If anyone meets me for five minutes, they will for sure learn that I am a gigantic geek. And I’m not afraid to admit this. I will talk about my favorite TV show (Firefly), favorite book (Wizard’s First Rule), favorite movie (Lord of the Rings Trilogy)…basically any kind of favorite has to do with something nerdy. I even went so far as to get a geek related tattoo.
For those of you who don’t know what the tattoo is, it is called The Triforce. The Triforce is a symbol and holy relic in the video game franchise The Legend of Zelda (my favorite one). Originally when I got this tattoo, I just wanted something that I thought looked sweet. I told people that it had some meaning behind it, but that wasn’t entirely true. At least, not at first.
Now, as I looked back at my first batch of adventures, I was trying to see which ones I attempted and failed, if any. One that I feel I didn’t fully commit to was my week four adventure, Lifestyle . During that week, I did a lot of self-analysis on how I could improve my life moving forward. And I feel I did put a lot of thought and effort into it. But I didn’t have an exact plan, and as such, it wasn’t executed very well. I didn’t have written, obtainable goals, or the steps I could take to achieve them.
Which brings me back to my tattoo.
As I take an honest look at myself, I can’t help but be drawn to my tattoo, to this thing that was meant to stamp myself as a geek. But now, as I look at it, I realize how I can use this as a constant reminder to better myself. I can use this metaphor from a video game to inspire and change my life.
Power
I need to become stronger and healthier, both my my self-confidence and for my heart’s health. I’ve been a subscriber to Men’s Health for almost two years now. It is time I stick to a workout routine and diet plan. I need to stick to one plan for it’s length then find a new plan to expand on what I’ve accomplished. It is time I work out regularly and with passion. Where I go into every workout with a drive and determination to succeed, and not foreboding that I will eventually fail. I need to OWN this, to destroy it.
Coming to this realization made me understand that physical power isn’t the only thing that I need to cultivate. I also need to foster a mental strength that will allow me to continue when times are tough, when things aren’t going well, or when I hit a plateau in my life. I need to have a mental strength to match this desire so that it can last longer than a few short weeks.
My workout plan is set for two months. I won’t type out all of the details of it here, cause it is boring to read work out plans, but I will say I’m going to work out three days a week, with both cardio and circuit training done in my apartment. I’ve weighed myself and taken “before” photos, and I’m excited to compare them to the “after” photos which will come in two months.
Wisdom
Now, I’m a procrastinator. Big surprise, I’m sure. However, this in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. I am the kind of person who thrives under pressure. When my back is pushed to the wall, I’m able to focus. When I know I have time, I just can’t concentrate adequately enough to do a good job. I am too easily distracted.
But I can be better. This trimester, in my graduate program, I’m taking three classes. The last time I did this, I ended up dropping one of the classes half way through because I was too stressed. I didn’t adequately manage my time; I didn’t look ahead to know what was coming. I wasn’t able to just go with it. Knowing this now, though, makes me realize that in order to succeed, if I know I have three papers due during one week, I just need to “plan out” my procrastinating. I need to schedule my time, and I know that if I schedule myself a short window of time for each assignment, I can feel pressured and focus enough to finish them.
Courage
This one, for me, should be easy. For this yearly goal, I just want to have the courage to continue to adventure. No matter what, have fun.
Well, that’s it for this week. A boring one to read about, but one that I feel should be done right away in the year to allow myself the best chance to make this year amazing for me and those around me.
Let's Roll the Dice 