It’s been about seven months since I decided to hit the reboot button on my life, and it’s time to check in and see how I’m doing.
The real challenge this month, and the 54,000 dollar question is: is it worth it?
The fact that I’ve waited until the last day .. even the last half of the last day … of the month should give some indication as to where I’m at, emotionally, right now.
I mostly feel good. I’m mostly sleeping well (other than a couple of intensely terrible nightmare nights), I don’t feel like I’m missing out on any food I want, and I haven’t really missed beer that much. But I feel like the reboot curve has flattened out, and now I’m through the part where I see and experience dramatic results all the time, and I’m in the long dark teatime of the soul.
That’s, uh, that’s not where I really am. My fingers just typed that because it was amusing to me. I’m in the long and boring maintenance part of this, while I adjust to a new normal. I feel really good in my body, the exercise is actually fun, cooking healthy food is fun and delicious, and I can have ice cream almost every night, because I’m taking good care of myself in every other aspect of my life and if I want to have ice cream then goddammit I am going to.
But when someone tells me that I look really good (“ten years younger” is the most common thing, which is nice) and they want to know how I did it in such a short period of time, I tell them that I just took everything I liked and replaced it with water and exercise (which isn’t my phrase, I heard it somewhere else). It’s one of those funny-but-not-ha-ha-funny jokes that isn’t a joke. It’s true … but is it worth it?
I honestly don’t know. I know that I feel good. I know that I look better than I have in years. I know that I’m in really good health, so I don’t feel trapped in a body that’s aging and trying to prevent me from doing the things I want to do.
Strangely, that all feels external and not as important as it was four or five months ago. I don’t have creative and artistic satisfaction, and I know that that is entirely my fault, because I’m not nearly doing as much as I want to do creatively. I still feel like I’m doing other people’s work, even though a lot of that work is intensely satisfying and rewarding in every way. Maybe this only makes sense inside my brain, but I feel like writing for Tabletop and Titansgrave, and doing voice work for the projects I can’t talk about is work and I am expected to do work. Writing stories and making podcasts and putting together films and junk draws from essentially the same creative well, but … I don’t know, it tastes different. It’s more satisfying, I guess. It quenches a different type of thirst.
I’m doing that kind of work a very little bit at a time, but it really does feel like my phone and my email and my texts are constantly pulling me away from it, and the year is nearly half over, and I haven’t published a single short story.
Anyway, that’s a lot of first world problem complaining that I am reluctant to even share in public, but honestly assessing how this is all going is kind of important, so there it is. Let’s check in and see how my grades are for May.
- 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.
Drink less beer: A+
It’s weird how little I miss beer and alcohol in general. Occasionally, there are days when I’m like a beer would be nice but that passes really fast, usually, and I get this immense satisfaction playing the game of “how many days in a row can I not have any alcohol?”
Read more: A+
Every day I’m reading for up to an hour, it seems. I’m tearing through books and short stories and magazines, and I’m now making an effort to get out of the science fiction I’ve been immersing myself in, and get into other types of narrative. I’m currently reading a book about a con man called “Yellow Kid” Weil. It’s an autobiography about a guy who lived in Chicago at the turn of the 20th century, told to a writer in 1948. He’s a profoundly unreliable narrator, but that’s a big part of the fun in his story. He’s telling us how much he’s conned all these people, but it feels like he’s conning the reader, which should be off-putting, but isn’t (at least to me).
Write more: C
So I wrote about 20,000 words this month. Most of it was for Tabletop, some of it was for speeches, some of it was that flash fiction I like to write on my Tumblr, and some of it was even on these short stories that I’m working on. But it wasn’t nearly enough, and I need to see myself after class to have a heart-to-heart talk about what my goals are, and if I’m really committed to doing all I’m capable of doing.
Watch more movies: A
I’m watching almost a movie a day, and I’m working my way through some great old anthology television, like One Step Beyond, Night Gallery, and The Outer Limits. I’m finding inspiration in these little stories, and planting seeds that I hope will grown into my own version of them very soon. I have this dream of shooting little stories with a three or four person crew and like two or three actors, and releasing them online, and these shows are helping me learn about that type of storytelling and pacing.
Get better sleep: A
I’m staying up way later than I would like to, but I have no reason not to, honestly. I’m going to sleep between 11:30 and 1, and sleeping for 8 to 9 hours. Mostly, the sleep I’m getting is good and restful, and that’s in large part due to my diet and exercise.
Eat better food: A
Keeping track of my macronutrients, giving myself a cheat day once a week, and cooking my own food as often as I can is making a great difference. I rarely crave garbage, and when I do, it’s like one donut or a few Red Vines. If I have vices related to food at all, it’s popcorn and ice cream.
Exercise more: B
I can do better. I’d probably give myself a low C for this month, but I will allow myself the curve. I worked very long hours nearly every day for three weeks straight, and I just didn’t have the energy or time or motivation to exercise when I wasn’t on set. But I walked almost every day, and since we finished production, I’ve run every other day, at least. My time and distance is holding at about 35 minutes for 5K, but I’m also not aggressively trying to train, yet, for the 10K and then the half marathon that I plan to do later this year. I’m also proud of myself, considering that six months ago, I couldn’t run for more than a minute at a time, and didn’t have the motivation to even try.
So let’s total this up and see how I did: 27 out of 28 points for a very solid A. I’ll take it, and I’ll feel as good as I can about it, considering how unfulfilled I feel creatively.
Are you still doing this with me? If you are, how do you feel?
Please still blog your Burritos, even if you do make them yourself now. A good way to cut back on beer is to only drink the stuff you make yourself.
Radio Free Burrito Episode 46 is way way overdue! There is no excuse for it.
I’m impressed that you’re doing this so publicly. Good for you, Wil.
Keep reaching for the stars ! You can only please you but it takes time to figure it all out ( if we ever do) . Health? Check… Feeling like work isn’t work or that it isn’t taking away from your creative projects ? Still working on it. So all in all I hope you may feel proud of yourself and be reminded that Rome was not built in a day !
For the exercise goal, did you just start with “Zombies, Run!” to start increasing the amount of exercise you do or have you used other tools like gym trainer advice, yoga classes, etc?
I started running using Zombies Run 5K, and I’ve continued running using the Zombies, Run app. I consult with a nutritional expert, and I do basic yoga stretches (not as often as I probably should).
I’ll eventually add some strength training before I work up to marathoning, I think.
Oh, but before that, I was walking. I walk my dogs every day, and Anne and I take walks almost every day. I made it part of my life routine to walk all the time, even if it’s just parking my car far away at the store or whatever. If something was a mile or less away, and I didn’t have to worry about being sweaty when I arrived, and if I didn’t have to schlep anything heavy with me, I’d walk to all of my destinations, no matter where I was. I guess I’ve been doing that for a few years. So I had that base to build upon, but making the switch to running was a challenge.
That’s why, when some jerk gives me shit for not having a better 5K time, I sort of go … um, I’m 43, and three months ago I couldn’t even run for five minutes in a row.
+1.
As mentioned on twitter a couple of days ago after you’d tweeted a Zombies, Run run – thank you! I was inspired by your own Life Reboot and started my own a couple of months back. I’m a couple of years older than you, and way more unfit (former smoker, gave up 4 years ago and put on a lot of weight, also brew and love beer) and did no exercise, have high cholesterol, a doctor worried about diabetes indicators, etc…
So I said feck it, time to get healthy, let’s do some of what Wil is doing. Downloaded Zombies, Run C25K and started that on Paddy’s Day. I did my first ever continuous 5k run last Saturday, in 37m 39s. Sure, it’s slow. And it wasn’t pretty. And you could have wrung out my running top and gotten a litre of sweat. BUT I DID IT! And I’m going out tomorrow evening to do it again (with my wife and son joining me!).
For reference, I’ve done no exercise bar regular walking to/from the bus in way too many years, and have never, ever even tried running 5k before. Even just three weeks ago, I was coming in from a run thrilled I’d managed 1.5 or 2k continuous. A couple of weeks before that, I was delighted to manage a minute running non stop.
So – thanks, man. I, and my family, appreciate it!
I’m super proud of you, Runner 5!
That’s awesome! Way to go!
I already do the walking thing because I like it and because I don’t drive. At this point in my life, however I can’t run for an extended period and would like to fix that with a secondary goal of losing some weight thus I’m curious about your experiences. Thanks for the answer!
Couch to 5K is super super super easy. You start out very gently, and ease yourself into it over a couple of weeks. And you’re doing it for you, so if you feel like you need to go back and repeat a week or a day, you can do that! I had to repeat a couple of times when I got injured in the fourth or fifth week (my fault, not the program’s), and it wasn’t a big deal.
May I jump in and second Wil’s comment about C25K: it’s easy and extremely rewarding; the way it is planned, it makes you really see your results and progress, and you still see them even if you take it super easy and go back and repeat a week or a day (which is totally allowed by the program).
Thanks to you, I’m also Runner 5. Or, more appropriately, Walker 5. However, I’m hoping that by the end of Season 1, I’ll have started adding running into the mix. My goal is to participate in (and finish!) the Zombie 5K that is usually held in my area. No word yet on if it is happening this year, but if it is …. I want to be ready!
Nicely done. You have a lot to be proud of, even if the writing hasn’t taken off like you’ve wanted. It’ll happen eventually, and if you keep writing cool stuff like that flash fiction piece about the space pirates, it’ll be great when it’s all done.
It’s great to hear your body is responding to your changes in diet and exercise. It’s the best time of year to eat well! Everything’s fresh.
I’ve had some health setbacks over the last few years and am determined to build left thigh muscles this summer. Sounds weird, but my muscles atrophied after surgery. I can ski and play tennis, but I feel unstable. One leg is toned and the quad is coming back nicely. The other shriveled up. Ha!
20,000 words seems like a decent amount give everything you’re doing. I just read Girl on the Train. It had a slow start, but it kept me up at night until I finished!
Keep it up, boss!
Well done! Sir. Well done!
The down side to reading your updates is that you’ve now inspired to try something similar (dammit)… which effectively means I’ll be shedding the mass of a small-ish sized human (or a fairly large dog…) and, ultimately, acting slightly more like someone my age (dammit).
I don’t know about the “write more” and “drink less beer” parts, but Master Carlson has already offered the excellent suggestion of drinking only what I make myself, so… it’s doable.
I’ve no doubt that I’ll be cursing you for setting the height of the bar, but bear it no mind. It probably means nothing. Should it work out, perhaps I may one day thank you in person, though I suspect that means I’d actually have to actually go out into the world… (dammit)
Great job! I think you are being really thorough and very accountable which is Awesome! I have been wanting to write more myself and I am inspired by Julia Cameron who wrote The Artist’s Way.
This may sound cliché but go easy on yourself. First you are aware of the problems. First you feel bad. Just be happy you have problems that can be fixed and worked on.
Good for you giving up alcohol, nothing good seems to come from it. Just my opinion.
Exercise and eating right and sleeping right – these are essentials to good living.
Watching more movies and reading more – good food for thought.
I don’t know if you are like me but creativity is one of the most difficult things to motivate yourself into. I don’t envy your position, putting all this pressure on yourself to do something you enjoy anyway.
That is all I have for now but you are one of my idols. Keep up the good work, TitansGrave and TableTop mean a lot to us, thank you for your hard work and for your sharing.
If you got 27/28 while feeling so unfulfilled creatively, perhaps consider adding another category (or a subcategory to writing) that addresses your creative drive. It’s integral to your quality of life. It matters.
Thanks for sharing this journey with us. I look for it every whenever. Keep on keeping on.
Hey Wil, I find your accomplishments inspiring.
I love that you’re taking time to draw inspiration from the old anthology shows. I have so many wonderful memories of watching those shows with my mom (she’s the one who introduced me to Twilight Zone) and my great aunt (she introduced me to Outer Limits). All that to say that I really do hope that you create your own shows or maybe even an anthology similar to what was done back then. TV (or the internet equivalent) needs a show like that.
Also, I want to compliment you on your writing prowess. Like millions of other people from our generation, I watched you on Star Trek, Stand by Me, Eureka, Leverage… on and on. However, it’s when I read about your experiences, hopes, struggles, and achievements that I feel like I kinda, sorta, in a way know and understand you as a person. We’ll probably never meet in real life, but I wanted to let you know that I appreciate the little parts of your life that you share online.
Thanks,
John
I echo jlward’s sentiment towards Wil Wheaton. Wil, you have the courage, abilities and strength to put yourself out there in public eye. Please keep up the blogs!
It’s worth it. Go back and read your own blog over the time since you started. it’s not just a physical shift for you, it has been altering your emotional state in a good way, it has improved your outlook.
The new Wil is bigger (in spirit not waistline) stronger faster… you are practically bionic and awesome.
I agree with Dave.
That is all 😛
Awesome job so far Wil! Keep it up! Even though it isn’t as immediately gratifying as before- that doesn’t mean it’s not good for you.
Since you were kind enough to ask, my reboot is up and down. I have been trying harder to get my shit together now that winter and the double trouble of depression and seasonal affective disorder are lifting a bit. I lost a lot of ground over the winter; on top of the depression crap it was the first series of holidays without my grandfather and all I managed to do was get to work on time and do my (mainly pointless retail) job. This was good from the whole cash flow perspective but nothing else got done. I stopped working out and dropped into that space where you can’t really handle anything new, so you stay home and you keep watching the same things over and over because they’re familiar. But since the sun is returning we’ve been making an effort to get out more and do more things. I’ve done a little riding and we picked up some inlines and have started skating when the weather’s decent. Apparently I’m in better shape than I thought because I’ve done the nearly fourteen mile loop with no problems, so that’s nice at least.(I guess that job is good for something…) And I’m committed to reading at least one new book, listening to one new album, and watching one new thing a week, to start. I’m hoping that will jump start some writing, too.
And you haven’t killed a hooker in seven months.
Says you.
Okay, well, you’ve almost certainly cut down and that’s progress.
Wil,
I am not anywhere near as accomplished as you are in the creative world. I do cut myself slack in that I supported my family and served my country. However at about your age having left the Marine Corps I still had some decisions to make about my health, I never made them. Some years later I broke my back and was bedridden. I am now wheelchair bound, grossly overweight, and disabled. Had I mad the right health choices back then none of this would be true.
Can I still make the right choices, yes and I need to. But I can tell you those choices are much easier when you are young. I continued my exercise because in the Corps running is like food you have to have it or I did. But I made poor eating choices and drinking and everything else that when I was confined to a not having my running made not choosing to EAT and DRINK so hard and I gained a ton of weight. Well 200 pounds in one year. My back injury did not paralyze me the weight did.
Last, don’t cop out on exercise on the days you worked very long days. Those are the most stressful and depressing of days no matter where you WORK. Your word. The studio is work not creative. Cut the exercise back but burn some of the frustration with just a half mile two laps around the track. It will allow your creative side to wake up and kick the crap out of the WORK side. I hope this works or helps. You inspire me to now do better mt self at 52.
Can’t spell or type grammar.
You aren’t alone Will. I had an intensely great week when an old friend pulled me from “no one in my life to someone” who actually looks like a real friend. I realize I am not suppose to count on anyone but myself for my own happiness but having them around to chat w and have fun game time just… Shined a light on my exsistance. Another old friend popped up and seemed to be adding to the experience of joy and I found myself going from “how many minutes till I can go to sleep” to “God how am I going to fit sleep in w everything I suddenly feel I can accomplish”! But then one small comment brought the whole thing tumbling down and made me want to quit all of my newfound happiness. I can’t run and hide like I’ve done so many times in the past. I HAVE to learn this lesson of learning that my priorities matter and other people’s stupid- and it was stupid- comment doesn’t need to tip my life into a hell I built for myself; Won’t let me go back into that hell I built up to hide . So from someone who has similar goals and issues and can see you feel like sharing this stuff is a bad idea, it isn’t. It’s just nice to know I’m not alone in the pool and that maybe my comment will make your end less lonely. Thanks for sharing.
The difference between “doing other people’s work” and “doing my own creative work” is (IMO) the act of engaging inspiration. I can do inspiring work for other people, but it’s not the same as fully and completely engaging my own inspiration from that lightning-quick moment of dramatic spark through to completion of whatever thing I’m inspired to do. It is a complete act of creation. When I work for others, I am acting within their act of creation: a willing participant, but it’s not MY process.
So I grok. I miss it when I’m not doing my own creative, inspired and inspiring, work, which is too much of the damned tie right now.
Congratulations. I have a cautionary tale. I’m going to be a presumptuous so apologies ahead of time. The old habits called to me for a long time. I’ve gone from non-smoker to pack a day and back, twice. Much like the bipolar individual who “feels great” and doesn’t want to take their meds, the old ways have comfort, familiarity, and pleasure. Alcohol has its own grip. If you should happen to tie one on or do something that was part of the old ways, don’t overthink it. Don’t knock yourself, don’t expect to be perfect or super-human. Also, just because we’re human doesn’t mean it’s an excuse to let it all go to shit.
As you chose to take a new tack in life, if you get blown off course (or blow yourself off course), then take a breath, talk to someone and point your life back where you want it. In the end, being in the present gets you out of the past and away from the future.
I started my Reboot when my kid started school. I lost 100lbs. That was my external goal. But in the process I Levelled Up my Adulting, decided what I want to be when I grow up (when, not if, now), and am a completely different person. In fact, it’s weird to think my sad-self life was only a couple of years ago, not the 15 or so it feels like.
I’ve been ‘maintaining’ for nearly three years, and occasionally I say fuck it, I really do want a giant pile of cheesecake. But good eating & exercising (and let’s face it, the only exercise I do is walking) is keeping my mental health in check, and I would rather say no to icecream than be a crying puddle of depressed on the floor, every time.
Holy moly that’s amazing. Way to go!!
Thanks man! I feel like it’s a side-effect of the stuff I actually achieved. Once I sorted out my head, it all kind of fell off. (I won’t say I didn’t work hard at it, but it wasn’t my main questline)
Your journey has been really inspirational to me – I especially dig that you’ve been able to make great progress even when depression rears its ugly head. I wish I could say the same, it has really been kicking my butt for the past year and a half. I was playing catch up on your previous reboot recaps the other day, and I wanted to say thank you for sharing that post about the gent who quit drinking awhile ago. I think that is a good place to start for myself!
Today I started a tumblr, so I can start writing again! It is a small thing, but it has already given me some modicum of hope.
Thanks for sharing this journey of yours and for everything you do! Seriously, dude, you’re awesome.
congrats on your reboot…consider taking strong look at the following: Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (old issues and current-still published by Dell)……read old 1960s book series “Alfred Hitchcock Presents The Three Investigators.” The latter consists of aboot 2 dozen short novels…None ever filmed on any screen.. Read some of the scripts of Rod Serling..listen to his radio show…”The Zero Hour.” Record your own radio program – (not podcasts) but a throw-back to the Golden Age of OTR…load as a MP3..put on your blog….
Hi,
I wanted to thank you for sharing so much with us. Your blog has been a great inspiration for me during the last months.
It happened that your reboot beginned right around the time I started getting help for my panic attacks. At the time I was feeling really bad about myself, having an erratic sleep schedule, drinking too much alcohol and almost never exercising.
The thing is, even though I knew that my life habits were hurting me, I couldn’t bring myself to care enough to change them.
But somehow, reading about your experience gave me hope about myself. You are someone that I very much admire, and learning about your struggles and accomplishments gave me the kick I needed to start getting my life back together.
Even though I am not as strict with my routine as you are with yours, just making a few changes greatly improved my well-being. I stopped drinking during the week, I go to sleep at 10 or 11 almost every night and I try to exercise at least one hour once a week. I also spend much more of my free time on creative activities as opposed to wasting it on social medias like before.
Although I do not succeed in keeping those resolutions every week (studying full time while also working will do that for you), I feel so much better. I no longer need the help of a counselor as I am now able to manage my anxiety on my own, my panic attacks are all but gone and I have more energy for what is important to me.
This is why I wanted to thank you. Reading your blog was a great inspiration during this transformation. Knowing that you were on the other end of the internet, going through something similar, gave me courage when I felt tired or started to slip up. I don’t think I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for you.
So yeah, keep being awesome.
PS: A thing that really helped me writing more was to sign up on that RPG email group thing. It’s a bit like a forum but more organized, with teams and game masters and story arcs. Anyway, having people creating this world with me and recognizing my contribution has helped me write much longer without feeling like I am forcing myself. I know it’s kind of silly, but if you are having trouble getting motivated, maybe joining a writing club would help.
You taking control and adulting and keeping yourself in check every month pretty much makes me feel bad about myself. I’m mostly drowning on a day to day basis. I am maintaining weight, a little above where I want to be. I don’t eat enough vegetables. I don’t drink enough water. It’s summertime ish and I have a beer here and there. Doing something creative for myself? Watching movies? A luxury. I got to read the first two hunger games books this month. A+ for reading and F- on everything else. Sleep? Well, on the plus side I never need an alarm clock.
I get it. I’m in up to my eyeballs with kids and life is hard when you have kids, but you can’t see the road around the bend. It’s all curves. I’m tired, Wil. My motivation is weak. I’m human and I want now.
I think you’re doing great.
I did put the Zombies, Run app on my phone and I don’t get it. The lady talked for about 3 minutes, and then…. silence…. I don’t want to run to silence. No tracking either. So, like how far have I run/walked? Then what happens? It doesn’t seem to do anything more. If I quit and go back to it, it starts over from the beginning. It doesn’t save progress. Do I need to pay the money for it to do more? I can’t figure out how to have music play through it. I’m good with technology but seriously I need an idiots guide to this app.
May was a rough month. : /
Wait! I made comic book shoes! A+ for Creativity this month. My bar is set pretty low.
Hey Mimi!
As another Mother who also found May to be a particularly anxiety ridden, incredibly rough month – I hear you!
I feel knocked down and verging on a precipice filled with depression, but I am at least self-aware enough now to recognize it. I am trying to be a lot kinder to myself about how I’m feeling than I have in times gone past.
Depression is a liar and a fiend who steals the joy from the moments in our lives that mean the most.
I guess I am am just trying to say your not the only one. Life sometimes piles on top and doesn’t want to get the f*ck off.
However, I am refusing to get buried anymore. I don’t really know what that practically looks like, but I am taking little steps forward and fighting it harder than ever before.
I am loving Wil’s reboot because it has inspired me to do the same. Plus, I’ve embraced my inner geek fully in the last year and when I found out Wil’s blog existed – it pretty much thrilled and delighted me. The benefits on my mental health have just been a by product of how awesome and open he and his wife have been about their own lives. (Anne’s last few blog posts have been really amazing – you should check them out if you haven’t already!)
So, Mimi, as a mother who is going through potty training her three year old … How did you find time to make comic book shoes?! lol and do you have a photo? They sound pretty awesome.
You gotta set your bar where you can jump over it – and then just raise it a little higher next time… before you know it we both will be jumping hurdles that leave us shaking our heads in disbelief 🙂
-Bek
Lol. Thanks! I am overwhelmed. My twins are 2.5 and an almost 6 year old is my boss. I managed to make these during naptime. https://flickr.com/photos/9413273@N04/sets/72157665855302273
I know, it gets better, yadda yadda yadda…. I keep to do lists and go one day at a time.
And of course I read Anne’s stuff. I’ve been haunting this blog for a decade. A DECADE, WIL.
Omgosh, those are awesome!!!
And now you’re making me feel bad hahaha
Twins AND a 6 year old… I just have the one 3 year old human and a 1.5 yr old chocolate lab and a 6 yr old cocker spaniel to contend with at home and that feels like a ton… 😛
Nap time is also my time. My husband suggested my little one was getting to old for naps, and I am pretty sure I murdered him with my eyes fairly instantaneously.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your art!
With giving up beer, have you also given up homebrewing or do you still do a batch every now and then just for the fun of it and give it away? I really liked your episode of Brewing TV.
I haven’t given it up, but I haven’t had time since late last year, so that hasn’t changed.
Your blog has been good motivation for me. I have been saying for a while now I will go to the gym x amount of times and usually I don’t make my goal However, seeing the small steps you have taken each moth has helped. I see that it really has been very positive for the most part. I hope to swim and join a beginner bowling league this summer. My knees at the moment can’t handle running.
Since you are not drinking any beer, how will your wootstout collaboration work this year and does that mean you are not making any special beers for HopCon? I look forward to this event every year and it will be sad if Wil is only their in spirit but not creating and drinking beer. I totally get why you stopped drinking. I have also cut back on beers, I do not keep any in the house and only drink when my neighbors come over with some new IPAs to try. With that being said, what are your plans for this years HopCon? I always enjoyed chatting with you at HopCon and look forward to chatting again even if you are only drinking water.
Hi Wil!
You are doing amazing and I am very happy of your progress, it’s absolutely great.
I’ve been trying to also do some kind of reboot, but right now I am really struggling to get back to exercising (I used to run and was preparing for a half marathon using “Zombies Run!” when I had to stop due to minor surgery on my leg): I have a 9 am – 18 pm office job and a long commute, so I would have to either wake up really early, or workout after work, and I am currently too tired to do that.
(On the plus side, a long commute makes it super easy to reach my reading goals).
Anyway, at least I am doing well with everything else, so I am trying not to be too hard on myself – maybe now that summer is coming it will be easier for me to go back to exercising.
“how many days in a row can I not have any alcohol?”
22+ years, thanks to, ummm, the “Automobile Association”, as a friend said a few years ago. Tobacco free for 10+ thanks to Chantix, and the motivation from being held under for a while by waves while surfing. Down almost 50 pounds from my peak, but seem to be at a maintenance love. Lost 15 last summer, gained 10 over the winter. Mostly through riding a bicycle (100+miles/week) since I like the knees I have. Walking on days I don’t ride. I live a mile from the W&OD Trail here in NoVa, so riding is relatively safe.
Since Wil mentioned popcorn as one of his vices: For those of you who love popcorn, here’s the secrets to phenomenal and as healthy as it can be homemade popcorn:
1. Old timey whirley pop stovetop popcorn maker. If you are a Good Eats fan this fails the “uni-tasker” test, but it produces such easy and fluffy popcorn that it’s well worth the roughly $20 and the storage space.
2. Extra virgin organic coconut oil. Can get giant tubs of this at good prices online or at Costco. Great versatile cooking oil that has a mild flavor and a great smell. Can use this for all sorts of surprising things besides popcorn, eg, frying eggs.
3. Mushroom style popcorn seeds. Also available online at great prices.
Heat up Whirley pop briefly on medium heat, melt in a tablespoon of coconut oil, add 1/2cup+ of seeds (your Whitley pop will tell you the maximum amount of raw seeds it can handle). Spin the monkey grinder handle continuously until the time between pops slows down to several seconds, take off stove and pour into a giant bowl. LPT: have the giant bowl ready before you start.
The resulting popcorn is so nice we don’t even salt it or anything, just eat as is. You will never even consider the microwave stuff again…
That may be the fastest Amazon purchase I’ve ever made.
Ah very gratifying to have made a potential convert! Make sure to not put in more seeds than it specifies though or else you end up with a popcorn flubber brick explosion. Hope you enjoy it!
This is the second time this week I’ve been instructed to buy a Whirley Pop. FYI to Wil, I understand this pot never needs CLEANING – just an occasional wipe-down. But definitely MEASURE the corn.
You clearly have friends with excellent culinary instincts! And yes no need to clean it except for the first time, as you are only ever adding clean oil and seeds to it.
Thanks for sharing this post and congratulations on your progress! Oh, and welcome to the never-ending maintenance phase… :-] For me it is very hard to stick with my healthy habits when I’m satisfied with my current state, weight and activity. After a couple of weeks I notice that bad habits are creeping back so I have to make a conscious effort to stick with what I know works for me. It sounds like you found your good habits and you are noticing when you deviate from them. Good for you!
About the “work feels like work” part. I do have a job that I consider fun and I certainly would do similar things without getting paid. But in my mind it’s not a bad thing to have the “work feels like work” feeling when I’m working on my job. That way I can differentiate between the fun stuff I do at home and the not-so-fun stuff I do for work. Maybe this is a different angle on this topic.
Anyway, keep writing! I enjoy this posts a lot. 🙂
I call these days the Slog. I’ve lost over 100 lbs in the past year and while starting was exciting, and hitting certain milestones was thrilling, most of it is just slogging through the day to day. Choosing to have broccoli instead of extra pasta or go for a run instead of sitting and playing a game isn’t exciting or fun. It’s just what you do to be who you want to be. You can do it! Keep at it!
For a midlife crisis, your life reboot seems a tich healthier than the standard practice of trading in your old car and wife for newer models. 🙂
Dear Wil, I wanted to know that your purist views on burritos came in handy this weekend when my sister had forgotten to add the beans. Standards mean something, often good.
Hi Wil. Great report card again. Ice cream for you. I caught you on @midnight last week and you do look great. I wouldn’t think of it as ten years younger, I would think of it as ten years healthier.
Hi Wil! So glad your feeling great! I know that diets and exercise can be hard, I try to eat healthy, fruits and veggies daily, and watching my fat and sweet intake, however, I try not to deprive myself, If I can’t make it to a gym, I like long walks and sometimes cross training, for 45-60 minutes.
How are you doing? How is your family doing? Wil, do you have pets?
I share 4 indoor cats with my folks, also 2 pet Hermit crabs, one is a Blue King Crab, I also have a Male Dumbo Beta Jonathan Patrick (Johnny) he turned 1 yrs. old on April 26! Hard to believe that he is now 1 ! Where does the time go???? Crazy right?
We had a dog (Blue Tick & Beagle) Livvy (Livynna) she was a rescue , we adopted her when she was 7, she passed at the age of 14 Summer of 2013
She was a great dog, she would find things that we couldn’t find or see! Livvy would go hiking, boating, fishing, out for long walks, beaches and lakes, anywhere we went she would go!
Wil, I have a funny story to share:
My Mother, Marlene and I were heading up to Mirror Lake located off from Rt. 16 in Chcoura Village, NH (out side of Ossipee) we pulled into a Dunkin Donuts Drive thru and ordered a couple of donuts, and our iced coffees. Mom likes hers black, I prefer 2 & 2
we drove away, along the road we came across a quant little Amish Country store, stopped and browsed for about 10 min. when we got into the SUV to leave I started to fasten my seat belt, Mom looked over at me and said: “Thank-you very much Holly!” I looked at her and said: “Your Welcome Mom.” Then I had a quizzical look on my face and exclaimed: “What did I do Mom?” She replied: “You know perfectly well what you did young Lady.” I said: “I’m sorry Mom, but I don’t know what I did wrong?” She held up her large (empty) container, and said “Holly, you don’t have enough drinking your own Iced coffee so you have to drink mine too?” I said: “Mom, I hate black iced coffee, and besides how could I have possible guzzled down a large when we went into the store together?” Just then Livvy got in between us panting. I sniffed her breath and said: “Ah, Mom, you might want to smell the Dog’s breath.” She looked at me funny and said: “Why?” I said: “She’s got coffee breath.” Mom said: “Livvy, let Momma smell your breath.” She took a couple sniffs and exclaimed: “My God! Your right Holly! Livvy does have Coffee Breath!” I shook my head in disbelief. Then said: “Now do you believe me Mom, You owe someone an apology.” I said with a chuckle. “Mom said, “Sorry dear, thanks a lot Livvy!” Then we had to turn around to order Mom another iced coffee, before heading up to the lake. Once back at the Dunkin Donuts drive thru the lady looked at us with a funny look and said: “Boy, someone must have been thirsty, you guys were here a few minutes ago right?” Mom said: “Yea, we were.” I said: “Yes, right Livvy?” Mom said: “Someone WAS thirsty.” I said “Our dog drank my Mom’s coffee.” The lady burst out laughing, and said: “That’s too funny!” I showed her the large empty container and said: “She left no mess, not even bite marks.” The lady could not stop laughing and said: “Here doggy, here’s a few plain munchkins to wash down your coffee.” I said: “You folks need a Dunkin Donuts mascot.”
The lady said: “We do?” I said; “Yea, the Dunkin Dog.”
everyone was laughing at that point including her boss!
Have a great Wednesday Wil!
Your friend and fan always love, Holly
Thanks for the progress report, Wil. And thank you for being so transparent and honest about your progress.
I’m on a mission to lose 50 pounds. 10 down so far — whoo hoo! I’ve cut out the inbetween meals snacks, cut down on sweets, and upped my walking. Once I get down another 20 or so I can do more aerobic things. I would really like to be able to jog. I will never be a runner and that is OK with me. I just want the option of jogging now and then. I hear you about the lifestyle change thing. As your life changes and things happen and circumstances come and go, it can be hard and even very challenging to keep up the healthy lifestyle thing. You are an inspiration to me.
I wanted to also thank you for sharing your journey with us, it is inspiring for me. You are doing great and I am happy for your continued progress. A mind trick I do when I hit the “sludge”, is telling myself: Today I will eat the (fill in the healthy food), and tomorrow I just might eat (fill in the comfort food). The next day, I tell myself the same thing and then the next, etc. Most days I don’t eat the comfort food, but on the occasions when I do, I don’t beat myself up – just get back on track. Simplistic maybe, but I need all the simple I can get. 😉
I’m trying to insert more creativity in my life as well. Even if I look at my calendar and say “but, where?” This spring a parent and I decorated a blank wall of a speech therapist room and made a mural with giant rolls of paper. Paper because it seems SLPs always have to change rooms. It turned out really great, and the other parent surprised me and herself with her creativity when we both thought she was going to be more in a supportive role.
Also the Parent room in the Homeschool Resource Center has been painted with some tiny little charm like paintings by some students, I finally have an idea for a mural that will keep the little charms and incorporate it into a larger scene. Im going to sketch it this week and show it to the students first and then check with the Principal. If it doesn’t get approved I will just ask about where there has been a need for a mural in the school and go from there.
Hey Wil, Congrats on your A!
Your blogs are always so inspiring and I really applaud your courage putting everything out there for us normies to read. I tried the C25K app a year or two ago and I was so disappointed because it really mucked up my already crappy knees. I think it made me realise that my knees just can’t handle running. I love the idea of it so it annoys me that my body won’t play ball. 🙁
I do enjoy walking though so at least that’s something to stop me piling on the pounds! Damn you pizza!!!
Keep up the great work and don’t forget to cut yourself some slack now and then. Nobody’s perfect!
Molly
Keep up the good work Wil! This article found me half way through a reboot, and was very helpful.
“how many days in a row can I not have any alcohol?” – this little gamification really does help.
“took everything I liked and replaced it with water and exercise” – who is the original author of this? this is very helpful too.
cheers and maximum effort!
Thanks for sharing your monthly assessments. Revamping and hitting a giant reset button intrigues me.
Last month I crossed off a lot of my dailies, because I was too busy and getting overwhelmed. I even set aside fiction writing, which is finally peeking its head around the corner and poking me to come back. How do you know when you’re doing too much?
Hi Wil,
I wonder if you might be willing to write an advice/support article for people interested in, but afraid to, enter (or reenter) social media.
My wife suggested that I join Facebook, Twitter, start a blog, etc., and those ideas fill me with anxiety. It makes me think about who would see anything I might make, what they would think about it, what they would think about me, how I would compare myself and my life to other people and how doing that would make me feel.
In all likelihood, hardly anyone (maybe no one) would care or even notice, but my anxiety over those ideas persists, anyway. The thing is, I feel like I’m missing out on something really great by staying away, and it makes me feel old and backward to be resisting something so omnipresent. I feel like you might be in a particularly good position give advice and support on this topic, as, in addition to being a part of several great things that fall under or near the heading of social media, you can also relate (I think) to those who might have reservations about exposing part of themselves to public opinion.
And now the bit where I gush: Of the many valid reasons a person might say that you’re their hero, mine is that you have/had self-esteem demons and yet have put really a lot of yourself on social media, where anyone could insult and criticize you (and where I’m sure many have, just because they could), and because instead of protecting yourself by only sharing your successes, you create blog posts like this one, where you continue to find the courage to share your struggles. Aaaaand I’m actually tearing up a little trying to find the words to tell you how much that means. It means a lot to know that someone that I think is really, truly cool also struggles with getting deeply discouraged sometimes and feeling like a failure at things sometimes, things that I struggle with regularly. Your courage makes me able to feel more okay about being me and living my life, and I really want to thank you for that. :: Thank you so much for that.
Create a Facebook profile and set it up so that IF you post or share anything, ONLY your friends will see it. When you first start, you won’t have any friends beyond family and anyone you’ve sent your link to, so it’ll be VERY private. Be selective about which friend requests you accept. Then set up a Twitter account in the same way, and post NOTHING. Just lurk, reading your feed, and finding people to follow (like @wilw). You’ll start a blog when you’re good and ready to start sharing stuff with the world. Until then, just see what other people are up to! Good luck! 🙂
That’s really good advice. Thank you.
That ice cream comment clinched it. You are becoming The Wolf!
“Coffee, Mister Wolf? Lots of cream, lots of sugar.”
“Thanks, Morag.”
— UK Direct Line Insurance ad.
The Wolf takes his coffee that way because he can, having absolute control over his life in every other department.
I hear you build up a tolerance to ice cream if you eat it too often,
requiring more of it to get the same pleasure. (No, really.)
Wil, I know you battle with your inner demons, as we all do to some degree. I still do, and some days I win, some days I lose. But the thing is, you are STILL GOING. You’re still winning. Baby steps are still steps. Don’t forget that.
Any time you feel bad about yourself, please remember how many people have watched this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04WJEEb33CY over and over and over again. Including myself. Over 2.3 MILLION views as of this morning. I post and repost this clip every few months. Not only for myself, but now as a mother, for my kids, and their friends. The first time I heard it a few years ago, I sat in my chair, tears in my eyes, because I was that little girl so many years ago. And that little girl grew up into an adult, who desperately tried to fit into what the world said was “normal”. Then I watched it. And I realized, that people can not like me because I’m a nerd, because I love Star Trek, Doctor Who, Star Wars, Eureka, Warehouse 13, and all else that I love to watch, or because I’m not tall enough, short enough, or whatever. People don’t have to like me. My life isn’t based on what they think of me. I’ve been following you (again, since I was the normal little Trek kid in the 80s that thought you were SO COOL because you were on Star Trek) since I saw that clip, and from little kid nerds, that grew up into adult nerds, THANK YOU.
speaking of beer:
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2016/05/31/obamacare-is-coming-after-your-beer-n2171764
That whole thing is based on a press release from Grover Norquist’s outfit. It’s horse shit.
Ever read Illusions by Richard Bach? It’s one of those books that means one thing at 20, something else at 30, something different at 40…well – you get the idea…..
The worst thing about losing a quarter of my body weight and getting into the best shape of my life when I turned 40 is that now, every couple years when I find the pounds creeping back, especially around the middle, and my fitness is lacking, I know exactly how to fix it, and exactly how easy it is to implement, and I even know how much being fit improves almost every other aspect of my life. I just don’t want to pay the price, which for me is essentially “Pay your fitness bills first”. It was almost easier before, when I just assumed being fat and sedentary was simply the way things were for people in my family.
So pour one out for periodic resets. Maybe I should just think of it as long-cycle “periodization”.
Wanted you to know that this series and your “re-set” has been a true inspiration and that although you may not bet getting around to all your creative pursuits, you are still inspiring creation by proxy.
Just completed my first update with an additional item added to my “Re-boot” list and a hat tip to you, sir.
http://www.ontheroadwithdave.com/2016/06/getting-rid-of-the-clutter-the-reboot.html