There are many times and places where Cliff notes are all you really need. You get the gist of it without having to spend (waste) too much time and effort to pretend to be a part of it all. Much of life seems to be made up of just this type of activity. The very reason for a sports section in the newspaper and on the nightly news is to be able to talk about baseball the next day at work without actually having gone through the whole excruciating affair of watching it completely just so you can comment on the one or two highlights that they cover in the news.
The Cliff note version of life was (and I am sure still is) a big part of school life. Come on, admit it, you did not read every reading assignment handed out in its entirety. As an active youth you had way too much going on to lose too much potential fun on homework for school.
I was (and at times still am) a slow and methodical reader. I like to read every word and catch every meaning. For some subjects this is accomplished by going at a very slow pace. For other topics, ones with which I am very familiar or have been over similar items numerous times, I can move rather quickly. Case in point, I can now read through a business' annual report rather quickly though the first few took some long agonizing hours to review. Familiarity and a consistent format can greatly speed the process, just look at your favorite sitcom.
I may have been slow but I did love to read and often carried a book with me wherever I went always pulling it out to catch a snippet here or there. It is amazing how much you can accomplish with the little bit here and the little bit there that is always moving you forward toward your goals.
So what does this have to do with anything important like spending time having fun? Just this, how much have we missed out on by trying to get by in life just on the Cliff notes?
I am currently going over some old Mark Twain writings and have really found an appreciation for why he is listed as a famous writer with a sense of humor...and I am enjoying it.
This is not something I could have said if I had been forced to read him in grade school and then do a book report or take an exam on the readings, but now as a 'grown up' with a little time and experience under my feet I can honestly say I am enjoying reading Twain.
The same can be said for other classics and standards I've read along the way. There is some mighty meat and potatoes wisdom to be gained in some of this stuff that I didn't have time for in my younger days, and I am certain I wouldn't have gotten as much out of it back then either.
There are many times in life that must be experienced directly, hands on if you will. There are no substitutes. Cliff notes and cheat sheets will only get you so far, and then the rest of the walk is your own. The process of gaining your own testimonies is through your own efforts and must be done by you if you wish to own them for yourself.
The Scriptures are an example. I took a Bible as literature class in high school and though it was interesting to see a more secular view contrasting the one you get in church I will confess that I did not complete all my reading assignments but because of my previous knowledge gained through church attendance I was still able to pass the class with a fair grade.
Since that time however I have continued to read the scriptures for myself and not to fulfill a class assignment. I have gained much more from them because of this direct involvement. Scriptures also have a special nature about them that only the best of books contain. They are packed with so much depth, truth and wisdom that you can not gain it all in one reading. It is that depth of meaning that will bring you back again and again allowing you to discover new things each and every time.
Go ahead, pull out a classic you have always wondered about and treat yourself to some good literature. You'll never know what you will find or where it will lead you until you open that path and start traveling down it. You might be surprised. I know I was and still am with each new discovery as I continue to live in my world of wonder.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Showing posts with label goal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goal. Show all posts
28 August 2010
23 September 2008
Energy solutions?
I have seen a couple of commercials lately that have caught my interest but then created disappointment and just a touch of anger. The two I am talking about are the ones espousing T Boone Pickens Plan and the other being the We Can Solve It group.
It seems like every other ad these days has an internet address attached to it for further information and in some cases the only way to find out any information about the company that is doing the advertising. In most cases, probably 98 times in 100 I don’t give the ad a second thought and very seldom if ever actually go to the web site. In fact I am almost anti web page advertising and actively ignore some of the more gimmicky ads like the one that starts you off on some adventure and then wants you to go to their web page to see what happens next. Sorry I haven’t done it yet and don’t intend to. I just don’t manipulate that way.
Curiosity did get the best of me on these two though because they are covering topics that I have had an interest in, or at least I thought I did.
As when American with a pulse knows the price of gasoline has gone up a little bit lately and it has caused some concern. T Boone Pickens, an oil man who has made a fortune from the oil industry is also concerned and has decided to put his money into letting us know of this concern and at the same time offer up a proposal on how to solve this dilemma we now face.
His proposals for the most part are sound with the stated goal of getting America to do some basic things that would significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He suggest converting some of our transportation vehicles such as trucks and buses to run on natural gas which burns more cleanly and is a product that this nation has a rich abundance of.
This approach has a lot of merit but will take a little time and some commitment on people and companies willing to break some new ground. The infrastructure for refueling vehicles with natural gas is not nearly as abundant as it is for gasoline and diesel. As demand goes up so will the facilities. I have a friend right now that is converting to natural gas powered cars and he is loving it. He has to plan his fuel stops but when he fills up it only costs 8 or 9 dollars as compared to the 45 to 50 it has been costing me. He deserves those bragging rights.
The downside is planning a long cross country or even a short trip to grandmothers house will take extra effort to make sure there is fuel available along the way. There are some cars that are dual fuel machines and can run either or but most are single fuel choice. Another setback is the added weight for carrying the heavy high pressure tanks that hold the fuel. This will reduce the performance of the vehicle and I am including handling as part of that.
Another key ingredient to the plan is to really start harvesting one of the energy sources that America has an abundance of, namely the wind. We have all seen the pictures of big wind turbines and some of us have actually seen them in action. They can be quite impressive. Some of the wind farms are immense and make quite an impact by its presence. I have seen wind farms in the hills of California to the high Wyoming valleys. I have seen giant windmills on the hilltops of Greece from 35,000 feet wondering what they would look like at ground level if they where that easily seen from that height. I have seen large single windmills set within city limits and on military installations supplying energy to their communities. I have also seen small single units and testing units churning away producing energy. Each time a see a modern era windmill silently working away I am impressed.
I have often driven through the back country of America, for lack of a better term, and have past often old and forgotten windmills that used to serve the ultimate off the grid user, the ranchers and farmers of the west. These old windmills had one important function, bring the water from the well to the surface to water crops, livestock, and family.
There is so much potential for wind and I hope that it begins to be realized. If interest grows then technology advancements will also grow and increased efficiencies will be injected into the equation making the cost benefit analysis of wind a great alternative energy source. The one thing missing in most all of these arguments is a true comparison of costs.
I think that the cost issue may account for the lack of mentioning of photovoltaic or solar cell technology. Again though, as interest grows technology advances and possibilities increase.
More information about the Pickens Plan can be found at:
http://www.pickensplan.com/index.php
The other advertisement that has had a lot of airplay lately is a group of people taking about the current problems we are having with the high cost of oil but ends with the collective resolve that we can solve it by demanding action.
Before I go any further let me tell you up front what it took a very little digging to find out. This web site is a front for Al Gore and his politics. It is totally centered on his vision of the environment and his environmental manifesto. Just know that going in. I for one was greatly disappointed by this fact.
The commercial has great power in that it alludes to the people of this land banding together as individuals and making changes within their own lives and actions they can take that will lead to a ground swell change. The kind of changes made for individuals by individuals. Changes that come from ideas that are freely shared, and expanded upon by individuals, with the common goal of freeing ourselves from the oil crisis.
What you get is a call to become a political activist and demand Al Gore’s environmentalist programs be turned into Congressional mandates. He has already conned more than 1.5 million into signing up. This means he can weld some influence in Washington which is easily pushed over by such silliness. Do all of those that signed up on the web site really understand that they are giving their voice to the personal fancy of one man?
There are the solutions already mentioned but without any detail nor again any cost benefit analysis which is to be expected of a long term politician. It is easy to say we should enhance energy efficiency and adopt the use of renewable energy; it is a whole other ball game when you actually infuse it with a real plan of action. And that is where Al Gore fails. He wants to set the goal that sets the agenda and he wants others to figure out how to met his goal and then he can take credit for it while he calls it innovative leadership.
Al Gore’s web site can be found at:
http://www.wecansolveit.org
My biggest gripe for both of these movements and especially Al Gore’s is that they both call for government action. Both want government intervention to force and fund full implementation of their plans. That funding would come from taxpayer dollars and changes would be mandated is where these plans break down. If they are viable worthwhile goals, both economically and environmentally, (which I think they are), they should be able to be implemented directly without the need for government mandates, infusions, or interventions.
Of the two plans at least Pickens is putting some of his plan into real action by starting wind farms to harness and produce a real change. I can assure you that he will only do this as long as it is economically viable and that is the other reason for him to seek government subsidization, but a better way would be to continue to seek ways that would make it profitable on its own.
The last energy crunch of the 70’s created a surge in wind generators and solar cells that were heavily subsidized with tax breaks. Because the cost break even points were artificial, true cost benefits were not needed. The quality of the products that were rushed to market to fill the new tax subsidized industry were subpar and new technologies were not needed because existing or old tech would meet the rules for tax write off purposes. When the wind generators broke they sat there broke because it was not worth putting any money in to fix them.
I don’t want to see us head down that path again. We can’t afford to waste time and energy on more knee jerk reactions that continually shift the problem. We need real solutions from real people for real people, not government solutions for the masses. If the government would kindly leave some money in my pocket rather than continually confiscate it for ill conceived plans, then maybe I as a consumer could create an influence through my actions and choices that would make a real difference. Maybe I could afford to support by investing in a wind farm of my own, or at least buying a solar system for my house. One that put money back into my pockets because of savings and sell back would make it all the more sweet. That is where you start and that is how you make it work.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
It seems like every other ad these days has an internet address attached to it for further information and in some cases the only way to find out any information about the company that is doing the advertising. In most cases, probably 98 times in 100 I don’t give the ad a second thought and very seldom if ever actually go to the web site. In fact I am almost anti web page advertising and actively ignore some of the more gimmicky ads like the one that starts you off on some adventure and then wants you to go to their web page to see what happens next. Sorry I haven’t done it yet and don’t intend to. I just don’t manipulate that way.
Curiosity did get the best of me on these two though because they are covering topics that I have had an interest in, or at least I thought I did.
As when American with a pulse knows the price of gasoline has gone up a little bit lately and it has caused some concern. T Boone Pickens, an oil man who has made a fortune from the oil industry is also concerned and has decided to put his money into letting us know of this concern and at the same time offer up a proposal on how to solve this dilemma we now face.
His proposals for the most part are sound with the stated goal of getting America to do some basic things that would significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He suggest converting some of our transportation vehicles such as trucks and buses to run on natural gas which burns more cleanly and is a product that this nation has a rich abundance of.
This approach has a lot of merit but will take a little time and some commitment on people and companies willing to break some new ground. The infrastructure for refueling vehicles with natural gas is not nearly as abundant as it is for gasoline and diesel. As demand goes up so will the facilities. I have a friend right now that is converting to natural gas powered cars and he is loving it. He has to plan his fuel stops but when he fills up it only costs 8 or 9 dollars as compared to the 45 to 50 it has been costing me. He deserves those bragging rights.
The downside is planning a long cross country or even a short trip to grandmothers house will take extra effort to make sure there is fuel available along the way. There are some cars that are dual fuel machines and can run either or but most are single fuel choice. Another setback is the added weight for carrying the heavy high pressure tanks that hold the fuel. This will reduce the performance of the vehicle and I am including handling as part of that.
Another key ingredient to the plan is to really start harvesting one of the energy sources that America has an abundance of, namely the wind. We have all seen the pictures of big wind turbines and some of us have actually seen them in action. They can be quite impressive. Some of the wind farms are immense and make quite an impact by its presence. I have seen wind farms in the hills of California to the high Wyoming valleys. I have seen giant windmills on the hilltops of Greece from 35,000 feet wondering what they would look like at ground level if they where that easily seen from that height. I have seen large single windmills set within city limits and on military installations supplying energy to their communities. I have also seen small single units and testing units churning away producing energy. Each time a see a modern era windmill silently working away I am impressed.
I have often driven through the back country of America, for lack of a better term, and have past often old and forgotten windmills that used to serve the ultimate off the grid user, the ranchers and farmers of the west. These old windmills had one important function, bring the water from the well to the surface to water crops, livestock, and family.
There is so much potential for wind and I hope that it begins to be realized. If interest grows then technology advancements will also grow and increased efficiencies will be injected into the equation making the cost benefit analysis of wind a great alternative energy source. The one thing missing in most all of these arguments is a true comparison of costs.
I think that the cost issue may account for the lack of mentioning of photovoltaic or solar cell technology. Again though, as interest grows technology advances and possibilities increase.
More information about the Pickens Plan can be found at:
http://www.pickensplan.com/index.php
The other advertisement that has had a lot of airplay lately is a group of people taking about the current problems we are having with the high cost of oil but ends with the collective resolve that we can solve it by demanding action.
Before I go any further let me tell you up front what it took a very little digging to find out. This web site is a front for Al Gore and his politics. It is totally centered on his vision of the environment and his environmental manifesto. Just know that going in. I for one was greatly disappointed by this fact.
The commercial has great power in that it alludes to the people of this land banding together as individuals and making changes within their own lives and actions they can take that will lead to a ground swell change. The kind of changes made for individuals by individuals. Changes that come from ideas that are freely shared, and expanded upon by individuals, with the common goal of freeing ourselves from the oil crisis.
What you get is a call to become a political activist and demand Al Gore’s environmentalist programs be turned into Congressional mandates. He has already conned more than 1.5 million into signing up. This means he can weld some influence in Washington which is easily pushed over by such silliness. Do all of those that signed up on the web site really understand that they are giving their voice to the personal fancy of one man?
There are the solutions already mentioned but without any detail nor again any cost benefit analysis which is to be expected of a long term politician. It is easy to say we should enhance energy efficiency and adopt the use of renewable energy; it is a whole other ball game when you actually infuse it with a real plan of action. And that is where Al Gore fails. He wants to set the goal that sets the agenda and he wants others to figure out how to met his goal and then he can take credit for it while he calls it innovative leadership.
Al Gore’s web site can be found at:
http://www.wecansolveit.org
My biggest gripe for both of these movements and especially Al Gore’s is that they both call for government action. Both want government intervention to force and fund full implementation of their plans. That funding would come from taxpayer dollars and changes would be mandated is where these plans break down. If they are viable worthwhile goals, both economically and environmentally, (which I think they are), they should be able to be implemented directly without the need for government mandates, infusions, or interventions.
Of the two plans at least Pickens is putting some of his plan into real action by starting wind farms to harness and produce a real change. I can assure you that he will only do this as long as it is economically viable and that is the other reason for him to seek government subsidization, but a better way would be to continue to seek ways that would make it profitable on its own.
The last energy crunch of the 70’s created a surge in wind generators and solar cells that were heavily subsidized with tax breaks. Because the cost break even points were artificial, true cost benefits were not needed. The quality of the products that were rushed to market to fill the new tax subsidized industry were subpar and new technologies were not needed because existing or old tech would meet the rules for tax write off purposes. When the wind generators broke they sat there broke because it was not worth putting any money in to fix them.
I don’t want to see us head down that path again. We can’t afford to waste time and energy on more knee jerk reactions that continually shift the problem. We need real solutions from real people for real people, not government solutions for the masses. If the government would kindly leave some money in my pocket rather than continually confiscate it for ill conceived plans, then maybe I as a consumer could create an influence through my actions and choices that would make a real difference. Maybe I could afford to support by investing in a wind farm of my own, or at least buying a solar system for my house. One that put money back into my pockets because of savings and sell back would make it all the more sweet. That is where you start and that is how you make it work.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
28 February 2008
The Two Million (2,000,000) Step Goal. Part 3
So now I find myself in 2007. I have a better sense of what I am capable of. I have a sense of accomplishment from my previous years walking. I have had some big months and some big days to make up those big months. I know I can go on the big walks but can I do enough of them to make up a 2,000,000 step year? There is only one way to find out. Go for it.
To do 2,000,000 steps a year you have to average 5,480 steps a day. That is each and every day, not just the days you feel like walking. If you miss a day you have to walk 10,960 steps the next day just to make up for it. You can of course add 548 steps to the next ten days to make up for one missed day or 55 extra steps for the next 100 days. The point here is that you don’t want to miss any days. As I said before, averages are funny things. The longer you generate an average the harder it is to raise or lower it. Towards the end it took some really big days to make a slight increase in the overall average.
This time I was going to attack the goal from the beginning. No slow starts this time. I needed to average 166,667 steps a month. I could do that; remember I even had a 200,000+ step month. It would be tough but it could be done. The desire was there, the motivation was there and the commitment was there. I was going to do this one way or another; I would walk 2,000,000 steps in one year.
When you have a goal like this, your mindset changes. You look for excuses to add steps to your daily routine. You don’t mind that the parking spots closest to the building are taken. You walk to meetings sometimes even taking the longer route to get there. You carry an umbrella with you so that weather does not slow you down. You study your text book while walking on a favorite path. You find yourself doing figure eight laps in the kitchen while you are waiting for the microwave to finish warming up your dinner. You become one of the mall walkers. You find a way to attach the pedometer to every piece of clothing you own from suits to bike shorts. You do whatever it takes to accumulate those steps so that you can accomplish your goal.
This year, by the end of 6 months I had reached 811,014 steps, the best start so far. Again a bout of illness slowed me down but it was not going to take me out this time. This time I knew what my goal was, and I was firm on my goal. I would make it whatever it took. That determination and drive helped keep me motivated. If I had a spare moment I was walking. If I had a layover in the airport, I was pacing the terminals. If I was in a foreign city, rather than take the rental car or taxi, I was going for a walk.
At the end of 6 months I was behind and chasing my average. I was trying to make up the lost ground and that meant putting in days that had steps well over my goal average in an effort to make up for the days I had gone short. I was beginning to understand how these averages worked, and believe me they are work, and it taught me what was needed to accomplish this goal and it all boiled down to steps.
I pushed myself and set new personal records for most steps in a day and then I would set another. I set a new high month and then another. I finally topped out at 291,066 steps in August. This really helped bring me in line with where I wanted to be but I had to keep up the effort. This made it possible. This was no longer a dream or another empty promise to myself; this was mine to take or mine to give away. It was all up to me. And it was within my reach.
As winter approached and I entered my numbers into my spreadsheet, I knew it was going to be close. My averages had fallen behind again. Not by much, I was still within 100 steps of where I needed to be but making up 100 steps a day this late in the year would mean every day had to come in above average and the higher the better.
At the end of the day I would like at the pedometer and if I was short I clipped it back on and headed out for more. Sometimes I was pacing up and down in the street in front of the house, and sometimes I was just wondering around the house looking for a few extra steps. If anyone saw me, I’m sure they would think me completely insane, but I had my goal and I was going to get it.
As the end of the year came I went shopping, not so much for the presents but for the steps. I went to the local track and made laps. I drank extra water so that I could make more trips. I would walk down the hall to talk shop rather than pick up the phone. All was directed to the goal.
And then it happened. With two days left in the year I hit my target. I had done it. I had accomplished what I had set out to do. I made my goal. The final count showed I had taken 2,011,725 steps. I had traveled 1,074 miles on foot.
This is a wondrous feeling, one that I haven’t experienced for quite some time. It was just what I was looking for. This silly little goal started out as a way to see if I could still set and meet a personal goal. It became much more than that. It became an important message to me. It taught me that I could still direct my life. I could still choose to prioritize my efforts. I could still accomplish what I put my mind to, whatever that may be. I may have forgotten for a time but once again I know that I have it within me.
So what’s next? I am not sure yet. Maybe it is time to finish my pilot’s license. Maybe it is time to learn a new language. Maybe it is time to take up the piano. Maybe it is time to go after that 1,000 mile year on the bike. During the last three years I still managed 311, 457, and 155 miles. As you can see my focus was on the steps. Maybe this year my focus will be on the bike.
Whatever it is, I know that I can; and if I want to, I will.
PS. It is two months now into the new year. My daily step totals have dropped off to about 1/3 of what they were last year. That is about what they were before I started this whole experiment. One thing that may be making a difference is that the battery went dead last November just before the completion of my goal. Bad timing, right? I have replaced it a couple of times and just went to the watch department and asked for a new one. I think it might have been a little big because even though it works it has reset on me in the middle of the day and once at the end of the day as I was taking it off. Frustrating, especially when you are counting steps. Anyway, I suspect that it is not counting every step anymore.
I have kept most of my new good habits like parking farther out and walking in, or walking to make visits whenever possible. Those kinds of things have stayed with me and I hope they always will. I am not however, as obsessed with making steps so I don’t have the pedometer on me every minute of the day. I also don’t bother to go out of my way to add steps at the end of the day anymore.
I guess the real difference is that for the last three years I had a very specific goal with a time frame that was stated, written down and committed to. I do not have that this year. That is another lesson to be taken away from all this. And I am still glad I did it.
return to part 1 or part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
To do 2,000,000 steps a year you have to average 5,480 steps a day. That is each and every day, not just the days you feel like walking. If you miss a day you have to walk 10,960 steps the next day just to make up for it. You can of course add 548 steps to the next ten days to make up for one missed day or 55 extra steps for the next 100 days. The point here is that you don’t want to miss any days. As I said before, averages are funny things. The longer you generate an average the harder it is to raise or lower it. Towards the end it took some really big days to make a slight increase in the overall average.
This time I was going to attack the goal from the beginning. No slow starts this time. I needed to average 166,667 steps a month. I could do that; remember I even had a 200,000+ step month. It would be tough but it could be done. The desire was there, the motivation was there and the commitment was there. I was going to do this one way or another; I would walk 2,000,000 steps in one year.
When you have a goal like this, your mindset changes. You look for excuses to add steps to your daily routine. You don’t mind that the parking spots closest to the building are taken. You walk to meetings sometimes even taking the longer route to get there. You carry an umbrella with you so that weather does not slow you down. You study your text book while walking on a favorite path. You find yourself doing figure eight laps in the kitchen while you are waiting for the microwave to finish warming up your dinner. You become one of the mall walkers. You find a way to attach the pedometer to every piece of clothing you own from suits to bike shorts. You do whatever it takes to accumulate those steps so that you can accomplish your goal.
This year, by the end of 6 months I had reached 811,014 steps, the best start so far. Again a bout of illness slowed me down but it was not going to take me out this time. This time I knew what my goal was, and I was firm on my goal. I would make it whatever it took. That determination and drive helped keep me motivated. If I had a spare moment I was walking. If I had a layover in the airport, I was pacing the terminals. If I was in a foreign city, rather than take the rental car or taxi, I was going for a walk.
At the end of 6 months I was behind and chasing my average. I was trying to make up the lost ground and that meant putting in days that had steps well over my goal average in an effort to make up for the days I had gone short. I was beginning to understand how these averages worked, and believe me they are work, and it taught me what was needed to accomplish this goal and it all boiled down to steps.
I pushed myself and set new personal records for most steps in a day and then I would set another. I set a new high month and then another. I finally topped out at 291,066 steps in August. This really helped bring me in line with where I wanted to be but I had to keep up the effort. This made it possible. This was no longer a dream or another empty promise to myself; this was mine to take or mine to give away. It was all up to me. And it was within my reach.
As winter approached and I entered my numbers into my spreadsheet, I knew it was going to be close. My averages had fallen behind again. Not by much, I was still within 100 steps of where I needed to be but making up 100 steps a day this late in the year would mean every day had to come in above average and the higher the better.
At the end of the day I would like at the pedometer and if I was short I clipped it back on and headed out for more. Sometimes I was pacing up and down in the street in front of the house, and sometimes I was just wondering around the house looking for a few extra steps. If anyone saw me, I’m sure they would think me completely insane, but I had my goal and I was going to get it.
As the end of the year came I went shopping, not so much for the presents but for the steps. I went to the local track and made laps. I drank extra water so that I could make more trips. I would walk down the hall to talk shop rather than pick up the phone. All was directed to the goal.
And then it happened. With two days left in the year I hit my target. I had done it. I had accomplished what I had set out to do. I made my goal. The final count showed I had taken 2,011,725 steps. I had traveled 1,074 miles on foot.
This is a wondrous feeling, one that I haven’t experienced for quite some time. It was just what I was looking for. This silly little goal started out as a way to see if I could still set and meet a personal goal. It became much more than that. It became an important message to me. It taught me that I could still direct my life. I could still choose to prioritize my efforts. I could still accomplish what I put my mind to, whatever that may be. I may have forgotten for a time but once again I know that I have it within me.
So what’s next? I am not sure yet. Maybe it is time to finish my pilot’s license. Maybe it is time to learn a new language. Maybe it is time to take up the piano. Maybe it is time to go after that 1,000 mile year on the bike. During the last three years I still managed 311, 457, and 155 miles. As you can see my focus was on the steps. Maybe this year my focus will be on the bike.
Whatever it is, I know that I can; and if I want to, I will.
PS. It is two months now into the new year. My daily step totals have dropped off to about 1/3 of what they were last year. That is about what they were before I started this whole experiment. One thing that may be making a difference is that the battery went dead last November just before the completion of my goal. Bad timing, right? I have replaced it a couple of times and just went to the watch department and asked for a new one. I think it might have been a little big because even though it works it has reset on me in the middle of the day and once at the end of the day as I was taking it off. Frustrating, especially when you are counting steps. Anyway, I suspect that it is not counting every step anymore.
I have kept most of my new good habits like parking farther out and walking in, or walking to make visits whenever possible. Those kinds of things have stayed with me and I hope they always will. I am not however, as obsessed with making steps so I don’t have the pedometer on me every minute of the day. I also don’t bother to go out of my way to add steps at the end of the day anymore.
I guess the real difference is that for the last three years I had a very specific goal with a time frame that was stated, written down and committed to. I do not have that this year. That is another lesson to be taken away from all this. And I am still glad I did it.
return to part 1 or part 2.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The Two Million (2,000,000) Step Goal. Part 2
Once I was committed, I was determined to go through with it what ever the results. I kept a daily log in my day planner recording both the distance and the number of steps taken each and every day. I wore that pedometer everywhere.
Problem was that everywhere didn’t take me very far that first month. I only recorded 27,122 steps in January of 2005. The next month was better but not by much with 53,857 steps taken, and by March I had dropped back down to 50,231. Of course I could blame this all the lousy winter weather that limited the amount of walking space available not to mention how early it gets dark. I would surely do better when spring and summer came around.
By the end of June I totaled all my steps for the year so far and had a whopping total of 312,811 steps. This was half way through the year so I should have been up to 600,000 by now. I had been sick in June and only managed 9,537 steps but this was no excuse. If I really meant to accomplish this goal, and it was for no one else but me, then I was going to have to change my ways and dedicate more of an effort to doing what I set out to do.
In July I reversed my trend and scored a 155,677 step month. This was followed up with a 170,242 month in August. This was one of those ah-ha moments. I could do this if I wanted it enough, and after all wasn’t this what it was all about.
I pressed on with a renewed sense of the possible and at the end of the year the tally stood at 1,215,583. I had managed my first accomplished goal. It felt good but it also seemed to be less than what was possible. After all hadn’t I just covered over 900,000 steps in the last 6 months alone? Why if I could do that pace for 6 months, why not the whole year. 2006 would be the year to go for 1,800,000 steps.
That was an ambitious goal I know. Those last 6 months did take some effort and this would extend that effort for a full 12 months right on the back of the 6 months I had just completed. Could it be done? There was only one way to find out. Go for it.
And I did initially but this was a struggle. Some months were well below the goal. For a 1.8 million step year you need to average 150,000 steps a month. At the end of 6 months I had yet to have a 150,000 step month. It was not looking good. I decided to revise my plan to 1.5 million steps for the year. It was my plan and my goal and I could do what I wanted. This was not a complete submission. At the end of 6 months I only had 585,388 steps meaning I still had a long way to go for 1,500,000.
Again I had to step up to the plate. I had to recommit myself to attaining my goal. I had to decide if this was something that I still wanted. I decided that it was and with renewed energy I went for it.
The next 6 months saw me increase my average and even hit a new personal record of 201,772 steps in one month. The funny thing about averages is that the longer you are working on one the higher the number has to be to change the overall average. Even though I had some big numbers, they didn’t change the overall average as much as I had hoped, but they did contribute to the bottom line. And that is what I was after.
By the end of the year I had made 1,545,278. It wasn’t what I had started out for but it was what I was going after at the end. I had accomplished my goal but the questions lingered. What was I capable of? Did I have one more year of this in me? And if so, what would be the new goal? Could I pull off a truly big goal?
go to part 3. or go back to part 1.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Problem was that everywhere didn’t take me very far that first month. I only recorded 27,122 steps in January of 2005. The next month was better but not by much with 53,857 steps taken, and by March I had dropped back down to 50,231. Of course I could blame this all the lousy winter weather that limited the amount of walking space available not to mention how early it gets dark. I would surely do better when spring and summer came around.
By the end of June I totaled all my steps for the year so far and had a whopping total of 312,811 steps. This was half way through the year so I should have been up to 600,000 by now. I had been sick in June and only managed 9,537 steps but this was no excuse. If I really meant to accomplish this goal, and it was for no one else but me, then I was going to have to change my ways and dedicate more of an effort to doing what I set out to do.
In July I reversed my trend and scored a 155,677 step month. This was followed up with a 170,242 month in August. This was one of those ah-ha moments. I could do this if I wanted it enough, and after all wasn’t this what it was all about.
I pressed on with a renewed sense of the possible and at the end of the year the tally stood at 1,215,583. I had managed my first accomplished goal. It felt good but it also seemed to be less than what was possible. After all hadn’t I just covered over 900,000 steps in the last 6 months alone? Why if I could do that pace for 6 months, why not the whole year. 2006 would be the year to go for 1,800,000 steps.
That was an ambitious goal I know. Those last 6 months did take some effort and this would extend that effort for a full 12 months right on the back of the 6 months I had just completed. Could it be done? There was only one way to find out. Go for it.
And I did initially but this was a struggle. Some months were well below the goal. For a 1.8 million step year you need to average 150,000 steps a month. At the end of 6 months I had yet to have a 150,000 step month. It was not looking good. I decided to revise my plan to 1.5 million steps for the year. It was my plan and my goal and I could do what I wanted. This was not a complete submission. At the end of 6 months I only had 585,388 steps meaning I still had a long way to go for 1,500,000.
Again I had to step up to the plate. I had to recommit myself to attaining my goal. I had to decide if this was something that I still wanted. I decided that it was and with renewed energy I went for it.
The next 6 months saw me increase my average and even hit a new personal record of 201,772 steps in one month. The funny thing about averages is that the longer you are working on one the higher the number has to be to change the overall average. Even though I had some big numbers, they didn’t change the overall average as much as I had hoped, but they did contribute to the bottom line. And that is what I was after.
By the end of the year I had made 1,545,278. It wasn’t what I had started out for but it was what I was going after at the end. I had accomplished my goal but the questions lingered. What was I capable of? Did I have one more year of this in me? And if so, what would be the new goal? Could I pull off a truly big goal?
go to part 3. or go back to part 1.
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
The Two Million (2,000,000) Step Goal. Part 1
It started out with me feeling like I was in a rut. I didn’t seem to be getting very far in life, my job stunk, and many of my aspirations and dreams were stuck on the side of the road. I had all the makings for the perfect pity party lined up and ready to go. I didn’t need another one of those again. I knew that I needed to do something, anything really to shake myself up even if it was just a little and put myself in motion. I needed a goal.
Since my fear of missing out on so many dreams was staring me in the face, I did not want a goal that was so big it would not get done. I needed something small enough that I could tackle yet big enough to give a real sense of accomplishment. It had to be something I could accomplish. That was the whole point at this stage. I needed a mark in the win column.
I had already tried to reach a 1,000 mile biking year and I enjoyed biking but again the rut thing raised its head. I could only seem to average about 600 miles a year and lately my average had been dropping. A lot of variables can come into play with biking such as weather, daylight, time available, not to mention desire that ebbs and tides. It takes an effort to get suited up to ride and it takes time to make a ride big enough to feel like you went somewhere. So even if I still had my yearly goal of getting in a 1,000 mile year I needed something to go along with it, just in case.
This goal needed to be something that could be done more often and was slightly more in my control. It had to be something that would be self motivating and yet small efforts would still pay dividends.
About this time there was talk of the 10,000 step exercise program. The idea is simple enough. Walk 10,000 steps a day and you would lose weight and become healthy or at least healthier. Since I am a numbers guy and a slight tech geek I have had an interest in pedometers. I had never gotten one though. So one day while in the local Wal-Mart I happened to notice a simple pedometer for under $4. My price point was met. My interest was piqued; I mean how do those things work anyway? I went ahead and bought myself a new play toy.
So now I had my toy. The first thing to do with it is learn how to use it. Set up is usually the toughest step. Figure out the average length of your stride and not only will the pedometer count your steps it will calculate how far you have traveled. This takes some effort. Finding out your average stride is a little like thinking about which step you take when you go bowling. If you are thinking about it, your whole rhythm is thrown off and you look like a total spaz. I tried to measure the sidewalk and see how many steps I took for a given distance. I got a different count almost every time. It all depended on my mood, speed, arm swing, phase of the moon, temperature, altitude, wind velocity and how well I was avoiding breaking my mothers back by not stepping on the cracks.
I finally decide to take a walk around the block twice and compare the steps with the distance as measured by my bikes trip computer. I ended up walking around that block several times and coming up with an average of 34 inches. Being a numbers guy I knew that some steps would be longer and some steps would be shorter but I was happy with this distance and thought that it would serve me well as a representation of my average stride.
At 6’2” I have a fairly long stride and when I get walking I can really move out. For those thinking that 34 inches doesn’t seem very big or that it seems incredibly huge let me give you some other numbers with which to compare. At 34 inches it takes 1872 steps to make a mile. That means that a 10,000 step day will cover about 5 1/3 miles. I have another friend that used to do the 10,000 step program by counting all her steps during the day and then getting on a treadmill at the end of the day to make up the difference. Being somewhat smaller than me her 10,000 steps worked out to about 4 miles.
I found a web site referenced from work talking about the 10,000 step plan and one of the better pieces of advice was to wear your pedometer for a few normal days to establish a base line. This gives you a place to start from. It was not a great place. I realized that being stuck in a cubicle does not afford one many opportunities to acquire large numbers of steps. That combined with snow on the ground in winter time limited me to about 1200 steps a day. That only worked out to 36,000 steps a month. That was about 3 ½ days worth on a 10,000 step plan. I had to think about this.
I went with the idea that 100,000 steps a month was doable. That was about 3 times what I was averaging on a normal day, so this would still require some effort. 100,000 steps a month would work out to 1.2 million steps in a year, so not only would there be effort there would have to be a commitment. Since this commitment was to no one else but me, it would require self motivation and determination if I was to succeed. This was just what I was looking for. I decided to go for it.
go to part 2
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
Since my fear of missing out on so many dreams was staring me in the face, I did not want a goal that was so big it would not get done. I needed something small enough that I could tackle yet big enough to give a real sense of accomplishment. It had to be something I could accomplish. That was the whole point at this stage. I needed a mark in the win column.
I had already tried to reach a 1,000 mile biking year and I enjoyed biking but again the rut thing raised its head. I could only seem to average about 600 miles a year and lately my average had been dropping. A lot of variables can come into play with biking such as weather, daylight, time available, not to mention desire that ebbs and tides. It takes an effort to get suited up to ride and it takes time to make a ride big enough to feel like you went somewhere. So even if I still had my yearly goal of getting in a 1,000 mile year I needed something to go along with it, just in case.
This goal needed to be something that could be done more often and was slightly more in my control. It had to be something that would be self motivating and yet small efforts would still pay dividends.
About this time there was talk of the 10,000 step exercise program. The idea is simple enough. Walk 10,000 steps a day and you would lose weight and become healthy or at least healthier. Since I am a numbers guy and a slight tech geek I have had an interest in pedometers. I had never gotten one though. So one day while in the local Wal-Mart I happened to notice a simple pedometer for under $4. My price point was met. My interest was piqued; I mean how do those things work anyway? I went ahead and bought myself a new play toy.
So now I had my toy. The first thing to do with it is learn how to use it. Set up is usually the toughest step. Figure out the average length of your stride and not only will the pedometer count your steps it will calculate how far you have traveled. This takes some effort. Finding out your average stride is a little like thinking about which step you take when you go bowling. If you are thinking about it, your whole rhythm is thrown off and you look like a total spaz. I tried to measure the sidewalk and see how many steps I took for a given distance. I got a different count almost every time. It all depended on my mood, speed, arm swing, phase of the moon, temperature, altitude, wind velocity and how well I was avoiding breaking my mothers back by not stepping on the cracks.
I finally decide to take a walk around the block twice and compare the steps with the distance as measured by my bikes trip computer. I ended up walking around that block several times and coming up with an average of 34 inches. Being a numbers guy I knew that some steps would be longer and some steps would be shorter but I was happy with this distance and thought that it would serve me well as a representation of my average stride.
At 6’2” I have a fairly long stride and when I get walking I can really move out. For those thinking that 34 inches doesn’t seem very big or that it seems incredibly huge let me give you some other numbers with which to compare. At 34 inches it takes 1872 steps to make a mile. That means that a 10,000 step day will cover about 5 1/3 miles. I have another friend that used to do the 10,000 step program by counting all her steps during the day and then getting on a treadmill at the end of the day to make up the difference. Being somewhat smaller than me her 10,000 steps worked out to about 4 miles.
I found a web site referenced from work talking about the 10,000 step plan and one of the better pieces of advice was to wear your pedometer for a few normal days to establish a base line. This gives you a place to start from. It was not a great place. I realized that being stuck in a cubicle does not afford one many opportunities to acquire large numbers of steps. That combined with snow on the ground in winter time limited me to about 1200 steps a day. That only worked out to 36,000 steps a month. That was about 3 ½ days worth on a 10,000 step plan. I had to think about this.
I went with the idea that 100,000 steps a month was doable. That was about 3 times what I was averaging on a normal day, so this would still require some effort. 100,000 steps a month would work out to 1.2 million steps in a year, so not only would there be effort there would have to be a commitment. Since this commitment was to no one else but me, it would require self motivation and determination if I was to succeed. This was just what I was looking for. I decided to go for it.
go to part 2
This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.
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