TBT - Resolutions are the worst

Resolutions.

It's like the western world needs a kick in the pants once a year. I'm not fond of this concept, I believe in constant self improvement without the need for inconsequential reminders like "it's another year" but this current renewal of self-improvement just happened to coincide closely to New Years. Just a coincident, I can assure everyone. Then I started to leak blood profusely from one of my feet so that sort of delayed my start. I'm getting that sorted before I technically start because I didn't want the first week of my TBT to be, "Hobbled to gym. Time for 2.5km interval run = was kicked out at 25 minutes for bleeding on the machines. Also ruined new running shoes."

What TBT stands for is "Total Body Transformation" but not having an issue with aesthetics I have always focused on skill development / honing instead, but the TBT is for everyone and the goals are whatever you want them to be. It was a systematic way of putting into words what I meant by "become more awesome"

I also like the idea of a public blog - you get to annoy everyone but also, if you put it out there and people can see it... well. You kinda have to do it then. Because they'll ask about it and you don't want to seem like a lazy, useless pile of excuses when all you have to say is, "But I was watching Ponies!" I'm even slightly suspicious that being temporarily hobbled is an 'excuse' rather than a valid reason for easing up on training (nothing was going to make me pass up 4 hours with Kamikaze Kitten unless I was rendered completely immobile but the pain killers certainly made it easier)

I have to complete my goal setting for A: physical fitness, B: Aikido, C: Derby, D: Diet and E: Sleep. Then come up with ways of tracking performance in a meaningful way.

Physical Fitness: I make up for my lack of fitness by being strong and having a very short recovery time - but I need that fitness in my back pocket for sprints. Plus I need to learn how to manage rest days so I'm not constantly fatigued.

Aikido: Attendance and two gradings this year. It has to happen. Even if it means getting up on Saturday mornings. At 7am.

Derby: Faster, stronger, more agile. Oh, and stopping. Lots of stopping.

Diet: 10pm home time is no excuse for maccas or skipping meals, especially after four hours of training.

Sleep: Admit to self that with increased physical outlay I may need to increase my sleep from four to six/seven hours a night.

I see people make excuses for why they haven't done stuff, the most common is "I just don't have the time," and we all know when this is just patently untrue. If something is important to you, and you actually, truly want it... there is always time. It can be hard stepping back from your life, prioritising all the parts and fitting them back together again, yet it's well worth it. I spent almost two weeks agonising over possibly having to give up Aikido - but as you can see I expect to grade twice this year. How did I suddenly find the time?

I didn't. It was always there, but I was in the mindset of thinking that it was all too much, and that I couldn't possibly fit everything in... Well, screw that for a bad joke. You know what? I can fit everything in, and I can have it all. This blog is for documenting how I reach out and grabbing life by the cojones, and to limit the excuses for when I don't attend/achieve what I had expected and demanded of myself. I've come a long, long way in the last 16 months but I feel I've only just gotten far enough along now to recognise my full potential, and if I don't exploit it, no one else is going to do it for me.

This is my time. I'm gonna become significantly more awesome or destroy myself trying. Heh - once I'm all patched up by the doctor I will be into this with the ferocity of a scurry of rabid chipmunks.