Manifesto Report Card: New Year's Eve Edition

What better time than New Year’s Eve to do a little reflecting on who you are, what you want, and how you’re going to get it. So with that in mind, another Cole Manifesto Report Card…

1. I will improve my quality of life. – A+
Let’s be honest, for me to be the person I want to be – to do the things I want to do – I need to make some major lifestyle changes. Today, I commit to doing so. I promise to put as much energy and will into eating healthier and getting into shape as I put into law school. I will no longer allow my aches and pains to control who I am and what I do. I will finally get my bad knee looked at.
I just needed a spark, that’s it. And when I challenged a co-worker to a 40-pound challenge in early November, that’s all it took. Since then, I’ve spent more time at the gym than in front of the television and eaten more fruit/vegetables than sweets. Actually, I’ve eaten no sweets since then. I’m down 27 pounds and I feel great. My plan – beat Nilson to 40 and then just keep going. My goal weight is 185 pounds, and I’ll reach it this time. I promise. Oh, and since I’ve dropped a little weight, my knee already feels so much better. It doesn’t hurt much at all anymore. I can’t imagine how my knees will feel when I’m down 50, 100, etc. I’ve waited FAR too long to do this, but I’m doing it now and that’s all that matters.

2. I will find someone who loves me. – C-
For too long I have avoided the mere possibility of a real relationship. The combination of past heartache and fear of future disappointment has left me on the sidelines, pining for those who are already spoken for or have no interest in me. This was the only safe way to avoid getting hurt. No more. I promise to search for the woman who will appreciate all that I have to offer. I will no longer live behind walls. I have much love to give, and I won’t waste it on those who have no interest in it.
Well, I’d like to say I’ve made as much progress here as I have on #1, but I haven’t lied yet on a Manifesto report and I’m not about to start now. It’s two steps forward, one step back. I can do things to address the other areas of my Manifesto – I can work out; I can hang with family more; I can do new things. But this is a little different. As we all know, you can’t condition yourself to feel a certain way. And so I carry on. I’ve dated and I continue to search, but most are sabotaged by unfair comparisons and unreal expectations. But I am resolute in my faith that something good is coming…soon.

3. I will expand my horizons. - B
Law school made it easier to live my life in a bubble, but to be perfectly honest I’ve lived that way since returning from St. Louis. I’ve lived in Northern Kentucky pretty much all of my life, but I’ve only experienced a small sliver of all this beautiful place has to offer. That will change. It must change. I refuse to continue living my own self-imposed version of Groundhog Day. I’m rewriting the script. Beginning with my little Facebook Pawn experiment, I will branch out. I promise I will do new things, go new places, meet new people. Before 08.01.10, I will go skydiving. I will go to New York and Chicago – just for fun. There is a whole world out there, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to ignore it another day.
Eh. I could do a little better here I guess. I have gone new places and ventured beyond my comfort zone on occasion. The truth is, I really do enjoy doing new things. I just don’t necessarily like doing them alone. I’m going to Phoenix alone in March for WrestleMania. It’s the first trip I”ve ever taken alone in my life. (Well, except for the year and a half I lived in Colorado and St. Louis.) With any luck, maybe it’ll be the last trip I ever have to take alone [see #2]. On a positive note, I am now 1/4 owner of a Cincinnati-based HD virtual tour and iPhone app development company called YetiMonkey. The guys I’m partners with each have amazing talent and there are HUGE things in store for us in 2010. So be on the lookout for Yeti next year! Oh, and for you Facebook Pawn fans, good news - Pawn 2.0 is coming.

4. I will have fun. - A-
I honestly don’t remember the last time I truly had fun. When I was a boy, everything was fun. Somewhere along the way I forgot how to enjoy life. I will remember. I will reconnect with old friends and relearn how to live in the moment. Life is too short to spend all of your time climbing the mountains. Yes, there will be more mountains. And yes, I will climb them or die trying. But that doesn’t mean I can’t take time to enjoy the journey. I promise I will never again let life fly past me while I am busy with other things. The adventure is every bit as important as the success, and it is much more fun.
One thing I’ve learned is that you don’t have to be in Vegas – or anywhere else in particular – to have fun. I’ve enjoyed the past few months. I haven’t been in a legitimate funk for awhile now, and that’s awesome. Because as those who really know me will tell you, my funks are pretty miserable. But I think the secret is to just have fun wherever you are doing whatever you’re doing. I have fun at the gym now. I try to find the joy in the simple things. Because at the end of the day, most of our time is spent wading through the simple things. And if you can’t find a way to enjoy that, then you’re going to be miserable. I will not be miserable in 2010.

5. I will have a better appreciation for my family. - A-
Family is everything. It really is – everything. And I don’t want to be too cliche about it, but your family is the easiest thing in the world to take for granted. They’ll always be there for you. They’ll always love you. Even when you make bad decisions and are clearly in the wrong, they will stand beside you. So when life gets hectic, family is often the first thing that is sacrificed. For far too long I’ve neglected my family. I promise I will spend more time with them; I will be there for them whenever they need me. I will appreciate those things we share in common and celebrate our differences.
Family time is always a little easier at Christmas. This year was no different. The Coleday family Christmas dinner was fun, even though the Bengals blew it against the Chargers that day. The Colemelahn family Christmas was great! Probably the best time I have each year is watching Chloe open her presents. She got about a million presents this year, so the joy was prolonged a bit. My brother Brent went to the gym with me the other day and is considering getting himself a membership at NKU, which would be cool. And Ty and I have been hanging out a bit more lately. I hope that continues. I’d like to spend more time with Bill in 2010. I feel like I never see him.

6. I will not rest on my laurels. – A
I used to resent being asked, “What’s next?” when people learned that I was finishing up law school. I wanted to ask them, “What’s next for you?” It angered me that there were different expectations of me just because I’d accomplished something few others do. Now, I take it as a compliment. I welcome great expectations and demand new challenges. While I don’t quite know what my next mountain will be just yet, I promise this – when I find myself standing at its base, I’ll be ready to climb. There are things in my life that I need to change, but I would not be where I am today without that attitude. I will appreciate my accomplishments more; I will not let future challenges be such a burden on those who I love; but I will never stop climbing. This I promise.
I think the whole time I’ve been looking for my next big challenge, it was right there in front of me. At Brent’s suggestion, I’m approaching weight-loss the same way I approached law school. I remember waking up every Saturday for four years thinking, “Wow, it’s a beautiful day outside. The sun is shining; the birds are chirping. The world is there for the taking. What will I do today? Oh yea, study.” And that was that. Now, it’s the same with getting healthy. The gym isn’t something I do now when I find time. It’s something I find time to do now. And when I’m tired or sore and I want to just quit and go home, I think about the hours I spent studying. I’d hit the books at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning and not stop until I literally couldn’t continue. I’m talking 9, 10, 11 hours. Straight. If I could survive that, I tell myself, surely I can do another 20 minutes on this treadmill. And it works. Because once I set my mind to something, it gets done. And so, my next “big thing” will be me getting into shape, continuing to live a healthy lifestyle, and becoming the man I’ve always wanted to be. Bring it, 2010.

7. I will help people. – B+
I am blessed. As much as I need to make changes in my life, I know that I have it better than so many. I promise to use the skills and expertise that I have acquired to help those who aren’t as lucky as I have been. I will give my time, talent and treasure to help others. And I will get involved with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati.
Still love being a Big Brother. I took my “little” Christmas shopping a couple days before Christmas and we had a blast. Among other things, I got him a chess set. He loves to play, and he’s pretty good. I look forward to him kicking my butt in 2010. Also, at the invitation of a good friend, we delivered Christmas presents to a Cincinnati family in need. That was a special experience that even touched this old Scrooge. I hope to do more of that kind of thing in 2010.

So there you have it. All-in-all, I think things are going pretty well. But this is just the beginning. One thing I promise you - 2010 will be the Year of Cole.