I finally got off my butt, gave away my office desk, and I'm now committed to standing.
Sitting for work, everything I did blurred together. Standing, every activity feels separate and unique. Standing, I field new business calls, discuss possible venture capital infusion for one of my portfolio companies, write a book outline, advise a CEO on how better to articulate her vision, conduct research on herbs and Lyme Disease, give a few media interviews, handle a client's crisis situation, review new books, participate on team conference calls and pay our family's personal bills, all while standing.
I've been sitting on my ass too long, and when a One Less. One More. reader offered me an Uplift standing desk, I couldn't say no.
Intuitively, I knew the amount of time I spent sitting wasn't good. Still, I was never disciplined enough to get up and walk around every 20 minutes or so. Often, I would sit down in the morning and become so engrossed with my work, I wouldn't get up until lunch. At lunch, I sat again to eat, and then went back to work, only to sit down again until evening. Not good.
Although it took almost no time getting used to standing, I realize my posture stinks. That's fixable, as I practice less slouching and more uplifting my torso from my chest, as Dr. Stephen J. Petruccelli of East End Chiropractic taught me here in Sag Harbor.
Except for meetings, eating and traveling, I now stand for the entire day.
From The Human Solution, I ordered the Uplift 900 reclaimed wood adjustable desk, which means my desktop is made of reclaimed (not harvested) Douglas Fir (also known as Oregon Pine or Douglas Spruce). Arriving in two very heavy boxes, it took me a couple of hours to assemble the desk, although if you scan a QR Reader code on the instructions, a very helpful video appears.
Once assembled, I programmed the attached touchpad for two automatic heights, one is 41", or 3.42 feet tall, the height I use for standing, and the other, 29", or 2.42 feet, the standard size for sitting. With a touch of the button, I effortlessly lower the desk for someone who wants to sit and use my desk, but in the several weeks I've been standing, I only did that once.
I'm told I now join other standing desk users at Google, NBC, the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!), MIT, The University of Texas at Austin (Go Horns!), Yahoo, eBay and Boeing. And in truth, I feel different. Not better, just erect (will I ever grow out of my sophomoric, giggly, high school dirty joke innuendo phase?), and certainly more aware. Sitting I can drift and dream, but not standing, because if I fall asleep, I'll tumble.
In just a few months, my bride, Candace, and I will be empty nesters as favorite daughter, Molly, heads off to Gettysburg College (Go Bullets!), and favorite son and recent college graduate, Connor, goes off to create his unique story. My life is so full, with so much more to do: continue building businesses, write my next book, a movie, new business plans, testimonials for friend's books, write love letters to my family, court new business opportunities, nurture existing ones, and, unfortunately, continue paying the bills. And yet, what now makes everyday so new and fun, is that thankfully, I'm still standing.