Three Things I’ve Started Doing Recently
I like to share ways in which I've found to live an improved life. Because I only have time for a short article this week, that's what I'm going to be sharing today. It won't be the best article ever written, but it will be, in essence, a quick chat where we can catch up as friends on a few things I've been up to. (As you read this, I have not gone through and edited what I typed out with my thumbs in this article.)
50 Push-Ups a Day
I recently realized how little exercise I get on a regular basis. When it's warm, I greatly enjoy going on runs through my neighborhood and around the local park. But when it's freezing, I can't bear to run anywhere. I greatly dislike the cold, and any thoughts of exercising in it are extinguished upon conceptualization. I was surfing YouTube briefly when I saw a video that studied people doing 100 push-ups a day for a month. By the end of the month, they had lost a healthy amount of fat, and clearly had more tone to their overall muscle build.I haven't found the time to get around to 100 a day, but I'm working towards that goal. In the meantime though, I'm averaging around 50 a day. Already I'm noticing a satisfying, additional muscle mass that wasn't there before. Exercising regularly has also yielded a clear change in my ability to focus at work and keep my mind clear and alert throughout the day.And until jogging becomes a possibility for my cold-fearing body, 100 jumping jacks a day is filling the void decently.
Taking Showers at Night Rather than the Morning
Showers used to be my way to wake up. Not anymore.Why the change? I know myself, and I've noticed a trend. I'll stay up late working on something, then go to bed. I'll oversleep a few alarms, finally drag myself out of bed, then either rush a shower or decide I'm okay without one for today. It's been a very stressful way to live. All my mornings are a rush to get out the door, and my relaxing shower isn't relaxing anymore.The solution? Shower at night. It makes me feel fresh to go to bed, and it takes my evening focus off my work. I know I can do the work in the morning, if I get to bed on time to wake up rested early enough. I now have an incentive to burn the candle after I've gotten my needed rest, rather than before.
Daily Content
If you're reading this, you're probably well aware of the fact that I've been releasing daily content in one form or another for about three weeks now. I've kept it up, releasing everything from photos to blog posts to podcasts and videos.It's been invigorating and satisfying to keep up the content release for so long. It's something I don't think I could have kept up without support from friends and family, as well as God working in multiple instances where I needed content for the week and it managed to fall right into my lap (one example is tomorrow's podcast episode).I am however considering an amendment to my goal where I take one week out of the month to release only one piece of content of my choosing. In essence, a regular break in which to catch up and let my tired self rest from the rush to get everything done.
Conclusion: Not all change is great
One can resolve to do more in life. But one must also seek balance and set goals that can be realistically achieved and that don't undermine one's priorities. In the case of push-ups and changing my shower schedule, I'm easily capable of setting and achieving those goals, maintaining them, and keeping them straight with my other priorities.In the case of content however...is it achievable? Absolutely. I've proven it to be. However the ability to maintain it long-term may prove challenging. And in doing so, I can definitely see it consuming other priorities such as my pursuit of God and the time I spend pouring into and interacting with the people around me. So before that happens, I'm resolving to either find a solution that reduces the time and effort I put into my content, or amend the output.As you set goals, I encourage you to do the same. Solidify your priorities, amend counter-intuitive goals, and find ways to craft goals for your life that allow you to follow your passions while building and supporting your priorities at the same time.And as always, stay classy.