The March Reboot Check-In That Happened In April

Photo Credit Tony Case on Flickr

I had this epiphany at the beginning of September: This thing that I’m doing? This series of choices I make every day? It isn’t working. I don’t like the way I feel, I don’t like the way I look, I don’t like the things I’m doing. Things need to change.

So I took a long, hard, serious look at myself, and concluded that some things needed to change.

  • 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.

It’s been about six months since I decided to hit the reboot button on my life. I’ve checked in about once a month since then, to see how I’m doing, celebrate the victories, and identify where I can do better.

Let’s see how I’m doing.

Drink less beer.

I stopped drinking entirely in January, in an effort to get the last bit of weight I’ve been carrying around to fall off. I’m still about a pound away from the target, but not drinking has been incredibly helpful in getting me this close. It’s not just the alcohol, it turns out, as much as it’s the lifestyle that goes with having a drink or three almost every day. Cutting that out of my life has given me more free time, helped me sleep better, eliminated bad late night snacking habits, and pretty much improved all areas of my life. Occasionally, I miss a beer or a nice cocktail, but I honestly feel like I’m giving up something very small and getting something really great in return. I don’t know if I’ll keep this up forever, but I don’t really miss it enough for it to feel like a big sacrifice.

I’m giving myself another A+ on this one.

Read more (and Reddit does not count as reading).

It’s important to me that I read, because it inspires my imagination and keeps my mind sharp (per the Tyrion Lannister quote we all see online with great regularity). I’ve been making time almost every day to read, and I’ve enjoyed some fantastic stuff, recently. The March issue of Lightspeed Magazine is great, and The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015 did not have a single weak story in it. I’ve been devouring magazines, too. WIRED has been uneven, but this current issue has some good stuff in it. The new non-nude Playboy is fucking FANTASTIC, and I’ve loved both issues so far.

I’m going to give myself a B, this month, because I grade on a curve. Not only is my reading not as diverse as I wanted it to be last time I checked in, I haven’t read as much as I want to read. I need to commit to and finish a novel, which has been kind of tough because I’ve been enjoying the short fiction so much.

Write more.

But the volume of short fiction I’ve been reading has really helped my writing. I’ve been doing this thing were I look at a picture from one of the Tumblrs I follow, and then I write a little flash fiction based on how the image inspires me. I’ve also written a short story that I probably won’t publish, but still needed to write, a speech for Miami University, a bunch of crap on my blog and my dumb Tumblr thing, and several ideas on my whiteboard for stories, books, short films and even a webseries.

I’m giving myself an A this month, because I finished a thing I needed to write so I could finish the thing I had to write so I could start the thing I want to write.

Watch more movies.

I spent about 40 bucks at Fry’s recently, and ended up with a few collections of cult and B movies. I think I ended up with like 50 different things. I’ve been watching them, but not just sitting there being amused and entertained by how terrible they are. I’ve been really watching them, to learn how these people took very little money and turned it into 75 to 90 minutes of story. I’m picking up on the way these things are paced on the page, as well as photography and editing techniques that I think I’ll be able to apply to one of the ideas I mentioned above. I’ve also been working through some great Science Fiction, including a fucking BRILLIANT movie called Space Station 76, an uneven but thought-provoking thing called The Sound of My Voice, and the 2012 Dredd film, starring Karl Urban.

Anne and I have been watching some incredible TV, too, including the new season of The Americans and Vinyl (which I hope maintains its course, in spite of Terrence Winter leaving the show).

On the curve, though, I am not doing as well as I’d like. Part of that is because I worked a lot as an actor last month, part of that is because I spent more time writing and creating than consuming. If I met with myself in my office, I’d probably be able to convince myself to give me an A, but I know I can do better and I want to push myself to do the best I can do, so I get a B.

Get better sleep.

I get another A+ on this one, and I think I’m going to take it off the list because it’s become an easy A every month. I’ve made this commitment and I’ve kept it for six months. I make sure that, even if I want to stay up and goof off or whatever, I go to bed early enough to get at least 8 hours, unless some work-related thing makes it impossible. I’m watching my caffeine and sugar intake. If I’m tired at 9pm, I go to bed at 9pm, instead of powering through until midnight for some dumb reason. The bottom line is: I’ve made getting quality rest a priority in my life, and this part of my reboot is an unqualified success.

Eat better food.

This was put on my list because I didn’t think of food as fuel and nutrition, and I needed to do that. I’m getting older, my body doesn’t put itself back together as quickly and thoroughly as it once did, and the food I put into it is pretty important. Because I already had a reasonably good diet (way better than the average American diet), there wasn’t much for me to do here, but I found that not eating crappy snacks late in the day or at night, starting my day with good quality protein, and tracking my macronutrients every day has been extremely helpful.

Now, all of this sounds like I should get an A, but I actually am going to give myself a C+, because I was on location a lot, and had to just eat carb-rich food that was available to me, because I didn’t plan ahead and take better stuff. I’ve also been on planes so much, I’ve been eating airplane salt I mean, airplane food, more than I would like. I’ve also developed a little bit of a sweet tooth for ice cream, and I’ve been having a scoop or two of rocky road almost every day. I’m still within my nutrient and caloric goals, but over time the sugar adds up and I should probably not do that. I can do better.

Exercise more.

I want the A+ so much on this one! I ran my first true, timed 5K (33:22) and I was super proud of it … but because I was on location in Toronto where it was around freezing every day (and I was working 14 hours a day on average), and because I was super sick for almost 10 days, I had nearly 3 weeks of minimal activity, with two weeks of zero running. I walked my dogs a few times, I walked myself a few times, but I didn’t do anything consistently, and consistency is a big part of this grade.

Putting this on the curve, and accepting what was entirely out of my control, I’m going to give myself a B+. Again, I’d probably talk myself into an A, but I do better when I hold myself to high standards.

Okay, let’s total this up and see how my average is this month….

22 out of 28 points, and I’m going to give myself an extra half point for each +, which brings me up to 26 out of 28 for a GPA of 3.7ish.

I have no idea if this is the way real teachers score things, and I feel like half a point for each + is a little too generous. Maybe I should be closer to 3.5 than I ended.

So, this is very good, a solid B+/A-, with some room for improvement (and that room really motivates me. I’m going to rock a 4.0 on this eventually).

I feel good about all of this. I feel happier than I did when I started, I feel stronger, healthier, fitter, happier, more productive.

 

 

78 thoughts on “The March Reboot Check-In That Happened In April”

  2. When you’ve got the time and energy, could you recommend some cult and B movies you’ve watched?

  3. Would love a list of your B movie favorites. We’ve been working on a B movie night every month, but need more titles to choose from.

  4. I also watched Sound of My Voice in March, and I was happy to see you mention it. I first saw Brit Marling in I Origins, and I was so impressed that I went on to watch Another Earth and Sound of My Voice in the space of a week. They all have a thought-provoking, philosophical sci-fi bent, and Brit Marling is great in all of them.

  5. Congratulations on your first 5K! Be warned though, those finish lines are addictive 🙂 (I’ve crossed many now, even though I just wanted to scratch ONE off my bucket list.)

    And I just wanted to let you know that your reboot inspired one in my own life! My grades aren’t as good as yours though … yet. 🙂

  6. You grade like I would, on the curve… 🙂
    I stopped drinking when I got breast cancer almost three years ago after having a super healthy lifestyle. I found out alcohol is related to several kinds of cancer. Like you, I feel better and don’t miss my occasional glass of wine with dinner. The best part? I don’t worry about cancer recurrence anymore. Yay! You’re making a really healthy choice.
    Keep up the good work, although you might add a bestseller to your reading list, ahem…

  7. First I like to say that I enjoyed the ruble top gAmes that you do. I wrote my first book but it is being worked on , but the way I wrote the book I believe that it would be a very good mini series, I would like to send either part of the book or the whole thing ,and get your thoughts on turning it in to that ,.i watched the guild and dragon age that your friend miss day was in. And if you think it would make a good series I would like you to to be one of the main people in the book. Thanks for reading this.

    1. I think doing it consistently, even if slowly, is more likely to succeed than trying to overdo it and giving up. Good luck!

  9. Wil!!!! You did MATH!!!!! And I would bet it wasn’t that hard! I’m so proud of you!!! Yipee!

  10. I’m doing a couch to 5k plan myself now too. Somewhat inspired by you going for it. My doctor has given me a big warning about my blood pressure. And that has really scared me, like proper fear of death scared. So I’m trying really hard to keep to a good plan. Less salt, more good food, less sugary drinks (i don’t drink much alcohol anyway), and exercise. I’m on my 2nd week of the running. I’m not finding it too bad, but feeling very tired.

    Keep up the good work. I look forward to updates and short stories when you post them.

  12. Triathlon. The physically hardest part is the run, and you’re way out front on that. Second hardest for many is open water swimming. If you can swim a few lengths of a pool non-stop, then 3-4 hours of open-water instruction will get you the rest of the way.

    The best part is that training a bit for 3 sports (4 when you include basic strength training) is so much easier than doing just one sport (where even a minor injury instantly takes you to zero sports). It’s doing a little bit of one or two things every day, but not a whole lot of any one thing.

    I didn’t start triathlon until I was 52, and I’m now in the best overall shape of my life. I had lots of physical challenges getting started, injuries related to discovering how much my body had worn out from disuse, misuse and just plain age.

    But it all finally came together, and I’m reaping the benefits daily. I have more stamina at work. I sleep better. My emotional balance and stress resistance is much improved. I even somehow found time to add new hobbies. And, best of all, my depression and anxiety have become occasional annoyances, no longer invasive monsters.

    I’m on a restricted diet, but it only applies to what goes into my shopping cart: Everything I bring into the house I can eat in whatever quantity I need. When I eat away from home (about 15% of my meals), I don’t worry about it (PIZZA & BEER!). But it’s not like I’m having to force myself to do this: My tastes for food slowly changed to match what my body needs. It just becomes normal after a while, with no ongoing effort required. Plus I cook way more, which is really fun!

    I’ll turn 60 later this year, and my master plan is to do a triathlon on my 80th birthday. That means ensuring I take care of myself today, so that I have a usable body in 20 years. Nothing to excess, but always trying to improve, or at least fight the ever-advancing clock to a standstill.

    They say triathlon is a lifestyle, and I’ve found no better single-word description. But the best part is the community. Sure, the elite athletes are great, but they’re a different genus of h.sap. than I, and it is among my fellow age-groupers that I find kindred souls, sharing the journey.

    The purpose of doing races is simply to validate your training. And to have a good time with several hundred of your closest friends.

  13. Playboy needs to get with the program and feature a “Wil Wheaton” interview.
    I have almost every issue of Playboy published with the exception of the last couple of years.
    I have the very last stapled issue with Madonna’s buff from September of 1985.

      1. Normally I would agree with this but have you seen him in 11.22.63? Good job on the reboot, I’ve started exercising and stopped using any caffeine, I feel better but still have a few extra pounds. It’s the homebrew that I can’t give up.

        1. While I don’t dislike Franco the actor (more ambivalent than that, as I am sympathetic to him as person), I wouldn’t pull out 11.22.63 as an example if your audience has read the book. It’s not Franco’s acting, it’s the challenge of shoving a good book into mini-series length. Pacing is all off. Franco is bearing the brunt of that, unfortunately. Good thought though.

  14. Congratulations. It’s so good to hear you are going so well! I need to start changing my life along these lines. I was diagnosed with a chronic disease not long ago and I cling to the things I know are safe (yet aren’t really good for me) as I know my body can cope with it. It can be hard to test something new and have it backfire. It’s greatly encouraging to see you take this on and do so well.

  17. waves cheerleading pompoms Well done, Will, and I know you can do even better! Kick it in the ass! 🙂

  18. “a pig. in a cage. on antibiotics”

    Yeah, I’m of the right age that OK Computer represents the pinnacle of Radiohead for me. Whenever I hear ” fitter, healthier and more productive” (or something remarkably close to it) I have to put the album back on my playlist 🙂

  19. Really impressive! It’s great this works out for you so well. Regarding your 5K: Is it miles or kilometers? Either way, it’s good to get startet this way! To motivate myself to go on runs, I track every run on my blog. This is a great way to keep track and engage in conversations around running. Yesterday I ran 17 km for the first time and I slept like a baby. So it also benefits the other areas… 🙂

  20. It’s great seeing your successes every month. I’ve been thinking about a reboot for myself (drink less & eat better definitely need to be on my list). I love grades (especially As) so maybe your approach could work for me too!

  21. I found myself wondering about this on Sunday. It has been an inspiration for my own effort to try and get something rebooted in my life, to improve areas I have allowed to slide. Thanks for letting us hear about your progress.

    One thing I noticed in the course of this is there is a more positive tone to it. You sound more self-confident, or maybe more self-positive. I hope that is the case and you are finding more good days than sucky.

    Keep it up and thanks for the inspiration.

  22. I’m headed in this direction. I’m working out my “Laura Improvement Project.” Thanks for the honest updates on your progress – you are an inspiration!

  23. Congrats on the continued success.

    I’m working to overcome depression/ anxiety myself and am working on a list of sorts that was inspired by yours.

    I know you hear it a lot but thank you for being so open about mental health. It really helped me during a dark time.

  24. you might think about keeping ‘get better sleep’ on your list. it may have been an easy-A, but that doesn’t mean it was an unearned-A! it is a part of the larger picture where you have had unqualified success and you deserve to be reminded of that too. (disclaimer: my personal reboot report card has ‘see me after class’ at the top in red pen)

  25. When I first read your reboot six months ago I became hooked on your blog. Since then, I’ve done a handful of reboot attempts of my own, with mixed results (think low “C’s”). But looking back over the entire picture I am healthier, I do drink less, I write more (I even started a blog of my own lol), and a couple of other things exclusive to my list, and unique from yours, appear to be on track. Month by month I seem to be a C, but overall I’ll give myself a B+ for the effort and obvious changes I see.

    Thanks for rocking the inspiration, Wil!

  26. My weather is pretty much the same as Toronto, and this spring has been disgusting. I love summer here, but from October – April I’m desperately waiting for summer. Ugh.

  27. Wil,

    Reading how you are continuing to stay on course (well, mostly—though actually you are doing quite well in spite of being sick and all) is really inspiring. I’ve done a reboot of my life and reading how you are doing is motivating me, I’d like to have a solid 6 month post too, so thanks for the honesty and congrats on your successes!

    And I’m with some of the others here–I’d love to see a list of the movies you’re discovering.

  28. Great job, Wil!

    And you make me feel better about my best 5K time being in the 34s! 🙂

    It’s been crazy here lately (some good crazy, some bad crazy), and I haven’t done anything in about two weeks, but I’ll get back on track! Thanks for the update and keep plugging along, mate.

  30. Such inspiring stuff – thanks for sharing cos i’m sure that encourages others to do the same – have some goals i’m working at and last week my wife and i started a short 2km run/walk which we’ve committed to three mornings a week which is three mornings more than before and in time is likely to help me get a little more fit or inspired to get more fit for field hockey which can only be good – have had some reading goals which have been going well and started and finished the John Cleese autobiography within a week and it’s a fat mamma so yay for me

    And keep on
    love brett fish

  31. Well done! This was the first time I visited your blog/site and I found this post really interesting. It kinda makes me want to do something about my life….but meh. Maybe not. Ha! Anyway, keep up the good work.

  33. I absolutely love this and it is really awesome that you share the details. You hear people say “If you don’t like your situation, then change it” all the time. Actually doing it is much harder! Thank you!

  34. Congrats, Wil! I love to see people make positive changes in their life, and you are doing an amazing job holding yourself accountable. You’re an inspiration, and I’m glad you are allowing us to travel on your journey with you. Do be careful with the running thing though. Finish lines are totally addictive and those entry fees add up quick!

  35. The new Judge Dredd film was pretty awesome and being an avid follower of the 2000ad comics I thought it spot on, I just hope they continue the story on the big screen.

  36. This is really inspiring! Love the honesty, openness, and raw data. Thanks for sharing and doing good (see Mr. Feeny’s line “Believe in yourselves, dream, try. Do good”)

  39. I really appreciate these check ins, ’cause I really need to do them myself.
    I’m running ZR as well and am in training for a marathon relay (don’t worry, my leg is no more than 10K) and could do with some accountability. Not to mention accountability with my sleep and nutrition.

    You’re helping me, Wil, by just being you. 🙂

  40. You know… thanks Mister Will Wheaton for this! Just like the posters above me wrote, you are an inspiration. Thank you muchly for posting and being honest about your success and near successes!

  41. Chances for success are better when you approach it from many directions. I was considering home-brewing and was excited when I saw your concept video for a home-brewing video series. In the end I decided I did not want beer to be that close-to-home and convenient. Congrats on your reboot progress!

  42. “I feel happier than I did when I started, I feel stronger, healthier, fitter, happier, more productive.”

    And THAT is the most important answer. Way more than any arbitrary number or letter scale you can give yourself. Awesome work!

  43. “I’ve also developed a little bit of a sweet tooth for ice cream”

    Wil, buy yourself a Vitamix blender. I wouldn’t be without mine. It’s a big financial outlay up front, but it’s so versatile there’s a fast ROI. Smoothies, soups (blend assorted vegetables for five minutes and the friction heats the liquid) – and yes, healthy ice cream. Cover the blades with cream. add half a banana and some honey for sweetness, half a carrot, some white cabbage and courgette (you won’t taste them but it’s a way to sneak even more veg into your diet), top up with frozen strawberries and blend for 30 seconds. Instant, delicious, healthy ice-cream! Also kneads dough, makes breadcrumbs, turns rice grains into rice flour… Put some cold cooked mackerel in with a little crème fraîche, whizz up for a few seconds and you’ve got a mackerel pâté. Etc, etc. Not a shill for Vitamix, just a satisfied customer.

  44. This is so inspiring to read. I feel sometimes as if I put efforts into things but never get positive results. I should be more realistic and it helps me reading about other people putting efforts into improving something and then things work out. Sometimes better, sometimes not so but in the end you are not empty handed. Thank you for the inspiration.

  46. First…thank you for doing this. You’ve been a big inspiration in my own process to be a better me. Second…now that it’s been 6 months would you be willing to share how this has affected depression & anxiety? So many people talk about how better self care makes it more manageable…but you’re really paying attention to the details of that improved care. I think you’d have valuable insight for so many of us that struggle with the twin beasts.

    1. Oooh, I second the request for this. I am very fortunate that I do not often struggle with these, but some of my nearest and dearest do and I’d love to know how it’s working.

  47. Even though I’m not into science, I chose to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I’m surprised that none of my high school or college professors mentioned her. Congratulations on moving forward with your goals!

  48. Thanks for being a real person, with real life concerns and the strength of character to show vulnerability to all of us, it’s inspirational.

  49. 2012 Dredd was a pleasant surprise for me. Stayed a bit more true to the comic, and Karl Urban was fantastic in the role. I think what I liked best is that it was more of a day in the life with a good story rather than a big crazy super villain. Made it a bit more real.

Comments are closed.

Related Posts

Recent Posts