The Show Must Go On

Thoughts on Growth

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These Days

Interestingly enough, these days, I see more around me, or even in me than I used to do back in the ordinary days. Watching the buildings and the few people on the streets more, looking at the sky more, exercising more. These days, I am learning more about patience. And trying to calm down the mind, as are the streets.  

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Something to build on

I started the first morning of January 2020 with 5-minute of the plank exercise, and after just finishing it I said: 'This is what I am going to do every morning for the whole month!' In the back of my mind, it was: I hope that I will be doing something similar every month too. I am definitely happy I have committed to doing it! The thought of knowing how I will start my morning the next day, that it was doing something good for myself was giving me a feeling I am on a good plan. 

I have completed the month of January with the above exercise each morning. This month I am doing this 4-minute exercise, and in March I want to do the 5-minute of the plank again or one that involves planks :) It does bring results, despite the short time it takes. 

 Tip: keep yourself accountable by asking a friend to do it as well. 

The aftereffect is that I exercise more since then, and it keeps me going every day. 

Photo via

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My eyes on 2020 :) https://www.instagram.com/p/B620MHtp0Xa/?igshid=eze5q2govpqh

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Modus Operandi

I used to read (actually more like listening to audiobooks) ceaselessly until the last spring, when I started moving, changing countries, trying to find my place. And I came short on other good habits that I used to have, such as running. It felt like the turmoil of what was about to come did not leave room for good habits. It seems, thus, those good habits like to find you in a stable situation. It does not seem easy to keep or establish good practices while you are on the move. Moreover, it becomes more evident that missing out on your good habits makes it easier for the bad ones to take over. Indulging in local foods, or staying indoors for the most days, has been my regular past-time for the last months, with a visible outcome.

Now, looking back, it seems that not the location was a predictor of the likelihood of acquiring or keeping my good habits with regards to sports, for example. The realistic factor was the circle of people I was spending my free time with. What was important for me was that I was surrounded by people that I admire, but who like to practise sports like me. These factors increase the chance of keeping up with good habits to 95%. As a side note, people that practice sports are to be admired nonetheless :) A schedule or a weekly routine that you follow religiously is the next thing you need to make the sports practice feel effortless and fun.  

These are my thoughts and conclusions now when I am still on the move, but I am lucky enough to have the right context, people, and schedule in place. This does not mean, of course, that if you are on your own, you can not sustain your habits. The difference here, at least for me, comes from the fact that I am mostly an extrovert and having the right people next to me is essential for keeping up with certain habits, such as practising sports, at least. It does not seem sustainable for me to do everything on my own only. Of course, I have personal goals, plans, and challenges, such as having long runs or going to races. But these are exceptions and what I found relevant is the general routine that keeps me going.

Later edit:  I did have a few situations when I kept my running constant on my own, but not without help. First time I moved outside of my country for a more extended period, I used a fitness application to keep the pace and mileage constant. It worked until I stopped. Then I met a former athlete that gave me a series of exercises to practice at home, and I did follow it as I knew she was keeping me accountable. And another type of accountability was when a former running coach sent me a training schedule for a half marathon. Every time, something or someone used to keep me accountable.

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Mirrors

What is the top quality that you appreciate at people? I, for one, tend to say that it is sincerity or honesty. I grew to want more to know myself than to be someone that I admire. This is because I probably want to respect myself more, rather than be like someone else or have their skills. It is easier to want something that you do not have than to work with what you have. Therefore, people that are sincere with me help me get a more approximate image about myself. Some may argue that their view might be biased by their own opinions. But, at the end of the day, I live with people, and how they see me becomes essential too. It is reassuring to say that no, it is more important how you see yourself. It is true, but that seems a continuous work in progress. I, for one, need some external validation or critics for motivation. I am just a temperate extravert, in the end :)

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Being the coolest person you know

You should strive to be the coolest person you know if you want to be at peace with yourself.

That's my thought today morning and it makes so much sense - to the betterment of your relationship with yourself and with others.

It probably comes from reading two books at the moment (How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, by Clay Scroggings and Skin in the game by Nassim Taleb).

Both books touch on the topic of loving others as much as you love yourself.

And I don't know how this is a logical corollary :) - I don't remember loving myself that much. Or probably we do, but we are still focusing on being hard on ourselves that we forget to be / love ourselves.

My plan would be that I should have more patience in allowing myself the best - time, mood, look, habits, ambitions, thoughts and actions. And remove the moments of rush, being late, under pressure, putting the worst things first, caring about what others think, being too serious and less present.

Via negativa first :)

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Events in the pharmaceutical industry may take place on weekends, but they will be full with pleasant moments and people nonetheless. Today - Raffles and Shangri La Dubai.

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How do you find daily fulfillment?

Besides buying yourself delicious (carrot) cakes :), calling your best friend or finding the energy to read or exercise, how else do you 'fix' your unfulfilling days?

This is the question I'm pondering over today.

Here are a few thoughts on this:

- trying to look at things in a different way, from a different perspective: have you exhausted all the possibilities for growth you have at hand? I bet you haven't.

- thinking on how you usually spend your day, if you could change or at least twist a little bit the pattern: taking a break, slowing down, making time for thought and research and giving you credit for these activities as well instead of putting yourself on autopilot on just 'doing things' and worrying if you don't thick off things on your list';

- stop hurying: I always make stupid-small mistakes whenever I rush things and that hides any good thing I might have done;

- if you're not quite busy, think about the things you wanted to do when you're busy but obviously you didn't have the time;

- reflect on your behaviour and how you carry yourself: it takes a little bit of creative work, re-imagining yourself and this sounds so good!

- (the hard one) thinking about long term persectives: if you continue doing what you do, would this get you where you would want to be?

- think about your thinking: does it work for you or against you?

And the list could go on. I think that the lack of fulfillment can create a small revolution whitin ourselves for the better. It is a decisive starting point, not an end.

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Aim low to progress

I've read it twice today and found it two days ago in a video (Jordan Peterson) as well - in order to progress in anything you do you have to aim low - not as a final destination, but as a starting point.

We often start a project or a goal with an ideal image in our mind - how our body, career or relationship will look like.

The reality is that we cannot leap frog to that destination directly. We have to take small or incremental steps consistently. One good step in the right direction a day will almost feel effortlessly - the ideal target of where we want to reach might seem unbearable at first.

Small actions will do. Such as this post :)

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Giving my knees a break

My last post was about the 100 lounges a day challenge. Unfortunately, after 5 days of this challenge, I have to bring it to an end as I have started it too early and did not give enough time to a recent knee injury to heal itself, as the MRI showed. After my fall on some rocks while running, I continued to run, even though less frequently, and this was not a very good idea. Now, after two months the pain is still there. Taking a break when something happens to you is almost always a good idea.

Therefore, the one month of lounges transforms into one month of recovery - no pressure on the knee, no stairs, no lounges, no... runs. And I have been doing all of these for the last two months. Which was wrong, it seems.

But this does not mean that I cannot workout or that I have to stop somehow. I can practice some sports that I have not given enough credit to, such as:  swimming, sailing, ab and arm exercises, or recovery exercises.

Therefore, it seems I am going to awaken some forgotten muscles as well.

I hope that one month will be enough for this recovery :) 

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100 lunges a day?

Yesterday I started to do 100 lunges a day just to see how it feels (another start on 4th of July). I continued today as well. This is part of a challenge that I came across on Facebook and it got stuck in my mind.

The second day was not quite easy. I guess it gets easier with every day...

Let's see if it lasts for one month. I should report back :)

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I (re)created this blog on 4th of July 2018. It deserves a good photo :) Happy birthday, America!