Today’s my birthday. Yeah, yeah, save it for Facebook 🙂

I’m 43 years old today. Damn, that sounds really old writing that down.

Recently, I started thinking more about how I could improve myself in the year ahead. You see, my birthday is kinda like most people’s New Year’s Day. I look at it as a chance to look back at the year behind me, and look forward to the year ahead.

More specifically, areas of my life I could improve.

I’ve always been one of those people who loves to get better at things. Classic over-achiever. Which is perfect for me, because I would say I’m really not that talented at much of anything.

The only way I ever excelled even a bit on the golf course (I played collegiate golf) was by practicing more than my peers.

The only way I was even on the varsity basketball team (that was ranked #2 my entire senior year), was by out-hustling almost every other player on the team.

And the only way I have a business today is by working my butt off day-in and day-out.

Trust me, nothing I’ve got in life is because of talent.

So, as I look ahead to the rest of 2015 and 2016, I thought, I need to improve in a lot of ways. But, interestingly enough, very few of them had to do with business.

And although I know this is a PR/marketing blog, I thought I’d share these ideas with you. Partly because it’s a way of holding myself accountable. And partly because I just want to say it “out loud.”

Here goes.

1–Drink more water. Drink less beer.

I know, seems crazy, right? I’m actually in process of giving beer up completely for a month. Not because I’m overweight. Not because I’m an alcoholic. Just because it made me feel like crap. So, I’m giving it up til mid-Sept. And, even when I come back, I’m only going to drink sparingly (I’m thinking like maybe 1-2 beers a week). Meanwhile, I’ve upped the water intake. It’s made a huge difference already. I feel lighter. I think more clearly. I feel *better.*

2–Swim. And yoga.

I also recently started swimming again. Just 15-20 laps at a time–maybe 2-3 times a week. But, you’d be surprised the difference that makes. I’m not a professional swimmer. I’m not even a good swimmer. But, I really like it. And, it clears my mind. I also recently started a quick 15-minute yoga routine in the morning. Get this: I’m a subscriber to a yoga YouTube channel (Brett Larkin yoga, if you’re interested). I’m starting with just the quick beginner morning routine. But again, so far, it’s really helped. I feel looser. My brain feels clearer. And, I think I’m sharper. Keep in mind, I’m just a week in.

3–Re-start my journal.

I was picking through our bedroom recently and stumbled on a journal I had kept during the time right around our wedding. It was full of interesting thoughts and ideas I had almost forgotten about. And, it inspired me to get that going again. Just a couple quick grafs before bedtime. I write as the last thing before I hit the lights. It’s a nice way to recap the day, reflect and for me, unwind. And, it forced me to buy a new Moleskine. So, there’s that 🙂

4–Play more golf.

I’ve been saying this for years. And, I’ll never quite get back to playing numerous times a week until my kids get a little oder. But, for now, I’m committing to playing more. That means: Playing more than 3 times a year (for now). I have pretty much given up golf since my kids were born. My theory: I hardly see my kids during the week–the weekend is the only time I have with them. So, it’s tough to give up 6 hours to go play 18 holes of golf on the weekends. Just felt selfish. And, I wanted that time with my kids. Soon enough, they’ll be sick of me, and I’ll have my weekend rounds back. For now, I just want to play a little more. I’d even settle for twice a month. (Note: Photo above is from Winona State University team I was on my freshman year when we went to nationals in Indiana).

5–Practice spirituality.

Now, I’m not a religious man. Never have been. Probably never will be. But, I am a *spiritual* man. I’m a believer. I’m just not a believer in one specific brand of religion. I’ve actually always found myself drawn to the principles of Buddism, so I’m reading a few more books on that topic. I’m planning to practice meditation a bit this fall. And in general, just get more connected with my “spirituality”–whatever that looks like. This is the fuzziest of all the goals for me–but I’m looking forward to where it takes me.