Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Okay, Let's Try This Again...

Last year I took a shot at quitting tobacco products, but fell off horse at some point. Shortly after the new year, I again made the pledge & decided to take another serious crack at cutting-back on my use of tobacco products. With the help of an iPhone application I downloaded (MyQuit Coach - LiveStrong.com) I track every smoke I take - I can even track each craving where I didn't smoke. The app allows me to set my own custom quit plan. Each week, the app gradually decreases the number smokes I'm allowed to take in a given day.

I chose a 40-day plan starting with a limit of 7 smokes per day & currently. I'm currently on day 19 of the plan, at 4 smokes a day - so I'm just about half-way home! I'll admit that I'm a bit concerned about the next reduction in number of smokes allowed tho. In just a days time, I'll only be allowed 3 smokes per day (less than half the amount of what I'd been used to smoking in a day. I'm hoping I have the strength to remain disciplined. I will say; however, that I'm very pleased with the restraint I've shown thus far.

The app calculates other related stats like the amount of money I've saved by smoking less & there's a companion website where others can follow my progress. The app & website awards various badges based upon personal achievements like not smoking during peak daytime hours or smoking less than the daily limit allows, there's even a support community where I can interact with other people currently fighting the same battle - all & all, I'd say it's a pretty useful app for anyone serious about kicking the habit.

In addition, I've been experimenting with electronic cigarettes over the past few months & I think that's a viable option for me if the daily limit dwindles down to zero but I find myself still having cravings. Since e-cigarettes don't burn, smell, or contain any tar/carbon monoxide, it makes them a completely logical/practical quitting tool for me. That coupled with the fact that I really am committed to a healthier me (& also the support of a really good sponsor) makes me feel good about my chances moving forward...

Sunday, January 1, 2012

January 1st...

Another year has passed & outside of the fact that I'm driving a different car this year, I find myself sitting in pretty much the same position :-/

Sure, folk always say "no news is good news," & perhaps that's true in most cases, but there certainly isn't much of a discernible fun factor associated with no news, either - I'll tall ya that! Long story-short, I'm still bored, lol. But I have noticed the accomplishments of friends or associates in a year's time & I'm happy for them all. Such accolades include new jobs, homes, babies, relationships & even an engagement, so to each of these persons, I'm sending out a huge congratulations! What the hell? Just for kicks, I'll even toss in a great big helping of job well done, lol. Seriously, it's my hope that 2012 proves just as fruitful as 2011 did.

I'll bet you probably thought this was goimg to be a negative post from me, didn't you??? Lol, dont worry, I'm keepin the vibe positive in this post & others moving forward - I'd hate for the majority of my blog entries to consist of nothing but negative/sad woe as me-type stories & I definitely don't want to start 2012 in such fashion.

My 2012 calendar year goals? Well, becoming a homeowner is something I'd like work on this year, securing the necessary down payments & involved closing costs, anyway. I'm completely comfortable with my current situation/neighborhood, so that affords me the benefit of taking my sweet time when it comes to actually making any deal happen.

I'd definitely like to start doing more, as far giving back (writing checks isn't the most fulfilling experience), so both mentoring or coaching are a couple things that have been on my mind in recent years. I think it's about time to stop waiting on my own children & focus more upon helping someone else's child - gotta fill the void, right?

As far a my current employment, I'd always welcome some sort of promotion or merit increase, but in terms of the work I do, I'm rather good at it - plus the job security remains rather decent. I've certainly been blessed so a new job really isn't at the top of my list in 2012, but I always keep my ear to the ground, just in case!

At any rate, I guess those are a few of the things I have in mind for 2012 - not every earth shattering, I know - but I've always been a simple man of modest means (outside of my tech toy addiction of course :-) Happy new year all...