Tag: mentalhealth

Resolve to “Start”. Thoughts on Resolutions

Welcome to 2024! It is going to be an amazing Year.

As we move into the New Year, it is that time when people make Resolutions to get in shape, lose weight, eat better, get organized, travel more, drink less – Dry January anyone?
Many set these Resolutions with a desire to follow through, to actual improve. We pressure ourselves to set them, to make them happen.

According to Forbes.com the top 2024 Resolutions are:
Improve Fitness 48%
Improve Finances 38%
Improve Mental Health 36%
Lose Weight 34%
Improve Diet 32%
GREAT!! Sounds like a good list and something most of us could get on board for.
https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-years-resolutions-statistics/

In the same Forbes article, they also say about 62% of people feel pressure to make a resolution. They go on to site a lot of other statistics as well.
NOT SO GREAT that you feel peer pressure to set resolutions. Why?

In 2023, Fisher College of Business did a study on Resolutions, they found only 9% of Americans complete their resolution. 23% quit in the first week, and 43% by the end of January.

I stopped doing “Resolutions” as a New Years thing years ago, do not get me wrong I have my list of things I want to improve, 2023 was all about that. BUT I did not feel an outside pressure to do it. I also did not hammer myself if something did not go as planned. I was HONEST with myself on what I wanted, and HONEST with myself in the successes and failures, looked at the task/resolution/thing, re-tooled it and STARTED again on it.

What I really want to talk about is STARTING.
Make your Resolution to START, and to keep STARTING until you are doing it.
The list of things you want to improve is great, but you have to START, and when you fall off, you have to START again.

They say it takes 28 Days to make a Habit… Maybe 28 Starts to actually do it? Make Starting your Habit, your Resolution.
We all fall off, fail, do not complete, whatever term you want for it, we all fail at some point, Losing is part of the game. Get up, brush off, and START again.

Resolve to Start this year!
You will feel better about it, you will likely be more honest and open with yourself about it, you will take a small loses and turn them into Big Wins by Starting, again and again if needed.

Make 2024 YOUR YEAR. Find your things, and START!

Resolve to Start!

90 Day Journey – End of Week 8 and Inner Peace (John 14:27, Matt 7:7-8, Gal 5:22-23)

Week 8… Two thirds through the 90 Day’s.

Its becoming more and more clear to me that this 90 Day Journey is really just the tip the iceberg . The 90 days is to establish new habits and routines, but the vast majority of what I am doing needs to be a new lifestyle. Develop more humility, gratitude, peace, love and joy in my life.
Accountability = Happiness and Change = Opportunity.

Maybe with the “new lifestyle” I do not go as hard as I am right now, but it will need to be close to as hard else I will lose the drive to continue, maybe its backed off to 80-90% or something. 4am maybe becomes 415 or 430, 30 min Peloton rides, maybe become 20 mins, but still daily, with a 10-15 min in the AM (right now its 10-15min in AM and 20-30 min in PM). Not sure, maybe its no change and I just keep going full speed?

Peace, specifically Inner Peace is where I want to go today.
John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.”

The Peace in this passage is not peace as we usually think of it – “a state or period in which there is no war or war has ended” (Dictonary.com) The Peace that Jesus is speaking of is true peace, inner peace, for the Apostles to be good with what is to come and be at peace with it, knowing that it is as designed and that God has them. Peace in this sense is a Right Relationship with God/Jesus.

Not a Believer?
OK you could use this other definition “Peace as an individual virtue or state, that is, tranquility or serenity”.
It is Inside, Inner Peace with how things are.

The last few days have been a joyous struggle. Without details, it has been a happy time, a conflict filled time, a struggle, Emotional for sure.
The last week was a roller coaster, and it still is right now today, one of those stomach in your throat, upside down, sharp drop ones (hate roller coasters as a ride now days).

I went to sleep Sunday night with a lot of internal struggle, and woke up Monday AM (today) with a calm and peace around me. Not because things worked out, in fact they are in flux and in conflict, but in the middle of that “war”, I have found Peace with it.

Grand Canyon University had a Weekly Devotional “Fruit of the Spirit – Peace” in Oct 2015 that describes Peace as such:
Peace is knowing that the Lord of the universe is by your side and resting in that.
It’s not just knowing, but it is also living it out. Peace is sitting in comfort and knowing that God is next to your side no matter what. Peace is something that you can’t attain physically because the world is almost always going to be a rocky place.
https://www.gcu.edu/blog/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-fruit-spirit-peace

Now I do not know if this Peace I feel is truly God Inspired, or if in my head I have just come to terms with some things… or both? They are not mutually exclusive. One could easily argue that you do not come to terms with things without an assist from God, that would be my view point.

What do I do with this gift of Peace? I give Thanks for it. I show Gratitude when and where I can. I continue to pray on it and hope that His path for it is revealed and that I continue to walk along it. If possible, I share it with others (like with this blog post).

Life is a battle at times, maybe at all times. Take the Peace when you find it, cherish it, pray about it, meditate on it, do whatever fits with you to walk with the Peace and continue to feed it. as much as possible.
I hope that you find Inner Peace, if you do SHARE IT in the comments here, or on whatever platform you found this post on.
We all deserve some Peace. Ask for it!
Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Thank You to everyone who reads these posts and engages with my daily updates out on the social platforms. I hope you find some sort of value in them, even if its just entertainment at my journey and struggles. You are appreciated!

–Chris

90 Day Journey – End of Week 5 (and Easter)


He Is Risen.
He is Risen Indeed!

Happy Easter to everyone.

Week 5…
Finally finished “Before the Coffee Get Cold”, literally took me until the last couple pages to “get it” The story and style was just not working for me, then the last few pages and WHAM!
If you have not read the book, its worth the read, but seriously it took me almost 3 weeks to read it, because it just was not clicking for me. So I am about a book and a half behind where I wanted to be right now, so a lot of reading coming in the 6th week.
Lessons from the book? I need to digest it for a couple days I think, but it has me sort of reeling, but I think maybe I am allowing it to pull me in the wrong direction.
The book is essentially about time travel, with a lot of rules, to go speak too, or see, something in your past and have that final conversation, even though it will not/cannot change the future. At the end of the book, it is about travelling to the future, to see what happens, or see that someone, have a convo you cannot have. Anyway the last few pages hit me like a brick.

On to “Being Happy” a favourite of mine that I have read a couple times. I need this book. After that is “Marriage Rules” a book RS and I started and neither of us finished, nor put things into practice. Not staying with this book def hurt us, or maybe did not help us is all, either way I believe it would have made a difference. It is also a book I need to dig into.
Those are my next two books.

I started to dive into the video editing and shooting classes the last couple days. Also into content creation ideas (posted about that last time I believe). I am thinking I may start an all new IG and Snap for this, may also have to dive into TikTok. May also get an all new phone to use for content creation, dedicated to just that. The reasoning and such is way more than I want to post about likely. But I have a method to the madness.

So I broke the news on a daily update post, but I have been sponsored by EPN Supplements https://ep-nutrition.com/
So please check them out. Discount code is CANDERSON for 10% off. Their products are great. They taste good, not chalky, they mix well, dissolve. They are the first products of this nature that I can see myself actually using long term. I had the Weight Loss Stack sent to me.

I have to put the 7 Days lessons into practice still. Also get back to listing to the hypno CD nightly. Its all about Positive Mental Attitude. I feel so much better when I start and end the day with positive things.
Positive In, Positive Out. Garbage In, Garbage Out.
Its why I try and do the daily morning post about the start of the day. Its why I am blogging the weekly things.
It is HUGE to me that anyone cares when I post these things, but quite a few of you, even if you just click the heart and do not read it (but I assume most of you do read it), it means a LOT to me that you even take 10 seconds to look at what I post and let me know.
So THANK YOU for the support.

Change = Opportunity
Accountability = Happiness
Gratitude and Peace are what I am seeking in my personal life, and I am seeing glimpses of them.

Physically, I am moving weight around on my body. Nothing dramatic yet, but I see the change, others probably do but cannot pinpoint it. I think my entire presence is changed a little, so that is probably what people are seeing.

If you have not checked out GaryVee https://garyvaynerchuk.com/ DO SO! This guy is ridic. Smart, business minded, funny, straight shooter, positive positive positive. Inspirational is an understatement. Check him out and if you somehow do not find him to be an inspiration, then listen to him a second time.

Onto week 6…

Thanks
–Chris

90 Day Journey – End of Week 4

Some sayings I am adopting…
Change = Opportunity
Accountability = Happiness
Negativity can lead at halftime, Kindness always wins the game
Kindness is cool
Truth is cool

This last week I spent a lot of time studying. The main source of study was GaryVee, this guy is a straight shooter, businessman, social media expert.
Check his site https://garyvaynerchuk.com/
His attitude and insight is ridic. The last four sayings I am adopting are all via GaryVee.
I also watched some video editing stuff for iPhone.
Got a new white board to schedule things out a bit better and get some clarity around my tasks I want to complete.

I may change this post format to a vlog post in the near future, as well as my short daily updates, and some other content I have been planning. The 90 Day Plan is in full effect and working as designed.

This week was not without some drama and relationship bs. That said, it was petty and was purely out of hurt feelings, I get it. It hurts. Still hurts. Will hurt for a while.
RS is an amazing woman. She deserves all the happiness she wants and desires. I am sorry I was not able to be that person for her any longer, and that pains me. The last year and a half was some of the best times I have ever had, loving, caring, fun. She is a great person and I wish her good luck on whatever she does. I hope that we can get past the jabs, and sideways FB posts and the like and just move on.

I have been slacking a little on the reading, I am still in Before the Coffee Gets Cold, should have been done with this last week and onto the next book. Have to finish it up and get onto the next one.

Vlog and content ideas I am working on:
Bible Study
Wine of the week
Winery of the week
Food Focus
90 Day Updates – Daily and Weekly
I am hoping to start doing test runs this coming week on some of these.

Change = Opportunity
Most people are afraid of change. Stop being afraid. Change opens doors, how you choose to look at those open doors will determine the opportunity. Seemingly negative things are opportunity and can be positive, but you have to get out of your own way to see that. Change your mindset.

Accountability = Happiness
Being accountable is taking responsibility for your relationships, motivation, personal life, business life and how passionate you are about life. Its about how much you also get done.
This frees you up to really allow Happiness to surround you.
Here is GaryVee’s thoughts on it https://garyvaynerchuk.com/5-reminders-that-accountability-leads-to-happiness/

That is all for this week. Looking forward to week 5 and beyond.

–Chris

90 Day Journey – End of Week 3

This post is a few days late due to Dad’s birthday and some back and forth travel to Ellensburg to help Mom.

Over all the week was great. Things that I have taken note of in this weeks work outs and eating and reading.

Alcohol – my consumption is down these last few weeks by about 60% What use to be a bottle of wine per night, is a bottle every 2-3 days instead. While I miss my wine, this should make a HUGE difference in my weight loss/getting in shape. The average bottle of red wine is about 625 calories. So what use to be about 4400 calories a week in wine, is now closer to 1800, so about 43% +/- Also I have not been doing my usual 3 out of 4 Saturdays of wine tasting, which likely added another bottle worth (though I will be returning to the wineries shortly for tastings)

Fruit and Veggies – eating a lot more of these, so some good fiber and nutrients from them is def helping me in a lot of ways.

Smaller portions – I am finding that with the increase of fruit and veg, a lot less meat in single sittings, less every thing else. So maybe the “weight” of stuff I am eating has not changed a lot, the “what I am eating” has.

As for the Quote at the top of the post. The hardest part is letting go, realizing that, understanding that there is no going back as long as only one of us wants too. Not that we could Go Back to what it was anyway. It would need to evolve and change, what we left was not working. It would need to be something new, built on the ashes of the past, with a new approach, new understanding.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the book I am in, and I sort of do not get it. That said, I feel I should get it, as it really sort of directly relates to my relationship situation I think… I will finish it this week (Week 4), then its on to Being Happy, a short book I have read before, but need again right now. That will take only a few days. Then I finish Marriage Rules (likely Week 6s read).

I also need to implement the tools in Change Your Life in 7 Days. Have to work on that.

Next week I will have a Sponsorship Announcement, and some product discounts. Exciting! I have not been sponsored for anything in a long time! So excited to return to the promotions realm.

Thank you all to those that read these ramblings and follow my journey.

–Chris

90 Day Journey – End of Week 2

That is what this 90 Days is about – Some new direction.
Now I am not trashing my previous life, or how I did things, the reality I have done really well all in all. I like who I am, I think most people like who I am… Right? Right…?

This is more about life changes, fixing, tweeking, rounding corners, sharpening edges as needed, minor course correction on things.
My basic goals:
* Get into better shape
* Increase my income, adding at least an extra $20K in 2024, and $30K in 2025
* Sharpen some skills, become a better leader
* Learn some new skills (that will lead to the added income)
* Get my Soul right, align my life with who God designed me to be
* Get my Heart right, I want marriage and (God Willing) kids

This week (Week 2) was about really getting use to the plan, getting comfortable with 4am, really dialing in the work outs and readings, working on ways to simplify meals (as I find in the morning I quickly run out of time).

The week was a success, energy is starting to roll up from the morning and evening work outs, so while 4am sucks, it does not suck near as bad as it did last week, and I feel it will get easier and easier the next couple weeks.

Going into Week 3 I will increase the Peloton in the AM to 15 to 20 work outs, along with my 7-10 minute morning work out routine (thus the need for quicker/easier breakfasts as I was already jammed for time, and now I am adding 5 to 10 mins to the work out period)

I have made a few dietary changes this first two weeks.
First, alcohol consumption is way down. I was averaging about a bottle of wine per day plus wine tasting most weekends. Week 1 I did not drink until my Wine Event on Saturday 11th, Week 2 was only two bottles all week. Week 3 will likely stay at 2-3 bottles. I expect this becomes the new norm, 2-3 bottles a week.
Second, Fruits and Veggies. I have always done a decent amount of veggies I feel. A lot of asparagus and cauliflower. I have added salads almost every day, and some greens like kale or collard greens a couple times per week. Fruit I have stepped up a lot. Pineapple, cantaloupe, honey dew, almost every day at breakfast and sometimes dinner or a snack.
Third working on portion size a little. Making sure I get what I need, but not over doing it.
Forth, I have cut energy drink consumption in half as compared to my last 20 years of life. I substituted Wheat Grass and Matcha powder for the morning energy drink, but those are definitely better than an energy drink, mixing them with OJ is a little on the sugary side, but worth it.

Over all not a lot of noticeable changes body wise. My hope/desire is the small gut I have being gone sometime soon (the “dad bod”). I do feel my chest has started to gain shape. Weight wise I started at 203lb, I am 200 most weigh ins. 3lb is really a rounding error/when I eat/when I hit the bathroom. So not a change in my mind. In my perfect world I would get down to 195ish without the spare tire.

Faith wise, I am in the Book of Matthew. Calling Jesus, my daily devotional, starts my day, the Bible and The Light of His Presence (prayer book) ends the day. I will blog on those learnings in a different post.

Progress is good. I am happy with the efforts I have put forth, as my buddy DCT said on a FB post, he does not want to see “Crushing It” shout outs until day “39 or 63” so I will not say that here. But I do feel very good about where I am at.

90 Day Journey – One Week In

One week into this and feeling GREAT about it.
Struggles? YES…getting up at 4am is difficult. On Friday I almost did not get up, laid in bed 10 minutes debating changing that days work out to after work, so doubling up on afternoon work outs. A little self talk and I was up and at it.

Change Your Life in 7 Days by Paul McKenna was a great way to start this journey. I have had the book for 10ish years and started it once. It comes with a hypnosis CD you listen too, has practical lessons using imagination and coupling that with a thumb to middle finger pinch (sort of Pavlov’s Dog like training). Need a positive boost thumb to middle finger pressure, triggers the memory you associated with it and Boom a little burst of positive thought process.

I am about halfway through Matthew in the New Testament, I need to do some posting about that on its own.

I added a work out routine, not sure how I feel about it yet “Muscle Booster” has an app, and a small feel for a “customized” work out based on some metrics that it counts on your knowing what you put in. 7 Minutes in the morning, then a Strength based routing in afternoons. Only two days into that, so we will see how that goes. Peloton is my main source of work, with all the classes they have.

Have cut alcohol dramatically. Did not drink last week Saturday (4th) to Friday (10th). Had a glass of wine Friday (10th), and then Saturday (11th) had Taste of Washington, so a lot of wine. Nothing Sunday.
Verses recently pretty close to a bottle of wine a day… so a 75 to 80% cut in alcohol consumption this last week. I will likely return to something pretty close to daily this week or next, but def will not be returning to a bottle a night.

Massive progress on the garage clean up. Will need a dump run next weekend for sure. A LOT of paper getting tossed. Notebooks and papers from as long ago as Highschool (so 1988…) and college. Will sort the books also and unload a ton of them.
Also have a lot of GameClucks/Northwest Majors equipment to get rid of as well.

Next book up is Before The Coffer Gets Cold. I wanted to get Being Happy in the mix, but cannot find my copies right now, will find them as I clean the garage.