Kaizen.

In the spirit of some old-fashioned New Year's Eve reflection, I've been thinking recently about what I have and haven't managed to accomplish in 2009. On balance, it's been a pretty good year: I quit a job I didn't love and have spent the last 9 months getting much closer to actually applying to grad school. I got engaged in September and finally feel like my fiance and I have time to plan for the big day. I joined Potomac Crossfit in February and over the last 11 months--despite a few self-inflicted setbacks--have become a fitter, healthier, and happier person. I've made some mistakes (overscheduling my life and not prioritizing my well-being being chief among them), but I've learned a lot about nutrition, fitness, and self-motivation, and am looking forward to continuing to improve and learn in 2010.

Now, onto a few short-term goals. As I mentioned, I signed up for sectionals, which will take place at the end of March. Like I said, I have no illusions about doing well, but I think that I can make a reasonable amount of progress from now until then, and I like the idea of having something to work towards. In any event:

First, January 1 to February 16 I will conduct my own personal Paleo Challenge: Zone-proportioned lean protein, no caffeine or artificial sweeteners of any kind, 2 or fewer servings of fruit a day, and a daily dose of Carlson's fish oil. I'll take before and after photos for the sake of having an additional metric for comparison, and I'll look for support from the other PCF folks doing the real challenge.

Second, except for during my overnight ambulance shifts, I'm aiming for 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Except for a 10-day period a few weeks ago, I was pretty close to this goal in December, and my spring schedule will be even more conducive to making it happen.

Third, I am shooting to average 4-5 WODs per week, and I plan to periodically evaluate whether I need to cut back on other commitments if they start to interfere.

Last, each month I will choose a goat (or goats) to work on, with an aim for raising my competence in a few critical arenas. I have 2 goats for January: stringing kipping pullups together (5 is my goal) and doing the same with double unders (25 is my goal). Both are technique-dependent moves that would be perfect for me to work on at the 1100 skill hour at the box several times a week.

Ok, if you've made it through this post, it's your turn. These seem like reasonable aspirations, but I would love to hear thoughts, comments, and suggestions if anyone has any. Happy New Year, everyone!