You're Not As Good (or as Bad) As You Think

There's something strange that our brains do.We tend to hyperbolize how we're feeling in one direction or another.Either we're having a great day or a terrible one.It's a good hair day or a bad hair day.Our team is either winning or losing.The truth is much more boring.If we just took an extra second to zoom out for a second, we might see what others see. The good news (and the bad news) is that it's never as good (or as bad) as it seems.The more we can look at ourselves pragmatically, the easier it is to see the world as it actually is. This means seeing our Facebook friends and co-workers as they actually are. This means our grip on the world is more founded on the truth, and we are less likely we are to make important decisions along the ebb and flow of our experience.What a fresh dose of clarity for our mental health that would be, right?

2 Minute Action

When was the last time you beat yourself up for something?How might you talk to yourself if you were one of your friends, instead?Using this little question/technique can quickly cut through the fogginess of self-reflection.Use it today, you might just learn something about yourself.

A Secret I've Been Holding for 6 Months

Around this time last year, I was exercising almost every day.In fact, on Wednesdays, I was exercising twice per day.Plus, I was commuting on my bicycle--which meant I was putting up another 4-10 miles on the bike, each day, just to get around.But guess what?I took a contract last November and I was pulling 80+ hour weeks. I stopped working out. I got sick in January and spent an entire week in bed.When I finally got up, I didn't go back to the gym.What I'm trying to tell you is that I've been using my busy work week as an excuse for not exercising. It's bad. I'm probably in the worst shape I've ever been in (and I was a smoker for 9 years)!!The weird thing is that I'm turning 30 in February--and I just can't start my 30s like this.I've got about 7 months to get my act together, which means I'm getting back on my routine.Just wanted to share this moment of doubt, hope, and motivation with all of you.It's embarrassing and I hate these moments. We all want to appear strong and motivated all the time, right?Of course, we can never be strong and motivated all the time. What we CAN do, is create a strong habit of behavior that wakes our bodies up at the right time, gives our minds the right thought patterns, and pushes us past those moments where our willpower may fail us.Going to the gym every once in a while doesn't help. It's daily, consistent, relentless action that changes you.

"Every workout is like a brick you lay in a wall. Each day, you lay another brick. At the end, how strong will your wall be?"

-Chris' High School Track Coach 

2 Minute Action

What do you feel is holding you back from daily, consistent, relentless action?My excuses have been: moving to a new place without a good gym, not wanting to pay for an expensive gym membership and my busy, 80-hour work week.What are your excuses? Are they excuses? What might you tell someone else if they gave you those excuses?