Uncluttered

Are you struggling as to what the first step is take in Minimalism? Or do you feel like you got rid of a bunch of stuff and you’re struggling where to go? May I suggest Uncluttered.

Uncluttered is a 12 week online course led by Joshua Becker, a minimalist whose voice has resonated with me, as well as many others.

What do you get out of the course?
Videos with step-by-step instructions
Interviews with thought leaders in productivity and minimalism
Live webinars tackling specific tough-clutter topics 
Live Q&As for members to ask questions
Weekly challenges
And accountability and encouragement from a super-engaged community.

One of the best parts I think about this course is that you get LIFETIME membership! That means that if you get to a “stuck point”, you can come back and review the material covered. 

The course is offered 3 times a year and registration starts today and goes through September 2nd. The cost for the course is $89. Check it out and sign up here!

Living in the moment

“Christopher Robin, what day is it?”
“Pooh, it’s today.”
“Oh good. That’s my favorite day.”

I had the opportunity to go with my wife and daughters last night to see the movie Christoper Robin. It’s an excellent movie, and that quote (as best as I can remember it) happens at the end of the movie. Without spoiling it, it’s an excellent movie that I knew would punch me in the gut and make me cry. It sure did.

So what does the movie have to do with minimalism? I’m glad you asked. Minimalism isn’t about stuff....completely. It’s about an attitude, a relationship with things, people, and your surroundings that frees you up to focus on what is most important. And when we’re at the heart of it all, what is most important is today. It’s what we’ve got.

This thought has been rolling around a lot in my head, but over this past week, it’s been so much more apparent. You see, my mom has been a widow since March of 2017. So I’ve been trying once a month to go visit her (she lives 3 hours away) and check in on her, do some projects for her, and give her some company. I went Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon. This trip had a fairly main objective. Go through my dad’s model HO gauge train stuff and figure out what I wanted. You see, growing up in Wisconsin, we had basements. And in the basement was an 8 foot by 8 foot train table that my dad built. I spent so much time with him putting cars and houses together, laying out track and tacking it down. And then, when my parents moved to Texas 17 years ago, no more basement. Not much space at all for the full train layout. So it sat. And sat. Funny thing is, my dad kept collecting. So in my excavating of things, I found buildings I put together by myself, buildings I helped my dad piece together. Even 2 buildings still in the box, not put together. Train track galore, even....more track that was still in the packaging! You may be wondering how model trains have to do with living in the moment. I am excited about getting my own train layout set up and running. It reminded me about those happy, simpler times of being a child, spending time with your dad, doing something fun. And it made me really think about what living in the moment looks like.

For each individual, living in the moment looks completely different. Even at different points in life, it’s different. When I was in college and just out of college, I wanted stuff. I got credit cards....I paid for that stuff on those credit cards. I didn’t care about the cost. Now, stuff just doesn’t excite me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful for what I have, and I’m quite blessed. But I know that I have far more stuff than what I need.

Without giving too much of the movie away, Christopher Robin has grown up. He’s lost that sense of imagination and wonder. In his book “Love Does”, Bob Goff talks about it as “whimsy”. It’s the doing stuff just because. Christopher Robin is so focused on his work that even though he says certain things are important, he doesn’t show it in his actions and choices. And looking in the mirror, that’s the biggest gut punch for me. I know that I’m capable of doing that, and I know that I have. We all have.

So what does living in the moment look like for me? I’m figuring that out. I’m going to be trying to figure it out. I know it involves being sillier, laughing more and enjoying things as they come. Does that mean that I slack off on my responsibilities and duties or not do the best job that I can? Absolutely not! But, I know that it does mean that my attitude and my approach to those duties and responsibilities has to change. For you, living in the moment may be looking at similar things. Maybe it is different things. But I strongly encourage you to take a good long look in the mirror and remind yourself that today.....it is your favorite day.

One thing lacking

Before I dive in to this post, if you’ve read my blog and looked at timestamps, you’ll notice that there’s been a lull in my writing. It’s not for a lack of ideas. I was on vacation, then dealt with the busyness of the return from vacation. On top of that, I’ve been focused on creating a podcast for Church musicians, called The Healthy Church Musician podcast. Now that things have settled down, I’m going to get more in a routine of writing and my goal is to have a post up on Tuesday and Friday each week.

In our worship service this past Sunday, we looked at the 10th chapter of Mark. We’ve been going through the Gospel of Mark in our services. But there was something about this section of Scripture that jumped out at me. And it was in verses 17-31. It’s the story of the rich young ruler who comes to Jesus and asks what he needs to do to inherit eternal life. Jesus reminds this young ruler about the commandments, to which the ruler responds that yes, he has kept those. Jesus doesn’t argue with him about this, but says, “One thing you lack...go sell everything you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” This young ruler couldn’t do it. Was because he was rich? Somewhat. It wasn’t the things (or lack of it) that caused the issue. It was the relationship and value placed on the things. Jesus and His disciples traveled regularly. They didn’t have much and they relied on the love and generosity of others. They trusted in the provision of God. It seems that this rich young ruler didn’t want to or couldn’t do these things. So Jesus told him that one thing was lacking.

So let’s fast forward to today. As a Christian, I trust in God, but....the reality is that there are plenty of times that I focus more on my wants, my needs as opposed to the needs and care of others around me.  I allow stuff and things to get in the way of what’s most important to me. In the end, whatever I collect or own on earth will just go to someone else when I die. It’s not that important. But yet, for whatever reason, I seem to think from time to time that it does matter and collecting and owning these things are important. I’m moving away from that mindset more and more, but I find myself returning occasionally to thinking that stuff matters.

What’s the takeaway from all of this? Are we supposed to just sell all of our stuff and live on the streets? Of course not! But, it is definitely a step toward evaluating what our belongings and “possessions” really mean to us. That’s the thing with minimalism. As I’ve walked down this road, I’ve seen many struggle with the “what are the rules” question. And really, to each person, the rules will be different. Over the past 8 months or so, we’ve definitely gotten rid of a lot of things in our house. Looking forward, I’d hope that we would continue to do that as a family and continue in that mindset. It’s hard, it takes lots of work, but I’ve found it to be freeing, encouraging and extremely valuable. I hope that you’re encouraged and challenged to look at your stuff and your attitude and relationship toward it and determine what the best course of action is for you.

Social Media

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. I’ve been a bit busy with launching a podcast (The Healthy Church Musician Podcast) and being a husband and a dad, along with doing lots of fun things for the music ministry I serve. Today, I want to spend some time diving into social media.

There are some pros to social media. It’s a great way to keep in contact with family and friends that you don’t regularly get to keep in contact with. I’ve used Facebook to join groups and get ideas and encouragements for lots of different things. But there sure are plenty of cons to social media. Not only the absolute time suck that it can become and the control that it can take on your life. And on top of that, the arguments, disagreements and whatever else that may come across the way.

So, how do you get control of it? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself lately. I’ve spent way too much time on social media. What I’m trying to do is schedule my social media time. 15 minutes in the morning when I wake up and 30 minutes in the evenings. But on top of that, this coming weekend, I’m planning on a social media fast. What does that mean? No posting, no reading, no nothing on social media. I’m going to start Saturday morning and actually go through Monday afternoon. Why that time? I’ll be doing lots of yard work on Saturday, so I’ll be outside most of the day. Sunday and Monday we’ll be going to my wife’s aunt and uncle’s house, so I’ll be busy with that, then go to a baseball game Monday night.

What are your thoughts on social media? How do you control your time and your interaction with it?

When plans change...

On Thursday, I wrote about what’s most important and not getting so wrapped up in the busyness of life that you neglect your family or anything else that is important. This weekend, I’ve been reminded of that even more. We were supposed to go on a family camp out but due to the threat (and reality) of heavy rains last night into today, the camping was canceled. So, we were left with a weekend that we expected to be busy, and now was much more flexible. What to do?

Friday was different. Instead of me planning to leave early so that we could go camping, I was able to get more things done. I even got to have lunch with my family, because my girls had an early release from school and my wife had taken the day off of work because of the camping trip. So that was a huge win right there. Friday nights are usually movie night. We ate pizza, the girls picked a couple of movies. And once they went to bed, my wife and I watched Justic League.

Saturday, we were going to skip my youngest daughter’s soccer game because of camping....but she got to play. Then we had contacted our realtor that since we weren’t camping, we could look at houses. We spent the rest of the morning looking at 5 houses. One was a maybe and the rest were ok. Then we went and saw A Wrinkle in Time, because my oldest really wanted to see it and we had read her the book. It was a fun movie.

Today (Sunday), I’m off from playing for worship. It’s been a relaxing, restful morning. We’ll be going to a couple of open houses this afternoon and then a pizza party at my girls’ school. All in all, a restful, fun, good weekend.

Why does all of this matter? Our weekends (and weeks) have been busy. Our upcoming weekends (and weeks) will be busy. Having time to rest, relax and spend time together as a family has been what we all needed. Would it have been fun camping? Sure. But it would have been work and not really as restful as what we got to do this weekend.

When plans change, how do you respond? By nature, I am a planner. I have learned to be more spontaneous and go with the flow. Sure, I’d like to have a plan, a direction, a way to go laid out even before I begin. But I’ve learned that it’s in those times where you are spontaneous, where you have the change of plans that you can really have fun, make memories and get refreshing. Have you had times when your plans changed? How did you respond?

What’s important?

In life, it’s always good to step back and take inventory of your priorities. Just to make sure that you’re on track and focusing on what you need to focus on. Yesterday, I had an opportunity to do that.

You see, 13 months ago, my dad died. My mom lives in Waco, 3 hours from Houston, where I live. She had bronchitis, was sent to a pulmonologist for a breathing test and some things of concern showed up. So, yesterday, she had a follow up. Because she has a hard time hearing, even with hearing aids, and is getting more and more forgetful, she asked if I could come. I said absolutely. So, I dropped my daughters off at school, spent 3 hours in the car, did a few things for her around the house, went with her to her appointment (all is well) and drove back home. It was a long, exhausting day, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

So what’s important? To me, it’s not stuff. It’s not activities. It’s not even work. I enjoy those things and enjoy doing them. To me, what I hope that people see and say is my priority is my family. That I prioritize them first over anything else. I know that I haven’t always made those choices to put them first all the time. And the reality is, there may be times when I get off track again. But have an opportunity to refocus and reset are always beneficial.

So.....what’s important to you? Is it evident to others through your choices and actions?

Simple

In response to my post yesterday "Discipline and focus", I received a comment. It said "Wow, you mean the secret to getting things done is just doing them? And the cure for a lack of discipline is sticking to your calendar? Why didn't I think of that!" 

If eating healthy were so simple, why is the diet and exercise industry so large?

If keeping a neat and tidy home were so simple, why are there so many resources out there to help you, or how many people pay someone else to clean their homes?

If staying disciplined were so simple, why are there so many books about how to be more disciplined?

I don't ask these questions to argue, rather, to make the point that these things aren't as simple as they seem to be. While we may have the best of intentions to do things, there are other things that get in the way. Or, as was my point in writing the post yesterday, we lose focus. As I said, I'm awesome at being focused for short periods of time....and then I fall off. And I'm sure I'm not alone in that.

While I may have the best of intentions for my calendar, being a church music minister, things come up. Like funeral. The last 2 weeks, I've had 2 funerals to prepare for and play for. That takes priority over other things when it comes to practicing. 

When you work, when you have children, or even if you don't, maintaining focus and discipline is not the simplest thing in the world. If the secret to get things done is just doing them, then we'd have no problems. We'd be the most productive people on the planet. The productivity section in your local bookstore would cease to exist. If the cure for a lack of discipline is sticking to your calendar, then calendar sales would be off the charts! But neither of these are the case. Why? Because it's not that simple.

Life is a series of choices. Sometimes we choose well. Sometimes we choose poorly. I've made my share of good choices. I've made my share of poor choices. As I've grown older, I've learned that I don't have all of the answers, and I try to look to and lean on others for help. Because it's not that simple. 

So is that it? Just throw your hands up and say, "well, it's not that simple, so I'm sunk"? Not at all. My point in writing the post yesterday and this one is to share that while it isn't simple, you keep trying. While I did awesome in January at eating healthy and exercising, and staying focused, I didn't in February, March and so far in April. Does that mean that I'm sunk for the year? Of course not! It's only April! There's 7 and a half months to learn from those mistakes, make better choices and make progress. I haven't managed my time as well as I should have. Same point applies. And the same thing goes for you. It's not simple. But it's doable. And it's necessary. So I pray that you are able to find those things that bring you focus and discipline, as I pray that I am too. 

Discipline and focus

Yesterday I came across a post on Facebook which really hit me. It was “Clutter is no just physical stuff. It’s old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.” There’s a lot to unpack, but I’m going to deal with what hit me out of that quote.

I’m awesome at something. I do really great at it. It’s a talent that I have.....but I don’t want to be that way anymore. What am I awesome at? Being focused, successful and disciplined for a short period of time. And then I fall completely off the wagon. Whether that’s exercise, practicing music, composing music, being organized and cleaning up regularly, blogging, and more....I’m awesome at being focused and doing great for short, maybe 2-4 week spurts....and then for whatever reason, I quit. I stop.

So how does it change? That’s the struggle. Of course the easy answer is, “suck it up buttercup”. But that only goes so far.  So what changes? What is different? I wish I could say there is a magic bullet that if you do this one thing, everything falls into place. Ain’t gonna happen. What it is going to take is a plan, focus and consistency.

So how do I exercise more? Well, back on about Ash Wednesday (February 14th) I quit walking. Why? I chose sleeping in. This morning, that changed. I got up and took the dog for a walk, even though it was cold (for Texas) and it’s going to be a long day. That’s even more reason for me to do it.

How do I practice more? I calendar it. And I stick to that calendar. This is one of the hardest ones because throughout my week, my schedule isn’t always “regular”. There may be meetings that come up, funerals to practice for (that’s happened the last 2 weeks after Easter) and more. So it’s a matter of doing my best and when I’m practicing, focusing on using that time as well as I can.

How do I compose more? That’s easy. Just do it. Actually, the laptop I’ve used to compose is a few years old and it’s run slowly....which, of course, works great when you’re fantastic at making excuses. Of course I made excuses to not do anything because of schedule, computer being slow, and really, honestly, what the answer is, I was scared. Composing music puts you out there. You’ll get plenty of rejections, non responses or tepid encouragements. I’ve gotten plenty of all of them. But I feel called to be a composer, so the only way I can call myself a composer is......to do it.

How do I get and stay organized and keep the house clean. Funny, right? Well, yesterday was my oldest’s 9th birthday. We got the house (and her room) cleaned. So, keeping up shouldn’t be too hard. It’s about doing a few things each night after the girls go to bed. Of course, moving (as we’re hoping to) will lead to even more of a focus and attention to organization, what needs to stay or go, etc.

And finally, blogging.....how do I do it regularly? Just like doing things before bed, I sit down and write out posts. Whether that’s going to be daily or a few days a week, that remains to be seen. But in a previous blog incarnation, I planned out the month coming up and topics to write about. That helped to keep me focused. With this blog, I haven’t. I’ve basically been spitballing, throwing things against the wall, and been unplanned.....and yet you still read it. So thanks for that! I know that I’m capable of giving you better ideas and information than I have in the past, and I look forward to doing it.

How about how? Where do you struggle with discipline and focus? What habits are you wanting to adjust, change or drop completely? Comment with those habits!

Expectations

I took a break from Facebook starting on February 14th. I didn’t miss it. That was intentional. Also on February 14th, I started an unintentional break from walking and from writing blog posts. In this time period of the last 6 weeks, I’ve had an opportunity to think about that word expectation for a while.

There’s really 2 expectations. The expectations you place on yourself and the expectations others place on you. I want to unpack that aspect of personal expectations for a bit. In his book “Finish”, my friend Jon Acuff writes about how we make goals for ourselves, the goals may be a bit unrealistic, or something comes up to change that status, and we end up quitting. He talks about it in a lot more detail, but that’s a lot of what happened to me. I quit. I’ll admit that. My excuses were noble. And somewhat legitimate. I got sick for 2 weeks in that time period and still had to keep going with work and life. But what about those other days? Why didn’t I make healthy choices or walk or better manage my time? The honest answer, as I’ve been processing through it is.....I just didn’t want to. But today is a new month. A new start. So what makes today different than any other day? Well, it’s Easter. That means that my 6 week period of Lenten busyness is over. So what? That will be replaced by end of school busyness was a parent, preparing my musical groups for a concert in May, working with my team to plan summer camp in July and many, many more things to do. On top of that, God willing, we’ll be finding a house to purchase, so we’ll have to pack up, move and get settled in the midst of all of that. I’m guessing that while you may not be in the specific boat that I’m in, your schedule is busy, too. So how do you balance and manage those expectations and that schedule?

I come back to one word again and again. Organization. If you’re on top of things and deal with them immediately, you will be less overwhelmed. Again, that’s something I haven’t done well, not just over the past 6 weeks, but for years. I know I’m capable of it, but it’s a matter of doing it. Organization is simple things like dealing with mail immediately, cleaning your kitchen counters before you go to bed, doing dishes and putting them away, doing laundry and putting it away immediately. Those things may seem simple, but after a long day, you may not have the “want to” to do it. You’ve got to do it. Of course, there’s the bigger things like going through your clothes, books, digital files, etc. and while that takes more time, it is most definitely helpful and worth it.

One of the things I did on Friday at my desk before I left was to make sure that the top of it was picked up and organized. That way, after my hibernation tomorrow, I can dive into things on Tuesday and not have to be stressed about starting with my desk.

Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be dealing with this topic of organization and what it looks like and some simple and easy things to do. I hope you’ll keep checking back and also commenting with your ideas and tips for what works for you!

Getting overwhelmed

You’ll notice that the last blog post I wrote was on February 16th. This post today is March 10th. What happened in the almost last month that led me to not write? Simple. I got overwhelmed. With life. With everything. And it sucked. Big time! You see, I’m a church musician. It’s Lent. It’s a very hectic and busy time. We’re also looking for a house to buy. And so my life took on its own direction, spinning quickly out of control. Walking didn’t happen. Surviving the day became the goal. And it frustrated and angered me to no end, but I couldn’t really do anything to control it.

So what has changed? This week is spring break for my wife and girls. I don’t have as much going on over the week, outside of working ahead to get ready for Holy Week and Easter. And along with that, I’ve already been and will continue to figure out how better to get a hold of my schedule and my life. I’ve gained weight. I’ve been out of regular exercising for almost 3 weeks. I feel like my most productive thing I’ve done over the past 3 weeks is survive the day each and every day.

We all face those moments of being overwhelmed. How we respond is imperative. I could throw a pity party, say “woe is me”, but what good is it going to do? I’m blessed in so many ways. I can’t complain. And what I need to do is to figure out how to maneuver through the busyness of life and not just survive, but thrive. There are things I want (and need) to do like lose weight, pack up our house, get rid of stuff, write and arrange music and write books. That’s a lot to bite off, isn’t it? It’s overwhelming, but not impossible. Today, I’m not doing anything but intentionally resting. And it’s already been wonderful. Stepping back and breathing.

One of the most important things in all of this is to give yourself grace. While you may get overwhelmed, it’s a learning experience. Kind of like when you learn not to touch a hot stove, or are around sharp objects. If you touch them, they’ll hurt. So you learn what not to do. But more importantly, you learn what TO do. That’s called growth, and it’s something we need to be quite regularly doing!

So how do you cope when you get overwhelmed? Do you step back, reassess and strategize? Or do you push even harder? Or give up? Or do something else? Maybe curl up in the fetal position? What I have been reminded of in the past week is that work is hard, and nothing comes without work. And while sometimes that work can be overwhelming, it takes intentionality, focus, and support from others. You can do it!! And so can I!

Week 5 check in

I could subtitle this post “The new me”. Or I could subtitle it “You’re not defined by your mistakes”. Read on and I’ll explain. I blew it last night. I ate horribly. I’m guessing many of you are waking up feeling that way. The “old me” would have wallowed in self-pity, made excuses and ate some more. Most definitely wouldn’t have exercised. Today, I got up at 4:30, walked the dog, ran a bit, and have been drinking water. While yes, I didn’t eat great for 1 meal....it’s just that. 1 meal out of 21 for the week. See, this is where my thinking has radically changed. I had eggs for breakfast yesterday, I had a salad for lunch. I budgeted to eat badly. And I did. But, that doesn’t define my week. In fact, it pushes me to be even more on track. I had my meal of overindulgence. It was good. Now back to eating right.

So how about you? Maybe January wasn’t the best. Or your February isn’t off to the best start. You can fix it. You can start now. Because it’s about the choices you make.

I realized I didn’t share with you my goals for February. So my main goal in January, the Whole30, was a success. My goal for February is to continue to follow the guidelines, eating right and trying to add in more exercise. I started the couch to 5K app last week and while I’m doing a 5K on Saturday, I’m not going to be able to run all of it, but my main goal is to run the 5K I’m doing on April 7th. That’s one I’m working toward. My other stuff goal is two fold. I didn’t quite finish in the garage in January, but our youth at church are having a garage sale, so I can take stuff up there. Along with that, I want to tackle the office. It’s a mess. So that’s my 2 main goals for February.

So where are you at this week? Has your 2018 been off to a great start? We’re only 5/52 into the year, so you’ve got time. Get after it!

Oh, something random I decided to do last week. I recorded some music I’ve been working on and uploaded it to Noisetrade.com. You can listen to it for free or download it for free there. http://noisetrade.com/craigharmann/lent-and-easter-demos

It’s up to you

As I’ve spent the last couple of days reflecting on a productive January and a success at Whole30, I was reminded of a truth that I forget all to often. Whatever your situation, you can make choices to change the circumstance. I was very, very, very unhealthfully overweight. I still am. But I am less overweight because I have changed my circumstance. I started focusing in on what I’m eating, exercising and there are results happening. As for the stuff around our house, there is less clutter and that is progressing daily.

Now this can absolutely seem overwhelming, right? No doubt about it. We see “quick fixes” sold all the time in regard to health. “Drink this shake 2 times a day and you’ll lose the weigh. Oh, did we mention that each shake costs $12.50?” There’s no quick fix. None whatsoever. It’s much easier to put weight on than to take it off. It takes intentionality to lose the weight and even more intentionality to keep it off. But it’s possible. So do you go out, get a gym membership, throw out all the unhealthy food in your kitchen and get to work? Well, that’s a little drastic. Baby steps are the way to go. Anytime you try to do too much at once, you’ll get overwhelmed. Start this way. Instead of 5 sodas a day, go to 3. And incorporate more water. Or instead of trying to find the closest parking spot somewhere, park farther away. You’ll get more exercise in. Starting with little steps changes your mentality and creates new habits. Or (GASP!!) instead of 4 cups of coffee, have 1 and maybe 2 cups of green tea. You get the point. Little changes make a huge difference.

The same thing goes with your stuff. You may feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start. That’s OK. It’s up to you. You’re in charge. Maybe it’s just starting by cleaning off your kitchen counters and keeping them clean for a week. A small habit, then you add to it. Then you take the next step. That could be books, CDs, clothes, whatever it is where you feel cluttered. Go through and ask, “Do this have a definite purpose in my life?” And if that answer is no, get rid of it. If the answer is I’m not sure, put in a box and put the box aside for a while. If you don’t find yourself needing it or thinking of a purpose for it, get rid of it.

Little steps are the biggest way to make a change. It’s up to you. You can do it!

Whole30 wrapup

There have been a million ways that have gone through my head as to how to begin this post. But I’ll start here: Minimalism is fashionable, trendy and hip right now, especially in regard to stuff. And I’ve written plenty about relationships to stuff. But really, the primary thing that matters in minimalism is you. And if you’re not taking care of yourself, the stuff really doesn’t matter. So this is why I started the Whole30 diet on January 2nd....which means today is DAY THIRTY!!

Before I dive into the diet and my review, a bit of my backstory. To be absolutely honest (and there will be real talk here), I had an addiction to food. Food was my friend. Food never laughed at me, never let me down, and was always there for me. When I was younger, I kept moving, riding my bike, playing sports, but that problem was lurking below the surface. Cookies, ice cream, seconds on meals, all of that was there. But, in my physical activity, I was burning plenty of it off. And of course, then came.....the dreaded HUSKY size jeans. And then when I started high school, I went from 175 my freshman year to 225 my senior year.....and it wasn’t from hitting the weights. It was hitting the TWENTY piece chicken nuggets and super sized fries from McDonalds when I was in musicals my junior and senior years of high school. It was giving up completely on exercise and becoming sedentary. College was worse. A cafeteria where you could eat as much as you want? YES PLEASE! It was a fat boy’s dream. I had Mountain Dew for breakfast, lunch and dinner (literally) desserts and other food galore. I went from 225 to 275 when I graduated. But all of that paled in comparison to what happened between graduating college and living on my own. The highest I saw on the scale was 330. But I’m sure it was higher. I’d eat 2 frozen pizzas, chase it with a container of ice cream and be happy. I’d eat a dozen donuts for breakfast. And so on. I’m embarrassed to see this all typed out in front of me. But that was who I was. Once I got married, we started to make healthier choices and because we were having trouble getting pregnant, we both started the South Beach Diet. Which led to 2 beautiful daughters. What has happened over the past 14 years is that I’ve lost 15 pounds, gained 10, lost 10, gained 15, lost 20, gained 10. Back and forth.

In the fall, I really started focusing in on exercise, specifically walking. I was feeling great, eating pretty healthy (minus the bags of tortilla chips here and there in an evening) and was making progress. Then December hit. While I didn’t hit the sweets too hard, I stopped exercising. And by the end of December, I felt horrible. I needed to do something different. I turned 40 in September, and my dad passed away last March. I had to start getting really serious about my health so that I can be there, God willing, for my girls and grandchildren. I had friends that had done Whole30 and I started looking into it.

How to describe Whole30? Crazy, insane, stringent, amazing, life-changing and beneficial. The simplest way to describe it is that you can eat meat, fruit, veggies, and spices. You don’t get to eat beans, peanuts, grains, dairy, or alcohol. And it’s all about looking at the labels of food. No added sugar, no added anything. Have you read labels? Do you know how much junk is added to our food? For example, I love bacon. And it’s allowable, without sugar....And most bacon has BROWN sugar added to it!! I broke down and tried turkey bacon, and in the end, I just got ground turkey, seasoned it with homemade taco seasoning, and added that to my eggs for breakfast. AMAZING!!

Now to the details. On January 1st, I stepped on the scale and weighed 280.6 pounds. This morning, 31 days later, I weighed 260.2 pounds. TWENTY POINT SIX POUNDS LOST! I can’t believe it. And yes, my clothes fit better. Clothes that I couldn’t fit into, or were tight, now fit comfortably. I have to wear a belt daily. I’ve had people tell me regularly that I’m looking really good and that I’m losing weight....although I did shave my beard in early January and no said anything about that! :-) But over and above the scale, here’s the biggest and best takeaways. I feel amazing. I am more focused. I am less tired. I have accomplished a lot over this month. I feel creative. My relationship with food has been readically changed.  And this is the exact opposite of how I felt at the end of December, just 1 month ago. And that’s been with minimal exercise. However, over the past 3 days (including today), I’ve started the couch to 5K app and have seen my time per mile go from between 17-18 minutes, to 15 minutes, 14:58 and 14:40 over the first 3 days.

Do I recommend Whole30 to everyone? Nope. It’s your choice. It’s very restrictive. I had people telling me, “Day 4 is going to be the hardest. You’re going to have a crash”. I didn’t. It went a whole lot easier that I thought it would. I thought giving up dairy would be hard. I grew up in Wisconsin. I love cheese. But I didn’t miss it. Probably the one thing I’ve missed over the 30 days is beer. But even that, I survived without.

So now what? Do I go back to what I ate before? Of course not. I’ll slowly be adding in certain things. One beer is first tomorrow. I’ll have a smoothie on Monday with Greek yogurt. Down the road, I’ll probably add in more things, but I’ll definitely be looking at the label.  I don’t want to go back to the way I felt before. I want to keep this feeling. Ultimately, I’d like to be between 200-225 pounds, so I still have more weight to lose. But as the weather warms up and I continue to walk/run the dog and do more yard work outside, I don’t see that being a problem.  So go check out Whole30 and see if it’s for you!

What really matters

I had a conversation yesterday with our organ repair guy that returned me to the question in the title of this post. You see, his 22 year old son was diagnosed with leukemia before Thanksgiving. He had told me that previously, and I was talking to him about an issue with our organ. I asked him, “How is your son?” And he told me all of the details. They have a bone marrow donor and the prognosis is good. But he said something that triggered my thoughts. He said, “I’ve been going just one day at a time.”

Isn’t that really what we should be doing? We plan, prepare and get stuff and hold on to stuff. And where does that get us? Now I’m not saying get rid of everything. There is a need for things, but when you ask the question, “Does it really matter”, that puts a lot of things into perspective.

As I posted yesterday, my girls were off of school for the past 2 days because of ice. I was able to get some work done, but I was also able to spend time with my girls, along with my wife. That is at the core of what we have to figure out. What really matters. What is most important. Yes, we need to work. Yes, we need to be responsible and diligent in everything we do. But we also have to think about what really matter and what is most important in our lives.

So how do you figure that out? That’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? You could make a list, if you’re a list maker. You could write out note cards and put them on your refrigerator or mirror. Whatever you choose to do, it’s up to you and you can remind yourself and keep yourself focused on what is most important is however you choose to do it.