Michael Nowak 8/21/23 Michael Nowak 8/21/23

#MondayMotivation - A little structure

Good Monday morning to you! (or whatever time it is when you read this)

I’ve been on the struggle bus when it comes to what to do with myself. August has me feeling a little off - physically, emotionally, and mentally. I’m doing some goal setting and thought I’d share a little of that with y’all - maybe you’re feeling a similar kind of way, maybe not?

These are my goals for the rest of August and September. I’ll probably evaluate my progress towards the middle or end of September and adjust as necessary.

I’m trying to give myself a little structure because that’s how I thrive. Find goals that work for your brain and life.

Physical:

Continue my 3 days of lifting per week
Walk the trail near my house at least 5 days per week
Take Chewy on a long walk in the evening (more than the usual neighborhood jaunt)
Hike somewhere new once per week
Stretch or beginner yoga daily (my new coach has me stretching and it’s crazy how much it helps)
Try to get to bed in a way that gets me at least 8 hours of sleep/downtime
Schedule an eye exam and get new glasses
Get on a waitlist for a local doctor or find one in Seattle/Portland and drive
Plan meals and roughly (or specifically) track food/drink

Emotional:

Find a new therapist - I’ve been struggling with this one, as my current therapist kind of dropped the ball and wasn’t really doing much for me
Record and reflect on what I’m grateful for every day
Follow through on the physical points (really helps my brain)
Connect more with friends - call or text different people a few times per week
Establish a boundary when things become too much

Mental:

A lot of the emotional and physical points will assist with the mental
Find an online course or certificate program (first stage: research)
Read a book - I have a couple in my queue but this goal is to make the time each day to accomplish an entire book
Getting some kind of routine setup for the daily grind

If you’ve made it through, thanks for reading. What are some of your goals or tricks for feeling good? I hope you have a great week ahead. —Mike

male standing in front of hug canyon with clouds above

Michael Nowak 11/2/20 Michael Nowak 11/2/20

#MondayMotivation - September & October Check In

It’s been an interesting few months. I’ll be frank, I have not been eating very well or exercising nearly enough to feel good about myself. I’m out of balance. Working hard to get back to balance - walking, running, eating more reasonably, drinking a little less, etc. I started to feel tight and I felt myself slipping back into my old ways of ignoring everything and just eating and drinking whatever I wanted without thought. Intentions are everything, but the follow through is where it’s at as far as progress and maintenance.

The Good

I had some great hikes in September and October
There were some good bike rides in both months
I was aware of my slip into the dark side of just eating whatever and not being concerned, so that’s a step in the right direction
I lived another day, another week, and another couple months
I’m back on the running train and it feels good, but still challenging

The Not So Good

My food intake was too damn much
I was not exercising daily, even walks, and I sure can feel it now
Between work trips and some personal adventures, I was not really giving a shit what I was eating or drinking and it shows
Didn’t kayak at all
Basically gave up on tracking my progress because I wasn’t making any
The Apple Watch was messing up with updates, and still is, so it’s made me adjust how I’m keeping track of what it is I do to better myself

Mental Health Check-In

The months were alright, with only a few real dark days
I am kind of adopting a new, go-to mindset that’s helping me compartmentalize work and the rest of my life
As I got back in to a routine, my mood improved
Overall, life is good and I’m pretty lucky

Goals and Ambitions for November

Daily exercise goals
Run through Couch210K again
Eat more sensibly and mostly track daily food intake
Track and monitor fitness again, weights, etc.
Do daily and weekly intentions
Daily gratitude journaling

Michael Nowak 9/7/20 Michael Nowak 9/7/20

#MondayMotivation - August Check In

As you now, I have a new format, new goals, and a new outlook on getting healthy. It is all about balance and staying consistent. I refuse to deprive myself of the good stuff in life and I will not give up. Now, sometimes things happen and indulgences go too far, that’s life. It is all about consistently trying, moving, and making better choices.

A new resource that is helping me along can be found here: Hamilton Trained Podcast

August was better than July, but still not where I want to be so I am continuing the work in September. There are no barriers between months, it’s just another day, but it does allow me to check in on myself and see where I need to adjust.

I found myself VERY lazy towards the end of the month. I had been riding my bike a lot, walking daily, and even minding my meals mostly. BUT, by mid month I started to give up for some reason or another. Maybe it was a few nights of drinking too much, maybe it was vacation? Either way, it is done and over with and it’s not going to cause me to give up or anything. I’m adjusting. I’m weighing myself again, yikes, and halfway tracking what I’me eating. I am reintroducing exercise into my daily life again, even though it wasn’t fully gone I’m ramping it back up.

This month I’m raising money to fight kid’s cancer - through he Great Cycle Challenge. More info HERE! Please donate if you can, every donation matters in the fight against cancer.

The Good

Did more miles than July, barely, but it counts
I biked a few times in the beginning of the month
My food intake was good overall, but there’s alway room for more of a balance
Had a few amazing hikes in gorgeous places
I technically started the month with a kayak trip
I did run once, and I always feel like I want to run more
I took a trip (as safely as I could) and saw beautiful places
I survived, and I have another new perspective to add to the mix

The Not So Good

Had quite the emotional rollercoaster of a month
Didn’t hike, walk, bike, or run as much as I’d have liked
Indulged a little too much on vacation
Didn’t kayak very much

Mental Health Check-In

August was a rollercoaster, as mentioned and not as fun as Cedar Pointe
I had a lot of bad days, some REALLY bad and sometimes felt like I couldn’t really express that to anyone which really hurts the situation even more
Some of the dark days shed some light on areas that need adjustment in life
Overall, everything is fine now and life is moving forward

Michael Nowak 8/3/20 Michael Nowak 8/3/20

#MondayMotivation - A Healthier Mike July 2020 Review

July was better than June, but still not on par with the first five months of the year. My weight is up, I’m bloated, my running is suffering, and my body is just blah. I am feeling the effects of being too lazy in the opposite way I felt after mashing my hip and knee from being too active. I have to find a balance in August.

Work is a continued stress ball, but I’m learning new ways to manage it overall. I’m slowly distancing from social media, negative bitches, and people who make me feel less than great. It’s not as easy as just saying “I’m going to avoid people” because saying and doing are vastly different.

Here’s to August, a month of goals.

The Good

I kayaked a few times - once being down a river!
I spent a week deep in thought, trying to find a way through everything
Food intake was moderate to good all month, despite my lack of logging in Noom
Had several nice hikes and visited new state parks
Had some breakthroughs with biking
Working toward being back on my regular track of better choices
I read a little bit, but man is it hard for me to sit down and read for some reason
I had quality time with family and friends
Had some nice long, healthy walks and jogs
Realized I can still run, albeit for not as long as I could back in May
I signed up to ride 100 miles to raise money for kids cancer treatment/research in September - so I’m going to work hard this month to get ready for that by riding more often.
We have a second kayak now, so together time kayaking can happen!
I did more activity, and more per day of activity, than June

The Not So Good

I had some real shitty days for activity - pure laziness and some days of just driving all day
I did not track my food for the last half of the month
My sleep schedule has shifted and I’m not happy with it
I’m falling short on my overall annual goal numbers
I did not meet my previous July activity level
I just didn’t care enough

Mental Health Check In

I took a week and just thought really hard about what it is I wanted, where I wanted to be, and what I needed to do going forward
I managed to regain my positive energy despite these shitty-on-paper numbers this month (again, but with more momentum)
I made plans, set attainable goals, and got back on the food logging wagon (today, 8/3)
Managing work stress is easier than ever, now
I’ve felt kind of lonely, despite not being alone (this is a continued feeling, though it’s fading - ebbs and flows)
Routines are still my best tool in staying happy, healthy, and optimistic (still true, still something I think about often)

Goals for August

100+ miles of “on-foot” activity (hiking, walking, running)
75+ miles of biking
Wake up before 7 am
Get to bed by 10:30 pm
Log all meals (failed to do so on Aug 1 & 2)
Log in to Noom and work through it
Write once a week
Eat less shit and less overall
Drink less alcohol during the week
Increase water intake
Yoga once a week, minimum 15 mins
Find a body weight workout to do once or twice per week
Read another book
Focus on staying clear

Conclusions - Going Forward

I’m more on track than June, but I really need to push myself
I need to get my shit together as far as meeting my annual goals. July and June were huge hits to my goals. I need to balance - not caring and care - a little better.
I will keep trying - there’s no reason to give up because of a few bad weeks
I can get fully back on track with a little focus
I like to give in to my desires too easily - beers, sweets, laziness… in reality, I don’t need those things and I know.
The worst thing is knowing you’re doing something wrong and not being able to stop yourself

Questions I’m asking myself

What’s really important in life?
Why don’t I do yoga more often?
Why am I so easily falling victim to my own laziness?
What are some gym alternatives?
Why don’t I swim more?

Michael Nowak 7/13/20 Michael Nowak 7/13/20

#MondayMotivation - A Healthier Mike June 2020 Review

June started strong, but slowly went off the rails. My hip was hurting, I had trips for work and pleasure (safely, course), and I was just not super focused on my food. I didn’t lose momentum, I just lost the time and freedom of being at home in a routine and the effort dwindled away.

The Good

I did kayak a few days this month, worked out those kayaking muscles
I spent 4 days off the grid, away from the world
Food intake went a little crazy, but I didn’t lose my progress (except for a little bloat weight)
I did have one stellar hike (an excellent camping weekend)
I had some really great days with excellent workouts
There was a lot of clarity found
I read a book and started another one
I spent a few days with one of my best friends in the middle of nowhere Arkansas and it was rejuvenating
I spent a moment in a cave!

The Not So Good

There were several days with less than stellar movement
I did not track my food for the last half of the month
I slept about an hour less, on average, per night
I did not even come close to closing my rings on my watch every day
I was 10% behind 2019’s step totals/activity goals
I stopped doing anything (which can be attributed to working LONG days)

Mental Health Check In

As mentioned above, I found some clarity on many things including this whole quantification of myself and my activities
I managed to regain my positive energy despite these shitty-on-paper numbers this month
Off the grid for 4 days really helped with the stressors related to work
Work has wore me down
I’ve felt kind of lonely, despite not being alone
Routines are still my best tool in staying happy, healthy, and optimistic

Goals for July

Get back on track with daily activity
Ride my bike more often (honestly, just fucking do it)
I want to run (going to work my hip out and try to get back on it)
I’m upgrading to the Couch to 25K plan instead of just the 10K
I’m reducing my overall caloric intake
I will get my average monthly step goal back up to 12K and beat 2019
Finish another book or two
Get 150 miles of activity

Conclusions - Going Forward

I’m still on track - mentally and physically
My goals are still there and I’m a little easier on myself related to this numbers I keep
I will keep trying - there’s no reason to give up because of a few bad weeks