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2025 New Year's Resolutions! - Ep 304
0 Playsin 3 hours
The crew discuses their New Years Resolutions, past and present.
Transcripts
- For rough transcripts of this episode go to https://www.archpodnet.com/crmarchpodcast/304
Blogs and Resources:
- Bill White: Succinct Research
- Doug Rocks-MacQueen: Doug’s Archaeology
- Chris Webster: DIGTECH LLC
- Andrew Kinkella
Kinkella Teaches Archaeology (Youtube)
Blog: Kinkella Teaches Archaeology
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:01
Speaker
You're listening to the Archaeology Podcast Network. This is the Serum Archaeology Podcast. It's the show where we pull back the veil of cultural resources management archaeology and discuss the issues that everyone is concerned about. Welcome to the podcast.
00:00:22
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the CRM archaeology podcast, episode 304. I'm your host, Heather McDaniel McDevitt, and joining me today is Bill in Northern California.
New Year's Resolutions: Concepts and Challenges
00:00:45
Speaker
at our take on the New Year's resolutions for 2025. You have to do that, right?
00:00:52
Speaker
And you know, it's funny because I was talking about this with my son. What is a New Year's resolution? Why does it make sense to do a New Year's resolution? Every day is a new day and a new opportunity for a resolution, right? But I think everybody enjoys having a fresh start and having one day that you can make as your fresh start. You can do that for every day. But I mean, as human beings, I think we like to have something set ahead something that gives us hope that we can do better be better so. you know i I'm sure that most know in the back of their head what is a good resolution however how many of us actually successfully. Follow through with our new year's resolution.
00:01:40
Speaker
Not many. I know I don't, I'm not very good at it. I would say one of the New Year's resolutions that a lot of people do, right, is losing weight. And that's a tough, that's a toughie, right? I actually started by, i i've I've started a plan for that and I started it back in September and I'm making some headway. So I'm coming in with all that already under under my belt. So that's a good feeling and that I'm learning You know, having that plan and putting together a resolution that's actually going to be successful. Has definitely yeah taught me about how sometimes you just have to, there has to be an impetus. There has to be something that you said I've had enough.
00:02:27
Speaker
And that doesn't always happen on January 1st, right? And if you really, really have this impetus that I've had enough, if you've really had enough, you're ready to do it that next day and make those changes. So when you don't have that motivation of something like you're fed up, but you know that you need to change, what are some like concrete ways that you can do that?
Setting Effective Goals
00:02:51
Speaker
And so just as a friendly reminder, the first thing that most people will say is that it needs to be attainable. You have to have something that's realistic.
00:03:02
Speaker
and that it challenges you and and and inspires you to make change, but it's not so overwhelming that you give up to too quickly or that you give up at all. The other is that it needs to be relevant. It has to be relevant to your life right now, and it needs to be relevant with your values in general and your current life situation.
00:03:26
Speaker
And then the next thing to think about is having making sure that it's specific, that you're clearly defining your goals, that you are not saying something like, I just want to be a better person. I know that's not Andrew's New Year's resolution, but what that was it. Well, it's close. Mine was to be Galactic Emperor. Oh, OK. It's almost there. It's almost the same. So, yeah you know, you you don't you want to avoid the vague terms you want to have something very specific this is your goal this is how you're going to attain it. By having these like short term medium term long term goals maybe daily goals and then.
00:04:12
Speaker
when you're When you're making those goals, you want to make sure that they're measurable. So how are you going to know that you're actually succeeding, which will motivate you to keep going if you don't have some way of tracking your progress? So you want to make sure you have actual measurable goals. And then finally,
00:04:35
Speaker
it has to be action oriented. So you have to create a plan with all these specific steps with, you know, your goals outlined. Why is it important to you? How does it align with your values and your goals for life in general? And then how are you going to measure?
Lifestyle Changes and Unique Resolutions
00:04:53
Speaker
So with that in mind, Bill is the one who actually brought up this topic. So I'm going to throw it to you, Bill. Sure. Well, I, I,
00:05:04
Speaker
I was going to say, i I want to know more about your weight loss thing. I mean, we can go into that later, but yeah, yeah you know, the thing that I realized, I don't think this show's really done. but New Year's resolution one, we've done, you know, Christmas, but we don't usually do resolutions. and I was, you know, kind of thought it might be an interesting thing because there's stuff that folks could do to change the way that they think about their life and then I think that it can move into positive change, right? So, I actually am someone who's done a lot of wacky New Year's resolutions in the past. I think I gave up eating at any place that has a drive-through for a year.
00:05:44
Speaker
I've, ah ah let me think, I made the goal to climb Mount Rainier one year and I made it close, but my guide had to go back. There was someone who needed to go back down and there wasn't enough guides to go forward. And the way that it works is there can only be three people on one rope.
00:06:02
Speaker
And if your person has to take someone back down, then all the people on there don't get to go to the top. So I never got to go to the top, but ah it took a long time to run and all that. The best thing that came out of that is I stopped smoking cigarettes, which was good. I mean, I guess moving to Seattle.
00:06:20
Speaker
really limit your cigarette smoking because you have to stand outside and get soaked in the rain to smoke a cigarette. So it wasn't as easy, it you know, it wasn't hard to get rid of that. I think it would have been harder if I lived somewhere else, but I've had a lot of New Year's resolutions. Weight loss, of course, is mine still on there for multiple years. But I think the big one for this year is alcohol gone. And I've i've done this one before. No drinking for a year. But, you know, just I've been getting sick and stuff like that. And it's not my body doesn't handle to it very well anymore. I'm getting too old to drink anymore. but I also found myself in a horrible habit during the pandemic, which is drinking tons more than I should. And that's when I really started to cut back. So now I'm at the point where it's like kind of not existed anymore.
00:07:10
Speaker
So I think it will help me since I spent years working towards this. But, you know, as far as archaeology, I know that we have a tradition of drinking alcohol. We've talked to the we've talked about that on the show. There's been some, you know, articles in Science magazine. I've talked to other folks. I don't know why archaeologists drink as much as we do, but that's going to be the one that is like a personal resolution that also trickles into my job because like every time archaeologists meet, they drink alcohol.
00:07:40
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, at least they yeah I mean, they say they do. You know, that I mean, I think the truth that we've gone over this before in terms of the alcohol and archaeology thing, it's like it's the same as it is anywhere else. You know what I mean? Oh, they just had a gathering of physicists or you whatever. But yeah it's just that archaeology sells it. They put it on the poster. Well, no, and also archaeologists take it to the next level. good If you bug out with the physicists, they actually understand the damage it does to your body to drink alcohol. I mean, if it's so bad that the federal government is going to say it's a carcinogen, like that's got to be really bad. That's up there with like cigarettes, which we know are bad.
00:08:19
Speaker
Yeah. Asbestos. Those are carcinogens. And so that's where they're putting alcohol now. So, like, folks know it's bad, but in archaeology, I think we just, like, throw all concern to the wind and just go wild. I don't know why it's like that. I think it's... See, my my point is just, I think it's the same everywhere, though. I think we just talk about a lot more. I don't know. I'm telling you. And to fuck I don't know. I don't think it's the same everywhere. Yeah. So, you know, having come with my you know previous career in hockey, it's a very, you know, there's a lot of drinking there. It's it comes with the social camaraderie.
00:08:57
Speaker
Yeah, the camaraderie in the locker room afterwards, the celebration. it It is definitely pretty common there. I think in archaeology though, it's different than in, there's more places to do it. So in hockey, it's the locker room. It's after the game, right?
00:09:14
Speaker
If you're going to say, since you brought up physics, uh, physicists, my dad's a physicist, he's also not a drinker, but that could be, you know, conferences. It's a social and any conference you're going to have that, uh, any professional conference you have drinking. Right. But in archeology, we spend a lot of time, how many How many professions spend 24 seven with their colleagues in the field? I mean, you're a biologist, right? Geologists. But for the most part, most professions don't do that. And so, you know, think about it, human behavior. If you're with people that you don't know, and let's say there are some people that feel uncomfortable having to be thrown in with a group of people and you're with them 24 seven, sometimes
00:10:00
Speaker
alcohol helps break the barriers. Maybe that's one reason. I don't know. Yeah. But I do think that the field component definitely makes it more prevalent in archaeology. Yeah, no, I think I can see that. That's that's true. The setup of that sort of field component. And, you know, it's your sort of, you know, away from your everyday life to on top of all that. It's like this is where I drink.
00:10:26
Speaker
Why don't we talk about, because we could totally talk about alcohol and archeology.
Reflecting on Resolutions: Successes and Failures
00:10:31
Speaker
How about we talk in this first episode, it'd be kind of fun to see, just talk about what are maybe the craziest resolution that you did that was not successful and maybe a really like abnormal one or or out of the box one that was successful.
00:10:49
Speaker
Sure. I think that's I think that's great. And I just want to comment on bills for a second, because I thought bills were great. Bill had to write. He had to like, don't drink, which is the super most common one of all, um which I think is great. And the climbing Mount Rainier thing, Bill, I think kicks ass and you really achieved your goal, really. I mean, do bang you And you had to turn to it like.
00:11:08
Speaker
The other thing too is I started to think about what are things that I could do before I get older, right? So you start to think about how many more years could I try to climb Mount Rainier? And what was crazy is at the time, I didn't have very much money. So I had to do fundraisers and a whole bunch of other stuff to raise. Now I can just go, right? like in but the way the guides worked that we went on, I think it was radio Rainier Mountaineering. It's RMI. I can't remember what they also lead, you know, trips up Kilimanjaro and a whole bunch of other stuff. But that goal is still there. And I never got to to the top. And before
00:11:45
Speaker
Like I said, it took me a long time to raise the money. Now, I don't have to. Now, I just have to get in shape to climb the mountain. So, I remember what the training was. I could do all the stuff. I just have to put it together and then you know make a push in the summertime. Actually, it's even easier now that I'm not doing CRM full-time because I have summers off. That's three months that I could plan ahead a year in advance and know that I'm going to go there. I just need to get in shape, right? It's not easy.
00:12:11
Speaker
yeah that was totally So they don't really screen the people who try to climb. It's just whoever shows up with the money, they say, okay, well, you know do you have any heart issues, this, that, anything that's going to prevent you? Nope, nope, nope. Okay. Then you can go ahead and go.
00:12:26
Speaker
and like You could just pull over your car, park it in their lot, and then try to climb out right here. Well, the problem with that is that then people who actually cannot make it are roped up with people who spent a year training for it. So you would you'd have to set aside your own thing to be like, yeah, all three of us are going to go together. And we're part of our own group.
00:12:47
Speaker
and all of us will take it seriously and like whoever we get chained to, none of us is going to go back down and that's the way that you make it up. But I was just a guy who was part of a whole like whatever, you know, Thursday, Friday, Saturday thing. And I was chained up with a bunch of other randoms and as we were going up, people were peeling off, you know? bar I got plenty of guides that only have one or two people, but they start getting peeled off and then it widows it down until it's like unsafe. And I was the one whose guide drew the the short straw and I had to go back down. Right. OK, Bill, here's here's an idea. Yeah. There's three of us on this podcast. Let's we not only do we climb Mount Rainier, but we we record a podcast at the top of Mount Rainier.
00:13:38
Speaker
That's right. Well, I think many are thinking that this is like you have driven to Seattle and be like, oh, there's a very tall about it. There it is. Let's watch. It's fierce. It's easy. I know. But it's not easy. There are. You just can record. You can record when you're eating my dead body up there. You know, like let's record that. It'll be a great. Survival. Yeah. Survival. Well, you have a headache. All you have to do is like my head hurts. Exactly.
00:14:06
Speaker
Exactly. Oh, Andrew. What are some what are two real quick, once we're getting up on the end of it? Oh, you know, should we? Maybe I have I have one. It'll take it. time to talk Maybe we should just ok do it on the flip side. Yeah, right. on let's All right. Here we go. Onto the segment two.
00:14:30
Speaker
Welcome back to CRM archaeology podcast, episode 304. We're talking about New Year's resolutions. This is segment two. Andrew, how about you give us a couple of your previous resolutions?
00:14:43
Speaker
Oh, I love talking about resolutions because it it feels like it gets very philosophical and very deep, very fast. You know, I think that I don't know if I do New Year's resolutions like specifically January 1st, but I feel like I live my life with
Resolutions and Career Goals
00:14:59
Speaker
resolutions. Like I'll I'll just be sitting around and I'll sort of have this idea and I'll be like, you know, I really need to do this for myself.
00:15:08
Speaker
And i'll take it seriously sometimes one thing i do with my resolutions is i i'll write them down kind of like that list that you gave on the top like oh it needs to be actionable and all that kind of stuff i recommend to anyone doing resolutions that you write it down because that's like the first step in giving yourself an organization you know you like okay. I'll do this this in week one, then I'll do this in week two. Right. So I have these I live my life through these like six by eight inch spiral bound notebooks. And I just I I use them all thematically. And one of them is for ideas like this. It's basically a resolutions notebook. And one of my big ones was getting my dive master certification. And I did this about 10 years ago.
00:15:57
Speaker
And I had been diving for a long time and I did diving with my like my dissertation and all that diving in the snow days of Belize. And I have this really weird backstory on just how the various certifications that I got while diving. It's not the norm.
00:16:13
Speaker
but I'd never gotten the big mama, right? The dive master certification. And this was in about 2015 or so. And this, for those of you out there who have families and stuff with young children, I'd spent the the previous yeah six or so years with a young child and, you know, you're just focused on your family and because you have to, that's the deal.
00:16:34
Speaker
But my daughter was getting a bit older and I was like, you know, I could do this thing. It was almost a pie in the sky thing for me, but I'm like, I could I could be a dive master. And so I went online, I called around, I found the guy who taught the classes and I started doing it and I put together this schedule and being a dive master takes like a lot of time. you have It burned so many of my weekends and stuff and I would just be diving out of Catalina. I did so many dives. I did so much stuff, but I finally, finally after like four or five months of putting all this stuff together,
00:17:14
Speaker
I got my dive certification and I swear to God, it was so fulfilling. like It's right up there with getting a PhD or a master's or whatever because it just took so much investment and it felt so far away when I first started it. you know and It was just this huge feeling of accomplishment. so That's one that like you know made it over to the the finish line. so that there's That's totally awesome. So did you already, I mean, folks probably don't really understand what goes into this, just like you were saying so much. You need to have a lot of dives to even be able to go for that in a year. yeah So yes you were already years in and so you'd already documented hours and hours under the water. Okay. yes So I actually, i I had just enough, you need 60 dives, I believe. And I had been very good with my documentation of dives over the years. And I just had dives everywhere, you know, whatever, these little, Oh, we went to a vacation on Hawaii. I did two dives there, you know, but I'd been doing it. I've been diving before that for like 20 years, you know? So I just, from time to time, I'd written them all down and I had just enough.
00:18:25
Speaker
Yeah. Sweet. So then you just had to take the class that all the certification dives to go along with it. Yeah. did Did you like? I assume you had to go in person to the class. Oh, yeah. Sessions. Yep. Oh, yeah. So i would we would meet and the instructor Steve Millington, Scuba Steve, he was the coolest guy. He's fantastic. step And he would work with my schedule. You know, i had I'd be like, oh, a Wednesday, I have it free. OK, let's go diving. Like he, it was always like that. So I just, I just like jigsaw puzzled it together. Okay. Cause I was going to say, I think folks, that is a absolutely commendable. There's a lot of people who are interested in underwater archeology too. Yeah. Yeah. Is that, is that why you started doing it? Cause you wanted to do it.
00:19:09
Speaker
I already had been doing underwater archaeology, but I just I didn't have the big, big one, you know, and I always felt like I could do that. And it and so I did, you know, and all made me feel good. Yeah, that's pretty amazing. that Yeah, that is amazing. I think it's a. Example of how, you know, sometimes you don't even realize what it is that you want to do. And right, you know, until you get something else takes you there.
00:19:38
Speaker
Like for you, it's your dissertation. You may not even realize there was such a thing as master diving way before you even got into our, you know, underwater archeology. And then you realize there's so many worlds out there. And that's why, like, I think this New Year's resolution ideas is, the topic is so good because it doesn't have to be these stereotypical New Year's resolutions. They can be very specific to areas that are You know, helpful for you in your life right now. And so looking at instead of just looking at something broadly, what what can I do? Oh, I want to be successful in my career. But looking at, okay, where are there opportunities for me to be successful in my career? What what are some
00:20:24
Speaker
ways that could help me shine in the professional setting and maybe using that as an opportunity for resolution. And what's nice about those is that for like the master diving, there's a very set plan. Like there you have to do this, this, this, and this. So it's almost like you don't even have to write a plan, right? It's You have to kind of maybe know it's personal. Yeah. Yeah, it's there like, you know, it's like, here's these 10 big, huge steps, you know, and you need to do these. yeah And the other thing I really liked about it is it's very cut and dry. It's like, well, you either know how to do this dive or you don't. So there's this real obvious like, did you complete it or not? You know, yeah which is nice.
00:21:08
Speaker
And I was going to say it's also not easy. So that was a that was kind of like the capstone on something you'd already been doing, um which is which is even cooler because there's a lot of us that have been doing things like we already have been doing things. And if we just use this year to be like, oh, well, we're just going to go over the top like I've already been cutting back. I've already been on a diet. I've already been doing this. I'm going to lose 15 pounds. Like you've already, you have the the framework. Now you've just put a name on it. So even though it's a big goal, like you'd already been diving for a long time, even though it's a big goal, you just choose, yeah, this is the year. This is the year that we formalize this effort that we've already been doing for many years. So that's another approach too. What are things you've already been doing? You're just kind of like, yeah, you know what?
00:21:55
Speaker
This is the year. I'm pretty close. I'm going to run a 10K. I've been running a mile. I'm just going to try to run a 5K. Right. That's perfect. and like Those are the even better ones. Yes. By having something crystallized where it's very specific,
00:22:13
Speaker
You're able, you know, when you're successful at one resolution or one attaining a goal, that just motivates the next goal that helps you realize you can't trick in your mind. You know what? I didn't really do that. Or did I really become a better person?
00:22:32
Speaker
yeah You know like if you have a goal and I see it in my kids like i'm I'm seeing now like my son He's attaining certain things and they were he now You know and we we have like what you call it imposter syndrome or whatever even though we attain something we We meet a goal There's something in the back of our mind that's always telling us, oh, we're not capable, or we're less than what we think we are right now. or We're really less than where our standing is in life. And by putting a goal ahead of you and attaining that goal that's measurable, you can't take that away from yourself. So when you're having that in the back of your head of, did I really attain something? If it's measurable, even your,
00:23:24
Speaker
inner voice that likes to talk you down cannot argue with the fact that, yes, I attained this, it was measurable and I did it. And I think that that's really important, you know, when I talk to friends or my kids or, and they're doubting themselves. My main thing, and for me personally, is I try to start talking to myself, what would I say if I was talking to my friend? If I was my friend, what would I say to myself? And one of the things is that you have to kind of talk yourself off these ledges is what, when was I, when was I successful? How have I been successful? And what did I do to get there? And I am capable of doing that again. So I think having that measurable, attainable goal that nobody can take away from you, including yourself is really important.
00:24:17
Speaker
Yeah, no, I agree. And one one last thing on the on the diving thing. I also I got that. I just did the math when I was 44. Right. So I didn't do this when I was 26 years old or something like that. So just realize if you're if you're a bit older or whatever, don't don't like just stew on like, I'm too old. It's like, no, you're not. Go through the list. You know, if you need to get in shape, then that's your first step. Like get in better shape as you go to it. i think It reminds me, Bill, of your the climbing Mount Rainier. It's like, first, you got to, you know, you have to be in shape enough to do it. it. Yeah.
Resolutions for Different Life Stages
00:24:49
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm glad you put that out there about age because there's certain goals that are easier to attain when you're young than they are when you're old, right? And there's also certain goals that are better for you to attain when you're old than when you're young, right? Because you'll, you'll gets I mean, I'll, I could, I guess I'll just use my own personal
00:25:10
Speaker
I think that taking a cruise when I'm old is a good idea compared to when I'm young and I can actually go up Machu Picchu. I could surf. I could do different things because my body doesn't need as much rest. It's more flexible. And if I fall, I don't get injured right away. But when I'm 70 years old,
00:25:29
Speaker
Yeah. Just go tottering from pool to pool and eating and just like watching concerts. Like that seems rad. yeah i that's a great point It could seem cool if I was young, but also I could see how I'd be super bored on a boat with a bunch of elders.
00:25:46
Speaker
uh, you know, in this, in this situation, right? So that's just me. That's my old personal one. I think that climbing right here when I'm 70 is going to be very, very, very difficult. So when I was in my twenties, that is the best time to do it. But as every year unfolds,
00:26:01
Speaker
It's not going to be easy. Same thing with diving. I mean, it's just not going to be as attainable and easy when you have a young family or when you're like 19, because you don't have the cash, you have to work. It's not easy, right? to But when you're 44, yes, you already have 20 years of experience. You have been diving all around the world. It's much easier, right? so So there's some stuff that if you're younger and you're out there, yeah, make that a priority. Like these running goals, these climbing and hiking and mountain climbing goals, those are young person's stuff. The other ones of like, you know, I'm going to go and see something that you could pretty much see from the tour bus or, you know, I'm going to eat at all the best restaurants in San Francisco. Yeah. i Like, dude, sweet. Do that when you're older. And that is the whole thing, like getting to the restaurant and eating some food. That is the goal.
00:26:53
Speaker
yeah also cutting things out too is a good idea it depends on like what stage you're in but especially health goals like losing weight cut eating more vegetables all that stuff when you're older like that's critical yeah 40 44 45 that's when you really should be like yes I'm gonna get my high blood pressure into control I am gonna stop eating fast food like those are great when you're young it's like yeah I'm gonna stop eating fast food that's awesome if you were able to keep that up for your whole life you'd be amazing. Like you'd be an amazing health. I can imagine you'd be an amazing health, right? But at middle age, when they start going like, ah well, you know, seems like I could make you eat a bunch of chemicals here for the next 25 years to lower this, or you could probably eat oatmeal and increase your fiber. Like, uh, okay. I think I'll just do that for new years. Right. When you're younger, there's, there's a bunch of different pathways you could go as you get older. They're kind of like surgery chemicals or stop doing that. Like I think I'll choose stop doing that. Yeah. i
00:27:51
Speaker
um As far as age goes, too, don't, you know, trust us. We're all around the same age, Bill, Andrew and I. And I think that the one thing you think that you're old now, somebody who's for us, for under 50s or late 40s,
00:28:14
Speaker
for us, somebody who's 70 thinks that we're young, right? And if you're 30 and you think you're old, trust me, we think you're young. So just, you know, maybe and you don't just give up on, I think a lot of times people are like, you know what, all the big things, all the things that would be impressive or I would think are impressive are, you know, past my potential at this point. And so maybe you thought when you were younger, I'm going to be,
00:28:42
Speaker
I'm gonna climb Mount Everest right but now you realize that for various different reasons that's not realistic it's not quote-unquote attainable for you at this point so. What are other things like if you think reaching the pinnacle of something is and physically like a mountain so you pick a mount rainier that might be still a little bit more than you can handle maybe mount whitney and california exactly.
00:29:08
Speaker
You know, like you that's the that's the that's the golden moment. It's like if you can't do it, you don't just go, oh, well, I suck. It's like, no, no, no, no, no. You pick another one. And like if you are older, too, especially like all three of us in California do it. So I'm like visiting every California state park.
00:29:27
Speaker
yeah That's something that you could drive to most of them. There's hundreds in the entire system. So you'd see the entire state, right? That's one of those kind of elder ones if you're still able to drive.
00:29:39
Speaker
Like that, that's the kind of goal, like that is not easy. And I don't know how, there's a lot of people who live in this state and I don't know how many of them have ever seen every state park. That's just in one state. But those are also attainable goals. They'll get you out, you got to plan, you got to travel, you got to go around. Some places you have to make reservations. You know, it's not going to be a super easy thing. But in a year, you probably could visit all the California state parks in one year.
00:30:04
Speaker
And if you were older, that's a perfect goal because you would see all different kinds of parts of the state. Yeah. Or any, any respective, like whatever state you're in. I'm really interested in hearing what you all have on your plate for resolutions coming up this year. So we're going to go to segment three.
00:30:25
Speaker
Welcome back to CRM archaeology podcast, episode 304, segment three. But we are, we've been talking about New Year's resolutions. And in this segment, I'm really interested to hear what Bill and Andrew have in store for whether they call it New Year's resolution or maybe a resolution they've already started. Yeah. You guys aiming at.
00:30:50
Speaker
I mean, I guess like I already started the alcohol one. Like I said, I just realized that I'm getting trashed by it. you know I don't feel good, man. It just doesn't make me feel good. And I thought that it was like wheat, and then I thought it was this, and I thought it was that, and I thought it was sugar. And I was like, oh, it's the refined and distilled sugar. That's alcohol. That's the one. So I identified it in 2024. Now I'm like, okay, well, let's just see what happens over this year. But that's the one. But the other thing I'm going to do as far as archaeology is I'm going to right size my engagement with archaeology organizations. Like we were talking about this. i I like over the years spent time on the board of directors for the Society for Historical Archaeology and, you know, was with California Archaeology doing stuff for diversity and everything. And I just realized that I only have one life to live.
00:31:45
Speaker
yeah And being part of the directorship of these archeology organizations and engaging with them and then watching decades go by and nothing happening, like no measurable change happening. I just realized that it was just super draining. And even though I get invitations, like I'm just going to, 2025 I booked to take conferences, but after that, I'm just going to stop I'm going to choose the one or two that I actually enjoy being a part of and the rest of them are going to kind of just melt away and I'm just going to stop even, you know, engaging, right? Because you can get on so many different committees and invites to these talks and all this stuff. It's expensive to go to them.
00:32:30
Speaker
you know, surprisingly, universities aren't rolling in cash, so you don't get reimbursed for every single, you know, conference. And then you realize when you get there, you're part of a forum, that's just two hours of people bitching about shit they've been bitching about since 1969. And then nothing ever happens, right? Like everybody walks away like, sweet man, I feel invigorated. Yeah, the minute you get home, you get to your desk, you're not going to do shit. And so I saw for, you know, years watching this happen, that certain organizations are less I should just, I want to read the magazine and I want to give a talk at their conference and other organizations it seems like are trying to do something. And so I am interested to be in being part of committees on those. So 2025 is the year that I decide which organizations are worth me spending any more time and which ones are not.
00:33:19
Speaker
yeah That's a good one. i Yeah, I think mine kind of dovetails in that. And mine currently does break a lot of the rules that we have here about the New Year's resolution. So this this wasn't New Year's specifically, but it was so close to New Year's. It's almost a New Year's resolution, which mine. It just starts with the theme that I learned in 2024, which is.
00:33:42
Speaker
Here comes the cliche. Money isn't everything. That is what I learned in 2024 because I taught more classes and did more jobs and honestly made more money than I ever have any other year. Right. Twenty twenty twenty four. I did. Dude, I burned the candle at both ends. I taught. I taught extra classes. I taught a total of eight classes in the in the spring and nine or nine classes in the spring and eight classes in the fall. wow And I taught.
00:34:11
Speaker
It is insane. And I taught summer school. I had a couple other like media jobs that I did. And I just was going to town, you guys. Like it it was over the top. So the positive side was I was able to pay down some debt and stuff, which was really, really great. You know, like that part's really good. But I got to the end of 2024 and i'm I'm just like, dude, like that was insane. i it would It felt so good to achieve goals like paying down debt. It can be ah it can be its own resolution, you know. yeah And I sort of I got really, really far along on that. But I was like, man, there's just other things in life besides this. Like I need to chill out. I need to just like enjoy some things. I need to spend a bit less money, too. You know. yeah And so my next I guess my next action item or whatever it is to sort of put it in my little notebook and then figure out exactly, okay, where am I going to cut back in terms of expense? And then what else am I going to deal with myself with my newfound time? You know, but I'm looking forward to that because 2024 for me was a big grind.
00:35:19
Speaker
I think I mean, I have a million questions about that, but it sounds to me like you're putting in 10 to 12 hour days of teaching if you're teaching nine classes. Yeah. Yeah. So no, it was the worst. There were certain days, I think it was Wednesday, where I was standing up talking in front of people for nine hours.
00:35:44
Speaker
Like nine, like, as I always say, the Rolling Stones only got to do it for two hours on the weekend, you know, like, and it and it was it was like my voice was all getting all messed up because I was just talking too much. I was so exhausted, dude. And so.
00:35:59
Speaker
Yeah. it was it was It was too much. It was too much. I'm not going to do that again. I do think it's always nice to make money and do things, but im if I need to do something else, like in the coming year, I'll do a completely different job doing something else. you know Where you don't have to talk, right? Yeah. Because it's too much. It's too much on the body. The other thing that's associated with that too, that a lot of people don't understand is like,
00:36:26
Speaker
you do the lecture and you so build the entire course and you set it to go. And then there's this extra labor, ah this extra extraction that happens in the form of I had something happen in my life. Therefore I'm not going to do things as they were said in the syllabus. That's the recipe for getting an A. Will you adjust your life yeah because I had a thing that happened in my life yeah or, you know,
00:36:52
Speaker
I'm just really super interested in that this and I like you and I want to talk with you a lot more, but like you just spent hours talking and you just spent hours doing something, right? And it's like, yeah, now oh let's go get a coffee and let's chill. Do you have time to talk on Zoom? And it's like, yeah kind of no, like, no, daily like, I don't know what to say, like, no. And so if you multiply it by nine classes with 20 students at each one, you're looking at 180 people that are like, yeah, constantly, right? I hope I did my math correctly. I'm not sure. Yeah, but it was, it's actually more because so some of my classes had four had 40 people, you know, whatever, but some of them were online. So it's like, of let's say the nine time, I think three were online and six were on ground or something. Yeah.
00:37:36
Speaker
But um because I always prefer on ground. I always angle towards on ground. But I will say, Bill, what you brought up about the like the people wanting to talk afterwards, I was always very conscious of that. I was like, I am exhausted. It's 945 at night. I'm dying. But I tried to put a happy face because I'm like, they want to know about archaeology so bad. They're so positive about this. I can't I can't just go shut up. I need to like fall apart right now. And so I would like, you know, stand there with a smile on my face and be like, yeah, Yeah, that is, you know, because I know how important that is for students. But but damn as you understand, Bill, it was hard. it Yeah. Yeah. That extra I'm saying that because you're prepared for your lecture, you're prepared to grade papers, you're prepared to do all that stuff.
Challenges and Personal Motivation
00:38:21
Speaker
It's the other additional one that you're kind of like, I just want to go to the bathroom yeah and be around another human. Yeah. Like for the rest of the day. and I don't really know what to say. Like I can't see on my calendar any time I will ever want to really talk.
00:38:36
Speaker
So let's just do it right now because I just want to get some rest. Like, I don't know what to say. Yes. It's funny.
00:38:46
Speaker
Yeah. so All right. Well, Heather, yeah, let's hear. OK, so, boy, you know. I look back at this last year, so I think I've mentioned it before, I changed positions or changed jobs to another company and it had a lot of new things and was and was creating new practices and it just, it was very exciting, but it was also feeling like I was chasing my tail constantly. So my resolution for this year is to
00:39:20
Speaker
Just, and I'm working on actually getting this codified, putting it down on paper, but having a resolution to make resolutions, I guess, or a resolution to make plans and to have Very deliberate ah goals for the practice. Our main thing was to grow, grow, grow, and we succeeded. We did that ah in spades, but now it's creating a. A plan that others can follow. So. we were all just okay let's just dive in and make this happen and now the next step is okay we we really need to have a a regular system so my that's my goal for this year is to have things a little bit more defined so that they're um so that the product is very consistent which we have been doing but we haven't been really efficient with it so creating some
00:40:25
Speaker
plans to to make sure that we're consistent and that we have plans that are repeatable by different types of people who come in and that when people come in to, you know, that are hired, that they have a path moving forward and they feel like they're accomplishing something. So that i for me, and it's so funny because we were talking about New Year's resolutions, my husband brought it up. And so my son ah was like,
00:40:55
Speaker
Mom, what's your New Year's resolution? And so I told him, he goes, Mom, that's not a New Year's resolution. yeah I challenge you to have one that has nothing to do with work. ah That's very difficult for me because the one thing that I've noticed about myself, it it's, I love work. I love, I love work and I love what I do for work. So I'm actually,
00:41:23
Speaker
realizing that I'm okay with, now maybe my family's not, but I'm okay with the fact that I am, my approach to work's different than others. I'm not a nine to five clock in clock out. That's just not who I am. I do know I need to have more balance. So that is one thing that I'm trying to find is a Something that is completely separate from work that I can focus on. So, as you can all see, I have not followed. Much of what a good resolution is yet, but I'm working on it. So I think the 1 thing I would like to do is have something that is not tied to work. That will allow me to.
00:42:09
Speaker
have fun with. One thing I'm kind of playing around with, because I'm with this journey of losing weight and being healthier, is I want to be more active. And so my daughter and I talked about maybe doing dance lessons together. Oh, that would be great.
00:42:28
Speaker
Yeah, because I, you know, I, I'm, it was an athlete when I was young. I was very like, we're talking eight hours, 10 hours a day, athletes didn't go to high school was homeschooled so that I could be that athlete. And so I know what it's like to go to the gym and to exercise for exercise so sake.
00:42:52
Speaker
But now I'm at a point where I just don't like that. So I need to find something that's going to keep me active. I will be, you know, moving, but it's fun movement. So, so anyway, those are some things. And then back to the weight loss thing, you know, I did start that in September. There was an impetus. I'm a little embarrassed about that impetus, but basically I was on vacation with my daughter and there was something I could not do.
00:43:21
Speaker
yeah because I was overweight. yeah And I had my daughter go ahead and do it without me. She felt really bad about it, but I made her do it. And I sat in the car and cried. And I just said, that's enough.
00:43:43
Speaker
That's enough. i And that was the impetus for me. At first, I cried. I felt sorry for myself and yeah called my son, who was wonderful. He was in Georgia at the time. And he, you know, sat and listened to me, you know, did the all I'm going to go and, you know, knock that guy's jaw off or whatever. You know, that's not my son, but that was my husband, actually. Then I called my husband and I told him and he's like, what?
00:44:11
Speaker
but Then I just, I sat back and I'm like, you know what? It wasn't, yeah, it, it, it was, there was a weight limit and that weight limit was a lot lower where we were than it would have been here in the States, but it was a wake up call. And I sat back and I'm like, okay, you know what?
00:44:32
Speaker
no matter what, even if this wouldn't have happened to me in the US, it happened. And I'm still not at the weight that I should be. And so I came home and I started right away. And and then i for me, it was just, I had to look at, because what I had been doing before on January 1 was I was saying, I'm going to do this. And then, you know, there's so many emotions when it comes to weight loss. up so there are yeah and And it's so easy to quit. And there's so many temptations because it's not like you can just say no alcohol, right? Alcohol is yeah very difficult too. But you don't need alcohol to live. You need food to live. So you're making constant decisions. And for me, I'm just, as my mom would call me, an easy keeper. And that's what they call horses that put on quite easy. And I do.
00:45:26
Speaker
I put on weight easy and I, I build muscle easy too, but I put, and I think my body's a little messed up from having been, you know, an athlete for so long and denying myself for so long. So it's metabolisms a little off. Then of course, you know, I'm older now, so that doesn't help. And so I had to rethink. So this was a really good.
00:45:47
Speaker
you know, as far as an exercise in putting together a resolution and making it successful, I had to really look and say, okay, this isn't what I did before to lose weight.
00:45:59
Speaker
doesn't work. And what I did before would have been like something really drastic to lose weight so I could feel really good about having lost weight. And that is not sustainable. And so I had to look at it from a long term. And again, this is a really good exercise for any resolution. You have to look at something for the long term. And is it going, you know, how is it sustainable? And not only is it sustainable, especially with weight loss, is Are you going to keep it off? Right. So I decided I i thought, you know what? I'm not doing this on my own. like I've never I mean, I was able to when I was an athlete, it was basically deny myself, deny myself to the point where I used to have to take potassium shots. I don't know if you guys have ever done that, but no I was eating so few carbohydrates.
00:46:50
Speaker
jesus you and And usually that's the opposite, right? But I was a figure skater, that's a competitive figure skater at the time when I was really young. And gymnasts and figure skaters, we eat very low carbohydrates to keep ourselves like below our good weight and just enough carbohydrates to keep ourselves going. But because I wasn't eating enough, I would have to take these shots of potassium that would wake me up a bit, right? oh So am it was that that bad.
00:47:18
Speaker
And so those, you know, that's not going to work. So anyways, I went to a doctor who gave me a plan and that plan has definitely helped me. Plus I'm accountable to somebody and, and he really, you know, did an assessment and figured out what it is that I need to do to do long-term weight loss that will last. And it cost me money.
00:47:45
Speaker
but it was worth it. It was totally worth it. 100%. So I'm not all the way there, but I'm pretty, I have, I've lost a decent amount. I've lost 45 pounds. Damn dude. All right. Yeah, that's great.
00:48:00
Speaker
so So but it's nice to go into January and to know them already there. So I've already got this momentum and this has been something that's plagued me my whole life, really. yeah Like even when I was really thin, it was always something that was in the back of my head and it's a good feeling. So, and then, you know, taking that and when you do it, and for those that say, I don't want to do resolutions, that's like, that's, I don't know what they say, corny or cringy or whatever they say.
00:48:29
Speaker
It really is. It helps you in other areas of your life when you build confidence because you've accomplished something, whether you want to call it resolution or not, it's totally worth it. Put something a hole in front of you for goal oriented creatures. We need that totally. Yeah, I agree. And Heather, for your for your weight loss thing, was it so that was it mainly like a like a food plan, like a diet plan or was like diet plus exercise? It's both. And one of the things that's really been helpful for me is ah this intermittent fasting. So I don't eat after my dinner at all. And then I actually do not eat breakfast and I don't eat until noon. And that, you know, that's not for everybody. Not everybody's, it it took some getting used to, but it's, that definitely has helped. And then when I do eat, it's, it's, you know, I'm really am. I'm not eating the carbs. I'm not eating bread.
00:49:28
Speaker
Yeah, I get it. Yeah, so. Yeah, no, that's cool.
Fun and Temporary Resolutions
00:49:31
Speaker
And the intermittent fasting thing, I've heard that a lot. And I'm sort of looking at some of this just just for myself. And I mean, you know, you know, I'm a like I'm a fairly skinny dude, but I do notice as I get older that like I'm like I am putting on some weight slowly, but surely in certain areas. Yeah, my dad is a skinny, skinny, and then he put it in in his stomach area. how easier yeah job Yeah, that is where men put it. Yeah.
00:49:57
Speaker
So, but I really encourage people, you know, like, let's, I guess we're near the end, but here just, you know, I encourage people, even if you don't want to call it that New Year's resolution, put a goal in front of you, a goal that's attainable, a goal that you really, um that's going to make you feel good. Not, not a goal, a goal that, I don't know, that appeals to your sense of hope and that things can be good in life, right?
00:50:27
Speaker
i I really encourage everyone to just find something that they can apply themselves to and do it in a manner that you can sit back and say, you know what? I've accomplished at least this much. Make it measurable and then give yourself a chance to pat yourself on the back. Use that success and move forward to your next goal.
00:50:48
Speaker
like so Anything else you guys want to say? Well, also it was only a year. So yes you're talking about something much more sustainable, lifestyle change, but our New Year's resolution can also just be something wacky for a year, right? So it doesn't have to, with any luck, you'll make it for multiple more years. And if you start and you don't like it, then when the year's over, just stop doing with that. That's a great point. It could just be something fun. Like I'm going to do a puzzle every week or something. you know Andrew, I have I have nothing i have except to say that, like, ah I liked this episode, man. It was again, it was deep. It was philosophical. It made you feel good. You know, I'm like, I think we've had some breakthroughs. Yeah. Yeah. I like it. I did, dude. This is great. Good idea.
00:51:35
Speaker
Cool. Well, and I was vulnerable to everybody. That was, that was hard. Wow. The fact that I, yeah ah it's a hard thing, but you know, I'll say that sometimes those hard moments of life are what give you the kick in the pants that you need. So. Great.
00:51:56
Speaker
That's it for another episode of the CRM Archaeology Podcast. Links to some of the items mentioned on the show are in the show notes for this podcast, which can be found at www dot.arcpodnet dot.com slash CRMARC Podcast. Please comment and share anywhere you see the show. If you'd like us to answer a question on a future episode, email us. Use the contact form on the website or just email chris at archaeologypodcastnetwork.com. Support the show and the network at arcpodnet dot.com slash members. Get some swag and extra content while you're there.
00:52:24
Speaker
Send us show suggestions and interview suggestions. We want this to be a resource for field technicians everywhere and we want to know what you want to know about. Well, thanks everyone for joining us this week and all our listeners for tuning in and we'll see you in the field. Adios. See you guys next time. Goodbye.
00:52:50
Speaker
The Archaeology Podcast Network is 10 years old this year. Our executive producer is Ashley Airy. Our social media coordinator is Matilda Sebrecht. And our chief editor is Rachel Rodin. The Archaeology Podcast Network was co-founded by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle in 2014 and is part of CulturoMedia and DigTech LLC. This has been a presentation of the Archaeology Podcast Network. Visit us on the web for show notes and other podcasts at www.archpodnet.com. Contact us at chrisatarchaeologypodcastnetwork.com.