One more onboard the NF Bandwagon

[DarK_RaideR]

Hello everyone, DarK_RaideR here with another one of those long posts we all love to hate.

 

*Pulls out scroll that cartoonishly unfolds down to the floor and even further*

 

I have no idea how I found out about this forum, I think it was through Fitocracy which was becoming "not-nerdy-enough" for me and hard to use if you're doing anything else than lifting weights (kinda like a bodybuilder jock making fun of someone doing yoga... does that count as bullying?). Anyways, here I am, really excited with NF and its users. But that's not exactly the point of this post.

 

I was born and raised in Heraklion, a wonderful town of about 200.000 residents in the beautiful island of Crete, Greece. By some magical way I never understood, my parents managed to raise me with a "meh" reaction towards junk food and soft drinks, something I'm grateful for, seeing how many people have those as obstacles to overcome. Also, I became an enthusiastic swimmer, even winning a few competitions, an even more enthusiastic roleplayer and a huge music nerd. Then, in my late teens, university entry exams came along, so I gave it all up and settled in my study chair for several years.

 

Once all that was done, I landed in the capital's Law School. Living alone in a half million people city plus the whole bachelor mentality was bound to have negative influence. In my 7 year stay there, I never excercised, drank the equivalent of my country's financial deficit in beer, juggled takeout food and cooking for one (inevitably making large amounts of food which I consumed alone) and started smoking. Sometime in 2009-10 I managed to pick up myself a bit, graduate and give up smoking. About a year later though, I did my mandatory 9-month army service, which involved little excercise beyond basic training, a lot of time spent sitting around(or standing, when on guard duty), snacks and smoking once again.

 

End of story, once I was out I quit smoking again and decided to get serious, as a new life cycle was beginning. Round that time, my weight came dangerously close to hitting the 100kg margin, which was a shock enough to make me decide to get serious about going to the gym and sticking to a diet. That was in September 2013, by now I'm around 78-80kg and a much lower percentage of it is body fat. Still, I was not satisfied with the gym. I want something more intense, more challenging, with more variety, more "playful" and something that goes beyong weight-loss and muscle gain, working areas like flexibility and explosiveness. Where I live, people are barely aware of the weird sports that I'm interested in (Rugby, Lucha Libre, Rollerderby etc) so no chance to train in anything I'd be interested in. Long story short, I took up CrossFit at a magnificent time, just as I discovered NF and one week before the start of the Challenge.

 

My goal here is to challenge myself and then rise to that challenge. Also, since I'm just starting a career that promises a lot of time behind a desk and plenty of stress, now's the perfect time to hardwire all the healthy habits into my brain and everyday routine. Other than that, I've seen the motivation and support that comes from a good atmosphere and positive people, so I'm hoping to contribute my little part in the overall pool of awesomeness that is NerdFitness while having a good time with fellow geeks and fitness enthusiasts!

 

Well met!

[Gamaryn]

Sounds like you've had quite the journey, And you're taking the right steps to better your life

 

Good luck! I'll be rooting for you!

[ShadowLion]

Excellent timing and wise planning for this new phase of your life!

 

You are indeed lucky to have had good habits early on in life and it sounds like you have really turned things around from the times when you fell away from that.

 

Welcome to the Rebellion, ranger-in-training!

[Buff Brogan]

i'm on board with ya. former smoker here as well

[DarK_RaideR]

As the summer holidays come closer and closer, so does the time for looking back, reflecting on the past and planning for the future. I've been having a few thoughts lately and will definately go through a lengthier process once I'm out of the everyday work routine, but for now I feel like I'd like to write down some things, put my thoughts in some order and lay the foreground for what will come.

 

Where I was by the end of last summer

 

Summer of 2013. Was released from army duty on June 11th. I had finished my post-graduate studies before going to the army on Sept. 2012 and had decided that after putting civilian clothes back on, I'd focus 100% on working. Also, was in a relationship. It had started in 2012 as a summer romance. I was about to go to the army, she worked in tourism and would return to her home country after the season, so it was mutually lax. However, by the end of August things had gotten serious, so we made long arrangements and met during the few times I was on leave, she travelled to Greece and I flew in from Cyprus, where I was stationed. We spent most of the summer in my home town, I just wanted to relax and not make any long trips and grand stuff, she was working and living at my place. I'd even invited her to stay for the winter, but gradually things deteriorated. Best description I can give, she had great qualities and great flaws about her, but sadly was too proud to admit the latter, improve them and focus on the former. I think I was pretty accepting and didn't try to change her to my liking, but I did make clear some things that she had to do if she wanted to be able to stick around, mainly learn the language and tweak some socializing habits.

 

Autumn 2013: First steps towards awesomeness

 

• Relationship: I made sure whether I was asking too much. I wasn't, and it was stuff dictated by the occasion, not my preferences. I discovered that I wasn't just being myself while demanding she changed, instead I had to support and help her, all the while going through the hardships of being together, I had a burden to bear as well. We went through some rough talks and times, every time she promised to change but after about a week when she felt the storm had passed, reverted stubbornly to her old self. Eventually, I had to break up with her.
• Work: I had big decisions to make. I didn't know whether I wanted to try my luck abroad, go to the capital, Athens, or stay in my hometown of Heraklion. After a lot of searching, talking to professionals etc, by sometime October I'd made up my mind. Didn't want to leave the country, I have plenty of friends that made that choice and I don't see them really happy, unless they've had an amazing one-in-a-million job offer. Not worth the price. Athens I've lived as a student and worked as a trainee, the living is unbearable there, the market huge and dominated by large law firms and law university professors, unless I slaved for one of them, I'd never survive, and even then I couldn't see any chances of doing anything important. On the other hand, in Heraklion I have a place to stay, people that know me, decent living conditions... why give up on all that, especially when I don't have a better offer but I'll just go blindly for whatever comes along?
• Negotiations: Got wind of this one in September. I'd done a Negotiations class during my masters (read: due to an upcoming competition, I did the class with the MBA students, which I annihilated and almost made it to the team but was left out due to "political" reasons about what programs the team members should come from) and always wanted to dig deeper into that, maybe have a certificate for it as well. The program ran Oct-Jan for live taching sessions (in Athens) or Oct-May for distance learning. I thought of moving to Athens until January, but once I decided to work in Heraklion, that was out of the question. I still have my Athens home, but classes were Monday and Wednesday evenings, so flying back and forth was also out of the question. Distance learning, then. Worth mentioning, I had to go through an interview to be accepted. Less than 50% of those who applied actually made it to the end.
• Mediation: Another thing I'd been taught during my masters, since back then we were looking for a way to "certify" our knowledge of mediation, instead of it just being part of our masters' curriculum. I realized that while I was in the army, some of my fellow students from back then had found and undergone mediation training. It just so happened that at the time, the only training station back then, had put out a competition for scholarships. Eastern Crete, where I'm stationed, had a single spot, chosen after a lottery draw. Guess what, I got the spot, which also saved me a tuition of 2.000 euros! Spent the first week of November in Athens, going to class from 9am to 9pm, but it was totally worth it as an experience of self-discovery, patience and people skills
• Gym: At some point, I hit about 95kg. Seeing the three-digit numbers on the edge of the (analog) scale was enough of a shock. I enrolled in the gym and went on a diet, losing about 15kg by Christmas. Kept going after that, but just being careful with my eating, not following a weight-loss diet.

 

Winter 2013-14: Things get serious

 

When I decided to stay and work in my hometown, I contacted a lawyer that had, in the past, expressed his wish to work with me when I had everything sorted out. So I did, in late October, but we ran into a few problems. One, he already employed a lady and didn't have the budget to pay me anything as well. Second, he had no space in his office, I wouldn't even have a place to sit, let alone a desk. Third, he was looking to move to a bigger office, but his wife would also come work there, so it would be really hard for me to fit in.

Not the one to be disappointed, I began looking for a place to set up my own office. After seeing a few, I had an epiphany. My parents have moved out of the flat where I grew up. It's located in a great spot and about 120 sq.m. large, too much for a single person to live in. So, I renovated the place and made it my new office/home, keeping just the bedroom intact. Practically, I started out with my own impressive office space, no worries about rent and making enough to pay it (important especially since I'm starting my career), paid 2-in-1 bills and any money invested on the place would go towards improving my property, instead of someone else's that would stay there when I'd leave.

During the Christmas holidays, I was contacted by the aforementioned lawyer who wanted to talk to me "even though you've set up your own office now". As I told him, it was done simply because he said he had no space, but I was still willing to work with him. His issue, the place where he intended to move hadn't worked out, his wife would remain where she was working and his colleague announced that she would be leaving on the 1st of March, so he needed help. Of course I jumped in, started working from January and I'm still here today. I have the security and experience of someone who's 20+ years in the business, a place downtown to work during the day and a steady income.

 

Spring 2014: I wanna be elected

 

• Work: Things picked up much faster than even my optimistic plans thought. Within a few months of work and thanks to my ingenious office plan, I was able to live on my own money. People came to me, trusted me and gave me serious stuff to do, not the usual "too much trouble, too little money" charity stuff I was supposed to get from relatives and friends
• Negotiations: Classes were done by the end of May. It was a wonderful experience and I felt pretty confident for the upcoming exams and thesis.
• Mediation: Took the written exams in April. Thanks to the magnificent training I received, I was spared of stress and revising. Which was a big deal because of...
• Elections: On May, along with the European Parliament elections, we held the mayoral elections as well. After 12 years of the same (money-spending, indifferent, corrupt and a lot of other things) mayor, who nevertheless got elected with 80%+ as if he were a Banana Republic Dictator, he finally had a worthy opponent: the former leader of the local bar association. For those of you unaware, bar is for barrister, as in, lawyer. Not barman. Anyway, he's a family aquaintance and we called to congratulate him for his choice, when he turned and asked if I'd be interested to run for a city councellor with him. After the shock of being honoured with such a proposal, I thought it out. My odds against the big boys were slim, which was kind of convenient, since I wanted to focus on work, not put the political duties on my back as well. It was great advertisement and PR, especially now that I was beginning my career. Plus, it made a statement about a confident, promising young man instead of the miserable newbie trying to carve out his niche. So yeah, I accepted and had to deal with an election campaign along with work, negotiations and mediation. It was great experience, I didn't get elected by we managed to oust the former major, with a 60%-40% result nonetheless!

Summer 2014: Finish strong

 

• Work: Things are going at full speed, I've gained my colleague's trust and I have several personal cases that also pay well. Considering I don't have parents or relatives in the business, which means I started from absolute zero, things have skyrocketed
• Negotiations: Took the exams, which I passed with 88% (borderline was 60%). Currently editing my thesis. Deadline is end of July, but I've set up earlier deadlines for myself in my challenge.
• Mediation: Took the oral exams as well. Results came out yesterday, I am now officially an accredited mediator.
• Crossfit: Was introduced to it by a friend and switched to it without a second thought. It is challenging, it has variety so I don't get bored, it has stuff besides just lifting and muscle gain, I'm addicted. In just a month and a half, coupled with a pretty mild diet, I've lost about 5kg already and my body looks better than ever.
• NerdFitness: Discovered this amazing place!

Reflecting: Results, thoughts and other stuff

 

This year has been 100% focused on myself. I did stuff for myself and didn't have to think about anyone else or compromise. It may sound selfish, but I really needed some "me" time. In retrospect, I've made some big decisions, set some high goals and dealt with plenty of big things at the same time, but I made it all and came out strong. My social, emotional etc life got a little left behind, but that was a conscious decision. I needed to focus on myself, do stuff for me and honestly, I was so stretched out on so many things, I really didn't have the power and patience to deal with socializing. I said I'd take the time to take care of myself, make the best version of me that I can and then, once I've finished with some things (Elections, Negotiations, Mediation etc) I can take the resources invested there and focus on new areas.

• Work: It's been one hell of a year. I expected it'd take about five years for things to get rolling, but I was pleasantly proven wrong. I am really happy with my choices and how things turned out, although I do have some things for the future, mainly to move my office out of my home. It's a convenient hybrid for the time being, but it can't stay like this forever
• Social life: It's been a bit of a wasteland lately, but fortunately it was the right time for this to happen. I feel a gap between me and most of my friends. Best way I can describe it, they're still in their late twenties, stuck in some post university situation, while I'm in my early thirties and in the next phase. Most of them are unemployed, most live on their parents' money or even the same home. They have plenty of free time to waste, lots of boredom and their way of having fun is still going out, getting drunk and staying up late, something that I've grown out of. My time is precious and I need quality leisure time, people I can say and do interesting things with.
• Relationship: For the first time in my life, I've been alone for a long time and felt okay with it. No cravings, no loneliness, no depression, no "what am I doing wrong", no rushing into bad decisions. Much like it is with friends, my standards have changed and I'm not just looking to meet new people, but rather new kinds of people. I've turned to my other activities (CrossFit, Work etc) in order to meet people with similar interests. It's a start.
• Studies: I was planning to focus on work, but some opportunities presented themselves and I took them. Negotiation and mediation might come in handy in my line of work, however this year I was stretched to my limits. Next one will be straight-out work, if I find any interesting things to learn, they'll be pushed to at least the summer of 2015
• Workouts: I've found CrossFit and loved it. As I posted in my challenge thread, yesterday my PT told me he wants me for the box's team during the next nationals. Of course I'll keep going. This whole experience, thanks mainly to NerdFitness, has changed me as a person. Instead of workouts being a drag that I "must" do, it's something I enjoy and even crave, adding home workouts at times. Diet is not a restriction, but a way of life. I feel better than ever, healthier than ever, more energetic, more interested in stuff, more productive, more everything.
• Politics: Even though I wasn't elected, I'm in one of the teams acting as think-tanks and doing the reasearch before the new mayor officially takes office on Sept. 1st. Which means I might probably participate in some municipal task force or generally be around in the backstage. I don't think I'll go for a career in politics, but you never know. It's not something I aspire to, at least for the time being

 

Talk about a long post... I think I out-did myself.