2022 Year In Review

Over the past few years, I’ve tried to write a year in review.  It’s not perfect. I forgot alot of things that happened.  Some of the stuff I’m writing makes me sounds smarter than I am.  And, hopefully, I’ll look back on this post in a few years and realize how dumb I was.  That will mean I’ve grown.  For the review, I write: what went well, what didn’t go well, and what I learned.  I’ve also added my favorite books.  Here we go.

What Went Well

Lost Weight  – In July, I went on a trip to Florida with some buddies.  One day, we played basketball outside.  My buddy videoed it.  I had my shirt off and did not like what I saw.  When I got back to Nashville, I started playing basketball three times a week, stuck with a diet, and lowered my beer drinking.  From July to October, I went from 252 pounds to just under 230.  I’ve tried to lose weight just by dieting and that’s never worked for me.  Playing sports seems to be the only cardio I can consistently do. 

Friendship – It’s not ideal, but I could be single for the rest of my life.   However, I couldn’t make it without good friends. Since I’ve been back in Nashville, I’ve built a great group of friends.  Early morning basketball has helped me reconnect with a lot of guys I grew up with or went to college with.  I still miss old friends from the different cities I’ve lived.  That’s the thing that sucks about moving, you make new friends but you lose old ones.

Improved Habits – I quit tobacco.  I lost weight. I improved my sleep.  Cutting bad habits is just as important as making new ones. I also know I’m a few bad decisions from going back to my old habits.

Workouts – Here were my best lifts this year:

Press – 185

Bench – 275 x 2

Squat – 407 (Lifetime PR)

Deadlift – 473

I set one PR (in the squat).  But, losing 20 pounds stole some of my gains. The reason I say working out went well was because I stayed consistent.  Here were the number of weightlifting workouts I completed each month:

January – 13

February – 11

March – 12

April – 13

May – 15

June – 8

July – 12

August – 11

September – 14

October – 15

November – 13

December – 10

What Didn’t Go Well

Travel – I went to the beach twice, NYC and Arizona for a bachelor party.  But, I still haven’t been out of the country in a few years.  Hopefully that changes in 2023.

Had a Breakup – It was the right move but still didn’t feel great.  She was a good person and we had a lot in common, but I prioritized other pursuits instead of her and it ended. 

Business – Archway Roofing had a fine year.  We didn’t meet the sales goal I had in mind at the beginning of 2022, but Nashville also didn’t have any bad storms like we the previous two years.  I’m still excited about the direction of the company and think we have a great group that’s ready to grow. 

What I learned

Stop attaching to people and things.  Most of my disappointments come from high expectations.  I can be happy with everything I have right now.  A new person or possession shouldn’t affect how I feel.

Force yourself to be uncomfortable.   The dopamine from achieving goals and overcoming obstacles is awesome.  The only way to get that dopamine is by forcing myself to do hard things.

Get sun in your eyes when you wake up.  This has helped my sleep more than anything else.  Getting sun in your eyes starts your circadian rhythm and helps your body both wake up and fall asleep easier.

Favorite Books I Read

All the Light We Cannot See by  Anthony Doerr – During Christmas, my mom made the comment that all good books are about war.  She’s kinda right.  A book about a blind girl and two orphans during WWII doesn’t sound like my style, but it was a gut wrencher.  As soon as I finished, I felt sad it was over.

Debt: The First 5000 Years by David Graeber – Do you use money?  Ok.  Read this book.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – I didn’t read this book for a long time.  Maybe it was because Angelina Joe Lee made a movie about it.  I don’t know.  But, I was wrong.  Louie Zamporini was a badass and this book was the shit.  If you need another book about being stranded in the ocean, read Kon-Tiki.

Awareness by Anthony De Mello – I read a little bit of this book every morning.  It felt like meditation.  I think it’s a good idea to read some philosophy every morning to get your mind right.  Awareness is a good book to start.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy – I cried at the end of the book.  Any book that makes me cry is an automatic favorite.