Tighten up in 2012

Tighten up, tighten up, tighten up, is replacing aum, aum, aum, as my new mantra for 2012. I’ve been thinking about my resolutions for this year, and realize my items are more categorical in nature. Here’s where I’m at with my category tightening:(btw, many of these are already well into action)

1.     Tighten the Budget: So yeah, I am using coupons, and proud of it. Anyways, as far as the tightening process goes, Step 1: to analyze where we excessively blow dough Step 2: stop with the stupid spending in those areas.

2.     Tighten dat ass: and all my other body parts. Two days a week lifting, 2-3 days cardio (stationary, treadmill, walking), one to two yoga classes. On it! Not easy getting ‘back’ into shape.

3.      Tighten up my poker game: I don’t mean go back to being a super nitty tight player. However, improving my tight, aggressive game is what I’m talking about. I also need to work on my player –by- player strategy more when I sit down at the table. And hey variance, thanks for the tough love character building in 2011, but please show me some sweet, sweet love in 2012. Thanks in advance.

4.     Tighten up my daily habits: I’m gonna get up, and I’m gonna do them. Meditate, sun salutation (yoga in case you’re wondering), core, neti pot, vitamins. Set the stage for an amazing day and the happier me. Everyone benefits.

5.     Tight spaces require tighter organizing. This also appeases my OCD tendencies. I love to clear clutter. We have a small downtown apartment with two big people and two amazing (usually) cats. It is constant work to keep organized and tidy.  We also have 3 storage units here in our building that are calling my name to come and get rid of stuff and organize. Big project. Requires assistance from my man.

6.     Tighten up Diet: I’m working on eliminating meat from our diet 100% for all the reasons people become vegetarian. I love animals.  I want to be healthy. I love our earth. I hate big slaughterhouses that abuse animals and ruin our environment at the same time (watch Food Inc you’ll be with me, oh and 9 BILLION animals are slaughtered in the US each year…how gross, and think about that stress on the environment). As a result, I am testing out cooking some regular, rotating menu options that are healthy, tasty, and vegetarian. I have also been figuring out price per serving too, which is taking the diet/ budget/ health thing a bit overboard into crazy town, but I’m having fun with it.

This blog post is like a personal contract to myself now as well as to the wwworld since I’ve posted it. So who do these ‘tight’ categories essentially serve? Well the short answer is myself, and my boyfriend.  Seems selfish right? Not really. The bigger picture answer is an overall improved ‘me’ which will allow me to be a better contributing person overall. This is stated best here by one of my favorite yogi’s:

“…we live in a toxic world, so one of the main goals of yoga is purification. Establishing and developing boundaries of all sorts is one of the first tasks – physical, psychological, and spiritual boundaries. Cultivating good/ pure things within yourself while keeping the toxic out, or at least at bay, is the main practice. Basically maintaining the pure/impure boundaries between you, your space and the world. Then, as you evolve a little, you try to become a filter, taking the bad/impure in and transforming it into good/pure. Thus making your own space ever expanding, and creating more purity rather than just maintaining boundaries.”

He continues with “It all sounds good of course, but it’s a bitch to go through and consistently practice. We homo sapiens think too much, bitch and moan, rather than just doing. We waste so much energy on thinking about what we should do, or about what is bad rather than acting on our Good intentions.”

This has been a similar theme in my blogs before and I’ve had some great comments back from several of you about your own personal struggles trying to be your best you. I apologize for any repeats. I am repeating a bit however because I want to take this opportunity early into the new year to clearly set my intentions for 2012: to tighten my personal ‘categories’ by practicing ‘yoga’ everyday. Bet some of you didn’t realize that you already practice yoga without ever even setting foot onto a yoga mat.

And yes, I also realize that tightening my poker game is a stretch in my self -improvement efforts…but I think there’s an argument there.

Namaste to everyone! Looking forward to a tight 2012! Much love, Pdub.