One Thing

I have so many excuses as to why I can't/don't start getting into better shape, but usually it comes down to "I don't have enough time." If I'm on the road, I never feel like hitting the hotel treadmill when I get in. Honestly, this may be a good thing sometimes. Have you seen some of those gems?? State-of-the-art technology, straight from the early 80's... yah, it might be time to upgrade. Anyhow, to make myself feel better, I tell myself I'll do it in the morning before I go out, which has yet to happen.

When I'm at home, I have a new set of excuses. Can't do it in the morning because I don't want to disturb anyone's slumber, then it's time to help get the kids up, fed, and ready before kicking them out the door for school. Then I need to get ready for work, which on some days just means grabbing some hot chocolate and heading downstairs to the computer. After work, it's time for supper, time to drive kids to various activities, time to sow, time to reap, time for bed. The few times when I have miraculously started an exercise program, it comes off the rails when I head out of town within a calendar week.

Then I look at friends/family who somehow manage to get in shape while facing the same time constraints and challenges. I love them dearly, but I don't know if I'm worthy to even be seen in public with them. A good friend went down to Boston to run in a marathon. "You mean, THE Boston Marathon?" Yes, that one. I won't walk four blocks to get the mail, and you're running marathons (in my defense, what if someone sends me a large package? I don't want to carry that all the way home...). It's a bad sign when you're walking on the sidewalk and people pull over out of pity to see if you want a ride. She selects half and full marathons based on the cool stuff they give out. Wow what a coincidence, that's the same way I select breakfast cereal. I'd be asking if they had any shorter courses. "Do you have anything maybe around the block? How about to the end of the registration table and back. Heck with it, I'll just buy the shirt/jacket/towel/whatever on eBay later." I have a cousin who completed a local triathalon, another cousin and her husband who go running just for fun. You know the type, they post on facebook, "It was sure cold this morning, but I managed to get my 50km run in..." And by "cold", they mean -40c and winds of 80-100kph. Polar bears are staying inside to keep warm, but they're still running.

Realistically, that probably won't ever be me. But I'm coming to the realization (slowly) that I don't need to run a marathon (or hopefully, at all). I'm trying to implement a new policy in my life and it's called "one thing". It works not just for fitness, but for all the other areas of my life too. It goes like this, "What is one thing I can do today to improve in the area of [fitness/personal development/work/etc.]?" I'm not going to be able to do everything, but I should be able to do one thing, and that's more than I've been doing so far...

I Think I Have DMD

I've come to the conclusion I must have Decision-Making Disorder. I'm not even sure that's a recognized condition yet (probably isn't). On the bright side, they might end up naming it after me if I'm the first diagnosed patient.

I received a gift card for Christmas and spent an hour this evening wandering around the store, not able to make up my mind on anything. To put this in context, it's not like I got a card to the House of Tools or Ed's Vegetarian Emporium. No, I got a Best Buy card and still couldn't find anything. I love electronics, I'm never more than an arm's-reach away from a gadget. Be it an iPod, iPad, Blackberry, laptop... I always have something with me.

Small purchases have always been my week spot. I think I've spent more time standing in the aisle trying to decide which Star Wars Lego kit to buy than I did deciding to buy our house or the Ion/Aura/Equinox combined. Dawn seriously left me at the Lego aisle in Target once while she went to do her shopping, then came back after she was done and picked the sets for me because I was still standing there. I don't know why these little purchases become such a major-life decision, maybe it stems back to the newlywed days when we had to check our bank account balance before going to 7-11 for a slurpee.

So I wandered from one department to the next, trying to find something but to no avail. At first, the staff start asking, "Do you need a hand yet?" Then you start hearing announcements over the store speakers, "Security, check cameras in section C." Then I'd go over to Computers, "Security, check the cameras in section F." Until finally they give up trying to be sneaky and start announcing, "Security, that tall guy in the blue coat is over by the stereos now."

I'm not sure what the treatment is for DMD, if there is a treatment. Maybe I should've stuck it out and finished my Psych degree, then I could at least write a paper on it. Maybe apply for some study grants...