Nepal...here I come!

So this is a photo from base camp and approximately where I will be going in November 2013 if all goes according to plan (keep in mind that the top of that mountain is roughly where a jumbo jet cruises - 29,000 ft.).  While it isn't a technical climb, it is 14 days of treking between roughly 8,000 ft and 18,000 ft.  The altitude will be a huge challenge in and of itself (and that's with Sherpas carrying our belongings).  However, I also need to begin building my endurance and ability to hike long distances without tiring.

I played tennis and softball in high school and actually think that if I stick to my careful plan I should be able to do this.  The leader of the trek said the most important thing is the ability to walk for long distances for many days.  So here's my plan of attack over the next couple years:

2011 - before I can start any serious training I need to lose roughly 40 lbs. so I'm focusing on that this year.  I will also begin walking 3-4 days per week and once fall comes I plan to try hiking on some area trails (I am shocked at how many there are) just to get myself used to the journey a bit.

2012 - In addition to continuing to lose weight and weekly walking/hiking I have a couple other goals.  First is to run three 5K's (one each season: spring, summer, fall).  I might not be able to run the whole way at first but I want to start to train for them over the winter.  This will help me with endurance.  Additionally, I plan to hike the tallest mountain in NYS: Mt. Marcy.  It's 5,344 ft. so only a quarter of the way I will be going but still it's a days journey and great training.  It's also special because my mom climbed it back in 2006 (more on that in the future).

2013 - In 2013 I hope to be able to climb a couple more Adirondack high peak's during the summer as well as continuing hiking, walking and running.  If my running goes well I may attempt a 10K. That's a big goal since I'm not a runner by any stretch.  Again, with hard work and dedication the majority of my weight should be off by then so running should be a bit of an easier prospect.

I may try to go out west a little bit in 2012/13 to start to figure out how I do with the altitude. I was in Colorado Springs 10 years ago and that was no issue for me, so perhaps a fun trip like that might be thrown on the schedule but it isn't a must.  The company paces everything purposefully so you can acclimatize along the way.

I get really pumped up planning it all out and thinking about what it will be like.  I am not always the most patient person in the world so having a plan that spells out how what I am doing now will help me achieve the end goal is important. 

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. So far no one has told me I'm absolutely crazy so that is a start! :-)  By the way, a great song to get me pumped about this trip is the new Coldplay single "Every teardrop is a waterfall". You can listen to it here.

BHAG #2

Without any further ado, I'd like to tell you a little bit about my second big BHAG.  Not only am I aiming to lose 50% of my current body weight.  I'm putting a little bit of an incentive behind it. 

Last year after my mom was diagnosed with cancer, my family signed up to participate in our local Relay for Life.  We were so incredibly blessed by people offering support, meals and such that we wanted to find a way to pay it forward.  That seemed like an excellent opportunity.  Our team collectively was the highest fundraising team in 2010 and we raised just shy of $10,000!  My mom was (quite frankly we all were) completely astounded by people's generosity.  She was touched beyond measure that people would take the time to support this important cause.

This year we participated again and though we didn't raise quite as much it was still a wonderful experience for our family. It was only 3 months after she had passed away and I confess that my heart wasn't in it the same way.  However, I also have an aunt battling cancer so we were all committed to participating and we raised over $2,500 this year.

At the kick off dinner one of the American Cancer Society staff members told about a recent trek he had made to Mt. Everest Base Camp in Nepal with ACS.  He raised $2,500 for ACS in order to participate in the trek with a handful of other people.  The group also did treks to Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Marcy. That dinner was literally days after my mom passed. I heard what he said, thought it was interesting but basically didn't think much more about it until recently.

In 2010 I had become sort of obsessed with learning about Mt. Everest. I watched a couple seasons of the reality show Everest: Beyond the Limit on the Discovery Channel (isn't that channel so addicting sometimes?).  Then I read several books including Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air that told the stories of people who had climbed Everest and K2 (the 2nd tallest mountain in the world).  I was fascinated, I admit it.  It was both easier and much, much harder than I imagined. I had no desire (still don't) to try to climb Mt. Everest, don't worry.  However, I admit that I suddenly had a desire to see it in person and to travel to this mysterious part of the world...the roof of the world as its called to see all that was there.

So my second BHAG is quite simple: I'm going to join a 2013 Journeys of Inspiration Trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp. I've talked to the local company who is running it and they feel that as long as I stick to my plan and start training I should have no trouble participating.  Base camp is 17,500 feet but not a technical climb in any way.  However the altitude is a challenge as is having the endurance to hike for many, many days in a row. 

I admit, it's absolutely crazy for me to set this goal out there.  And though I am not climbing Mt. Everest, with the shape that I am in at this very moment, even this adventure could be just as crazy.  But I think it's excellent incentive and a wonderful way to continue to honor my mom.

By the way, the photo on this blog is actually not Mt. Everest but it is from the Himalayas. It's Khumbu Himal but it's close enough to inspire me!  Wish me luck!  Here's more about Journey's of Inspiration.  More to come soon....

Weigh In Wednesday

I've been a little distracted so I haven't had a chance to update the blog.  But I haven't been distracted from my goals.  Today is "Weigh-in Wednesday" and I'm pleased to report that since last week I've lost 3.4lbs! Yay!  I know that it won't come off that easily always but it's an excellent start.  (And actually from the highest weight I've lost about 10 lbs!)

Today I want to write a little bit about mission statements.  Mission statements are very common in business and organizations.  What do they do?  They outline the purpose of that organization and helps them to stay on track.  It also helps them to outline how they want to do something.  For example Nike's mission statement is:  To bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete in the world. 

Mission statements can be company-wide or project-specific.  Again, in my work life setting mission statements has been tremendously helpful in achieving success.  So I decided to set a personal mission statement to help me achieve these goals.  It encompasses all my goals in a succinct way:

I will work to combine the promise I made to my mom before she passed away (to lose weight) with my deep desire to travel off the beaten path while raising money and awareness to help find a cure for cancer.

More to come...

A nice confirmation...

I went to church today and the sermon was on a passage in Ephesians 6.  Verses 2 & 3 jumped out at me:
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— ³ “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”  It seemed like a nice confirmation that the path that I am on is correct.  Part of what I am doing is honoring my mom by keeping this promise and I believe God will bless the effort if I stay faithful.

It's been a good week for making smart choices.  In some cases I've even surprised myself.  Thanks for all the wonderful support this week.  And thank you to my mom for being my best inspiration!

Imagineering

Anne Shirley: Don't you ever imagine things differently from what they are?
Marilla Cuthbert: No.
Anne Shirley: Oh Marilla, how much you miss.
(from the movie Anne of Green Gables)

I can identify with the fictional character of Anne Shirley in a number of ways but in my opinion this quote captures it best of all.  I have always had a great imagination.  I had imaginary friends when I was a kid (they were even creatively named - that's a different story though) and was always thinking up creative stories when I played with friends.  I think that may be why the "Harry Potter" books so enthrall me because those stories really capture my imagination.

As adults the imagination we cultivated as children can help us to achieve goals and overcome obstacles in our life.  I played sports as a kid and before we ever took to the field for a game, our team always had many practices to prepare ourselves.  In fact it would be crazy not to practice first, we certainly wouldn't be successful without practice.  I do a fair amount of public speaking as part of my job and before I deliver a big speech or participate in an interview I practice (it only makes sense, right?).

So I can't practice losing weight (you either do or do not) but I can visualize the success that I could have by reaching my goal.  Does that make sense? It's late as I write this and I realize it may not. To look at it another way, when you travel, isn't it always easier to go someplace you've been before?  So by visualizing my success it gradually becomes easier to attain it.  I don't want to sound too crazy. I'm not exactly just sitting around all day having visions or anything, ha, ha.

I love the English singer Adele (saw her in concert recently too!). She has an amazing song called "One and Only" and it contains the following lyrics which probably capture my muddled thoughts better than I am explaining them:

I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,
You never know if you never try to forget your past

 

Incidentally, Weight Watchers also identifies this technique in their "Tools for Living" section. They call it 'mental rehearsing' but its the same thing. It doesn't mean I'll never slip up, surely I will.  It does help me get back up when I do slip and get back on the road to success.  If you can see it, you can do it!

By the way, here's a link to that amazing Adele song. 

 

Goal #1

I promise I will share what my second goal is soon.  I'm trying to be deliberate in how I tell this story so you will know that this decision isn't just a whim.  That one will be a bit of a surprise for people...so I want to make sure I share my thought pattern behind it.

My first BHAG is to lose weight.  Well actually to 'lose weight' isn't really a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal).  My BHAG is how much I want to lose.  I have a number, which I'll share at the end but to put it into a percentage, I am trying to lose 50% of my current body weight.  Yikes!  Yes, that's a lot of weight but it wouldn't be a BHAG if it wasn't Big, right?

I've given this a lot of thought and want to make sure that the process is healthy, realistic and attainable. I've been tripped up many times in the past by trying to do too much at once.  My goal is about 6 lbs. per month or 18 lbs. per quarter.  It will probably come off faster than that at the beginning and much slower than that at the end. I'm not too concerned with the exact timing as long as I trend that way over many months.

I want to say right now that I'm NOT ON A DIET! :)  I'm making a healthy lifestyle change.  A diet is a short-term thing and this is something that I'm doing that will impact me for a much longer term.  As such, nothing is off limits (so please...no food police - "are you supposed to be eating that?") as long as the portions are in reason.  Of course, over time I will naturally start to select healthier eating options but I'm not making any drastic cuts. I am trying to limit my intake of some things (ie. mochas only on special occassions-drink hot tea instead, and severely cutting down on pop).  In mid-August I plan to go back to Weight Watchers with my dad who is also joining me on this journey of weight loss.  I've had success with their plan before and they follow my theory of nothing being off limits as long as you account for it.

I do have some exercise goals as well but those are more related to my other idea so more on that later.  Since I'm doing this in honor of my mom, I've decided that every quarter that I reach my goal I will donate some $$ the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for that nasty, nasty disease.

So friends, I have a much more detailed plan, but I'll be weighing in on Wednesdays and plan to keep you updated. I'm pleased to report that the first week of this (which started before the blog) I lost 2 lbs! :)  Making healthy choices, taking one step at a time and having an undiminished faith that with God's blessing I can accomplish this I believe will bring me success.  Thanks for all the wonderful support.  More to come soon!

Ch, ch, ch, changes...

Sometimes the dichotomy of your personal and professional life can be startling.  For instance, I am a "change agent" at work.  When I take over a new project or program I immediately begin evaluating it for potential changes. It's not that I change things just for the sake of it, but more that I subscribe to the idea of 'continual improvement.'  Many times, there are better ways of doing something and I'm the type of person that is keen to try those out.

You could argue that even in my personal life at times I've been unafraid of change (or at least unwilling to let fear of change get in the way).  I went two states away to college, then moved to a major east coast city by myself, and I've moved three times since then for my profession.  I have had people tell me before that they admire my courage to do all of these things and to be honest I've always had a hard time understanding that.  To me it hasn't been courage that has led me to these choices but my faith in God to provide in these situations and a strong belief that I can accomplish something when I really set my mind to it (which sometimes works out and sometimes does not).

Even when you choose change it isn't always easy, but oftentimes the hardest change to accept and adapt to is what is forced on you.  These professional changes were of my own choosing, but losing my mom was not a change I would have chosen at this age and stage of my life.  There was too much life left to be lived with her, too much to be done and said.  But that change was out of my control -- no matter how much I believed.

Most of the time I cannot forget what happened four months ago.  But there are moments in the day when perhaps I'm caught up in something at work or watching a tv show when it feels like life is as it always was.  And then in the next moment I remember that it isn't at all the same.  It's a different life now.  That doesn't mean it has to be bad but it has to be different.  Sometimes its tempting to pretend that everything is the same but I know that can only last for a while...change this big is inescapable.

So, with so much change out of my control, it's time for me to change something within my sphere of influence.  My life is different already and I guess its time that I reflect that.

I Solemnly Swear...

I know that there is a massive heatwave currently gripping our nation, but tonight we need to visit a much cooler time in the past.  It's December 31st, 2008 and I am spending a quiet New Year's Eve at home with my parents (yep, that's how I roll).  Of course, everyone thinks about making major changes in life around the new year. Resolutions are made (and subsequently broken) each year by us all.  I was looking forward to an upcoming trip to China in March 2009 that I had planned and had a goal of losing about 20 lbs. before I left.

My mom was never one to make big resolutions. I think she lived her life the way that she enjoyed it as much as possible.  That doesn't mean that she didn't have things she wanted to change, but she was pretty matter of fact and lived in the here and now.  I admire that because I can tend to get caught up in the 'what if's' or 'if only's' of life sometimes.  However, this year she must have been thinking about making a change because when I made this crazy deal with her she didn't balk at all, which was very unusual.

She had smoked for about 40 years at that point.  We had nagged her to quit for many, many, many years but she always just shrugged it off.  But on this New Year's Eve I had the crazy idea to make a pact with her.  I make an serious attempt at losing a large amount of weight and she makes a serious attempt at quitting smoking.  I admit that I figured she would tell me to take a hike but she said yes! Whoa!

She did it, after struggling for a couple months she finally quit around March of that year and I cannot tell you how proud of her we all were.  She looked healthier and more beautiful than I had ever seen her!!  And at first I kept up my end of the bargain as well. I did indeed lose my 20 pounds for China (and climbed the Great Wall - more on that later!) but when I got back...let's just say I got a little off course again.

Mom & I at Clint's wedding.

Life got busy and I got distracted. At first it was good things (my brother got married in 2009) and then a bombshell hit. It's a sad sort of irony that a year after giving up smoking (and looking healthier than ever) that my mom was diagnosed with lung cancer.  It was 14 months of constantly fighting that nasty disease and not thinking about taking care of myself at all.  I gained more weight...and my mom noticed.  We found out around New Year's that her treatment wasn't containing the disease and she was not going to win this battle.  Those were some of the hardest -- and most precious -- weeks of my life.  We spent much time together and had great talks about life.  Mom made me promise (again) that I would lose this weight.  I was hesitant at the time because my heart was so full I couldn't even think about doing something that radical.  But I knew she was right. 

It's been 4.5 months since she passed and my heart is still broken.  I can't explain to you why I feel motivated to set out on this journey now, except to say that it is a calling.  I am sorry my mom won't get to walk with me down this path but she's in my heart...and she's my inspiration.

What's in a name? BHAG's

I've always dreamed of writing a book.  I probably never will, but I'm looking at this blog as the next best thing, a chance for me to tell a story.  As I mentioned yesterday, the story will unfold in the coming months and years, however I want to take a couple days to outline the overall themes.  When you read a book (a good one, at any rate) you generally get the outline of the plot within the first couple chapters.  A boy finds out he's a wizard (Harry Potter). A hobbit inherits a great weapon (Lord of the Rings). A single man moves into the neighborhood and encounters a fiesty and independent woman (Pride & Prejudice).

In my story, I have a BHAG.  What is a BHAG you may ask?  No, it's not a typo, nor a character in Harry Potter.  A BHAG was coined by author Jim Collins in the book Good to Great.  It's a business book and not necessarily one you might naturally turn to when trying to transform your life. But I have achieved a moderate level of success in my career and organizations that I led by having a BHAG so I figured, what can it hurt to have one (or two) for my personal life?

A BHAG is a Big Hairy Audacious Goal.  In my humble opinion, a BHAG is thinking beyond what you think you can do and figuring out how to accomplish your dream.  It should stretch you to a limit and ultimately take you out of your comfort zone.  It should challenge you to reach to new heights and not accept the status quo.

I have 2 BHAG's on this journey. The first is the promise I made to my mom (which if you've read the description to the blog, you've already figured out).  If I cannot accomplish the first BHAG I have no hope of accomplishing the second one.  So what are they and how do I plan to accomplish them?  Rest assured that I've already taken the first steps on my journey and more will come...the plot begins to unfold and even I as the author can't say for sure which turn it will take.

Welcome!

It is with a little trepidition that I enter into this world of blogging.  I am doing this for myself mainly and the accountability that making this public will provide.  This is really going to be a journey for me. A journey that will last at least two years and will be undoubtedly marked by many successes (hopefully!) and a few failures (hopefully very few).  If I can accomplish my goal, I believe that this will make for a very compelling story - one full of good old fashioned hard work and dedication!

So what is my goal exactly?  Nothing more or less than keeping a promise I made to my mom before she passed away only 4 months ago.  Really, the original promise was made 2.5 years ago but mom reminded me of it in several conversations we had only weeks before she passed.  A deal is a deal and I can't renegotiate the terms of the deal now (not that I want to).  She kept her end of the bargain and I didn't.

More will come in the days ahead. I'll tell you about my plan, my exact goal and a little bit more about my wonderful and amazing mother, Judy!  Oh, and I will soon explain the design behind this blog.  It was all designed purposefully!  Wish me Godspeed on this journey I'm about to embark upon!