So here we are. Two weeks and two days into the new year. Traditionally this is a great time to turn over a new leaf. Start the year off as a new person. Some people have made New Year resolutions – ready to make changes in their lives that may help them become more healthy, more organized, or simply, to seek some spiritual direction. You may see these people crowding into the gyms and boot camps, posting their accountability photos, and documenting their food. Some may be evaluating the value of their surroundings in order to see what they can declutter and detoxify. Others may be reconnecting with their faith; hoping to find some meaning to life in our present world.

And the rest of us? The rest of us may just be calling ourselves happy to be alive as the end of 2024 brings with it some uncertainty for what is to come in the new year. We can take some solace though in knowing that whatever the circumstance may be that we are facing currently, you most likely are not alone. Chances dictate, someone, somewhere, is going through something similar, just like you. Yet, people still feel like they are alone. You, may feel like you are alone. The point is, you don’t need to feel like you are alone, even though it doesn’t prevent the feeling from happening. Life just happens, and continues to happen.

But really though, think about it. Do we really know what is going to happen from one day to the next? History tells us that everything you planned for, or think is going to happen, may in fact be very different than what you foresee. It can all change in a split second. Sure you can plan and mitigate as much risk as possible, but in the end, life happens and there you are, provided with one of life’s many challenges. And there, in that moment, the absolute uncertainty of life is revealed.

Uncertainty is an interesting thing. For some people, uncertainty can be all consuming and quite debilitating. For others, it may be the chance for an opportunity to grow. How we perceive the unknown at different times in our lives is often a direct result of our ability to manage moments. The real question is, are you mentally tough enough and prepared to take on what life throws at you on a daily basis? Or do you see the struggles inherent to everyday life as a personal attack with little to no hope in sight? Ultimately your perspective in that moment is a direct result of your life experiences.

Throughout my life I have dithered between the two extremes. When I was younger, I enjoyed a life in which I never really had to work hard to do well. Whether it was in the classroom, in sports, or in my career, most things in life came easily to me. If I needed help, my family was always there to help pick myself up and move forward. As I’ve grown older and life events continue to remind me of my mortality, uncertainty has become something with which I struggle. From time to time, the uncertainty of what is to come has led me to a sense of hopelessness, or apathy. And at other times, I am reminded that uncertainty may actually lead to new and unlimited possibilities. And these possibilities can be a positive.

In 2017, when I became a full time teacher and high school cross country and track coach, I found that I no longer had the personal exercise time that I had come to enjoy since my departure from the construction world. Around the time of Covid I had an injury that was a convenient excuse to be even less active. Soon after that I developed a hernia which then led to an emergency resection of my small intestine after it reacted to the mesh. This ordeal gave me some more time to refrain from focusing on physical activities. I began to feel better but lacked the motivation to test the limits of my abdomen. And then all of a sudden, I was approved for surgery and it was beautifully fixed. No pain. Almost better than new. I thought maybe now is the time to give my fitness another go.

About a year ago I announced my retirement from coaching. It was a very difficult decision for me to make. I really enjoy coaching, but I wanted to have some extra time to spend with my daughter who was getting ready to graduate, and focus on the family; my wife, our kids, and our parents. Finally I thought I might get some personal time to focus on my health as well, and then in creeps my little friend; plantar fasciitis. It seems like there is always an excuse, but this one isn’t a fun one.

Enter 2025. We are officially one quarter through the 21st Century. I turned 50 last year. I’ll be 51 this March. I must face the reality that I’m not getting any younger. All of the work that I did 13 years ago to get back into shape is but a distant base for me to find under eight years of dad bod fluff. I am surviving, but I am definitely not thriving. Things are better than they were before but I know that it all can be even better. This year I am looking to make good on some old resolutions that really have not taken hold in the past few years.

So what’s the plan? To start? Watch the calories. Get rid of the plantar fasciitis. Get on a program. Its really quite simple. The uncertainty that I have felt before isn’t on the forefront of my mind. In this moment, I see the opportunity that I have to make some changes in my life. Changes that will be noticeable. Changes that mean something to myself and to those around me who I love. All I know is that, I certainly want to feel alive in 2025.

Cheers to this new year. I wish you all the luck if you are making some changes this year as I have resolved to do. I’ll be sharing my journey here as it continues to unfold. Thank you for taking the time to read this so far. I hope you’ll continue to check back in from time to time to see how its going!