. Diana has been great in this regard, any time she sees my hands getting near my mouth she gives me a look and tells me to knock it off. It has been 20 days since I last bit them, I’m thinking the old habit of biting will be broken in another 15.

That leaves working out… Not much good news on that front, December is a terrible month to start exercising regularly. My work schedule starts doing funky things, funkier than usual that is. On top of that there is all sorts of traveling and such. I haven’t worked out at all. I’m thinking swimming is out too, with my schedule changing at work, and the job switch in March, I don’t think I can do it. So I’m canceling that. The complex I live in has a work-out room which I can use. I have a short term goal to organize a work out plan by the end of next week, which I then can implement. Diana is going to be a big help there too as she is also trying to start a work-out regime… I’ll keep you updated!

What else is in the queue? Oh, next after stop biting nails and exercising is meditation. I’m really excited about this one! Everything I’ve read on the subject says it’s life altering, paradigm shifting, and mind numbingly boring too! I can’t wait to find out for myself!

Also dozens of books and games in the queue… You saw the towers, you know! Oh, I also have 2 days to come up with something worth sharing with my writing group (sorry MOAP!)

Passage – Gaming as Art

Passage

I don’t want to talk about the game until you’ve played it a couple of times. So please click here now and get it.

Play it a few times through (make sure you read the instructions on the page so you know how to play), each time only takes 5 minutes. Then leave your comments here. When you are all done I’ll say some things too!

Forming Habits

There are three I’m trying to cultivate: Writing for a set period each day, meditating (zazen) for a set period each day, and to swim regularly. I’m also trying to get rid of a bad habit I’ve had for far too long; biting my nails. So what am I doing to make this happen? Well the organized folks over at Zen Habits (my source for all things habit forming) have all sorts of ideas! They have all sorts of lists and charts and what-not what it boils down to is this:

1. Be Realistic – Forming habits is hard, especially if you’ve been cultivating all sorts of bad ones (like I have). So don’t expect to turn your life around all at once, you’ll fail and end up disappointed and even further way from making the changes you want to in your life.

2. Be Simple – Whatever habit you are trying to form needs to be broken down into it’s constituent parts so you have a plan of action for accomplishing it. Don’t say “start working out”, It’s vague and you don’t know where to go with it. Instead say, “plan a work out regime, get gym membership, start doing plan, daily, etc…”. Break it all down into simple steps so that you can manage to do it.

3. Commit – This is one of the most important parts, it’s also the easiest one to break. You need to commit and probably in public. Tell your friends and family what it is you are doing, let them know it is important to you, ask for their input and support. Write your intentions down in your journal, on your blog or social networking start. In this case peer pressure is a good thing!

4. Follow Thru – This is the last and longest step. You need to be consistent. Habit’s don’t form until you’ve down them at a regular time at a regular rate, about a month. The first month is going to be a hassle and a pain, but push through and into the second month it’s going to get easier. You’ll find that you had just as mush time as you did before once you’ve adjusted.

Bonus steps:

5. Spread the Word – Once you’ve changed a part of your life, share that experience with your friends, family, and nice people you happen to meet along the way! It’ll get them excited and renew your batteries too

6. Do it Again – Once you’ve formed a habit, pick another aspect of your life you want to change/upgrade. Rinse, wash, repeat!

I’m going to start with swimming regularly and quitting nail biting. You’re thinking, “things are so busy now he’ll never be able to follow through on those!” Wrong! All of us are always to busy to change things in our lives, if we waited until we weren’t busy we’d never get farther! It’ll be a little more hectic but not by much. I’m committed, now all of you know! Hold me to it! If these two are going well I’ll pick up the other two, but you know what they say, baby steps!

Maintanence and Thanksgiving

I added a new section to the blog it’s called What I Recommend  (Link is dead -Ed. 8/1/11) and in it you can find reviews of games, books, sites, etc… Stuff I’d like to share with you on more than just an occasion. Things that get more than just a passing mention up here. Check it out if you must there isn’t much there right now though.

With that out of the way I’ll wish all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving, you don’t have to be American to celebrate the holiday, anyone can. Yes, there is a story behind Thanksgiving, google it. For my family it never was about the Pilgrims/Puritans, it was about showing proper thanks for the things you have in your life. So, though we aren’t around a table laden with food and there isn’t any god for me to thank I’m going to share my gratitude with all of you here at my blog.  Firstly, I’m grateful for my life, for my parents who brought me into it and raised me as best they could. I feel they’ve done a remarkably good job, considering the materials given. Thanks Mom and Dad!. I’m thankful for my girl friend, the love of my life, Diana Burkart-Waco, for putting up with me, for looking past all my flaws and still loving me, for sharing her life with me. Thank you Diana! I’m thankful for all of my friends, for just being there, for talking with or sharing a moment, for being yourselves around me and letting me do the same. Thanks everybody! I’m grateful the opportunities I’ve had in my life, a college education, a job that pays for mostly everything, a chance to better myself, and brighter prospects around the bend. I’m thankful that it’s hasn’t been too cloudy recently and that I can still feel the heat of the sun on my skin, too soon I know I’ll be missing it. I’m thankful for a lot more, but I think that’s enough sharing. If any of you would like to share a little of what you’re thankful for please do! Just leave a comment!

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