progress report december 2008
December has been a second month of being ill. Not quite as bad as November but certainly took its toll. It’s been a month of rounding things up and reflecting on the year that has passed. With a week off at Christmas, well almost.
It’s been an eventful year and a very busy one. One where I got the least sleep and the most done. The latter part of the year involved spending a lot of time looking after my baby daughter when my wife went back to work. It made me use my remaining time very effectively. Even when I wasted the time I did so with aforethought rather than falling into this or that. It certainly made me focus.
On the strategy and goal setting front I think I did rather well. As you’ll see from the December report I did pretty well on all my goals. The overall strategy for setting and achieving my goals is working I think. So I’ll be using it again in 2009.
So, apart from the marvel of watching my baby daughter growing up during her first year of life what did I achieve? I felt a sense of self-confidence. Self assurance. When you really know what you want then not much planning or strategy is required in order to achieve it. It just sort of happens. And looking back upon the year I can see what I really wanted and what I only thought I wanted. Easy when you know how. At least, that’s the story so far. There sure is more to learn.
Riding a minimum of a 100 miles a week
I managed to get my mileage back up this month but not quite up to the hundred mark. Nevertheless I discovered a way to achieve this goal with fewer rides – by making the return journeys a bit longer. A few extra miles added to each journey makes the overall mileage a bit higher. With a stop at the hot dog man in Lewisham.
Pilates
A bit of core work during my yoga practice but not much else. Neglected but not forgotten.
Meditation
Just little bits here and there but it’s slowly coming back. No pressure.
My own yoga practice
It’s sort of once or twice a week but it feels good. Again like the meditation no pressure at all. I would like to introduce some sort of program but I just want to establish a pattern first.
Bike rides
I hasn’t been possible to take time out to go on rides but as I mentioned above I’m making it up by extending my commuting journeys. I did a very short ride on Christmas day. Cold and windy but very nice.
Visiting Friends
Facebook has been useful in this respect both via its email system and its chat client. I also managed to meet a few old friends for a proper heart to heart which I think is better than any other form.
Ebay sales
I sold another thing on ebay. It’s slow but I’m keeping my hand in there. You think that you don’t have anything to sell and there it is.
Svenska
I wrote a Christmas card. That’s something I guess. But that was it for this month.
Learning PHP
There has been a lot of PHP this month. I have created a little web app which calculates prices of prospective wheels on my wheel building site. It really has consolidated what I already know and stretched my knowledge to the next level. It’s starting to get a bit easier.
Relaxing & fun times
It is hard to just drop everything and relax when you know that you don’t have very much time to spare. And in that time you have to get things done. Meeting friends has been fun and relaxing as well as just watching movies and TV Series. I suppose it’s just anything that constitutes time spent doing things just for the fun of doing them rather than as a means to an end. Well the end was to relax but not as a stepping stone to some greater aim. A few days off during the Christmas period helped greatly in this respect.
The wheel log
Three entries in December which I think will be the last for this year. I’m wondering whether or not to do it next year. I do like keeping records though. And others have commented that they have found it useful too. I like looking at all the wheels too. This was a really good idea. I’m glad that I did it.
Clearing stuff out
I gave away my rack and a couple of patch bays. I threw away various other bits and bobs and once you get going you want to just go for it. Use it or lose it as they say.