Josh Shear

I'm a coffee drinker. There are no two ways about it. My coffee pot must have a timer so that the pot can be brewed by the time I wake up. I'll drink some Folgers or some Maxwell House if it's what's around. I'd prefer to be drinking some Paul deLima or something roasted at Recess.

It turns out coffee is a comfort food to me. It's not the caffeine.

I discovered that this morning when I drank an Xtreme Shock. I like this stuff as a pre-workout drink. It's essentially a high dose of niacin and caffeine.

And after my workout, I just had to have a couple of sips of coffee. I'd certainly had enough caffeine to avoid a withdrawal headache, and indeed I was buzzing a bit. But I wanted that warm drink, I wanted the flavor.

In the film "Mean Girls," Lindsay Lohan's character says that she likes math because it's "the same in every language." I'm beginning to feel that way about coffee. Even if people are drinking decaf.

photo credit.

One of the things I've struggled with most throughout my adult life is work/life balance. Typically I either work too hard or live too hard.

Right now, I hold two management positions and one entry level position at a gym. I co-chair a civic group, and I sit on the steering committee of another. I try to spend as much quality time as possible with JB and Rufus, the black lab we rescued in January.

I also try to be a good son, brother and friend – not to mention a sports fan, writer and avid reader.

And then there's my health to consider.

How the hell do I keep it together?

Well, some things aren't where I'd like them to be, and some things are. I set a weight loss goal at the beginning of the year, and it's gone to hell. I'm evolving it to a body composition goal – not a very aggressive one (I'd like to be down in the 15% body fat range; I'm currently at 22%), but one that makes me healthier feeling and healthier looking (the latter of which wouldn't be so important if I didn't work in a gym, but I do).

Saying no. I'm currently a community manager, member services and day care manager at the gym, and next week I start coaching a new group fitness program. I'm doing my multiple organizations. When someone asks if I want to create a new website or something along those lines, I say no. Typically, my phrase is, "I'm not currently taking on new projects."

Productivity software. I use Google Documents, Google Calendar, Dropbox, Facebook, Hootsuite. I'm using a smart phone and a netbook and an iPad. I share everything in the cloud, and people share with me. I have whatever I need wherever I am.

Doing stuff for me. I get up early. The first thing I do is pour a cup of coffee and take the dog for a walk. I get my coffee, some movement, some fresh air, and I get the great feeling that comes with having a creature look at me and be like, "OMG it's Josh! It's Josh! It's Josh!" as I'm dragging myself around.

After that, I sit down and write on the dog blog for 10-15 minutes. It's enough to get the creative juices flowing, to make sure that I'm writing daily, and to make sure I'm not starting my day out with work. I also make sure there's a walk after dinner. More fresh air, more movement. It's time for me (even if it's also time for JB and the pup).

Limiting communication. Even with my staff, I have communication rules. Email me whenever you want. I will respond when I can. Only call me if it's an emergency; only text between the time I get to the club and 8pm, and even then, don't expect a response right away. Also, while I'm working, the best way to reach me is to call the gym. I don't sleep with the phone in my bedroom. If I go to bed early, I can be reached when I wake up. Sorry.

And that's it. Yes, I still have some work to do to get the balance where I'd like it. But I'm doing so much better now than I was in December.

In an effort to start writing more, I'm launching a new blog. JB is also contributing occasionally.

We've now been living with Rufus for two months. We've been through some things with him – some separation anxiety, some broken doors, some Firestarter bricks that disappeared into his belly, some pulled-up carpet and a couple of mangled crates.

But also lots of playing, smiles, conversations, walks, fresh air, new people and a new attitude surrounding almost everything.

You'll find our new blog at 365walks.org. We hope that if you have anything to contribute, you will. Use #365walks, and we will definitely be accepting guest posts if anyone wants to write (use the contact form on the blog).

We're not going to be using any analytics or anything. We're just using it to write (and hopefully inform and entertain a bit, but mostly for our own selfish goals).

Hope you enjoy.

One of the things I've been doing to relax this winter is putting a fire in the fireplace. I can sit with a book, or with the TV on, or I can just sit and watch the thing burn with a glass of wine in my hand. For hours, occasionally getting up to throw on a log.

I've spent the past year and a half of my life in the fitness industry. It's a world full of people who don't understand what moderation is, or how to achieve it. And those who do, are extreme in their moderation.

Mostly, people are really focused on working out, or on nutrition, or on both. They're looking for 4% body fat to see if they can do it. They'll spend one eight-week period trying to lose 15 pounds to see if they can do it, and the next eight weeks trying to gain 15 pounds, just to see if they can do it.

Then there are the people who talk about their goals endlessly and do very little toward achieving them. They're all motivation and no action. To an extreme.

Then there are the people who do find a fitness/fun balance – these are people who make sure they enjoy themselves from a food and drink standpoint, then do exactly enough exercise to maintain their weight. To an extreme.

I've noticed that, as I've become more and more part of the fitness world, I'm headed that way, too. I know what's in everything I eat. I know exactly what each protein:carb:fat balance will do to my weight the next morning. I know exactly what I'm going to feel like tomorrow based on what I consume. And it's not just knowledge; I think about it. A lot.

I've moved away from moderation.

So, back to that fire.

To keep a fire going is work. You have to make the time to add logs here and there, and move partly burned logs around, and create some air now and again.

You can't just pile more wood on and expect it to burn longer, because the fire will just spread and consume all that new wood immediately. It's greedy. It's a bit on the extreme side.

What we learn from fire is that, in order to keep it alive, we have to plan, we have to observe, and we have to be ready to deal with some things we weren't expecting – like airflow, or some wetness inside what we thought was a dry log.

That's how you keep a fire under control and burning for a while, prolonging enjoyment. Moderation and some attention.

That's how we get the most out of our lives, even while we focus on our health, our fitness, our nutrition, our enjoyment of day-to-day life.

Anything that you might do to the extreme? Tuck it down a notch. You'll enjoy it more, and over a longer period of time.

[photo credit]

The first time I weighed in during 2011 I weighed 170.8 pounds. The first time I weighed in during 2012 (which was around 5:30 in the morning on New Year's Day), I weighed 160.4 pounds. OK, I get it, 10 pounds in a year is good. But I'm not happy with that, especially since I did a weight loss program in the beginning of the year and dropped almost 30 pounds. I understand that maybe that was a little quick, and it explains why I gained 2/3 of it back.

This year I set a goal of getting to 145 pounds by March 1. That's 15.4 pounds in 60 days, or just under 2 pounds per week.

That's sustainable, and while I could probably drop that 15 pounds more quickly, I want to be able to maintain this year, and still be under 150 at year's end.

Here are some things I'm going to do (other than checking in on the blog occasionally):

• Lose fat, not muscle. This means resistance training mixed with some heavy lifting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). I think it would be really easy to do a lot of cardio and burn off the weight, but I feel pretty strong and I want to maintain that, perhaps grow it. In that sense, if I don't hit 145 pounds but I get down to 11-12% body fat, cool (I'm probably around 20-22% now).

• Use trackers. I have a DietMinder, and I'm using it. I also love FitDay, which counts my nutrients for me.

• Live a little. Repeat after me: Diets. Don't. Work. You can get on a diet for a little while, but the second you feel like you're "cheating" or you hit your goal, all the results you achieved go out the window. I could pretty easily lose those 15 pounds in 2-3 weeks using a strict low-carb (under 15g or so a day) and high water consumption diet. But you know what? With a goal of 2 pounds a week, I'm going to be able to drink wine (dry red), eat chocolate (moderate amounts of dark), and enjoy the heck out of a Super Bowl party (unless it's a Giants-Broncos thing, then I can't enjoy it at all).

• Try new exercises in my workouts. Know what kicked my butt during my first workout of the year? One-legged deadlifts with a 20-pound dumbbell. I've never incorporated them before, and 10 each leg – done immediately following some one-legged jumping rope (hopping rope?), which was also a first for me – had my quads burning like they haven't in a long time.

• Have people I can check in with. Someone actually asked me yesterday if I could check in with him, call him "fatty" and be mean about it until he gets his act in gear. Done. And Ben, even if I don't comment on every entry, I'm watching you, pal. And there will be a dinner party at some point.

OK, I showed you mine. Show me yours.

Over the past month I've taken on a few things. A new promotion at work, a few house projects, and I'm working on a few personal projects, like seeing more people and fewer computer screens.

I also, as some of you know, am involved in several local non-profits.

Here's what I'm doing to keep sane and get more productive.

Tools

Workflowy. Workflowy is an online to-do list that comes to me as a suggestion from Phil. I've never really been one for to-do lists (just like I keep my shopping list in my head), but I've been using Workflowy for a week now and I love it. I keep a browser tab on it at all times, and I use it for everything from long-term projects to an editorial calendar. It has a simple hierarchical structure so you can include details, you can mark either parts or the whole complete, tag things you need to get done today or make a higher priority, and you get an email each morning letting you know where you are.

Dropbox. I've been using Dropbox for a couple of years, since I began using multiple devices (laptop, netbook, smart phone, iPod). It's a virtual hard drive, with public sharing capabilities. It syncs when you're online, but if you're not online you can still edit items that have already been synced on the device you're using. Also, it's free, until you need more than 2GB of space.

Google. I figured you didn't need a link. Google docs, Google calendar and Google groups have been a big help across the board, primarily because of the ability to share and group-edit.

Habits

Facebook. I dumped the game apps from Facebook, which means no more Scrabble or Words With Friends until I get the other stuff straightened out. That means I won't be checking to see if my opponents have played their moves. And in fact, I'm only opening Facebook when I want to check on the pages I administer.

Email. I've set up a work email filter, so that I'm only checking work emails when I am in a position to get work done. That's saving me a lot more time than I expected.

Wellness. This should be a no-brainer, but it's so often overlooked. If you eat well, get enough sleep, get a massage occasionally, get some exercise and some fresh air, you'll be sharp, quick, and alert. You'll get your stuff done, and you'll have energy beyond that.

Skip artificial borders. And by that, I'm really talking dates. I've already published my New Year's post. I don't feel the need to wait until a new year, or a new month, or a new week to start something new. Just start it. The sooner you do, the sooner you'll be happy you did.

What are your favorite tools and habits for productivity?

Here's my annual posting of Dougie MacLean's take on "Auld Lang Syne." Unlike last year, I'm going to write on about 2011 and 2012.

And unlike previous years, I'm writing this on December 16, not December 31. Primarily because it's on my mind and I'm making changes now instead of waiting two weeks until the calendar changes.

2011 was the year of patience for me. I'm sure that there were other things going on (heck, I've lost a bunch of weight and gained a bunch of muscle, as well as learned a helluva lot about nutrition and fitness), but most nights I came home complaining about someone or some event that was really trying my patience, even if I didn't use that word.

I've always considered myself a fairly patient person. But I say yes a lot, and I do a lot for a lot of people. I invest a lot of time and energy in things other than myself, and I keep to a fairly tight schedule and require excellence around me if I'm going to do the things I say I'll do.

And I got to a point this year when 3 minutes' deviation in my planned schedule threw me into a rage, and misused turn signals set me off.

So here I'm writing at the end of the year. I've removed some of the distractions, I've taken more time to breathe, and I'm learning to go with the flow a little more.

I'm also not taking on as much, so maybe someone's losing from my gains, but I feel like I've got something new on my resume in this whole patience thing.

Looking ahead to 2012, I think it's going to be a year of more faces and fewer avatars. I'm looking forward to seeing more people in person, playing Scrabble in cafes instead of on Facebook, eating breakfast with people instead of tweeting about what I ate, and in general being more present in people's lives, even if I'm less present in their Twitter streams (no, I'm not quitting Twitter; not even close).

Toward that end, anybody interested in starting a regular breakfast thing? A few people at a cafe or diner at 6am some morning each week? Or maybe 7:30 on a weekend morning?

So, whether it's Dec. 16 or Dec. 31 or March 2, tak a right guide-willy waught and let me know what's up with you in the new year.

On Saturday, June 11th, Assault City Roller Derby will once again bring the excitement and action of women’s flat-track roller derby back to the Greater Baldwinsville Ice Arena. In a double-header against Central New York Roller Derby, ACRD’s Assault Squad will take on the CNY All-Stars, and ACRD’s Battery Brigade will face off against the Rome Wreckers. Doors will open at 4:30 PM, and the Assault Squad bout will begin at 5 PM, with the Battery Brigade bout to follow. Both ACRD teams won their bouts last month, and the teams are looking to repeat their success in this double header.

» ACRD wins double header (photos), plus Derby 101

The bout features live halftime entertainment by Born Again Rebels, and $1 of every ticket sold will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central New York. Presale general admission tickets are $10 each and presale front line tickets are $20 each. Reduced price children’s tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased at TicketLeap.com or at Black Mamba Skate Park in Shoppingtown Mall. Tickets will also be available at the door the day of the event for $12 for general admission and $22 for front line. After the bout, fans can join the derby girls for food and drinks at Sharkey's Eclectic Sports Lounge in Liverpool, NY.

ACRD is an all-women’s flat track roller derby league consisting of working mothers, professionals, wives, and students, ranging in age from 21 to 45. Their goal is to help local communities and promote women’s empowerment. Since its inception in late 2007, Assault City has competed on the road in Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, and Ohio as well as throughout Upstate New York. For additional information about ACRD, please visit www.assaultcityrollerderby.com.

2010 was an amazing year for me. I'm not going to write a retrospective, and I'm not going to highlight anything. I'm going to tak a right guid-willie waught tonight with some of the amazing people in my life, whether they've been here sin auld lang syne or sin five minutes ago. And I hope you do, too.

Turn off your computer and spend some time with those around you. If you have no one around you, serve others and you will soon find you change that.

Oh, and go Pats!