"I'm in Training"

Oh, the joy of being the new guy. New at a job? New at a hobby? Being new at something brings inherent forgiveness for the inevitable errors and omissions.

Last week I bought a new heart rate monitor. Yes, it's a men's version, but hey! I'm new at this.

The first one I bought didn't have the chest strap and although it was for women, it was a complete PITA and I had to effectively slow down my workout to get a read on my heart rate. In case you don't know this, when the workout slows down, the heart slows down. So my darling hubby went back to Academy and traded the women's Mio for the men's Timex and now I can wear a goofy chest strap but get a more accurate reading and - even better - a complete summary of the work out at the end of the workout period.

Now I'm in training. I'm all about the numbers. Measuring progress, capturing results. The heart rate monitor (HRM) reports average heart rate, highest heart rate, time spent in "the zone", etc. So naturally I'm going to build a spreadsheet and start tracking my results. Doesn't everyone build spreadsheets to track their progress?

I'm also in training for my new career. NaNoWriMo is behind me, but that was just the kick-off. Now begins the long process of turning a novel into a published work while creating more works of fiction and non-fiction ... for future publication. For now, I'm in training. No sense in signing up for a marathon just because I've successfully completed a couple of workout sessions. Nope. I'm currently procrastinating my next work-out session. A short story. To be submitted to the Austin Chronicle's 2009 Short Story contest. And after that, I'll be back to work on a non-fiction project.

And after that? Who knows? But there will be an "after that" because, well...that's what I'm training for. To keep doing what I'm doing. Whether it's walking around my neighborhood with my heart rate between 105-122 bpm or writing 1500-2000 wpd, it's about changing the behavior for the long term and making the new behavior a habit.

So, I'm going to have a spreadsheet for tracking my exercise routine and a spreadsheet for tracking my writing routine. I admit it. I'm much more motivated when I'm measuring progress.

How about you? Do you have a goal or a dream? Do you track progress towards that goal? Do you forgive yourself for the errors and omissions you're bound to make as you push yourself in a new direction?

Cheers to all who step out in faith or try something new. It takes courage to be the new guy... "in training."