Happy New Year! Or so I hope. I again find myself in an information purgatory, the news equivalent of “The Medium Place” for fans of NBC’s “The Good Place.” The 48 hours between the time I write these words and you read them, the world will most definitely be altered.
As I sit here, the polls are open in Georgia for the two run-off Senate seats — the outcome of which will have a profound effect on our community. Will Democrats take control of the Senate and allow soon-to-be President Joe Biden an easier path to make this the country we voted for or will Republicans maintain control with the power to stymie the Democratic Party agenda? Would a Republican win embolden election fraud conspiracy theorists to fight harder to deny a Biden presidency? The next 48 hours could be a smooth nothing-burger or the start of violent civil unrest. It’s enough to make the even-keeled’s anxiety spike.
The good news is that time will tell. These next two days will pass and we will have our answers. In the meantime I’m reminded of my favorite TV quote, “There’s no sense in rehearsing tragedy.” That comes courtesy of Frank Reagan on CBS’ “Blue Bloods.” I’m no longer ashamed to admit I watch an abundance of CBS shows. Part of my 2021 plan is to embrace my age and the poor taste I have in all forms of art.
I’ve not been much for New Year’s resolutions lately. I can appreciate the sentiment, and it’s good to have goals, but I see a lot of failed attempts. In the past I have used Jan. 1 as a marker to stop smoking, drink less and go to the gym. Oddly, all of these things are currently being done but they were never the result of a successful New Year’s resolution.
I am by no means an expert in the area of self-improvement, but I’ll offer some insight that helped me eventually reach my goals. First of all set realistic, measurable goals. “I want to go to the gym more often,” or “I want to be healthier,” aren’t realist or measurable. If you go to the gym once, have you fulfilled the goal of going more often? If you pass on one slice of pizza are you being healthier? If your goals aren’t quantifiable, then it’s easy to fall short of what you are actually looking for.
During quarantine I managed to gain too much weight. I was back up to 200 pounds and a size 36, so for a short 5’6” guy, I was pretty unhealthy. I knew I had to do something so I said I was going to workout more and eat healthier. There were days where this worked, but I wasn’t seeing the results I wanted. I started to set specific goals: fit into size 32 pants, fit into small shirts collecting dust in my closet. I then looked at what my daily life would need to be and I put that into action.
I’ve been working on my health since October, even though the holidays were in sight and I knew it would be difficult. This brings me to my second point, and at the risk of sounding like Shia LaBeouf, do it now. Don’t wait for a magic day or time of year. If it’s important enough just start today, whether it’s Jan. 1 or Aug. 13.
The next step is accountability. I wasn’t able to achieve my goals when I was in it alone. I needed to invest time into a program and I have found that in the nutrition and training team at Rock Hard Fitness. Involving others can give you benchmarks and encouragement in the process. Don’t forget to pace yourself and give yourself time. It took me two years to get back up to the heaviest I’ve ever been and it was going to take more than a couple of weeks to improve. You don’t want to go all-in and burn out.
Lastly, cut yourself some slack — a lesson that was hard for me to learn. It’s okay to slip up from time to time. What is important is that you keep moving forward. The thing about self-improvement is that it never stops. You have to work at it. I’ll steal a line from a 12-step program and say that the goal is progress, not perfection. This can apply to any of your goals, not just physical fitness.
In this latest issue of Watermark we look to two people who are looking to make some community improvement as the new leaders of the One Orlando Alliance. In Central Florida news we celebrate the 15th anniversary of Pom Pom’s Teahouse & Sandwicheria. In Tampa Bay we focus on the merge of ALSO Youth and Prism Youth Initiative. Our Arts & Entertainment section features Orlando Fringe’s Winter Mini-Fest while Tampa Bay focuses on the Project Pride Brunch Show.
We strive to bring you a variety of stories, your stories. I hope you enjoy this latest issue.
