December Resolutions

Happy Holidays to you and your kin. What a December we’ve had so far. It started off fast and furious with me traveling to Indianapolis for work for a few days. Having never been there before, it definitely reminded me a bit of Sacramento as it was really sprawling and just went on for miles in every direction. Not a ton of trees or big buildings, and it was damn cold as well. The following weekend I headed to Tucson, AZ for another business assignment. Given my history with Tucson, I flew in early and got to spend some time with my good friend Dave. He managed to score us tickets to the Arizona vs. Florida basketball game (two Top-10 teams) and we won on a last second shot. It was total pandemonium in there and an amazing thing to experience in person. Tacking on the fact that Arizona came from 14 points down to win in the last minute of our New Mexico Bowl Game earlier in the day, and it was a heck of a day in Arizona sports for our school.

This week also marks the very last week of Landon’s time at preschool/daycare as he will be starting “Pre-Kindergarten” at the local elementary school in early January. Over the past few weeks we’ve been getting all of the paperwork together to get him enrolled, and that’s involved having to take him to the dentist. Michaela and I both dropped the ball here, as we have been letting him brush his own teeth (most of the time) for the past year or so. He has just been developing so quickly that we thought he was ready. Even with the fact that he doesn’t drink juice and rarely gets candy or fruit snacks, he has several cavities later. So the poor guy is going to have to go in to get some work done in early January. That’s a visit that I’m dreading probably more than he is (as I know what’s in store for him).

Speaking of Landon’s school, we got him signed up and everything last Thursday….and then Friday in Newtown, CT happened. I still can’t speak or even think about those events without feeling a raging anger and an immeasurable sadness. Any act like this is terrible, but with so many innocent young children involved, it’s just unfathomable to me. I don’t know if it struck closer to home with me because I had just been on an elementary school campus the previous day, getting prepared to send my son to a place where I expect him to be safe while his mother and I can’t be with him…but it hit me hard. That night when I got home from work, I grabbed him and held him tight and didn’t want to let go….ever. While I do believe that those kids (and the amazing people that attempted to shield them) are in a better place now, my prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to their families this holiday season.

That event got me thinking, as I’m sure it did for the rest of you as well…what if? This is not a fun game to play, but it did give me the chance to question my actions as a parent, and look for ways for me to improve. This leads me to the real reason for my post today….time for some 2013 (and beyond) resolutions! Without further ado….

-Laugh and smile more. Worry, stress, and allow the “little” things to get to me less. I am a notorious worrier…it is part of who I am. If I am not 15 minutes early, then I am late. If I don’t hear from Michaela within 30 minutes of trying to reach her, then something’s wrong. It has caused me high blood pressure and less hair on my head than I should have. I resolve to get back to my joking, silly, ass-clown self this year. Just because I’m in a high-pressure job doesn’t mean I need to carry that with me wherever I go…time to set that sack of bricks down at the front door to my house and bring the funny back!

-Just say “no” to “no”! Michaela and I talk about this all the time…poor Landon must hear the word “no” more than any other. Given, the young lad has the propensity to ask for any and everything under the sun at all hours of the day…but still, instead of just firing back with “no”, she and I agree that we both need to come up with more creative ways of re-directing his attention, explaining to him either why he can’t have something or why he doesn’t need or even really want something. Parenting sure can be difficult, and when you’ve had a long day or aren’t feeling great, it’s very easy to slip and be less than the ideal parent. But our children deserve our very best at all times…just ask the parents of Newtown….and I resolve to do my best.

-Take more time to play with Landon, spend more quality time with Michaela, and just see more of our family. I am a busy guy…I readily admit it. Between work (which still knows how to get a hold of me when I’m at home), a shit-ton of traveling lately, trying to train for my races, helping to prepare meals, getting stuff done around the house, and whatever else takes up my attention, I have a lot going on. But all of these little things sidetrack me from that which matters most…family. I am a pretty sensitive guy, and feeling that I am failing in this regard makes me pretty upset. If I can find the energy to run on tired legs, I sure as heck can find the energy to set down whatever I’m doing to play with my son for a bit. We do get to wrestling quite a bit, but he craves more and I need to be there for him. Marriage is both extremely rewarding and remarkably difficult. Sometimes we are both so busy that it just feels like we’re sort of hovering around each other, as opposed to being intimately intertwined in each other’s lives. I resolve to spend more of my time re-connecting with my wife, showering her with the love and affection that I feel but may not always take the time to show. And I also commit to finding more time to see our family…all of our family. We have a great big loving family…it’s messy and sloppy and full of drama and love and life…but that’s what families are supposed to be. They are a big reason that I am the person that I am. I miss seeing all of them and will look for ways to get more involved with them once again.

-Physical improvement in health, body, mind, and spirit. I am currently planning to put my name in for the San Diego 100 mile race in June 2013. It is another lottery, but I surely hope I get in. This will be a huge undertaking for me (I saw what it did to/for Michaela last year running Western States). My plan is to work closely with Michaela and some of my other good running friends to train hard over the next 6 months. Part of how I’m planning to attack my training is to make an actual effort to work on my eating. Michaela has already helped me start in this, as we are consciously eating more “clean-eating” items (things with minimal ingredients, more natural, less processed). I also know that I need to work on my portion size, as I have always had a hearty appetite and tend to clean my plate (and then some). That will give me ample opportunity to get my health and body into top shape. I am hoping that through the other two resolutions I’ve already listed, I can get my mind and spirit strong and resolved as well. Enduring something like a 100 mile race will surely take all of the above to succeed. I can already imagine how important it will be for me to think of my amazing family and the fun that we have when I’m in the dark and cold at mile 80…

Of course there are plenty of other things that I’d like to have happen this year, but those are either more “goals” or “wishes” as opposed to resolutions.

Putting this down on paper has been great for me. For one, it helped me clear my thoughts and come up with resolutions that are important and attainable to me. But two, it makes me more accountable now that I’ve shared them with you.

I hope you all have a very happy holiday and that you find your own form of personal improvement in 2013 and beyond.

 

Cheers!