Monday, July 21, 2014

Revisiting Focused Reinvention

Editor's Note: This was a waste of a blog and I'm not happy with, 1 - how poorly I did, 2 - how poorly written it is, 3 - how pointless it is. Skip to one of the awesome (read: not shitty) ones.

When I started this blog the focus was clear and simple.

In the last year before my 30's I wanted to live actively and document as much of that as possible. I tell myself through the random updates here and the Mabel Blog that I've at least kept up with this goal a little bit.

Well, we tell ourselves a lot of things that aren't true, now don't we. I have wanted to get back to writing and the original goals of the blogs since the day I stopped blogging. There are a million excuses: I got a new job, I'm spending more time with Mabel, I'm working more, family time is more important. It's mostly  bullshit, because when I think of all of those things it makes me just want to write more. I have so many stories to share and so many personal trials and triumphs to write through.

So here I am.

I'm starting this on a Monday rather than the Sunday I intended mostly due to a little something called #Pearsworth (Look it up if you feel so inclined), but if I'm being honest this is scary. I'm about to outline a pretty significant life change and focus that will be a challenge and it's a little trying on the old nerves. Now after you read the plan you might say to yourself,

"None of those things are that hard, Thomas. People do them all the time."

To which I will reply.

"I know, but I don't."

In the spirit of friendship and community I welcome any and all of you who might read this to join me, even partially so we can support each other. I don't like being told what to do, few of us do, but I honestly and sincerely appreciate support, encouragement and a polite kick in the ass every once in a while.

Alright, so here it goes.

The Thomas R. Chew is Now Closer to Being 32 Than 29 So He Wants to Live With More Focus To Do List


  1. I'm going to write.
    1. One blog or another, at least twice a week.
    2. I'd like to do some more creative writing, but I've never been very good at planned creative writing. I guess I'll have to just have to be more ridiculous when I write here.
  2. I'm going to work out.
    1. At least five days a week for at least 45 minutes a day.
    2. Jenna and I already eat pretty fresh and very well, but it's all a waste if I sit around like a plug. Also, Jenna started working out again so there is the guilt/shame/motivation going on there.
    3. I'm not going to eat deep fried stuff either. I tried this once before and weight literally fell off of me.
      1. "But Thomas, you're so handsome and fit, you don't need to lose weight." 
      2. "Thank you, I agree. Except the fit stuff." 
      3. I'm not really looking to lose weight, but I would like to feel overall healthy again. I'm at 179 pounds, which is whatever, I don't even know what that means. At my heaviest I was at about 220. At my most fit I was at about 185. So weight isn't necessarily a concern, just the way I feel and working out and eating well and blah blah blah... you get it right? 
    4. I'll be tracking the working out and eating well on the MyFitnessPal app, so if you have it we can be friends.
  3. I'm not going to drink.
    1. Whoa, whoa, whoa, right?
    2. I'm going to give it a month. A month of no drinks at all. If I'm going to work out and eat healthy I might as well not drink for a little bit so it truly shows the effects of a cleaner style of living. 
    3. Jenna is on board with this as well, so it should make it easier. 
  4. Foster connections and friendships.
    1. Being a dad and having Mabel is literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. But becoming a parent changes your relationships. Any time your priorities or time commitments shift dramatically, this becomes the case. It's easy to overlook and focus on the new areas of life, but I'd like to be more active in my attempt to maintaining relationships.
    2. The number of hugs given and received has been staggeringly low. Mabel is more cuddly than she used to be so that makes up for almost all of it, but sometimes you just need a good friend hug.
  5. Sub-Goals that might be too ambitious-
    1. Read way more
    2. Go to bed earlier
    3. Wake up earlier
    4. Become a wealthy industrialist
    5. Start a non-profit called "Do Gooder" designed to recognize and benefit those who help others
    6. Make a documentary with Brandon about rich people
So there you have it. At least for now. I'll be sure to adjust and edit things out when I slip up so nobody can prove I said I was going to do it in the first place, but until then it's on the internet so it has to be true.