2016 Resolutions
While 2016 is still about 11 hours away as I type, it was about time to get on T6F and freshen up to my resolutions for this coming year. This year has been a great, from a personal standpoint but as with many years, there were still some shortcomings that need to be addressed in order to make 2016 that much better. The theme for 2016 will be “positivity” as there is nothing I cannot do, at work, home or anywhere else I might find myself in the coming year. Yet, as my wife tells me, “actions speak louder than words” something I never forget. So let’s kick off 2016 with a brief review of 2015.
Looking back on where I have come over the past 12 months, nothing really stands out, many months seemingly run together and before I know, December has come and gone and we are staring at another new year. Last year I wanted to work on being a better man, as a husband and father. I hear many friends of mine comment on just how involved I am when it comes to Zach growing up. At times this year I felt it was too much to juggle and some of the commitments I made to him probably fell by the wayside, resulting in broken promises. Last October my wife and I turned a very important corner and looking at improving our life.
For Christmas last year I made put together a ‘date jar’ in order for my wife and I to spend more time together. The rigors of daily life, a full time job and my “honey do list” seem to have be pulled in many directions every day and spending quality time decreased. We would plan on watching television together on my Friday and inevitably I would fall fast asleep. So much for “quality” anything. So for 2016 I am setting aside time each week for my wife and I to spend together.
As for Zachary, now 10, these years seem to move by very rapidly. Just yesterday it seemed he was starting kindergarten and this year he will be entering junior high. We are very fortunate to have a great kid, a bit spoiled being the only child but it’s going to be more important this year to teach him to be more responsible when it comes to chores and saving money. These two go together, so we will see just how quickly he can grasp onto the connection between the two.
Our time spent together is divided between soccer, karate and scouting, all of which have provided new experiences this past year. He has really flourished in each of these activities, where “doing your best” is more important than winning. Scouting has provided him all new experiences with new friends and new challenges. We have enjoyed the father/son time camping and learning different aspects of life. Sensei Bright has taught modesty, courtesy, integrity, perseverance, courage and indomitable spirit through karate. Soccer (while run very poorly through Impact Soccer) has allowed me to learn team skills and provide him exercise than many kids miss these days because of electronic devices and gaming.
Personally my biggest accomplishment of the year was achieved when I crossed the finish line of the American River 50 Mile Endurance Challenge in 13:52:55. Never did I think I would EVER run 50 miles, but it was an amazing journey, not only physically but mentally. Without my great running partner, Brian N. I would have never accomplished this feat. This just reaffirmed that the lifestyle changes I have made over the course of 4 years have been beneficial to my active lifestyle.
Yet with all good things, I did have some setbacks. While I still follow and promote a plant based lifestyle, as seen at Protective Diet, I did let myself go at times and those choices hurt my overall progress. I have see my weight increase about 10 pounds, as I was not successful in getting a 50/50 plate with enough green veggies. I continue to work on making better choices when it comes to my fuel, while refining what I eat in order to keep out additives and improve my health.
While running and weight lifting were two activities that help promote my healthy lifestyle, I was frustrated during the start of 2015, not being able to do either because of ongoing shoulder issues. This year I have a bolder goal of running my first 100k (62.5 miles) in March, followed by another attempt at the AR50 in April. These will be the only two races I run this year. The weight lifting fell by the wayside because I literally turned our garage into a storage unit after getting fed up with at the price to pay for storage. Thankfully over the last few months I have reorganized and cleaned enough of the garage in order to allow me access to my power rack and look to get back into strength training
2016 looks to be starting off on the right foot, as we were pre-qualified to purchase a new home. It’s been 3 years since our home was foreclosed on and we were forced to move into a rental about half a mile away. While it hurt us initially, we have come out ahead as we look forward towards the new year. We are now debt free from the doldrums that are credit cards. We are making only one car payment and my wife has established herself as a respected breeder for Bengal cats (Spotted Envy Bengals if you are interested). We have saved money, which should help us get into a new house, which will still be somewhere in Oakley, even though I would love to move east towards the Sierra foothills (so it would be a 2 hour commute each way to work, it’s a sacrifice I would make).
So let me stand together with my beautiful wife and son and wave goodbye to 2015 and welcome the challenges and changes that 2016 will bring. We have gone through quite a bit the past few years and 2016 will be the best yet.
