“A habit must be established before it can be improved. You need to master the art of showing up.”
CURATING THE LIFE I WANT IN 2023….
I believe that everyone needs a reset in their life. And, the move to Denver, Colorado, after 42 years in Chicago, Illinois, was certainly the reset for me in 2021. It was an opportunity to rebuild and reconnect many personal and professional areas of my life. I don’t think a person necessarily needs to take the same drastic step for similar results, though. I beg you to explore and consider the adaptations necessary to achieve your best self and challenge the routine of daily life, but, maybe, in your way (with a little nudge from this template). This is my annual effort to steer the life I want and be the person I aspire to be. Come join me on this journey!
WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND
While I’m proud of my success, I know there’s room to grow. It’s amazing how new environments and challenges remind us of where we need to improve. Living through a pandemic and becoming a parent bent prior boundary lines, and, like many others, I needed to reexamine life's patterns and systems. All of these efforts are integrated into the various sections below. I often find the intentions related to a lifetime of habits the most difficult to change, though. The dietary intentions have been repeated over the last few years as they compete with yesterday's social and cultural influences. Although I haven’t completely met those intentions year to year, I welcome their return to the list. The experimentation continues as I try to integrate them into my life sustainably! And I’m okay with that. This year in particular, I have linked these habits, among others, to well-established habits and specifically described how I will achieve them. I’ve also redefined the principles that will steer all of my efforts. Not surprisingly, they reflect my personal and professional identities. Call this a business plan for my life in 2023….that I want you to steal.
THE PRINCIPLES TO GUIDE MY INTENTIONS
-Examine my focus and efforts toward current relationships and reallocate more time to each if necessary.
-Review and adapt my present routines to support optimal health.
-Define a life that serves my personal needs and simultaneously contributes to the greater good of society and humanity.
-Act and think with a baseline of empathy, compassion, and kindness.
-Seek understanding of myself and others before judgment.
-Choose the most appropriate path despite the effort or personal sacrifice.
-Celebrate equality and diversity of living things and perspectives.
-Take control of my attention. I’m talking about you, phone and social media!
-Define the boundary lines of overextending myself personally and professionally.
Living for today (and the future) as a personal trainer in Denver / Photo: Elina Fairytale
LIST OF MY INTENTIONS
AREA 1: MY PHYSICAL HEALTH INTENTIONS
MY EXERCISE INTENTIONS
Specific Objectives
-Increase cardio endurance by hitting at least 12000 daily steps per day, 2 cardio sessions per week on the Peloton bike or Helix lateral trainer (unless I hike, then 1 session), and 30 hikes of 6 miles or more by the end of the year (or less mileage with a 2000-3000 foot gain instead). Walk to and/or from work to guarantee my steps.
-Hike 30 different Colorado trails in 2023 (with limited repeats of 2022 trails) and support the hiking community with detailed reviews on the Alltrails app to be completed within 24 hours of each hike. Average 3-4 hikes per month. Make exceptions for friends to join!
-Complete 5 sessions of strength/muscular endurance exercise midday afternoons between 1 :00 pm and 4:00 pm, 2 sessions of cardio (including a hike) in conjunction with the weekday workout sessions (unless the Peloton at home…then at 6:16 pm weekdays or Saturday mornings at 8:30 am), and 3 short range-of-motion focused sessions of the lower limb each week within the weekday workout sessions.
Specific Plan
Monday
-45 min Strength Session
-Circuit Muscle Focus: Chest and Triceps (Low Rep), Core, Range-of-Motion Routine
Tuesday
-45 min Strength Session
-Circuit Muscle Focus: Back and Biceps (Low Rep), Core, Range-of-Motion Routine
Wednesday
-30 min Strength Session and 20 min interval Peloton Ride
-Circuit Muscle Focus: Shoulders, Leg Routine 1, Core, Range-of-Motion Routine
Thursday
-45 min Strength Session
-Circuit Muscle Focus: Arms (High Reps), Leg Routine 2, Core, Range-of-Motion Routine
Friday
-45 min Strength Session
-Circuit Muscle Focus: Total Body/Bodyweight Circuit, Core, Range-of-Motion Routine
Saturday or Sunday
-6-11 mile hike or 3-5 mile hike with a 2000-3000-foot elevation
Every Day
-1 set of 20-30 Perfect Pushups after brushing my teeth every night, 12-20k steps per weekday
MY RECOVERY INTENTIONS
Specific Objectives
-Sleep 7.5 hours every night and rest from workouts on Saturdays and Sundays (unless a hike). Specific intent: In bed by 11:15 pm and waking up by 7:05 am (no snoozing). Complete a late-night routine at least an hour before bedtime.
-Schedule 3 “Take a Deep Breath” phone prompts per day on Google Calendars. Once I see the notification on my phone, I must stop and take a deep breath no matter what I’m doing.
MY DIETARY INTENTIONS
Overarching Goals:
-To minimize inflammation and triglyceride levels and fluctuating blood sugar levels resulting from dietary choices. Specifically, lower triglyceride levels back to 150. This number is typically genetically higher than the other numbers. Thanks, Dad! I’m responsible for anything above 150, though.
-To reduce stress and anxiety levels by reducing caffeine and prioritizing sleep.
Specific Daily Dietary Objectives
-Never feel stuffed or starved and eat within 5 hours of the last meal (unless overnight).
-Assess the cues for current snacking habits and change the influences that lead to this behavior.
-Stop eating a meal at the first sign of feeling satisfied.
-Mindfully prepare the size of my 5-year-old’s leftovers, and don’t eat his leftovers :).
-Limit sips of alcohol to 3 days or less.
-Alternate sips of water and alcohol when indulging.
-18 out of 25 meals per week are whole food plant-based foundations and free of oil, meat, processed foods, and refined sugars.
-Only 1-2 servings of dairy per week (less is better).
-Minimize the consumption of anything processed (including vegan and vegetarian products....choose whole food plant-based options as often as possible).
-At least 3 out of 4 meals per day must be plant-based.
-Calories: 600-800 per meal.
-Plate Ratio: 25-50% Vitamins, phytonutrients, and other micros and macros, 25-40% Protein, 15% Good Fat, 25% Fiber.
Specific Social Dietary Objectives
-Use the Daily Dietary Objectives above as a baseline when eating out (and no matter whom I’m with).
-Eat a complete small meal before snacking (to avoid snacking).
-Restrict extracurricular eating/treats to 1-2 servings.
Stretching your limits with a Personal Trainer in LoHi, Denver - Photo: Ketut Subiyanto
AREA 2: MY EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH INTENTIONS
MY REFLECTION INTENTIONS
Specific Objective
-Identify one positive characteristic of the day while brushing my teeth in the evening.
MY ATTENTION INTENTIONS
Specific Objectives
-Limit social media interaction to twice per day (preferably on my desktop).
-Limit email actions on my phone to responses that require a response within 60 minutes.
-Maintain an inbox of 2 or less emails by unsubscribing from unnecessary emails and being more efficient with email templates and correspondence. Clean out any extra emails every Friday by 1:00 pm.
MY REFRAMING INTENTIONS
Specific Objective
-Replace all complaints with constructive criticism or reframe the message to reflect a positive light.
Even in a personal training career, I must constantly reassess how I allocate my time and energy. / Photo: Ketut Subiyanto
AREA 3: MY RELATIONSHIP INTENTIONS
Overarching Goal: Foster positive and meaningful relationships that support and enhance my life.
Specific Parent/Husband Objectives
-Make myself more emotionally available by removing electronic devices during interactions. Allow at least 1 hour of connection with my wife and son after work. Utilize the features of the Garmin watch to limit phone time. Put down the phone when conversating.
-Hug more! Always hugging on hellos and goodbyes….and random in-betweens!
-Schedule at least one meetup with my wife sans son per week and two date nights per month. No offense Preston! We'll most likely meet before my son’s pickup from after-school care during the week. If not, date night with a sitter at home!
-Hike or ride a bike on a trail with my wife at least once per month.
Specific Friends, Family, and New People Engagement Objectives
-Engage in more meaningful conversations with friends, family, and new people (even if I’m only spending a minute on the elevator with them) and foster new relationships with people who embody empathy, compassion, and kindness as a foundation for their behaviors and perspectives.
-Contact my inner circle of family and friends at least once per month via phone call, text, or in-person meetups.
No Mountain is high enough as a Personal Trainer in Denver / Photo: Mathew Thomas
AREA 4: MY ENVIRONMENTAL AND REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE/CIVIC DUTY INTENTIONS
Overarching Goal: To reduce my carbon footprint and steer a new conscience about the environment and agriculture.
Specific Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Objectives
-Aim for a 75% plant-based diet foundation by ordering my groceries online every Sunday morning. Reminder to myself: This is the most effective action any individual can take to influence global warming and preserve our environment while striving for optimal health.
Specific Waste/Pollution Reduction Objectives
-Minimize using Ziploc bags and any single-use plastics using pyrex containers and metal silverware.
-Purchase in bulk and/or order several items in advance and at the same time online.
-Use biodegradable bags for trash.
-Place all expired food in our compost bin and recycle all appropriate items.
-Limit the wasted food by reviewing the sizes of prepared meals.
-Replace most car travel within 10 minutes of walking and minimize car usage to only 8000 miles per year.
-Create a list of environmental-related activities by January 20th and check off one activity with my son, Preston, weekly.
Specific Advocacy Objectives
-If I find a way to integrate the podcast back into my schedule, dedicate at least 3 podcast episodes to climate change and regenerative agriculture.
-Link professional messages to environmental advocacy.
Travel extends the boundaries of what we know about ourselves and the world. I can’t wait to indulge in Rome again this summer! / Photo: Mario Cuadros
AREA 5: MY TRAVEL INTENTIONS
Overarching Goal: Expand my connection to various cultures and experience in new environments.
Specific Domestic Travel Objectives
-Visit and stay overnight in a new town or city every 6-8 weeks! Well, familiar towns and cities can account for half of the plans, too :) Review our travel plans on the 1st of every month.
Specific International Travel Objectives
-Visit and stay overnight in a new town or city in Europe by the end of 2023. Book our flights and travel plans by the end of the 1st quarter.
Finding the ratio of spending time with my family and myself as well as serving my responsibilities as a personal trainer in Denver, wedding officiant, and podcast host is always a challenge. / Photo: Wallace Chuck
AREA 6: MY SPECIFIC PROFESSIONAL INTENTIONS
Overarching Goal: Adapt my professional life to maximize my personal satisfaction and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of my efforts.
Specific Efficiency Objectives
-Reassess all email templates by February 1st and adapt as needed to increase response time and limit phone and computer time.
-Double-check every message and schedule confirmation before sending. This a reminder to slow down!
Specific Effectiveness Objectives
-Build fitness and lifestyle check-ins at the beginning of every Denver personal training session and create accessible resources for quick client reference by February 1st.
Specific Time Management Objectives
-Develop a strategy by February 1st to manage all professional-related efforts between 8 am and 5 pm on weekdays (no weekends). Weddings and wedding rehearsals are the exceptions.
-Determine the specific number of hours necessary for the success of my businesses. 28-32 hours of personal training, 1 podcast episode every 4-8 weeks, etc.
-Develop a strategy to reintegrate the podcast efforts into my schedule through sponsorship opportunities by February 1st.
-Take personal time off without guilt and without loading the schedule before and after.
