Sidetracked and Cursed

So far, my theme of energy has eluded me. I've been sick with the galloping crud ever since I posted that. Sidetracked but not defeated. I'll just have to start again when this illness finally gallops on out of here.
What I learned from being sick: I always expect to get well right away and stay well. I'm pretty sure that's the way it used to work when I was younger.

Not now, though. Now, it eases up a little and then sometimes comes roaring back and can continue on this seesaw for days, trying my patience and my faith in ultimate health.

Learning is a little like that. It rarely comes all at once, choosing instead to plant seeds here and there until, almost unnoticed, it stakes its claim on my brain. One minute I don't know something and the next minute, it seems so clear and obvious that I can't believe I didn't always know it.

In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath call this the Curse of Knowledge. Once you know something, you can't remember what it's like not to know it.

Maybe my problem is the Curse of Health. Once I'm well again, I can't remember what it's like to be sick and I can't fathom why I didn't get more done instead of just lying around feeling rotten. Right now, I cannot wait to get back to the Curse of Health. Maybe this posting will remind me not to kick myself for getting nothing done for a week and I will simply start again.

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Energize This

My theme this year is energy. All the problems I dealt with in the past few years have left me increasingly lethargic, sleeping too much and interested in too little. This year I want to reverse that momentum, and I’ve been researching how to do that without developing an addiction to caffeine-saturated energy drinks.

The holy trinity of increasing energy is diet, sleep, and exercise. I’m starting with exercise. Today, I will join my local recreation center (again) to lift weights and get back on track with walking at least 10 miles a week. I’ll keep a record of my progress on a calendar.

Beyond this triumvirate, I need to nurture more interest in my work and my life. This will come from getting off autopilot and exploring new ways to accomplish daily chores and new ways to turn problems into opportunities.

On the less philosophical side, I need to learn how to use my cell phone to surf the internet. Sometimes the small changes have the most impact.

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