It’s been just over a month since I wrote about rebooting my life, and I thought it would be a good time to check in, see how I’m doing, and give myself some grades. If you were inspired to reboot your life, maybe this is a good time for you to check in, too.
So the only way this works is when we’re honest with ourselves. We have to honestly assess how we’re doing, take credit and feel good about the stuff that we’re crushing, and work harder on the stuff where we aren’t. I think we also have to be gentle and kind with ourselves. Regardless of how you end up grading your efforts, if you can honestly say that you are doing your best — and you accept that your best can vary from day to day — you get points for that.
Here are the seven things I did to reboot my life:
- Drink less beer.
- Read more (and Reddit does not count as reading).
- Write more.
- Watch more movies.
- Get better sleep.
- Eat better food.
- Exercise more.
I’m going to check in on each one, give myself a grade on them, and figure out the average.
Drink less beer.
As I said last time, this was much easier than I was expecting. As much as I love a good IPA and finding out what the Bad Idea Bear in the bottom of a bottle of W00tstout has in mind, I really don’t miss it. Over a few months, I’ve gone from drinking two or three beers every day to one or two beers a couple of days a week. I sleep better, I feel less bloated, and though my secret admirer isn’t buying me presents at the moment, it’s a great trade off. I’ve lost about 4 pounds in about 6 weeks, and I’m not a tubby as I was before.
I also didn’t realize just how much time drinking lots of beer (or whatever your booze of choice is) takes up. Whether it’s staying in one place for an entire evening, or feeling like crap for a significant part of the next day, or just being too tipsy or outright drunk to do anything useful, the time you lose when you drink a lot is something I don’t hear people talk about, and I think we should.
Also, I’m not judging or shaming people who want to go get their drink on. Booze affects different people in different ways, and maybe it doesn’t suck up five hours of your night and the entire first part of your next day. But it can do that for me, and that was a big part of “this isn’t working for me”.
I’m giving myself an A on this one.
Read more (and Reddit does not count as reading).
I’ve spent a lot of time on planes since I started this, because I’ve been working on both The Big Bang Theory, and Powers. I fly between Atlanta and LA a bunch, and sitting on a plane is very conducive to reading more, at least for me.
But I want to read every day, and I haven’t made the time to do that. I was going to say, “I haven’t been able to do that,” but that’s not really true. If I wanted to make the time, I would have spent it reading instead of running Greater Rifts in Diablo 3.
Still, what I’ve read has been inspiring, which is the whole point of this part of the process. I also count certain podcasts, like The Black Tapes and The Message, as reading, because they’re dramatic narrative that make me think about storytelling, balancing plot development and exposition with character and story development, and make me want to create my own fictional narrative works. I’d like to give myself a B on this, but I think that I haven’t earned it. I’m going to give myself a C, even though I probably deserve a C-, because I get a little bit of a curve, due to all the creatively demanding work I’ve been doing.
Write more.
I get an F. Oh, boy do I get an F. I get a big old F in red pen with “see me after class” written next to it.
I could make some excuses, and I even believe some of them: I’m working so much as an actor, the creative part of my brain is completely focused on that task. I’m exhausted at the end of a day on the set, and the last thing I want to do — and maybe the last thing I’m able to do — is switch positions on the field in the ninth inning. Writing, for me, takes thought, and focus, and a willingness to be emotionally open and reflective. When I’ve been living in someone else’s skin all day on the set, I don’t want to do that. I’m sure I could, if I really wanted to (Felicia wrote like a boss when we were working on Eureka together), but I’m not making myself do it.
I’m posting tons of stuff on my stupid Tumblr thing, and adding a lot of original thoughts and commentary there, but I don’t count that toward this particular grade because that’s not the kind of writing I want and need to do more of. I’ve made notes in my notebook for the story I want to finish, and I have almost all of it worked out in broad strokes and basic ideas, but the real fun of writing it down and telling the story and surprising myself with unexpected discoveries hasn’t happened.
I’m giving myself an F on this one because the task is a simple one: write more, and I haven’t even written the same amount that I was writing when I hit the reset button. Yes, I’ve been busy, but lots of people are busy and still find time to do the things they want to do. And that F doesn’t mean I’m a failure, it just means I’ve failed at this particular task, because I’m not making the effort. I’m creatively fulfilled in other ways, at the moment, so I don’t need this the way I usually do. Because I don’t need it, I’m not motivated, and while that isn’t the end of the world right now, once I slow down and have the time, I better motivate myself. The reason I need to see myself after class is so I can tell myself this, and make sure I understand that I know I can do that, and I expect it from myself.
Watch more movies.
Just like reading more, the point of watching more movies is to get inspired, to open and maintain a strong connection to my creative self. Like I wrote last time, this has been the hardest thing for me to do, because of the time involved.
But, I’ve been on planes, and I have thumbdrives and a laptop, so I’ve watched at least one movie on every leg of every flight I’ve recently taken. I’m focusing on classics, like Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Badlands. I’ve also been watching quality television that feels like movies. Shows like Narcos, Jessica Jones, and The Expanse have been entertaining and inspiring me.
I’m giving myself a B, because this is definitely above average, but I could probably watch more movies than TV shows, if I really wanted to.
Get better sleep.
I’ve only had a couple of bad nights recently, and both of them happened when I was jet lagged from going to Atlanta. One night was awful. I felt like I didn’t sleep at all, and when I was asleep, I was having terrifying nightmares like I haven’t had in ages. I had to keep waking myself up to remind myself where I was, who I was, why I was there, and that the terror was not real. Yeah, that was not a lot of fun. But this grade is about the effort, and the effort to get better sleep includes going to sleep when my body tells me it’s ready, even if I want to stay up and watch more TV or play more Diablo 3. It means eating earlier and not overdoing it so my tummy doesn’t ache when it’s time to go to sleep. It means getting enough exercise during the day to feel ready to go to sleep, and it means consistently doing the relaxation techniques I’ve been learning. This is one of those things that is about me doing everything I can to take care of myself, and accepting that if my brain is going to be an asshole, there isn’t a whole lot more I can do about it.
I’m giving myself another A for this one.
Eat better food.
So the point of this was to think about food as fuel for my body and my brain, and not just as something I want to eat because I’m hungry, it’s easy, and/or it tastes good. This is another thing that’s been a challenge, because I’m on the set a lot, and there really isn’t a lot of good, nutritious food readily available. Plus, being in airports and hotels and on planes isn’t exactly conducive to finding a lot of healthy options. That said, I’m doing okay with this one, pretty close to as best as I can. I travel with some high quality protein powder to mix into a drink every morning, and I take high quality meal replacement bars with me so I don’t have to eat airplane food unless I’m in some kind of food emergency. I’m hitting my calorie goals almost every day, and my nutritional macros are very close to exactly where I want them, but I could definitely do better here, and that’s just about commitment.
I give myself another B, though I’d probably give myself an A if I was grading on a curve (and if I wasn’t eating a giant plate of gluttonous Thanksgiving leftovers. I’m not made of stone, people.)
Exercise more.
This is the only A+ I’m giving myself. In fact, I could be like Ralphie’s teacher in his theme fantasy, writing A + + + + + + + all over the blackboard. I walk every day. I run almost every day, even if it means I have to get up earlier than I want to (I was going to say “need to” but that seems to push responsibility off of myself a little bit). I’m into week 5 of my couch to 5K program, and I absolutely love it. Zombies Run! 5K is one of the best things to ever happen to me, and not just because I’ve made an emotional connection to the characters. Being able to listen to someone talking me through my training has made all the difference. Looking at my pace, my total miles run, and scoring little achievements along the way has been cooler and more motivating than I ever expected.
I’m probably going to do week five over once I finish up on Powers, because it has been difficult to get in runs while I’m on location, and I don’t feel like my body will be ready to go into week six when I’ve had two or three days between each training run in week five. I’ve had very early calls, long days on the set, and I’ve been wiped out when I get back to my hotel. That’s not even a lame excuse, it’s a physical and mental reality, and I know that pushing myself at those times is a great way to hurt myself. I make the effort and the time to walk, though, and I do some squats, push ups, and sit ups a couple times a day to keep my blood moving, keep my metabolism up, and make sure my body knows that I expect it to stay in shape.
Still, I went out for a run on Thursday, and gave myself permission to run and walk as I felt necessary. I ended up going about two and a half miles, and I ran one of those miles in twelve or so minutes. It’s much slower than my usual pace, but all things considered, I still feel like I accomplished something.
I really earned this A+, and I’m proud of it.
So what’s my final grade average? I’ll add it up now, because I didn’t plan this out ahead of time. A minute or two will now pass for me, while less than a second will pass for you because reality is weird like that.
Out of 28 possible points, I earned 21. That gives me a 3.0, for a solid B. I feel like that’s pretty accurate. That F is pulling my average down like crazy, but I know I can bring that grade up without much difficulty.
So in a keeping score kind of way, I’m above average with room to improve. That’s really good, and I’m proud of that. In another way, though, Barney is the actual winner.
Wait. That’s not right.
In another way, though, I’m scoring off the charts. I feel really good, both physically and mentally. My Depression isn’t being a giant asshole (my anxiety has been shitty, though, which is unfortunately common when I have to travel a lot for work). I look and feel better than I have in years. I’ve lost weight, I’ve lost fat, and I feel more comfortable in my own skin. I’m happy. I’m, like, really happy. I’m able to be present as a husband and father, and I don’t spend any time in my day hating myself, which is a new thing for me.
This whole thing is a journey, and checking in right now is a way for me to assess my progress, reaffirm my commitments, and take a moment to feel proud of myself for reasserting control over my own life.
Yeah, I have work to do, and it’ll be hard at times, but that’s okay because everything worth doing is hard, and I’m doing a pretty good job right now.
Glad your reset has been going well. It is helping inspire me in a reset of my own with some similar goals (primarily fitness but also to get creativity going again).
I really couldn’t be more proud of you. You’re a total inspiration for us, and I can’t wait to give you a giant hug in a couple of months to celebrate. Cheers to you!
I’m really happy to read this because, silly as it sounds, I have been worried about you lately. I have almost reached out a couple of times, but that seems stalkerish so I haven’t.
Look into Soylent as an alternative to protein shakes. And if you want to make grading easier in the future, look into the Coach.me app. I’ve been using it since it was Lift. You don’t have to engage the coaching part of it (but handy if you feel compelled). I track my goals every day with it.
Good luck on the new journey and here is to feeling better about yourself.
Excellent! Great to hear you are so motivated by the changes already. Nothing like a few zombies to keep you on your toes and appreciate the health you’ve got 😉 x
good job. To help me write more i’ve gotten into the habit of carrying a journal with me at all times. When i have a few moments I can jot something down quite quickly. Should help boost your grade
I didn’t really need to address the “drink less beer” issue, but aside from that I tried to reboot some aspects of my life myself after reading your post. I’m 46, fyi.
I started a Couch to 5K program, and discovered the following: I suck at running. I generally go out after dark or before sunrise because my inability to run more than 3 minutes straight as I fight the pain in my legs and my asthmatic lungs is pretty humiliating, and I’m less self-conscious when there are fewer people around to watch me flop around. Next week I”m going to try week 4 again, but I expect to fail and to spend another week (my 3rd in a row) on the week 3 program. On the “eat healthier food” front: I was doing pretty well until Thanksgiving. My lunches have turned into salads. My breakfasts have turned into fruit, and depending on the day, oatmeal or eggs. Dinner s a bit more a struggle, but I’m definitely taking in less bread and fewer non-fruit carbs (I won’t give up my fruit). I’m reading a bit more, though not as much as I would like.
I too get an F in “writing more”. I’ve been trying to get myself to sit down and do revisions on some of the stuff I’m trying to get ready to send out for rejection, but I can’t get myself up for it.
Overall, I’d give myself a “C”. I’m not happy with how I’m doing, but I’m doing some things that are good for me, which is better than I was doing in September.
Thanks for the inspiration Wil!
I started running with C25K about two years ago, and for at least the first year, I also sucked (or felt that I sucked) at running. Keep at it, it gets easier, and even gets fun eventually. As a fellow person who runs outside, I can vouch that I never judge people who look like they’re struggling, because we’re all at different points in our “becoming a runner” journey. If I notice anything, I notice someone who’s like me, trying to feel physically good and improve themselves, and I like being part of a group who’s all doing something like that. Don’t feel self-conscious.
For me, a big part of the journey to not feeling like a running failure was signing up for and finishing a couple of races. It was something concrete I could tell people about, and the response from my family and friends was universally positive, and all for trying and finishing. Nobody but me cares about my time.
Best of luck! Welcome to the world of running.
Your reboot has inspired me so much. My own depression is at bay and I have a better relationship with the yucky thoughts that contribute to it. Thank you.
Also, if you get the chance, try Man in the High Castle. I watched season 1 this weekend (when i was supposed to be writing) and it’s really good, imo.
Will, don’t beat yourself up for watching more of television than theatrical films. More screenwriters, directors, and actors are now going to television because the quality of so many programs is high and equal to a well-made film. You can learn as much from watching television as the big screen movies. Also, I find that I have problems sleeping and nightmares when a really big change is getting ready to come into my life. I seldom have nightmares, but when I do, I pay attention to them and start looking at my life to see what the change might be taking place. As far as fiction writing, you’ll get there when the time is right. A lot film artists (directors and actors and producers) are now writing fiction during their down time. Check out the Blumhouse Book of Nightmares (no pun intended) on Amazon.com.
Did you have anxiety before the depression. Its common for extreme anxiety to lead to depression. Just curious as my wife is struggling with it right now.
I don’t honestly know which one came first. I know that they are intertwined, though, and one typically acts as a force multiplier on the other.
You are doing great! Balance is hard, but you are figuring it out. Pretty soon there will be no Fs.
Minor point: I would love to do some of this stuff, but I just CAN’T. Literally all my time is taken up with work. As in, I’m commenting here when I should be working. i can’t afford more healthy food. I can’t afford to buy more books or films. I can’t afford much spare time. My computer and my car are the only things worth more than $500 that I own. And I can’t move to someplace cheaper, because moving costs money. (I found places that offer loans for moving. What the fuck kind of country do we live in where moving is something you might have to take out a loan for?).
I wish you all the luck in the world, but it does take a bit of class privilege to be able to ‘reboot your life’ like this.
I want to take a moment to encourage you here. As someone who has at times worked four to five jobs at once, I completely understand your position, but I also think if you really want to make some changes in your life you can. I started rebooting my life in a similar manner to Will’s (albeit with some different goals) over a year ago, while I was working sixty to eighty hours a week. I started with one small change at a time. Pick just one goal to work one and try committing fifteen minutes a day to it. An example of one of my goals was to be a better housekeeper. Having a messy, dirty house was causing a lot of stress in my life. Now, I spend fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening everyday cleaning and picking up the house. Just that half an hour a day has made all the difference and it also gave me a sense of accomplishment that helped fuel other small changes in my life that have added up to large differences which have even lead me to find a higher paying job that has allowed me to cut back on the side jobs I was working.
CC,
Sorry you are in such a stuck place. One thing I can offer is that I get all my books and movies from our local library. Even when I can’t get there, I can download ebooks and increasingly stream some movies. Our area has a local and county library system, and I was able to get a library card for the county system without every stepping one foot in the branch. Sometimes when I am overwhelmed, find one thing I can do feels better. Hope you do too.
This post, and the original “rebooting” article have inspired me to reboot my life as well!
I think you’re doing great Wil. As for the writing more, don’t beat yourself up about it. You don’t need to write a book. I don’t expect that Others here may concure with me. You are busy and if you pile on too many goals at once, you might end discouraging yourself.
You have the others and are going awesome there, the better diet, and exercise will help sleep. Sleep will help the creativity. Just be patient and give your body time to heal.
. I just want you to be healthy and happy, living a long time to enjoy Annie and your kid and HIS kids. I count your blogs as writing.:)
I don’t know if you read any of these comments.,or have time but that is my heartfelt thoughts.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I’ve planned a reboot after Thanksgiving weekend~ you’ve given me an idea about how to approach it differently!
You are amazing! Congratulations on doing such a great job. I am glad to see you giving yourself credit for all these changes. I am also thrilled to hear that your depression has lessened. Thanks for the inspiration.
Love you, Wil. Thank you for being real.
I admire the oath you’ve chosen. Keep at it! This is a life plan, after all, not a temporary diet. Sounds as if you are really hacking away at it, and that is the big victory.
RE: better food. My own experience has been that, eventually, I needed to get off the processed food, such as protein/nutrition bars and start making and packing my own. There have been many levels of this for me, but, in short, keeping supplies on hand at home and setting up maybe 3 sandwiches every now and then in plastic bags that I can grab on the way out the door has really helped me. I am known to toss one of these into a skillet for a grilled sandwich at home when time is short.
Keep up the great job!
Good start, Will. Its worth the effort. Keep it up.
Great job, Will! <3
Way to go, Will. Slow and steady is a good thing. It’s taken me a hundred years to learn this but I think I’m finally convinced. I’m not at the pat-myself-on-the-back stage yet but I’m glad you are. You deserve it. 🙂
Well, I haven’t made the conscious decision to reboot, but I’m doing a lot of what you’re doing and have thought about doing others. I started eating better in May when my wife started preparing for a kidney transplant. I needed (still need) to lose weight and have made solid progress (40 lbs so far, pushing for another 35.) Exercise has been part of that and in addition to the gym I’ve started running. I pushed too hard and my knees started hurting, so I rested and recovered and have started back at a gentler pace. Drinking less beer and wine has gone along with the weight loss. It hasn’t ever been a drain on me, but it does contradict the weight loss so I drink 3-4 a week instead of 2-3 every couple of days. I’ve thought about writing (I’m more technical than creative, but have some ideas I’d like to explore) but just haven’t made time for it. I also want to get a graduate degree and need to make time to finish the application process. So, with your inspiration, I’m going to keep doing what I’ve been doing and make a concerted effort to move forward on the other items. I’m holding myself accountable on what goes in my mouth, I can transfer that to other aspects as well.
Thanks for sharing, I have family members that have a lot in common with you who benefit from your generosity of self. Be well.
Great job, Runner 5! Keep up the good work, and Sam will have you out running regular missions for Abel Township in no time.
Congratulations on your great work, Wil!
I am a new follower of yours (your work has made it all the way to Quebec City, Canada!), and I have to say you’re a real inspiration. Your posts and podcasts are so real, human and insightful. I am myself struggling with anxiety and (what I think is slowly happening) depression, and since I discovered what you do (about two weeks ago), on harder days I always grab my earphones and enjoy a random Radio Free Burrito (I downloaded them all from the archives).
As I read this latest post, it sometimes felt like it was me who wrote it, and that’s why I love what you are doing; you make me feel like everything is going to be okay, and I’m sure you know how precious that feeling is.
Wil Wheaton, I don’t know if you’re ever going to read this, but I can say without exaggeration that you’ve made my life better. I cannot thank you enough.
Geeks rule!
Great job Wil! It’s important to take care of yourself and live mindfully. You inspired me to start changing little things in my daily life too like bringing lunch to work instead buying it, going to my friend’s yoga class once a week, cutting down on wine, and eating more vegetables. Also I did a big thing by joining a gym and making a commitment to myself and a friend to go as often as possible and remind each other to. I’m also trying to take more time to do things I love and turn down extra things that I might ordinarily feel obligated to do but will stress me out if I did. Everyone can improve their life and set aside time for themselves no matter what their budget. Keep it up! Everyone is looking forward to seeing more of your work and a happier you!
If you want to inspire your writing and don’t have time for movies & reading, audiobooks can give you “theater of the mind” anywhere / anytime. Donna Leon creates worlds of depth and beauty and her prose is as natural as a conversation with an old friend. Alistair Reynolds is a wonderful SciFi world-builder. For adventure, it’s hard to beat Horatio Hornblower. The audiobook market is a cornucopia of inspiration. You can listen to Feynman’s lectures, or if that’s too heavy for a plane trip, Michio Kaku and Stephen Hawking and your friend Neil Tyson have put out some fantastic work that is substantive and yet bite-sized. In my “reboot” some 10 years ago, the goal was a bit different: “Don’t be dead by 50” (lol, but true) I went from an intense tech career to becoming – essentially a woodworker. As much as I love what I do now, and as much as my wife / family / heart / waistline & lifespan have benefitted… without audiobooks (yours included) to keep my mind engaged … it would have been a tough transition.
Ah eating… the words “I’m a vegetarian” sound weird, but the quality and taste of the food that I eat now is so much better. Ask some friends about it. Being a vegetarian doesn’t mean eating 3 salads a day and if you approach it like that it will feel like a sacrifice. If you do it right, both the quality and taste of the food you eat will increase, not decrease.
Thanks for all you do. Rock on.
Massive ditto to Bob’s comments here. Wil, I was really depressed about my inability to read as much as I would’ve liked some time ago, and then I started using Audible. I’m a total convert. Even when my commutes were as short as 15 minutes to and from work on the train, I’d end up finishing FAR more books than I would if I were reading them physically. The simple fact is, sometimes I don’t have time to sit and read (and you too may have other priorities when you have time to sit… like writing, perhaps). But if I’m walking somewhere or washing dishes or going grocery shopping, I can get so much “reading” done.
There are a ton of other benefits too: for instance, you get to experience a type of artistry that most of us aren’t used to: voice artists. Listening to you do Ready Player One was such a highlight that even now, when I walk by the part of the city I was in when I listened to you-as-voice-artist reference you-as-human-being as one of the elected leaders of the Oasis, I still jump back to the time I listened to it. I’ve heard someone describe it as mental scaffolding: one attaches experiences to physical experiences, so listening to a story while walking around gives you way more sensory input for your mind to latch onto. It also gets you to experience storytelling in a very primal way. Listening to stories somehow feels just really core.
Great progress here, buddy!
In the read more/write more category, I have finally restarted the 100 words (3 random given to start with) “predictionfiction” competition. It gives a framework (and not a complete sandbox which I would get a real “I am stuck” feeling from) and really hones you down into writing in a more compact manner; where instead of writing a paragraph, one sentence will do. I don’t get one done every week, and there are only about 8 of us doing it, but it’s cool reading what everyone puts up there once a week.
Also there is Elephant Words, where there are different flash fiction stories based on a weekly stock photo.
Basically, quick five-minute writing mini-projects to keep your eye in?
I have the control issues over food, as I have to try stop using it as a prop or when I am bored/anxious… once a month your voice is telling you not to stuff the packets of deli ham in your mouth straight from the fridge when no-one is looking bit you do it anyway…
Yessir. That Life Reboot did sumpin fer me that I’m still chasing down. Mostly in the arena of “Write More”. See my long and meandering tale of imbibing your Geekery, wherein I claim you are the new Center of the Geek Universe, by checking my most recent blog post: https://markingtime4now.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/4559/
Thanks for the kick in the ass. “Thank you sir, may I have another!” (Just to finally work Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon in here somewhere…)
Mark from Chicagah
Your accomplishments are inspirational to those of us who strive to become more. Thank you for sharing your life with us. Good job on your solid B!!!
In the village square, there was the singing and for to getting two chickens for celebrate, the people danced.
Keeping track of where you’re doing well and where you need to push yourself is admirable, especially at this time of year, when people often make lofty (and unsustainable) resolutions. There’s always wiggle room, but being accountable to yourself is actually pretty cool.
I too suffer from depression and anxiety, as well as a personality disorder. Most of the things you mentioned are things that I know make me feel better, but it’s really hard some days to get up and go. I’m using your posts as inspiration.
Re: Write More…unsolicited advice.
As a single “dog mom,” small business owner, outdoorsman, who is going back to school, I have found a great tool to not only help me stay organized, but also to access my writing projects from any device. Microsoft Office Subscription! I’ve got Word, Excel, and One Note on my ipad, iphone, and computers. It keeps everything synced up to every other device so I can pick up where I left off on my thoughts, stories, and documents from creek side behind my cabin, or on the plane, or waiting line at the super market.
Good luck, and don’t let yourself get discouraged if you fall off the reboot wagon every once in a while, it happens to the best of us!
Look at you kickin ass! I’m delighted that you’re feeling so great. It’s incredibly inspiring how you’re making positive changes in your life. It’s making me seriously consider getting my running shoes back on for another go-round. Bad knees stopped my last attempt at the couch to 5K thing. But nothing worthwhile is ever easy. 🙂
I will say that one thing that happened for me when I started running is that as my mileage started increasing (like when I was doing 3-5 miles at a go), that’s when the incentive really kicked in for me to eat better, because I noticed how much easier it was to run if I ate/didn’t eat certain things. It is much, much easier for me to remember to not eat a hamburger if I know I’m going for a run in a couple hours (I know hamburgers aren’t terrible for you, but it’s too many calories in my stomach for me to be able to run with). So I say have patience with yourself on the eating thing, and maybe fold eating into how you prep for running, since you’re really digging that. (Sorry for piling on with more unsolicited advice.)
Don’t grade yourself pluses or minuses. Remember: minuses are made up!
“An A-minus means you actually earned an “A,” but the teacher doesn’t like you. It’s a secret faculty thing.” – Jeff Winger
Well done, Mr. Wheaton. This is very inspiring and I may make a reboot attempt like this myself.
I’ve already cut my daily cigarette intake almost in half, and I’m spending more time doing recreational coding (I code for a living, so when I load up my development environment at home I get wicked side-eye from Mrs.). Those improvements said, a more formalized thing would work for me.
So thank you for this.
Keep it up!
Read the Life Reboot post first, was glad I did, and commented there… not sure what apps you’re using, but two things that have been helping me a lot along the last nine months are My Fitness Pal and tracking what I eat there, which I have totally ignored the last three weeks, thus my weight gain, back to it today with my own re-reboot! It also automatically syncs with my Fitbit Charge HR, which has done enormous and amazing things for my ability to compete with myself to get a little better each day. I started with the Flex, and forgot and wore it while showering one too many times, moved up to the Charge HR, so I could get a good read on my heart rate and stop having to tell the damned thing I was going to sleep. It helps you track your sleep, as well, and that’s been an eye opener… Thanks for the inspiration, Mr. Wheaton…
Double like! Well done. The key is continuing to motivate to keep this train rolling strong. The better you feel about yourself through this process the more motivated you will be to keep up the press.
Hi Will,
Thanks for the ideas and inspiration to take control I’ve suffered with anxiety and depression for the best part of thirty years you being vocal about the matter is a very cool thing indeed.
I have also struggled staying in full time work and I’m about to start a new job next Monday,any ideas to cope when the panic and self doubt sets in.
Thanks man from the UK
Andy
For a moment it felt like I was reading about my past month – except for the part about flying between LA and Atlanta, I went from Michigan to Texas and Michigan to Virginia – so it was was helpful to read about someone going through pretty much the same struggles. Thanks for sharing and leading the way and congrats on your progress!
We teachers know that every step is an important one. Even just surviving is an achievement sometimes, so give yourself a very positive comment on your progress and wish yourself lots of success in the next period.
As another commenter said: Thank you for being real.
Your words are always well-chosen and that’s something I work for myself. Well-chosen and beautifully accurate words.
And as I said under your first post, I love that you’re a fellow Runner 5.
Those are pretty good grades, and as someone that has rebooted their own life more than once, I commend you on making solid plans and following through. Eating when traveling is hell, but just make sure you always have a packet of almonds and dried fruit with you for quick energy. And have a happy Solstice, Will!
You mention that you practice some relaxation techniques and just hoping you would share what you’ve learned.
I listen to the Andrew Johnson apps, which I love because his accent is great but I’m always looking for other ideas as a fellow warrior vs anxiety
“I think we also have to be gentle and kind with ourselves. Regardless of how you end up grading your efforts, if you can honestly say that you are doing your best — and you accept that your best can vary from day to day — you get points for that.”
–Wil Wheaton.
SPOT ON, good Sir!
Really resonate with the first sentence for sure. Thanks. And thanks to Warren Ellis for getting me linked to you in the first place. I mean, who knew, eh? Oh, sure, I watched the Star Trek and saw and knew exactly who Wil Wheaton is, but, you know, the show ends, and some folks do Reading Rainbow, but whatever happens to Gates and Fraker? Well, you see his name on directing credits…but nothing could prepare me for all this good freaky coolness from and about you. Thanks!
You totally inspired me to do a life reboot myself and I’m so stinking grateful to you. I also started Zombies 5k and will head into week 6 on Monday. Loving it. I’m eating so much better and cut out alcohol. Today I’m in jeans I haven’t worn in years. HOT DAMN! And I feel better about who I am in this world. The extra weight – and knowing that I should make changes but hadn’t – was renting so much space in my head. The big win? I was able to be in Thanksgiving pictures without too much self-consciousness. Some – sure. But not so much that I’d hide from the camera. Thank you for sharing your reboot.
Hi Wil, as someone who travels a bunch and hates aeroplane food, I’ve found one way of getting better nutrition on planes is to order a vegetarian, or better yet, a vegan meal. I know that doesn’t sound like fun for most of us, but it means most of what you get is vegetable-based rather than meat / cheese / carb based, which is a better way to get your nutrition.
Added bonus? You get your meal first.
That’s a very good idea. I’ll try that next time I fly.
Very nice blog. I stumbled onto it through a series of Wiklinks that lead to your Wikipedia page where I saw the stuff about the Star Trek hate and depression, etc. and finally arrived here where I thought I’d give my 2 cents.
I was working on a pretty good comment then accidentally closed the tab and now I can’t be bothered retyping it all. To summarize:
If Wesley Crusher had died in the first episode I would not have missed him (I’m 9 years older than you and a heterosexual male so I was out of the targeted demographic), but the character brought greater diversity to the show and your acting was just fine. Job well done. I wouldn’t change a thing.
I too suffer from anxiety and depression. I try to have the courage to speak openly about it. Mostly I hide in my house and do all my shopping online. I sincerely wish you the best in battling this. Your anxiety and depression I mean, not my hiding and shopping.
Okay. So in the end I rewrote everything I had written in my draft post. It turns out that it was easier to tell myself I was just going to leave a couple of lines and flee than face rewriting the whole thing. Thanks for listening. 🙂