Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Persistence and Determination

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Consistency, Determination, Gym as a laboratory, Obsession, Persistence, Push Yourself, We are all unique

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino

There’s another quote that is in alignment with this one: “You can’t lose if you don’t quit.” – Author unknown. Both relate to persistence. Attainment of your goals is nothing more than continuing to pursue them until you’ve achieved what you set out to do.

I’m on a major push for weight loss. I weigh myself weekly and this week there was no change on the scale. Boy, was I disappointed. I’ll continue to do two cardio sessions a day, weight lifting Mon-Friday, and continuing to adjust my diet.

This is the biggest reasons for diet failure or exercise failure I think. People follow an exercise or diet regimen as best they can and fail to get the results. They get frustrated and give up. Each of us is unique. We will all react differently to supplements, differently to various foods, and even the types of exercises we subject our bodies to. This is where using the gym “as a laboratory” makes a lot of sense. The key to success is to really evaluate what works for you and what does not work for you.

Here is my week folks:

Exercise and Diet:

Two 40-minute sessions for cardio daily (Mon-Sun)

Weightlifting Mon – Friday

Food intake: 216 grams of protein and 133 grams of carbohydrates on weight training days, on active rest days (days I don’t lift) my carb intake will dip to 119 grams.

Learning and Reading:

Udemy Nonfiction Writing Course

Wellness Course at Yale Online*

Public Policy Course with Hillsdale College*

Books I’m reading:

• The Shariyat-Ki-Sugmad Books 1 and 2
• Stranger by the River
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin
• Andersonville: A Story of Rebel Military Prisons
• The Orion Plague
• Turn Your Passion into a Business

*These courses are both free. Reach out if you’d like to learn more

Writing:

Blog Posting daily (Monday – Saturday)

Entertainment:

Listen to a lot of music throughout the week, particularly when I’m reading

Currently watching a documentary on the Civil War, by Ken Burns

Currently watching “Hell on Wheels” on Netflix

Other:

My brother is visiting this week from Arizona. I will be spending some time with him while he’s here.

Playing Diablo II (video game) with my Army buddy

I hope each of you has a great week!

Until next time…

Dave

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Daily Ramblings – Workout Diary

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Bad Workouts, Boring Workouts, Consistency, Go to they gym, Lack of Motivation, Self-propelling habits

Hello there!!

Today was another weightlifting day. Again, the same as the previous three days. 20 reps for each body part. You could even call what I’m doing a circuit. I start with legs, move to chest, back, shoulders, arms, abdomen, and calves. The only rest I give myself is the time it takes to move from one machine to the next. This is all about my plan on getting used to going to the gym and getting some consistent exercise.

Consistency is really the key to achieving results in the gym. You have to keep going and keep executing your workouts to get any benefit. Sporadic lifting or doing a day here or a day there can actually be more harmful than helpful to your physique.

Some days your workouts will be awesome; on other days they will absolutely suck. The workouts that suck are mostly caused by a lack of focus or motivation. It’s hard work and sometimes we just don’t want to go. But, if you go and knock out the workout consistently, your good workouts will outweigh the bad ones. You’ll slowly build the habit of consistent exercise, build up your self-esteem, and help your body adapt to the stressors you put it through.

If you don’t feel like going to the gym–go. If you’re too tired to go to the gym–go. If you’re bored of your workout routine–go. You get the point. The key is to show up and get it done. The more you go, the more results you’ll see, and the more you’ll want to go. It is a self-supporting cycle of improvement that will take place for you. You just have to go do it.

See you tomorrow!

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Daily Quote – Sea of Change

Tags

Challenges, change, Consistency, Determination, Persistence

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors.” – African Proverb

As we commence in the New Year, this is a particularly relevant quote. We do not get better when things are easy. It is the challenges we face, the hardships, the difficulties, the unexpected problems that truly contribute to our development. Without challenges, we stagnate and become complacent. We enjoy the lull as long as it lasts, only to be disrupted by yet another problem we did not foresee.

Embrace problems. Embrace challenges. Embrace difficulty. They are all part of the grand scheme of things and truly make life worth living. Without problems, challenges or difficulties life would be boring right? Without problems, challenges or difficulties the victories we achieve would be empty.

Writing, drawing, music are all creative endeavors. They all require practice, patience, and a methodical means of putting them together. The book begins with one sentence, the drawing with one stroke of a pen or pencil, the music with one note. The sentences, strokes, and notes come together in a unique voice only known by the creator.

Creation is difficult work. It requires patience, contemplation, and an innate ability to adapt to changing circumstances. Patience is probably the most important aspect of creation because you can’t rush creativity. Creativity visits us and gives us yet one more idea to put in place, the final result being the novel, poem, or tune.

As each of you pursues your goals this year, take time to realize that your path to a goal’s achievement will not be a straight one. It will require you to detour around obstacles, learn new things about yourself, and deal with the challenges inherent in the goal you have set for yourself.

If you’re looking to lose weight, you’ll deal with the pain of hunger, sore muscles, and temptation after temptation. If you’re looking to write a book, you’ll deal with writer’s block, the challenge of self-editing and rewriting tasks, and the self-doubt that arises whenever we create anything for others to read or listen to. Whatever goal you have set for yourself, there will be a price to pay for the goal’s achievement. We must pay for what we receive. There are no shortcuts.

As you embark on your New Year, keep these things close to your heart. Goals are achieved by those who are persistent, consistent, and willing to pay the price for the goals they have set for themselves. Goals are achieved by those who are willing to face challenges and overcome them. Goals are achieved by remaining focused on their achievement despite the numerous distractions that raise their heads.

I wish each of you a terrific New Year and hope the seas you travel this year to attain your goals are as rough as they need to be to help you make a permanent and beneficial change in your life.

Until next time…

Dave