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What are YOU doing to get better today, webdip?


I've wanted to start this thread for a while, and New Year's Day provides an excellent opportunity. Let's start off with something topical: what are you doing to do differently, or better, in 2018? What are you going to accomplish?

2018 is an ambitious year for me personally. I will:

• Start law school in August. I'm off to a good start after getting my LSAT result back; time to convert it into acceptance to a solid school. My hometown LSU fits the bill adequately, but I can aim higher, and I'd like to move.
• Start saving again. I was doing well on this until a couple of mishaps at the end of 2016 put me back. 2017 is starting off on much better footing, so I'm going to push to get my SHTF fund from one month's living expenses to two.
• Get my personal house in order. I am going to try to cut out video games completely by the time I start law school (if nothing else out of necessity for law school, lol), and I'm going to disconnect from unnecessary distractions (like social media, I'm nuking all of that). Also going to get rid of a lot of my stuff I don't need/use.
• Finish out my strength training and keep getting stronger. Also going to start a hobby involving physical activity (early favorites are ballroom dancing and fencing).
• Continue to improve my understanding of philosophy and history. My goal is to have expertise in European history (focusing on Greece, Rome, and post-Roman Western Europe) and philosophy (focusing on the transition from feudal society to the modern era and the "big 3" modern Western political philosophies: liberalism, communism, fascism), and a competent understanding of non-European history and development.

What are you doing this year webdip?

Start a loose diet that allows 100 carbs a day. This pretty much throws the possibility of anything like pasta, pizza, sweets, pretzel bread, fries, potatoes, deserts, etc out. I think, and hope, that I'll notice a difference. Oh also more water

Completing my psychology degree.

Starting yoga.

Joining netflix.

setting up my x-box live account so I can game with my 23 yr old son and his freinds and family.

Bringing mindfullness to my everyday life so I can start living as a human being not a human doing.

Getting to 1000 dip points.

I'm going to try and not make as many annoying clicky noises with empty drinks cans.

1. Stop chewing on pens
2. Increase the intensity and frequency of working out and implementing arm day workouts

THINGS TO DO IN 2018

0) Think about life changes as micro-behaviors, two week experiments and six month projects.
1) Set up “Do Not Disturb” mode on phone.
2) Do a mindfulness exercise every morning.
3) Journal for five minutes every morning and night.
4) Define social media hours.
5) Read more books.
6) Hike without glasses.
7) Consider trying a ketogenic diet.

0) is the framework for all the others which I will try to rolling into my daily routine in a series of semi-overlapping two-week experiments.

You should just hike blindfolded

If the point was to go over a cliff, sure, but the point is to improve my distance vision.

@ Jeff K what mindfullness excerise ..i know of quite a few practicle and spiritual types....Mental health is my line of work..

I like Jeff's list. I've already considered going on a ketogenic diet (concluded it wasn't a great idea after only half a minute, which I thought was pretty good going), and defined social media hours as "hours spent on social media". Kicking arse so far!

@Smokey: To me, "mindfulness exercise" is really about taking time to start the day focusing on what you're thinking, how you're feeling, and deciding what to do, and then reviewing your decisions at the end of the day. I'm sure there are more disciplined ways of going about it, but I wanted to start small to see if it worked for me. Transcendental meditation is something I would consider once I have some other goals met. Any suggestions?