Goals

I usually pride myself with my ability to go on little sleep, but I think that it has finally caught up with me, as I am truly exhausted. I am run down and tired. I have no energy, but yet I have to do so much to do today.

Today, as I stare out and look at the snow and the amount of work that needs to be done in the house, I would rather go sit by the fire, enjoy a glass of wine and just relax & take a nap, but I don’t see that as an option. So, here is my day:

  1. Christmas Trees – yes, we have 2 live trees, undecorate and get ready for removal from the house tomorrow.
  2. Dishes – I did a light meal last night and should be almost done with dishes for the day.
  3. Unclutter the kitchen – I really don’t have to per say unclutter the kitchen, but I’ve just got a new cookware set, so I need to get rid of stuff that I don’t need anymore. I would love to reorganize some cabinets, but I don’t foresee that happening this weekend.
  4. Laundry – With 2 boys, this is an every challenging thing to stay on top of. But, I’ve come up with a system, that thus far has worked pretty well. I wash the boys clothes and mine and my wife takes care of hers.
  5. Cook – Even though we have a short week at home, I still need to meal prep for the week. This both saves time and a lot of money and it helps me stay focus on my weight loss.
  6. General Cleaning – Just the normal stuff, like floors, bathrooms and just normal straightening up.

So there is a lot to do today and even though, I would give anything to sit and do nothing, it just isn’t feasible. But, if I can break things up into tiny chores, then rest, that might be the answer? Oh and the kids are dying to go and play outside in the snow. So here is to another weekend. Exhausted? Yeah and looking at the list of things to do today isn’t making that exhaustion go away either.

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The word for today kids is accountability!

According to the dictionary, Accountability can be simply defined as the following:

the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions
Merriam Webster Dictionary

So, what is the importance of accountability today you ask? It is very simple, I realized a few things over the weekend and the biggest was that when I’m not tracking the foods that I eat and the drinks that I consume, I put on weight.  So, starting today, I’ve asked a buddy of mine to hold me accountable to making sure that each day I update my food, as that is the fastest way that I’m going to lose my next 40 pounds. But it isn’t just with weight loss, I realized that I was not doing other things the way that I needed to and it is just good knowing that someone can help me stay focused and on track.

But accountability is really a bigger thing than just getting called out for skipping a meal or drinking 2 beers and going over my calorie intake for the day. It is really about the relationship and trust between two or more people so that they can be honest and keep you focused and in line.  And as fathers, I think that we need this. I think that we need someone, ideally other dad’s or friends that know and can relate to what we need and where we are in our lives to help us. It is good to be able to bounce ideas off of one other, what works for their kids, might work for mine. Guys don’t like to admit that they are wrong or failed, we don’t like to admit that we screwed up and aren’t perfect and Lord knows, we don’t like to ask for help. But the reality is simple, we need it. And sometimes, we need that accountability from someone that isn’t our spouse!

Accountability is a powerful thing and to be able to trust someone and know that they have your back, is an awesome thing.

 

 

 

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As we grow older and face certain realities, we realize that life changes have to be the first thing that we evaluate and begin changing.

This week I started my P90 Workouts and Shakeology & of course I got sick. It seems that whenever I start to really workout, I seem to always get sick. But this time, I did something different. I was able to get in 1 workout in the last 3 days and should be able to get back into tomorrows workout, but I modified my diet and I’m happy to report that I’m down 5 pounds already.

But weight loss is only one of the life changes that I’m making. I’ve also cut back drinking alcohol to 1 beer or a glass of wine a day. I was really only doing 1 – 2 a day anyway, which is going to really help with the weight loss too. And the other big life change is that I’ve started evaluating all of my recipes and coming up with healthier ways to cook them.

Life changes are hard. But change is hard, but my hope is that the changes that I’m working on implementing and plan on continuing will allow me to be around a long time for my children and my wife.

 

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It is that time again, the dreaded Tax Season. I really don’t know, other than some CPAs that enjoy tax season. For most, they just try to do what is right and pay what they owe. Some like to try to get as big of a return back as possible, but for me I like to break even.

So with that, you have less than 1 month before taxes are due. Plan ahead, if you are doing your taxes yourself, see what changes have been made to the tax codes. If you are like me and can’t be bothered or even comprehend the tax codes, pay a good CPA, in the end it is worth the money.

I’ve been in constant contact with my CPA for the past several months, ensuring that we had everything together, but more importantly, I’ve really focused for the last year on giving more. I really want to plan on giving more and more each year. My family has been incredibly blessed and there are a lot of suffering families out there, so if we can give to the Food Bank, to a local charity that the money will be given to help others, then that is what I want to do. So for 2014, I’ve increased our giving by $100 in our monthly budget, this does not include the $40 a month that I give through automatic withdraw in my paycheck bi-weekly.

As we pay down debt and move closer to those magic words of being DEBT FREE, we will increase our giving. Because there is no greater feeling, than helping someone else.

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It is that time again, the time for Christians to decide what they are going to give up or take on for Lent. Last year, I gave up Coke Zero and you can read more about it here.

I have read that several friends are giving up social media, due to the distraction that it has caused in their lives.   I know that others are giving up soft drinks and chocolates. Well, I think that I’m going to do something different. I had 2 goals that I wanted to focus on this year for myself, reading the bible daily, which I have to say, I’ve been on top of that one. And then I’ve wanted to go to the gym more, which I have not been doing. So, for Lent this year, I am going to make the commitment to go to the gym, at least 2 times a week. And I realize that 2 times a week is not a lot, but it is a start.

 

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Today marks Day 1 of a new challenge that I have setup for myself and one that I hope that will continue for a very long time.

Ever since I turned 21, I have been reminded that both sides of my family struggles with alcohol. I have known it and have always been really mindful of it. The last 2 – 3 weeks have been really stressful at work and instead of coming home and having a beer or a glass of wine, I was doing 3 – 4.
I was drinking to get through the stress. I knew it. I didn’t want to admit it, but I recognized it. And when I said out loud that I was doing this, I felt like the world was being lifted off of my shoulders.

This past Sunday night, my wife and I had a long conversation and it was really me more or less mapping out what I wanted to do, to try to ensure that I am here for a long time for the boys.
And for the first time in my life, I acknowledged, that if I didn’t make changes, that I wouldn’t be here to watch the boys grow up. So, I asked my wife to give me 2 – 3 nights a week that I could work out
at the gym. I’ve already been doing a pretty decent job with the meals, so I wasn’t as concerned about that.

Today marks Day 1 of this new journey. Day 1 of a new me and a new life. I am fortunate that a few friends are taking this same approach to getting in better shape. I think that the biggest feeling for me, is that there will be accountability, because
several good friends will also be doing this and we will be able to keep each other on track.

 

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Weight loss and Financial goals are very similar, meaning that it is easy to lose control and hard to get out of trouble. But, there is something else that needs to be factored in as well, setting rewards for goals that you set.  Pay off a credit card, take your wife and kids out to dinner or to a movie, but don’t use your credit card, save for it. Lose 10 pounds, reward yourself with your favorite treat.

Why do this, for psychological reasons for course. We need rewards, it is human nature. So, when you complete a major milestone, reward yourself.

My first reward is an iPhone 4s. What did I do to deserve this? I will have paid off almost the entire balance of a credit card and I was able to get the price reduced with my carrier to $110, instead of the normal $650 fee.  See how setting rewards for goals can pay off?

Remember, setting rewards for goals is important.  It is important not only for your psychological benefits, but it can also be used to motivate you to work harder and ultimately reach your goals faster.

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