Reviving this thread. We're half way through the year already! How's everyone's new year resolutions going? Mine are mixed, but I'm doing okay on a few points.
1 - As always, lose body fat, get stronger, eat better.
So, this has kinda failed, my fitness isn't great. I'm carrying a number of injuries that I've collected over the past ten years from judo and ever since I turned thirty, they're all catching up to me. I have two damaged joints in my right shoulder (SC and AC joints), I have minor tendinitis in my right elbow, I get occasional sharp pain in both my wrists (yet to be diagnosed, pain comes from pressure/bending of wrists), my right knee has a torn meniscus ligament, and I have two partially torn ligaments in my right ankle. My left ankle also has some issues too, as evident by pain, swelling and clicking/cracking sounds, but it's yet to be properly identified.
Because I can't train properly like I was earlier this year, my nutrition hasn't been the best. It hasn't been that bad, but it could certainly be better. I find because I can't train the way I want to, I develop a poor attitude and mentality of "well, I'm not going to eat properly", when I know for a fact that's bullshit and I could.
On the plus side, I don't need any surgery, but I just have to manage my injuries, find work-arounds and rehabilitate myself. Honestly, even the way I sit down on a chair, or get in/out of my car has changed. Simple stuff like that. I sometimes wear a pretty hardcore knee brace when I do judo, and may use strapping tape for things like wrists, fingers etc. When I'm at the gym, depending on the exercise(s), I'll wear a 10mm hard leather weight lifting belt, wrist straps etc.
When I train/fight in judo, I have to think about how I move and I've had to resort to using different techniques in order to avoid pain. This is going to sound super dumb but to give you all a nerdy analogy, I feel like... the transition from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. Anakin used to be fast and agile, but once he got stuck in the Vader suit, he had to adjust how he moves and fights to compensate for his new, armored form. For me, it's kinda similar. With all of these stacked up injuries, I have to think about what I do and change things up to allow my body to do particular things, pain free or with as minimal pain as possible. I am also not as fast or agile as I was seven, eight years ago - certainly a lot stronger, but I need to use my head more often.
I don't think I'll be doing any more judo competition anymore, because while judo helped me find a healthy life style and lose so much weight ten years ago, it's also responsible for all these injuries. On the plus side, a month or so ago, I did
achieve a new personal best on bench press, 130kg / 286 Ibs and it felt easy. Very happy with that.
2 - Read actual books more often, not just magazines or words on my computer screen.
I've only started reading one book and I've yet to finish it, just out of laziness. I bought "The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck" and it's an interesting read with intriguing philosophies. It's nothing mind blowing, it just talks about what to value in life, and what not to value.
3 - Draw more often and in particular, try to make my own bloody website and return to web comics. I have an idea, which I might post in another thread later.
I've been drawing a lot more lately, as evident by spamming the
Self-Promotion thread, but I haven't done comics or a website, just illustrations. Still, it's quite fun and I enjoy it. I'm even going to be hosting an artist's table at our local pop culture / anime / video game convention, which will be an experience. I'm super nervous.
4 - Help my friend get his driver's license. He's nearly thirty one and he doesn't have his driver's license. He can be slack at times, but he wants help.
This came to a halt. I found on days when I was supposed to take my friend driving, I'd get busy with something else and wouldn't be able to do it. On the other hand though, he never chased me about it and never asked, he always just kinda... assumed and expected that I would make all arrangements and organisation. Thankfully though, some friends of ours has helped him to buy his own car to learn in, so that's great.
5 - Be a better partner to my partner. I try my best, but I think I can improve.
I think I'm being a good partner to my girlfriend. At least, I hope I am.
6 - Be of better help around the house. I've been doing a lot of house work and cooking last year, but again, I think I can improve.
This has been good, I've been doing a lot more work around the house, trying to be more responsible.
7 - Go outside more often, as I spend a lot of time indoors.
Eh... yeah not really. This is something I should do, especially lately as the weather has been a lot better.
8 - Get out of my comfort zone and try to talk to more people, more often, face to face.
Also not really. I still struggle at times with talking to new people, especially of people in the workplace who are of higher authority, executive level.
9 - Try cosplay again.
I'm thinking about it. I recently bought some PDF eBooks from Kamui Cosplay, because I really want to try and upgrade my
Darth Vader armor. We'll see how that goes.
