Plans for January

January.

As the end of the year approached I got excited for a clean start. Time to put the things that occurred in 2015 that I didn't enjoy in the past and to look to the future (which as I read this I realize isn't being in the moment*). A new year. A clean start. I don't really like resolutions - they are always the same, eat better, go to the gym, etc. But what I do like are lists. And so I have made some lists of things to do or accomplish for 2016. Things to continue to do throughout the year. to be consistent. 

In 2016 I would like to get certified to be a mindfulness meditation instructor. I think it would be a good thing to add to the list of things I teach, and it would force me into a more regular meditation practice.

I would also like to make a short film for each month of the year, focusing on my work as an outdoor educator. Which means I am shooting a lot of things and just banking them for future use. 

In regards to filming, January is proving tough. Simply because I am not working a lot, and what I am working on is a lot of 'behind the scenes' stuff. I am in communication with the instructors I am working with on my upcoming WFA classes - and I am doing a lot of those. WFA classes are by far the hardest thing I teach. There is a lot of material to cover, a lot of gear, many students, not enough time and always involve travel. I am on track to do ten this year which would be a personal record. WFA's also mean prepping my gear, making schedules, and figuring out curriculum changes that occurred that I somehow missed. It also means making sure everyone who schedules my time to know when I am teaching WFA, so they don't schedule me to teach something else at the same time. 

Yesterday I met up with the senior instructor for the big program I work with. I teach out of a location that is separate from the main area - which gives us a little bit of a wild west feel compared to the main program. We have our own gear in a storage container and we needed to do an inventory. This is what it looks like. 

GearClean from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.

January is a time when I practice my skills, and do it in bad weather. I spend a lot of time in my drysuit practicing skills with numb fingers. I am about 8 weeks away from teaching water courses and need to make sure my skills are as close to perfect on day 1 as possible.

If the weather would cooperate I would also be working on mountain bike skills and using my longboard - which is a new addition this year - But alas, rain, rain rain.

The year of teaching really begins January 29th when I head to my first WFA.

Also on my list this year is to build an audience on Instagram. I post at least once a day, and I have been posting a lot of short videos. Head on over and check it out. I just decided I would like to post 1000 images by the end of the year. That is something to work on, while keeping the quality standards high. No airplane wing photos... I promise.

That is where I am halfway through the month. Where are you?

*I have been watching (or listening) to a lot of Alan Watts