Hard reset, 2024 Christmas edition
I was umming and ahhing about writing a 2024 review lookback style post. I didn’t want it to end up a rehash of all the shitty bits, which these things inevitably end up being, but at the same time there’s no denying that some of the things that happened in 2024 had Consequences. Fundamentally, the year itself wasn’t the worst I’ve had, despite my separation from Gaz and some professional odds and ends going awry (that’s the nice way of putting it!)
What was hard was having to navigate single parenthood again (however briefly) and the direct impact upon my time and therefore things that I considered part of my “identity”. For example, it’s hard to call yourself a powerlifter if you can’t powerlift, because suddenly those 2hrs in the gym 3-4 times a week are needed to keep on top of household chores, prep meals for kids, wash school uniforms etc (not to mention the financial burden of paying for powerlifting coaching on a single income!) Stopping lifting impacted me mentally, but also physically: weight gain, body shape changes etc.
I was also deeply aware that to remortgage my house on a single income, I needed to vastly increase profit within my business. Some of this was easy; not spending the year part-time consulting for another agency helped me bring my turnover back up and massively reduced our outside consultancy fees. Still, time in my business crept up, compounding the lack of time to lift and the impact upon my mental health.
Although my foray back into single parenthood was brief (as alluded to) and my partner moved in over the summer which eased some of the financial burden, it was hard to readjust my work schedule backwards to make space again for lifting. Shane works long hours so there wasn’t a huge reduction on the demands on my time from the move, but even when I did find time there was always something else to do.
However, by December I was rapidly heading for burnout and was desperate for a break, and with Christmas out of the way I had the opportunity to reset: to change my schedule and get into new (old) habits to help shape the coming weeks, months and beyond. I’ve realised that if I don’t have time for a 2hr gym session a day, I can do 2 x 1 hour gym sessions (or less time, obviously, but the point is to break it up). I’ve re-engaged my powerlifting coach who has provided me with a colour-coded lifting plan so I know what to prioritise within each ‘chunk’ of time, and for now we’re actually focusing on just getting it done: not worrying too much about form checks and RPE and all that jazz. I’m back on the macro tracking bandwagon to re-lose some of the excess weight I’ve picked up being sat at a desk 12 hours a day (while still eating as if I was lifting) and I’ve knocked alcohol consumption on the head for the time being, albeit with a couple of planned ‘nights off’ over the coming months.
I haven’t set any specific new years resolutions – I think I have enough to do given that there’s only a year (and a day) to go to complete my 40 before forty now – but it’s overwhelmingly clear that I need to make this adjusted plan stick for my health and wellbeing. So let’s see how that goes…