New Year's Resolutions

A couple of years ago I made a resolution to maintain a healthier lifestyle and live more in the present instead of living for the future. The past year, instead of making any new resolutions I soft of adopted the ones from the year before and made them mantras for my life.

And how did that turn out?

I do think I lead a healthier life than years past. To be honest, college wasn't a very healthy time for me. College parties, late night cram sessions, and a terrible diet really took a toll on my body. In contrast, I have put several thousand miles on my bike each year, go for a surf when I can, and rarely drink alcohol.

For me, the difference has not been made by simply a change in attitude, but by setting distinct goals.

Two years ago, there were two significant events that triggered this change in lifestyle. I was in Alabama spending my new year's at a climbing haven and was also in the early stages of training for AIDS LifeCycle 6, a bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Being in Alabama on a trip that revolved around climbing, I realized something really important. By basing a trip around an activity, I was naturally inclined to live healthier the weeks or months leading up to the trip.

With AIDS LifeCycle 6, a trip that would demand even more physically (560 miles over 7 days), I was able to resist the temptation of late nights at the bars. Although I would still meet up with friends at bars on occasion, knowing that I was constantly in training gave me the will power to order cranberry juice instead of beer.

So with that change in place, what's the resolution for this year?

I've been reading some blogs in search of inspiration and really liked this post. I'm going to shoot for simplicity and focus. I find that 'clutter' from things piling up physically around my house to mentally in my thoughts causes a lot of distraction. I'd like to start breaking things down to the bare minimum.

And I am also learning that it is good practice to have a new year's resolution for your blog as well. Sometimes I feel that my blog can be anything and everything depending on the particular day and would like to simplify and focus my blog as well. For me, the blogs I enjoy reading the most are the ones that are consistent with their topics and motivate me to 'do'. Some topics that I am interested in and would like to write about are small business, web technology, and practical ways to staying in shape. So keep posted!