Hello everyone! It’s March and I’m still alive, and that’s good. I had such a productive January that last month looked like it might be barren and unproductive by comparison. Not so! I managed to make some good progress despite the lighter outlook.
Goals Completed
- Exercise at the gym: I went to the student gym several times in February and even sometimes at work! Also got to play some ping-pong with Rob and Erik too.
- Front door plants: Erik made us a really nice bench for the front door and we wanted to spruce it up, so we bought a couple of nice pots and plants for the front door area.
- Trailer hitch: Got a hitch for my CR-V and tested it out by taking the bikes up to UCF. Works as expected, if not a little noisy; had to fish a bolt out of the sub-frame the installers “forgot” about.
- Eye exam and new glasses: After taking a little tumble at work that scuffed up my glasses (and forehead), I popped over to LensCrafters for an eye exam and updated lenses and frames I’ve been putting off for far too long (since I lost my last pair in a lake in New Hampshire). Not a huge change in prescription and no eye problems, woo!
- Aeron chair: After putting it off for a decade of working at a sit-down job (and coming home to sit the majority of nights), I finally took the time to try out some Steelcase and Herman Miller chairs. Thanks to a super helpful staff member, I specced out an Aeron chair and put some savings toward it. Thanks to Erik for buying an IKEA chair off of me to help fund it. No idea when I’ll get it but I’m excited!
Some other cool stuff:
- I bought some rollerblades with my refund monies and rode them around the neighborhood!
- Stuck a super-secret comment tag in my portfolio website
- I got my first heavy full combo on a real DDR machine! AM-3P, but still!
- Talked with some close friends about some mental health topics
- Joined a Florida Springs website and shut down my old and languishing site
- Finished listening to both Serial: Season 3 and The Dropout with Rob
- Bought tickets to Medieval Times (and planning to go soon!)
- Started tracking my overall mood per day in my notebook, for fun mostly
In Progress
- Springs photo book: I didn’t quite wrap this goal in February, but I’m committed to getting this out to a printer by the end of the week. Trying to time-box this to February worked wonders on keeping me focused.
- Car wash solution: Despite my best efforts, I didn’t take good care of the paint on the Fit in recent years, and the roof is starting to show white spots. For the CR-V, I’m committed to finding some solution for keeping it waxed and clean. My plan this month is to try a couple car washes and see how I like them (and hopefully pick one to return to occasionally for detailing).
- Updated landscaping: We’ve been in our current house for about 5.5 years now (crazy) and by now the landscaping updates I did to it years ago have languished. I want to do small updates: pull out the pavers and level/raise them a bit, trim the bushes, maybe add another potted plant. I feel mundane even typing this out, but the sense of satisfaction and neatness feels great every day after.
Upcoming Stuff
- Better backpack: It occurred to me that despite using a backpack almost every day to lug around a 15” MacBook Pro, I’ve never considered getting a nicer one than the free one I got at a conference. I’ll be looking for something more ergonomic, maybe slimmer, but definitely cooler.
- Console container storage: I want to get some plastic containers and sort all my classic / retro video game stuff into a container per console. Should be easier to find stuff and will help with spring cleaning too.
- Group exercise: Finally taking the plunge and going to a group exercise class at the student gym. I’m more intimidated than I should be but this is an easy one to rationalize for the greater good.
- Working on my future: March will be the month I finally start facing the job search and career advancement stuff head on. First step: I’m going to interview a friend who’s graciously agreed to participate and ask him about the skills required to work in a big company, the kinds of experience they look for, etc.
Things have been up and down day to day, but right now in this moment I’m feeling pretty swell and hopeful. Despite my weird role at work I’ve found an agreeable and standard way to contribute, which has allowed me to silently do more work in the background than the entire team I’m supporting. I could do better with the whole meditation thing, but overall I’ve been getting good sleep and keeping up with my budgets and good habits. This emphasis on self-improvement really snowballs sometimes in a great way.
Being really productive leads to fulfillment that lifts everything else. I’m getting along great with the new guy at work; I’m still walking a ton and enjoying every hike; I’ve got a good handle on vacation and trip planning for the year (Smokies in April, FWA in May, GenCon in August and Blue Ridge in October); goals and habits are chugging along and keeping me motivated; therapy and homework is yielding steady improvement; and my weight loss trickle is still allowing me to feel and (attempt to) look great and confident. This may be a small blip above the clouds, but it’s a nice view.
As always, thanks for reading and supporting me however you do (even if it’s just reading!). It’s always appreciated, every single time. 🐾
PS: I started a small Telegram group for friends to share successes, failures, and strategies for goal tracking, habit tracking, and budgeting. Poke me if you’d like in!
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