Hit TV series Lost. Photo Source: http://bit.ly/2oIixmA Lost is a drama series containing elements of science fiction and the supernatural. It follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet, flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean. Source: http://bit.ly/2oId9j4 I didn't really tune in to that TV series but I can relate the story of Lost to your exercise journey if you are just winging it. To wing it is an idiom that means to improvise, to do something without proper preparation or time to rehearse. I believe most beginners in exercise fail to keep an exercise journal and workout schedule because no one has ever told them or if someone told them, it may be difficult to keep up with it. I will tell you from my experience that I've also gone the path of ignoring the exercise journal and workout schedule because I didn't prepare it in advance. If I could give you just one tip to make your exercise journey sustainable in the long run, then this is it! You have to plan your workouts before you even start doing an exercise. This minimizes the chance of you quitting soon because you don't have a reference for your exercise journey. You are just winging it and by the time you realize that the exercise you've been doing isn't working, then all your efforts are LOST. My workout schedule and exercise journal. Here are my Top Four Guidelines in making an exercise journal:
Here are my Top Four Guidelines in making an workout schedule:
I know you are wondering why don't I just log my exercise journal and workout schedule in my smartphone. You can do that if you want to. I've just done it in the past and nothing beats the feeling of writing your goals down on a sheet of paper and a notebook and making it into reality. Did you like the short tips I gave here? Hit the thumbs up! Are some of them difficult to understand? Don't hesitate to comment below. Maybe you have better ones? I'd love to hear them from you. Please share this also to someone you know who is starting his or her exercise journey as well. They'd be gladly informed. Until then, stay tuned! Wonders of life. Photo courtesy: http://huff.to/2nMkFsg One of my favorite influencers is Lewis Howes. I have only known him a year ago but his interviews with different successful personalities really gave me the inspiration I need to be able to do things I have been putting aside in the past. I learned this powerful lesson of saying three gratitudes in the morning from him. I believe it is best done after you wake-up because it sets your mind to be more grateful and not just taking things for granted. Some things to be grateful for:
Life is really a wonderful experience if you let yourself become grateful for a lot of things. It's all in the perspective. An abundant mindset vs a scarcity mindset. I have concluded that those things that are making us sad are out of scarcity mindset and those things that are making us happy are out of an abundant mindset. I don't know about you, but I would definitely like to be happy more than being sad because I've been there and it is not a nice place to stay! I hope you've picked up some things to be grateful for from my example. Maybe you have better ones? Why not share it in the comments section and it would be awesome to hear them from you! Until then, stay tuned! The Pen is mightier than the sword but a smartphone may equally rival the pen's strengths. One of my daily habits is to create a to do list for tomorrow in my smartphone before the day ends. I sit down and carefully plan what I would be doing tomorrow so that my day goes smoothly. In reality, life will never be smooth for it has its ups and downs but it's easier to get through the day when you have a plan that you've set-up in advance. This is by no means promoting Evernote but I use it as my daily journal application. There are hundreds if not thousands of similar journaling apps out there so you can choose what fits your style. What does my to do list look like? This is a sample of my to do list: Wake-up, MR - Means my time of the day when I will be waking up. MR stands for Morning Rituals. I will create another blogpost for this in which I will break them down. This includes arranging the dish rack, 5 minute meditation, writing my gratitude, reading a devotional and small house chores.
WOD - Workout of the Day. Usually varies everyday depending on my workout schedule. Breakfast - My first meal of the day. I usually skip breakfast on some days. I'll write an article about the benefits of intermittent fasting in the future. Rituals (Bathroom) - I tend to keep my time at the bathroom for 45 minutes or less. Activity in the Morning - This also varies from day-to-day. Lunch - As you can see I try to log the foods that I eat. I'm not on a diet or counting calories, I just use this as my reference for the future. It's also helpful if you have an upset stomach so you can keep track of what you ate on which days. Activity in the Afternoon - This also varies from day-to-day. Snack - My favorite time of the day :) Dinner - Nothing heavy to eat here.. But it depends on my mood. :P Activity in the Evening - Usually includes reading a book, or a short visit at social media sites. Make To-do List - This is probably the most important activity of the day for me because this sets up my day for tomorrow. Rituals (Bathroom) - From here on I don't set a time for my activities but I make sure I keep it to minimum amount of time possible. I try to sleep between 10:00 pm to 10:30 pm Arrange Clothes - Before slumbering on the bed I try to figure out my outfit for tomorrow. This saves time in the morning because I have already organized my clothes ahead of time. I learned this habit from my Mom. Reflection - The second most important activity of my day because I reflect on the activities I have done for today. I also use the gratitude format in writing. Reading a Book - My book of choice is the Bible but you could read whatever you want. This tones down the energy levels making you ready for a good night's sleep. Well there you have it! As I am writing this blog, I thought to myself wow! Look at how far I've come. I have been creating to-do list since 2012 and the habits I've put piled up over the course of time. You may not need to be this detailed about your to-do list. Start with something simple and work your way up from there. Add a new habit when you feel like you can do it because I don't recommend forcing yourself through a lot of habits. I hope you've learned something new! Until then, stay tuned! My father, was a big goal enthusiast. If not for his perseverance in life, we would never have reached this level of comfort that we are enjoying right now. Thanks Dad! I owe you a lot. He told me, “Son, you’ve got to envision yourself 6 months, 1 year, and 5 years from now. If you don’t your life will not have any direction.” (X always marks the spot. ) His words couldn’t have been more true for I haven’t figured it out before how to make a goal for a certain amount of time. I’ve never had any formula because I believe my Dad was letting me know that it’s in my own unique way that I could come up with one. Luckily, Google always has the answer for everything. I found a great formula that would help me create a smarter goal. The magic lies on the acronym S.M.A.R.T. I’ll use my goal in my previous blog post as an example. Specific – 5 W’s. Define the goal as much as possible with no unclear language. WHO is involved, WHAT I want to accomplish, WHEN will I start, WHERE will it be done, WHY am I doing this – reasons, purpose Who: Gelo Amurao What: Exercise 3x a week When: March 2016 Where: My house Why: To reduce the size of my waist Measurable – How can you track your progress and measure the outcome? I will make an exercise schedule where I will cross-out the days I’ve exercised. Attainable – Is the goal reasonable enough to be accomplished? How so? Exercising three times a week is easy enough to fit in my busy schedule. Relevant – Is the goal worthwhile and will it meet your needs? Definitely! This will give me momentum to add another day of exercise in my next goal. Timely – When will you complete your goal? I will complete this goal in April 2016. This may seem a lot at first but it’s better to sit down and really taking the time in formulating your goal because your future depends on it. Did you find this idea awesome? Try applying it this month of April! A new month is really a wonderful opportunity to create new goals. Share this also to someone you care. Until then, stay tuned! If I were to do my one-year transformation again, it would look something like this from the start:
It may not seem much at that time, but that was my start. We all have to start somewhere and I believe in the slow and steady progress instead of big progressions that will instantly burn you out and make you quit your goal along the way. I have not been serious with my exercise goals before March 2016 that is why my waist line ballooned to a 34” I believe. Tune in to my next topic as I break down on how to create an effective goal. First of all, let me say congratulations on being a part of the Habit Whisperer. This project is the culmination of my life experiences that I would be gladly sharing with you in order to improve yourself from the situation you are in now. We all aspire to better ourselves in the past but sometimes it isn't just working. That's perfectly OK! No one is perfect and even I myself have been in that situation a couple of times. What we need to do is find an inspiration. Someone who has done the goal you are looking forward to. This is not being bitter or jealous about a person's success, what we are doing is just following the person's proven steps that he or she developed along the way. I believe successful people aren't greedy at all when it comes to telling their stories of success. They would be most certainly glad to share it with everyone who are willing to listen. I encourage you to keep an open mind and a listening ear in this new journey of yours that is starting now, so fasten your seatbelts and get ready to improve yourselves by creating one good habit at a time. |
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My name is Gelo Amurao. I created the Habit Whisperer because of my desire to help people improve themselves, by creating one good habit at a time. Archives
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