On a Roll

Some sort of shift happened last week. After having felt burned out for months (probably since around September), I noticed that I was having more energy again. Today, for the first time on a Monday in months, I was wide awake at 6am, ready to roll. I am not even a morning person, but I can begin to appreciate that which mornings offer - watching the sun come up, or simply taking a few extra minutes to eat something and read the news. I've spent months learning to implement different habits into my life and to change my thinking, and I think I'm starting to reap the rewards.

Work: No longer do I get worked up about things that are out of my control (i.e., not having enough staff or having to meet unrealistic deadlines). If I can't change it, it's not worth expending energy worrying about it. Instead, I've focused on simply doing the best I can, and have found that I'm actually being more productive and 'enjoy' work more. I take my lunches, and I leave at 5pm. Except today, when I actually stayed until 6:15pm, not because I had to, but because one of our principals stopped by with a key guy from a large US firm whom I had worked with three years ago. This guy is so experienced, has worked on who-knows-how-many healthcare projects all over the place, and yet he is so humble, so easy to talk to; he is one of those guys that one could consider a mentor. He praised me again, which was a nice little boost. Back when we had worked together, he had also praised me and told our principal that I'm easy to work with because I'm so blunt. Hmmmm, blunt = good? I thought it might be better if sometimes I keep my mouth shut. And earlier today, totally out of the blue (and for the second time in a week), my boss tells me that my work is too far ahead, that it is too good for what it needs to be at this time. Boy, men confuse me! This, however, I figure will give me more bargaining power for getting more vacation (if I'm a month ahead, surely I'll have to slow down somehow?!).

Eating: The second thing I changed was what I eat. In the past I could go a week on diet Coke and ravioli alone. Now I try to avoid processed foods and eat healthy snacks. Lunches are more varied, and I've actually been losing weight. Already had to buy one pair of jeans in a smaller size, and am close to having to get another new pair. I also try to sit down for meals, rather than always eating on the run. And with having spent many weekends at my parents' recently, dinner times have become time to catch up with family.

Exercise: If you'd suggested this to me on a weeknight six months ago, I would have rolled my eyes. When I was burned out, the last thing I could be bothered doing is dragging my butt up the curling club stairs. Saturdays were the only day that would resemble anything that could be defined as exercise. Now, with bike in tow, it's easy to just head out for an hour or two in the evening. I get to see something new, and it doesn't feel like a chore. Next on my list for this item is to do more indoor climbing again. And maybe, just maybe, I'll be swinging from a rock at Yamnuska in a few weeks.

Me Time: I have become terribly frustrated with my TV. I pay for it, yet it basically hasn't been turned on for months. Each time I try to call Shaw, I check to see if there's a way I can keep maybe three channels that I like (OLN [becasue every girl needs Survivorman], National Geographic, and maybe something else), but there doesn't seem to be such a plan. It seems like such a dull activity, sitting on your couch and staring at a screen (the computer is something different entirely). Instead, I have gotten back into reading. First it was all the high altitude books and Nepal, then backpacking, now cycling, and actual people's accounts of being outdoors. After university I didn't want much to do with books, probably because we were forced to read so many, but the joy of reading has come back.

So, what am I getting at? I have no idea, but I think I need to write down my achievements or I won't recognize them. I'm starting to feel again, and am no longer quite so numb.