I’m pretty damn good at making plans but kinda mediocre at following through.
Will this be the plan that actually works?
I’m currently 43.5(ish) years old, and I’m in the worst shape of my life.
I’ve always been a big dude, but I grew up pretty active, playing lots of sports and enjoying being physical. In my adult life I stopped playing sports and wasn’t super active but was fairly busy. Working multiple jobs at the same time, some physical and others not as much, but spending a lot of time in my feet at least.
Cut to 6-8 years ago, I found myself accidentally in an office job. Dealing with a lot of stress, managing multiple programs, locations, staff & clients. After a few years of that I began to burn out. I started winding down a lot of my extra curricular activities because I just didn’t have the energy. I became more and more sedentary and eventually I burnt out hard.
During this time food became more and more of a comfort and a satisfying escape. Food has always been many things to me: routine, fun, celebration, enjoyment, a reason to gather. Some of my favourite memories as a kid were of getting together with the extended family on the holidays around a big meal. So I began to indulge more. I assume that I was trying to capture some of those comforting and nostalgic feelings to deal with stress.
Then the pandemic made my lazy man/only child dreams come true: don’t leave the house, don’t see anyone and keep yourself entertained. Streaming services, DoorDash, grocery delivery AMAZING!
I also started working from home, so I didn’t even benefit from the small amount of steps & activity that going into the office and back would add. All of this inactivity really started to take it’s toll on me. I gained weight, started getting winded way too easily, having pains here and there and generally being uncomfortable. I knew I needed to make changes or I’d end up in serious trouble.
I’ve been in various states of ‘getting in shape’ for as long as I can remember. Always working on a plan, working through a plan, ignoring a plan or failing at a plan. Great at making plans, mediocre at following through on plans.
This whole year, I’ve been toying with the idea of a major life change. Making a plan and sticking to it. Turning my life around etc.
I’ve lost a lot of time so far, I ‘could’ have been so much further along if I’d just done what I know I ‘should’ have done. I’m trying to look at it as processing time instead of wasted time.
Blah blah blah, don’t bore us, get to the chorus!
THE PLAN V 1.0 - GET FIT BY THE TIME I TURN 45