New Positions in 2011

While not part of my list of resolutions, I've made a few changes in 2011 that have given me a new outlook:

Change 1: I sleep on the floor. Since I will be moving and no longer need my current bed, I decided not to wait until moving day to get rid of it. Now, I use a camping pad wrapped in a wool blanket and a sheet. While the pending wifey will not go for it, I thought it was a good short-term (3 month) test.

Change 2: I work standing up. Due to a bad hip and general stagnation, I decided to convert 1/2 of my desk in to a "standing workstation." I've transformed the way I work simply - the obligatory manager approval, a screw driver and 20 minutes. So far, I see this as a long-term change.

Results:

• Both force me to stretch. Climbing to my feet each morning is a rebirth of sorts. Working from my feet keeps me alert and semi-active.
  
• Both give me a new physical perspective. Sleeping from the floor keeps me humble and a new angle on my room, like how one's pet may view things. Since I'm tall, my head is now above the cubicle walls so I feel less in my cubicle-contained world and feel more at the office.
  
• Both have some hassles. Since my ear is at the ground when sleeping, there's more noise from the unit below and from roommate footsteps. Being above the cube wall, I inadvertently eavesdrop (good & bad) and get a lot of outside noise.
  

I'm not sure if I like these changes because they seem most logical with respect to our roots or because it's change for the sake of change. I think a lot of it has to do with what's generally accepted and then stepping back and wondering how we got to the norm we are at today. I recommend both, but beware that there is roughly a week break-in time for each.