#11 - Standing At Work

Challenge: Standing at work. All day.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’re sitting down, which means you’re probably digging yourself an early grave. That's what I've learned at least. After examining the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over 13 years, a recent report found those who sit for most of the day were 54% more likely to die of heart attacks.



Since graduating college and being a workin' man, I've definitely been less active. I decided a change would be well-received by my heart. So I had my desk permanently raised. It wasn't too difficult for a week, especially since I sit enough during the occassional meeting during the day.

Take-aways:
1. My feet hurt. I made an appointment with Dr. Scholls
2. It's awesome not to have to get up to leave my desk. Yep, I just stay standing and move my legs to where I want to go.
3. Standing and eating is weird.

NEXT CHALLENGE: HOLDING AN ITEM IN MY HAND ALL WEEK

#10 - No Clocks

Challenge: Not looking at a clock

For decades, scientists have believed that the brain possesses an internal clock that allows it to keep track of time. A UCLA study and I have confirmed this to be true.

Analogy: If you toss a pebble into a lake, the ripples of water produced by the pebble's impact act like a signature of the pebble's entry time. The farther the ripples travel, the more time has passed. A similar process takes place in the brain that allows it to track time. Every time the brain processes a sensory event, such as a sound or flash of light, it triggers a cascade of reactions between brain cells and their connections. Each reaction leaves a signature that enables the brain cell network to encode time.

I was able to keep time in my head, from meetings that always occur at the same time each week, to the siren testing happening at 1pm, to the location of the sun. I did ask people once in a while the time.

Take-aways:
1. Managing mine time was difficult when I didn’t exactly know it.
2. I found myself either early or late to things and felt like the day moved extremely slow.
3. It was nice not to feel responsible and have a good excuse for being late. Sometimes, I think we’d all be better off living in a world without time.

NEXT CHALLENGE: STANDING AT WORK

#9 - MEET MANY PEOPLE

Challenge: Meet lots of strangers

People I met this week:
Adam – at a wedding, musician
Jill – Adam’s wife, works with Kristin
Katelyn – Kristin’s co-worker
Dan – Groom’s drunk brother
Will – smart dude, Katelyn’s hubby
Teegan – Kristin’s co-worker
Erica – Kristin’s boss
Matt – Groom at wedding
Brittany – Bride at wedding we played music in, Kristin’s former boss
Dawn – HealthPartners co-worker, really helpful door opener
Greg – talked fantasy football in The Local’s bathroom
Bridget – Librarian at Ridgedale, helped me pick out good movies
Cassandra – stellar hairstylist, from Portland
Beth – wine making genius, helped me with my first batch
Adam – guy on lightrail, talked Apple shop
Amber – subway sandwich artist
Claudia – subway sandwich artist
Tom – Tony’s friend, talked winemaking
Stacy and Jenna – Tony’s friends, now my friends
Oscar – new apartment caretaker
Nikolas – Oscar’s little boy

Take-aways
1. Trying to make friends in my adult life is way more enjoyable than making friends elementary or junior high.
2. Choosing to be friendly and meet new people has positive effects in so many ways.
3. Dale Carnegie was really right on about human nature (see How to Win Friends and Influence People)

NEXT CHALLENGE: NOT USING A CLOCK