a thoughtful web.
Good ideas and conversation. No ads, no tracking.   Login or Take a Tour!
comment by blackbootz
blackbootz  ·  3349 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: The 2015 Morale Menagerie - Fortnightly Check-in (3rd March)

    • Smoking cessation

I skipped the last check-in because I smoked the night before and if I didn't check-in then it never happened, right? I find myself in a similar situation with this check-in. As I'm sure all smokers can attest, the devil is the pleasure of a cigarette after a drink. My previous success with smoking cessation was because of the structure and environment I was in, and now that that's gone, I find myself giving in to the temptation more often. But also, because it's way, way less of an occurrence (I went from a pack a night to now just a few cigarettes and only when I go out) there's way less of a gut-level concern for my health. And that concern was what overwhelmingly served as motivation for quitting. So does this mean that I will now not smoke? Sober me thinks it's a really good idea to quit, and can't even fathom the appeal, but even-one-drink me wants one and thinks a cigarette won't kill him. I think though that since I'm gearing up for a similar change in structure and environment, this issue will resolve itself.

    • Regular exercise

I'm very happy with my follow through on this one. I have found that it is much easier to be motivated to exercise if you have a more specific goal than just fitness: that goal being to compete on American Ninja Warrior. Also -- and can I be self-indulgent? I know it's bad manners but I feel it's sort of appropriate on this thread -- I have really started to like checking myself out in the mirror. I know deep-down that it's bad that I enjoy it so much, for the fact that I don't want my esteem to be based on something as superficial as my abs, but I'm elated with what I see because my girl be 'miring.

    • Keep track of expenses with You Need A Budget (YNAB)

My financial situation is out of whack, not because I'm poor (although I am), but because I'm transitioning from volunteering full-time and living off some savings to working and making money again (yay!). For some reason, this is my excuse for not tracking my spending. Which, I have learned, is one of the most important steps to financial security, if not the most fundamental. I hope to amend this within the fortnight.

    • Keep a track of daily habits (Read. Write. Exercise. Brush. Floss.)

This goal has stalled somewhat. I used to keep track of everything with an app that was essentially like a daily checklist and a calendar to show your streaks of progress. But then the app maker completely switched priorities and is now marketing it is as a coaching app, rebranding and even renaming it. So now I have to find another app that let's me do that sort of thing. The good thing is that one google search in the midst of making this post reveals a ton of similar apps, so this should be a success story next check-in.





_refugee_  ·  3349 days ago  ·  link  ·  

A long long time ago tng posted a great NPR article about why smoking and drinking go hand in hand. I'll try to find it when I'm not on mobile. It was one of the first really good discussions I was in that I remember on Hubski - that wasn't deeply rooted in philosophy, as far as I recall. thenewgreen remember that post?

thenewgreen  ·  3349 days ago  ·  link  ·  

Hmmm, I vaguely remember the post but I absolutely know the experience.

blackbootz  ·  3349 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I think I found it! Posted, will read shortly.

edit: maybe not. You're not in the comments.