Welcome to my year in review!
No, this isn’t an ad for one of my books, but the title is appropriate here and I like the cover, so I figured I’d use it. Read on for the relevance.
It’s been a crazy year. I’ve done a lot of trial and error on my day-to-day life, a lot of analytics and problem-solving, and a lot of reworking routines, habits and workflows. I wouldn’t say it’s been fun, exactly, but I think it’s important to “refactor” things every so often, and especially so when you’re trying to make room in the day-to-day for more projects.
Throughout this whole process, there were two things that kept coming back into focus as absolutely necessary if I wanted to get anything else done at all. Two “keys” that when turned, unlocked a bunch of otherwise unusable potential.
Those keys for me are Sleep and Exercise.
There were many years I could get by on the minimums for these – especially sleep. But just in the past year, year and a half, I’ve noticed that I need more sleep just to get through a day with a reasonable amount of brain power, and I need more exercise to keep my body functioning at the level I think it should function.
Both of these revelations have been highly disappointing, because neither is something I want to spend any more time than necessary doing. And ironically enough, this year in particular I’ve been more physically limited than normal due to a few injuries, which made staying active challenging, to say the least.
I currently need a minimum of five hours of sleep to be rested, and six is optimal. Unfortunately, as much as I try to prioritize sleep, I’m rarely successful. Part of that is reading right before bed. And then sometimes not stopping, because…reading is fun. But I have no other time to read, really, and if I don’t stop writing soon enough, then…things sort of bleed together. Something I’ll be working on more stridently in the new year.
As to exercise, I’m finally back to regular yoga sessions every weekday morning, walking during my break at work most afternoons, gym workouts twice per week and dog walks three times per week (weather permitting). It’s been touch and go all year, as I got injured twice badly enough to require a workout break, and I don’t gain muscle as fast as I used to. Add hormonal changes into the mix, and it’s been frustrating, but regardless, I feel better and have more energy when I’m regularly working out than not. And the actual exercise sessions give my brain a much-needed mental break from the near-constant problem-solving I do both for work and in my personal life (more on that in a future post).
I’ve noticed that when I sleep enough, it’s easier to make good decisions about everything, including exercise and my health. It’s also easier to exercise impulse control, which is something I’ve gotten rather lax on over the years (to my great detriment). Supposedly, it’s also easier to lose weight when you get enough sleep. I haven’t noticed that, but sadly, you also have to eat less and move more, so…I’m working on the eating part. W
That also ties into the impulse control – when I sleep enough, and do the workouts even when I don’t feel like it, I’m far more likely to make good choices when it comes to food and how much of it I need. It’s a noticeable difference from day to day, and more and more I find myself really wanting to be that person who sleeps enough, and exercises enough to have the “powers” of sharp focus and impulse control at my disposal.
Sleep and Exercise.
Those are arguably my two “life keys” going forward, and the two things I’m going to prioritize heavily going into the new year (and this month too, because there’s no reason to waste a month just because it’s December!).
Is there anything in your life that stood out for you this year as something you want to prioritize going forward?
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