30 Days to a Habit Change - Day 5

Almost fell off the wagon today! It's Saturday and things are going so smoothly, I almost forgot to check my todo lists.  That's OK once the habit is solid, but not this early!

My list now is really composed of some notes I need to put down into a document somewhere.  I use Google Docs, so that should be real quick.

I also signed up for a subscription to Carbonite, an online backup service.  It's 50 bucks a year, but I could easily spend that on external drives and all that crap.  Might as well just save it all to the cloud.  They back up all your stuff while your computer is idle and you don't have to do anything except tell them which folders to back up.

I also have a HUGE list of everything to do for the IronBaby.  It's on paper, so that needs to be moved over to Google Tasks.

I'm about to head out for a swim, then do some coaching, then it's my son's b-day party.  Crazy day!

IronBaby Promo Video

IronmanBobby put together this video to go along with the audio I made to promote the IronBaby. Kick Ass!  Thanks, man!

Podcast - Interview with Rich Roll

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

This episode is a great interview with one of the most interesting people in endurance sports.  Rich Roll hit 40 years-old out of shape and well overweight.  In just two years, he transformed himself into the machine you see above while on a vegetarian diet and also completed Ultraman: A three-day mega-triathlon.

His story is one that many of us would love to replicate.  His methods are simple, yet powerful.  You do not want to miss this interview.

Also, don't forget that I'm racing a self-supported solo Ironman on October 9th.  You can follow me on twitter to get all the details before and during the event.

Other topics I discuss after the interview include how to stomp out a faster bike and run and also my blood test that shows what foods could be giving me troubles.  You can get the test, too!

Enjoy!

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

30 Days to a Habit Change - Day 4

"You unloaded the dishwasher?"

The disbelief in my wife's voice was the best part.  Yes, I unloaded the dishwasher.  Next to colonizing the moon, this must be the most difficult thing mankind will ever attempt.

So, it continues.  I'm on top of things and actually finding the time to do stuff right.  On my quest to build the habit of actually doing the items on my todo lists (I have several), I was even able to blow one list away permanently.

If you look back, you'll remember that there was a reason to pick "Actually do the things on my todo list" as the habit to create - I've learned over time that if I just did the things on the list, my life would be completely different.  I've made efforts in vain before and got a glimpse of the good life, and making Emily happy because I emptied the dishwasher is just one of the many facets.  It's the small things that add up. :)

Getting things done isn't really about hammering out goals or tasks.  Humanity has completely lost its mind with doing, doing, doing, and is wrecking itself and the planet in the process.  It's more about getting the essentials done right so you can enjoy the ride.  If you leave for a destination on a bike (or car, yech.) with plenty of time to get there and you've inspected the tires, you'll not get pissed if when you get stuck in traffic.  If you clean your dishes right after you use them, you'll have a nice clean set ready for the next meal and you can go relax.

The car thing is funny, because I ride my bike so much that I sort of drive like I ride a bike.  Biking takes some effort; you don't just sit there cramming your face with a Burger King Angry Whopper while tuning the radio and calling your doctor about your blood cholesterol report and impending stroke.  To ride a good distance, you have to conserve your energy a bit and pick your battles.  You don't pedal like everything is a sprint, which is the opposite of the way most people drive.

So I find myself driving in the slow lane, at or just under the speed limit, just enjoying the drive and angry drivers (with their Angry Whoppers) tailgating me and whipping around me, only for me to catch them at the next light.  My only question for them is the same that the cop queries when writing their ticket, "What's the emergency, ma'am?" I mean, is everything an emergency?  Why drive like that all the time?

Immediately after starting the 30 day project, I realized that the two greatest prospects of this is 1. Taking the time to do things right, which in turn makes everything easier to do in the first place, and 2. Serenity.  Not the "Serenity Now!" that George Costanza screams about, either.

Yesterday was my son's 5th birthday and he asked me if I wanted to be five.  I said sure, five is good.  Then he asked about four.  I said sure, four is good, too.  Then he scrunched up his nose, thought real hard and tried to throw me a curve ball.  He likes to put two big numbers together and use those as an even bigger number.  "What about seventy-eighteen?"  

"Seventy-eighteen? Hmm, I'd love to be seventy-eighteen," I said.  "I bet that could be a lot of fun."

When you are enjoying the ride, I'm sure it is.

30 Days to a Habit - Day 3

(This is a daily series about trying to start a new habit of actually doing the things on my checklist.)

In only 3 days, my life is already turning around. I'm already caught up with my backlog at work and starting to catch up at home.

At one point today, I even had a feeling of euphoria and relaxation wash over me. Being on top of things and able to slow down feels GOOD. Not only am I able to do stuff as it comes, I'm also able to do it right.

That's a fun exercise, btw - asking yourself, "Now how would I do this right?" Most of all, it leads me to doing the final step and picking up after myself. My desk, car, and house is all cleaner and that leads to a calmer and more soothing environment.

Being calmer and more relaxed led to a funny event. We got a phone call yesterday from a mom at Kai's school asking about a party our kids are supposed to go to. After introducing herself, there was along pause while she was waiting for me to say that I would go get Emily to speak with her. The idea that the dad would actually be ontop of a 4 year old's social calendar is pretty preposterous, after all.

After a long and awkward silence when I didn't immediately volunteer to put Emily on the phone, the mom got brave and asked me if I knew the name of a kid and the time and location of his party on Friday. I popped open google calendar and read the party details off to her like clockwork. I could sense she was surprised that I would know something like that.Being on top of my to do list and calendar sure pays off. I may not be the one who put the event on the calendar (Emily and I share our google calendars with each other), but having the time and taking the time to look it up has already sealed in my memory what my Friday is going to look like, which is even more relaxing! It's like a big reinforcing circle of relaxing love.

Going good so far, more to come tomorrow.