I recently made a short list of some things I wanted to improve in my personal life outside of work, call it “mind, body, spirit” if you wish. Honestly, it would be both cliché and unfair to say Covid has “taken it’s toll” on me. Business grew, we hired a lot of amazing new faces, and my core proved to be the most reliable, hardworking, dedicated co-workers and friends I could have ever hoped for. Absolutely no complaints whatsoever with Walrus Oil in 2020.
However, my diet sucked, I never slept, exercise became a foreign sport, no etiquette to be found anywhere, I felt spiritually lazy, dropped more f-bombs than I could count, and I allowed politics to rule my entire mental state. My work / life balance was horrific, like a protruding pimple I pretended wasn’t there, though undeniably visible. I’m probably being hard on myself, but looking back, I could have done better… could’ve eaten less tater tots and turned off CNN occasionally. But noooo.
There are things I have no control over, like viruses, the stock market, or whether people like me or not. But I can most certainly choose how I react and I can definitely adapt to be better prepared for whatever’s lunged at me. And I can also simply choose to cross a few things out of my life, like politicians and tater tots.
With all that said, here’s my current list of demands (for myself):
1. No alcohol
2. Eat a Pescatarian diet, mostly plant-based
3. Drink more water
4. Be more spiritually intentional
5. No news and politics
6. Loose the potty mouth
7. Read more books
8. Get in bed a little earlier
9. Wake up earlier too
10. Love yourself more
11. Get a fitness routine you can commit to
12. Make more time for hiking, biking, and kayaking
I know this reads like a belated New Year’s Resolution, that’s fine, whatever. I’m several weeks in with some of these points and already feel more mentally, physically, and spiritually coherent. I’d rather take this as an initiation toward more growth, especially in the area of discipline and self care. And do I expect to be perfect? Nope. I will have a beer again, throw back a few cheeseburgers, and violently devour a pound of tater tots covered in Velveeta cheese. I will skip church, hate myself some days, and bail on crunches for a week, but as my Priest always puts it, just get some rest and try again tomorrow.
I’m living my dream running Walrus Oil, but even your wildest dreams can become a nightmare. This is a road toward better stability and balance, so I can be my best self when I walk into work every day and when I come home.
