anarstudios

I am just coming back from another “Midnight Run”, a habit which I have taken up as of late. With a gym in my building, literally 20 steps from my apartment door, I love working out late to get some energy to charge my night. I generally stay up until 2 or 3am, since I work with programmers in Asia and just operate better during late hours.

You know, sometimes it dawns on me that life does not have to be as complex as we make it out to be. For all of the struggles we have with self-confidence, anxiety, depression and our physical health, there are two basic habits, which if followed, essentially neutralize our negative states.
1. Faith: Engaging in daily prayer and/or meditation rituals;
2. Exercise: Doing some type of daily exercise to raise our heart rate and build/maintain physical stamina.

Of course, these are not easy things to maintain, because they require internal discipline. However, if we think about all of the energy that we waste chasing other diversions and activities – what if we simplified our lives and made the two items above daily priorities, above all else – even going to work or eating three meals a day? Of course we should eat and work, but this is presented as such to bring to light that faith and exercise ought to be our highest priorities, because they form the foundations of a happy, healthy lifestyle.

While I know this, it easily gets lost amongst the many ambitions that are constantly juggled in my mind. To hold myself accountable, I use goal-setting. In 2009, for example, I set a goal of exercising at least 300 days (out of 365). A workout can be as short as 15-minutes of yoga or on the treadmill. So far, as of today (5/11/09), I have logged 103 work-outs in 131 days (79% rate – 3% off the needed pace of 82%). My workouts are a mix between weights (gym), karate, yoga, running (on treadmill and outdoors), golf soccer and tennis. Having a goal keeps me honest and brings a level of solidity and seriousness to the commitment. I created a little spreadsheet which I call “TimeBug_Goals” that I will share in the blog here sometime soon, so that others can try using it to track their progress.

I know it all sounds too technical to some, but for me, being specific and numbers-oriented about my goals helps drive me. I’ve created a little excel sheet that helps me track my daily workouts. The goal is 300 days of working out out of 365 days of 2009. So far, 80 down in 104 days, which puts me slightly behind pace (82% pace is needed). Hence, in order to meet the goal, I need to hit 220 of 261 remaining days (84% pace). It’s within reach – just have to keep plugging away!

Tonight, I went to the gym at midnight, after a long day at work. Lucky to have a gym in my bldg, but it still took some will power. I feel great now!

It’s easy to join a group…there are so many out there that already have structure, leadership and momentum. I’ve been part of various groups, including some that I respect highly. But something in me calls to lead, to initiate things. I have a vision for how group work may be done, and I feel (almost) ready to take the leap. I have a sense for what it entails, and I know it’s a big commitment.

Does the “almost ready” part imply self-doubt and fear? I don’t want to cater to that part, nor do I want to go to the other extreme of haphazardly doing and starting things, expanding my already crowded world of responsibilities, that I cannot do well. I want to be prepared. So how do I prepare myself? I believe that I am doing it, in a multitude of ways, including the continuation of prayer (for guidance), meditation, exercise, reading, writing, conscious life experience and contemplation.