The Year So Far

2016 has started well.  In a nutshell, I've:

- lost 5 lbs.
I'm 10 lbs away from my goal of weighing 180 lbs.  The key for me?  Working out (more on this later) and eating less for lunch- just a large serving of mixed vegetables and fruit.  I still eat mostly what I want in the evening, but dropping the mid-day calories has made a world of difference.

- continued to minimize
It was hard, but I continue to reduce what I own.  This year, I decided to get rid of Star Wars Armada.  That was a tough decision, but the key for me has been setting thresholds.

As I've said before, there are many good things I'll never get to experience, and that's okay.  So how do I decide where to focus my efforts?  I set thresholds.  For example, my criteria for game ownership:

It must be fun, playable in less than a few hours, occupy minimal volume, played frequently, have local players willing to participate

Star Wars Armada met most of the above, but not all, and so I sold the collection and focused elsewhere.  Though it was tough, it was the right decision.

- read 12 books
I'm down to 17 books I own but haven't yet read.  Several of the remaining are heavy hitters (1000+ pages of mathematics, for example), but I'm optimistic.

- exercised more frequently
For the first time since having multiple children, I've managed to work out every day this week (except Sunday- always a rest day for me).  I was going to the gym 3 times per week (to lift weights) and trying to run on the off days; the runs rarely happened.  I now realize that I must go to the gym 5 times per week (3 lifts, 2 runs), and have my final run on the weekend.  If I don't go to the gym in the morning, it doesn't happen, so I've altered my routine to accommodate, and it's working well so far.  I also try to run up flights of stairs once per day at work, and that little bit can make a big difference.

For years, I've had  a few nagging injuries (to shoulder, lower back, and calf).  I've incorporated new weight exercises into my routine to address the shoulder and calf, with promising results.  Now if I could only figure out how to help the lower back . . .

- started practicing the piano again
I had no access to a piano in England, and played rarely in Germany.  I'm now trying to play 4-5 times per week, mostly in the evenings after the children are in bed.  The rust is coming off, slowly but surely.

- gamed more
I've started or joined multiple monthly gaming nights, some with work friends, others with Church friends.  We play Magic: the Gathering, Star Wars Miniatures, and board/card games of all kinds.  As a borderline introvert, gaming is my preferred social interaction method, and it's fun being more intentional about participating in this arena.

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I have a way to go, but things are looking up so far in 2016.