Up early!
Ugh! Ever up super early or really late. Depends on how you describe 4:00AM. For me its early, WAY early. Guess I might as well do some writing. Since 2017 is winding down I think I want to share a little bit about how it has gone for me.
Since January 1 of 2017 I have been redesigning my life. 2016 was a crappy year! From the outside it probably seemed pretty good but I can tell you that for me and my sanity it wasn’t pretty. So as 2016 came to a close my beautiful wife Ruth and I decided that something needed to change and that we would start by giving up drinking for a year. Now that might sound really hard or really easy depending on your frame of mind but for me it was a challenge. I wouldn’t say that I had a full blown drinking problem but I enjoy a cocktail quite a bit and to think that I wouldn’t have that comfort in my life for a year made me a bit uneasy. I guess that feeling is the proof that it was a good idea right?
I also knew that I needed to get my soft, pudgy mid section back into shape. I have 2 crazy boys and a hobby that requires a lot of fitness to stay safe so being fit really isn’t just a good idea. I decided to attack my weight head on and completely change my diet at the same time I was giving up booze. Normally two massive changes is a recipe for giving up and not following through but something was different this time. There was a pit in my stomach from all the money I had lost and weight I had gained over the last couple years (more on that in a later post). I have been a Christian my whole life and in the last 6 year have been renewing my faith because of a major fall from grace (yep, there will be a blog on that too) but God was talking to me in a much louder voice now and I knew that I NEEDED to change.
So January 1st came and we gave away or poured out all of the alcohol in the house and I put my head down. As part of my transformation I decided that I needed to learn more about business too. Highland Cycles was failing in Grand Junction and I needed to figure out why and do something about it. I began reading or listening to every book I could get my hands on and spending time every morning with the Bible and Jesus. As the months clicked away I began to see changes. My body was coming back, my mind was incredibly clear and my relationship to my family was blossoming. Not everything got easier of course. Highland Cycles in Grand Junction ended up failing and I had to shut it down and I have been struggling with energy issues off and on during the year but over all life has been improving almost daily. Here are some positive stats for my year so far:
Pounds I have lost : 30
Races I have been on the podium : 10+
Debt I have paid down : $20,000.00 (still have a LONG way to go)
Books I have read or listened to : 15+ and counting (want to raise that a bunch in 18’)
Those are some numbers I have kept track of. The less tangible benefits have been gigantor also. I have had WAY more time with my family. I used to put them on the back burner for work and play but this year we have really been able to connect a lot more and we have plans to increase that as time rolls on. My wife and I have become closer than we ever have in our 18 years of marriage and THAT is an amazing thing (wink wink). While closing my second location was really hard thing I can say with certainty that it was a positive move for my business as a whole and my life. The amount of ideas and solutions I have come up with because of not clouding my mind with alcohol has been crazy. I find myself thinking all the time and I LOVE it! I am not a bright individual but clearing out the haze is allowing me to do a lot more than I previously thought I could (including this blog).
One of the most powerful new habits that I have started this year has been my morning routine. For years I have struggled to get up and at them in the morning. Part of that came from being naturally a night owl and from my inability to sleep well. When 2017 rolled around I decided that must change and I began to get up at 4:30 am every morning. Of course the word EVERY is a bit strong but “most” is fitting. After getting up I read the bible, meditate, go for a walk and then begin work at home. By making my mornings predictable I have further cleared my tiny brain and allowed for more creative thought. I have also “found” more time during the day to hustle on my dreams. I have been listening to some amazing books by Jon Acuff while walking and I would recommend them to any one of you who has dreams of doing more meaningful work. The three that have had the most impacl are “Finish” “Start” and “Do Over” Because of these books and some hard fought discipline I am transforming my life one day at a time. And if I can do it so can you! If you have any questions about my diet, decisions, faith or motorcycles, please feel free to email me at morgan@highland-cycles.com I would love to share about how I am getting this all done. And stay tuned for more as I continue this writing project!
Thanks for reading and as always, if you know someone who might want to read this, please share it and subscribe if you want to know when the next one is up!
