“That’s absurd,” you say? Well, probably a little.
I want to buy a new, more portable laptop so I can make use of more of the cracks between my demanding 9-6+ job and my active social life to work on my interests in food policy and business. Want, probably don’t need.
So, to justify this major purchase as a healthy spend, I am giving myself rules for my life with deadlines for when I’m going to accomplish key goals and quotas for others. Some goals are business-related and others are career-related, but these health-related requirements will keep me reminded of this debt to myself every day:
- Run at least 4 days per week
I started to run for exercise as the weather warmed in late February, but haven’t been very consistent in my efforts. I took a 3-week break when in Southeast Asia – blame it on the heat and humidity – and now I’m only running once or twice a week out of pure laziness. My first EVER 5K is scheduled for July 20 in Orlando, FL. There is no more time for excuses.
- Watch no more than 2 hours of TV per day
It’s almost a shame that I have to charge myself this requirement. I like TV a lot and I watch way more than most would suspect. But, TV time means that I am not focusing on being productive. With less TV I’ll have more time to sleep, read, cook, run and do whatever I need to be more goal-minded.
- Eat out no more than 2 meals per week
I write about food and I talk a big DIY/healthy/no packages game, but I have been eating out more than I care to admit. And it’s not even good food! My excuse is usually that I get home late and don’t have the energy to go to the grocery store and carry it all the way home and cook a meal and get it all packaged in containers to take for lunch the next day. But, I have to do better and I could definitely stand to save here. And while I’m going to the grocery store more regularly, maybe I can also stop eating struggle food like pancakes with ice cream for breakfast.
My cooking efforts will give me more content for my final health requirement-
- Write at least 2 blog posts per week
Possibly the most important of them all – I’m going to start writing more often! Maybe everything won’t be (attempts at) super detailed, hyperlinked and citing several sources. But, I’m going to stop standing in my own way and spend more time (on my new laptop) writing about food and our experiences with it.
I can feel the cognitive dissonance calming a bit. And now that my rules for myself are written for the world to see, I want you to hold me to them.
I think it’s time to make a purchase!
While pancakes and ice cream is still, in my opinion, a valid meal, you do make some compelling points. Good luck! (Not that people like you ever needed much in the way of luck 🙂
Pancakes with ice cream can be a valid meal – especially since it was all natural ice cream and buttermilk pancakes that I made from scratch. But, the only reason why I had pancakes with ice cream is because I was too lazy (for like 2 months) to walk 2 (very long) blocks to the grocery store to get myself some syrup.
Thanks for the wishes and the confidence in me. I really need you to help hold me to it!