2011 Checklist, Part 01: Health.

So I get the occasional forwarded email a couple times a week from my mom. Usually they're the generic inspirational messages that have been passed around online for years, or excerpts from medical articles about vitamins and medicine, and even the rare cautionary warning about some new way that thieves get your personal info. I'll typically glance at the email and sometimes dash back a quick "thanks" to my mom (after all, her intentions are good), and clear out my inbox.

However she sent me a "2011 Checklist" a few days ago which I thought was worth saving and commenting on. The checklist was divided into a few sections so I'll cover them in individual entries.

I know we're a month in already, but I hope your 2011 is off to a great start!

good for you

Health:

• Drink plenty of water. I could probably stand to drink more water throughout the day, so I've resorted to keeping a glass in my room at all times. Usually (and I know this is probably not the best thing) I get my water in coffee form. At least I've cut down tremendously on soda.
  
  
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar. I started counting calories to achieve a deficit since I've been on a cut, so while I've reduced the total amount of food I've been eating, I try to space meals evenly throughout the day. Makes it easier to keep track. When I'm done with the cut I'll definitely change my eating habits though.
  
  
• Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. I've probably eaten more spinach over the past twelve months than anyone I know (I should probably start growing my own at this rate). Along with switching to a pescatarian diet, I've been fairly successful with eating salad on a near-daily basis.
  
  
• Live with the 3 Es -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy. The first two go hand-in-hand and I could definitely use more of each. I have been feeling depressed lately given my non-existent job situation, but obviously there's no other choice but to keep going. As far as empathy ... I like to think I have plenty of that, but there's always room for improvement.
  
  
• Make time to pray. This is a tricky one. I've been going through some kind of weird crisis of faith over the past few months which has resulted in me having a lot of questions I never thought I'd be asking. Yes, I still believe in God, but not really in the way I used to. Anyway, I'll be addressing it soon in this blog.
  
  
• Play more games. I think I do plenty of this already. I need a job.
  
  
• Read more books than you did in 2010. Shouldn't be too hard since I'm done with school and I can actually read more for pleasure now.
  
  
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. I plan on resuming some sort of yoga schedule soon and want to learn to meditate effectively. I still live with a lot of unrest in my mind, and need to be able to clear it.
  
  
• Sleep for 7 hours. LOL.
  
  
• Take a 10- to 30-minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.
This definitely needs to be done. While I absolutely hate running in cold weather (you wouldn't believe the amount of phlegm I can generate jogging a 5K in the wintertime), there's really no excuse to take a walk around the block even in the misty rain.