January 1, 2024

Resolutions:

Hello to 2024. I have never been big on resolutions for any new year. It’s just not really my thing. In January 2023 I vowed to walk more and get in some steps. That paid off well and I was able to maintain a 30 pound weight loss all year long. 2023 definitely had challenges beyond anything I could imagine and it’s shown me that in life there are some things you can control and other things you cannot. That may have been a resolution in some books, maybe not. Looking back to two resolutions I stuck with requires going back to September 2012. I quit eating all animal products, 100% vegan. That was the move that helped me more than anything I have done up to September 2022 when I gave up alcohol. That really changed my perspective and put me on a path of 471 days with no hangovers and mental clarity that is frightening sometimes. So, on to the new year we go and let’s get it started with something good.

Commitments

Resolutions are fine and dandy if that’s you’re jam, by all means go for it. For 2024 I am going with commitments. It’s a broad definition in this sense, but I am taking the advice of Jesse Itzler (@jesseitzler on Instagram) and picking a word to live by for the year. For me, the word is completion. I know myself and I am prone to starting things and leaving them half finished or just good enough but not really what I thought something would be. So my commitment is to work towards completion the best I can. Whether it’s completing the RV remodel I am working on or helping family members, I am completing the tasks that need to be done.

Time

The new year brings hope and a resolve that this time it will be different. We all want more out of life and a better future, but do you realize that your time is limited? As we age the time to do things shrinks. There is just no other way around it. Everything we know will end of for us someday so if you want to do something the time to do it is now. If your head is saying “I’m going to do this soon” then you’re not being genuine. Write that crap down on your calendar and do it. I have one big goal this year that is already in stone and that’s going to be heading east. Instead of the Whiskey 30 in Arizona I’m heading to another state that starts with A for a gravel race. Yes, heading to Arkansas to rally in Bentonville with my friend Rob. He’s a subscriber so he’ll see this and make it an adventure without a doubt. I’ve never done a gravel race so it’s going to be an experience I will remember. Why am I just now doing a gravel race at this stage of my life? I wasn’t committed to racing gravel. It looked fun, but didn’t really seem like my style, until I built up a capable bike and hit the local champaigne gravel roads. Oh, now I get it! The recipe is simple. Take one part bike with large-ish tires and lightweight rims, add a dash of speed, mix with terrain that compliments the bike, and you get the gravel experience. It is fun beyond words. There are several gravelians here in the area so I know they get it. Are there closer races I could attend? Sure there are, but hitting the road and traveling to new places is always fun. I hear there is a lot of great riding in Bentonville and I need to do it now.
So, I’m committed to 'completion' this year. What’s your word?

Thanks for reading.

Peace,
Paul