Both literally and figuratively.

I welcome the beginning of September with open arms. To me, it signifies the transition from summer to fall, and the end of a somewhat chaotic summer.

Looking back, I had a somewhat shitty summer health wise: sinus infection, upper resp. infection, stomach drama and wrapped it all up with a lovely case of Pink Eye. I’ve been on antibiotics more than not this summer, and that needs to change. I need to figure out a way to find better health. I’m not getting any younger, nor will it be as easy to bounce back from what felt like the longest ick ever. I’ve made some food adjustments that have allowed me to have less stomach issues, now I just need to get on top of managing my allergies so they automatically don’t escalate into another infection.

Also, as of two weeks ago, I find myself in a place of “pre-diabetes.” Holy balls, that pissed me off. In 2006, I was dx’d with T2 Diabetes, and was able to wrestle it under control and ultimately, scooched out of it with a short term round of Byetta, diet and exercise. My doctor isn’t terribly concerned about it, he told me “you know what you need to do.” Yep, I do. Time to make some changes. I had managed to work hard to find a better balance, and over the past year, slipped back into some craptastical habits. I’ve noticed that after eating certain meals, I’ve found myself feeling gross; time to pay attention to the signals and work my way back out of this and into better levels.

Work is exhilarating. We finally launched a week ago, and it’s go-time. It feels good to help design, build and launch something. It’s also rather tiring, but I think the end result will be worth the hermit like life I’ve been existing and the rewards will help me to the next phase.

Speaking of the next phase, I’ve started making some plans for change. Goal #1- getting myself healthy. Goal #2- Work on the health of my financial outlook. I really want to make some bigger changes in the next three years, and frankly, I’m going to be doing all that I can do to make these changes. Life is an evolving process- I’ve identified what I want to be doing, where I want to be, and how I’m going to get there.

What does this mean? You are probably going to see less of me. Less ramblings on social media. More work. I’m going to be taking on additional consulting work to get closer to my goals. Instead of long hours yammering , I’m going to be focusing on my health, and developing a personal life that doesn’t just include me and the four leggeds. Taking risks, jumping into new adventures. Getting to where I want to be.

I’ve witnessed a few people suffering devastating losses over the past month. It was an ultimate wake-up call for me. The only guarantee we have is the minute that we are in. Life changes ever so quickly, and waiting to do something, or putting off something isn’t a guarantee that you are going to be able to do it.  It’s going to be more about the “now” and less about the “later.”

This summer, I purchased a big ass old school planner. My friend Leslie makes fun of it, pointing towards her phone and reminding me that everything can be managed from the cloud. My reality is that if I don’t write something down, it’s not real for me. I like to be able to jot down notes, cross things off, feel the pen hit the paper. That is my reality. My days are filling up – with work, with volunteer, with personal events. I love it. I choose what I want to do, accept the invitations that make me happy and decline sometimes to get much needed sleep.

I’m older, and more selfish with my time, and I’m ok with that. I like some of the changes that I’ve made, and I look forward to making more in this upcoming fall season.

Today, is a “me” day- I’m cleaning, decorating my house for fall, most likely going to take a nap, and putter in my garden. I yearn for less noise, and more music. I look forward to less gossip and more action. I have some healthy meals planned for the week, and a road trip on Saturday morning.

I look forward to the changes that are ahead of me.