Distractions Must Go

It's not that I don't want to bike, it's that I keep putting it off.

I planned to eat breakfast yesterday and go for a ride two hours afterward. I postponed the ride for another hour or hour and a half. Why? Because I was too busy "Interneting" and watching TV. Ok. It's time to re-assess the situation and make the appropriate "rules."

My friend, Sandee, makes rules she follows to help her with goals. For example, one of her money saving rules is "no spending money on unnecessary things for the first six months of the year" - no clothes, no DVDs, no nothing. I've found that rules help me as well.

There are a couple of distractions in my life that need to be addressed, so I'm going to abide by the following rules this summer:

1. Internet surfing only in the evening after the bike has been taken for a ride. The dogs should probably be walked, too.

2. I am allowed to watch two hours of TV in the afternoon after I have ridden my bike. (Sensing a theme here?)

3. TV is to be shut off when my designated shows are not on. This is to promote my "no new shows" rule of last year. I've done a great job not taking up new shows on Primetime, probably because I don't get cable or antenna. However, I've taken up old favorites such as Simon and Simon and Miami Vice because I wouldn't shut the TV off. I didn't even used to like Miami Vice. Fortunately, it doesn't take long to get through reruns of reruns. I'd be glued to The Tudors if I had Cinemax. I love that show.

4. No new shows. Even the old ones.

5. This next one will be very hard. MMBA only once a day before bed. This is my biggest distraction. The lesson I learned today is, never surf the MMBA forum while everyone else is at work. New posts keep popping up and, before you know it, you've spent four hours online and you've skipped class.

Less Internet and television. Those are my goals. :-)