Tag: workout

Thankful for a Surplus of Dreams and a Deficit of Time, Productivity Lessons, & a Brutal Lifting Workout

Day 3,187

Growth:

Life is so much easier when I pause and remember that I do not have the time or capacity needed to tackle all of the crazy ideas and dreams and projects I would like to take on. I will forever have a surplus of goals and plans and a deficit of the time I wish I had to accomplish everything, and that is okay. This makes it all the more important for me to focus on intentionally spending my precious time on those dreams which are of the utmost importance rather than on matters which are not of consequence.

When I am feeling overwhelmed and as if I don’t have enough time I need to remember to pause, review what is truly most important, focus on that in that moment, and be grateful for the opportunity to have that moment of life to use.

Appreciation:

When I wrapped up my day yesterday I had a very clear list of what needed to get done today. I didn’t get it all done, but I didn’t waste any time or energy. My focus was exactly where it needed to be. There were several moments in which my brain started to wander to other things and just as I was about go in a wrong direction I had awareness and went right back to focus mode. The results was an awesomely productive day that I am very pleased with.

As I analyze why it was successful I pinpointed a few notes to save for Future Mike:

  • Review what is truly important, slice it into what is most important today, and then focus there
  • Have a very clear list of what needs to get done and in order of how it needs to happen
  • Maintain awareness of where my mind should be focused and catch myself when it wanders
  • Give myself grace to take a pause or a break – not unintentionally and time wasting, rather, focused on re-charging my brain
  • Close the door and turn on the right music when needed
  • The overwhelming majority of phone calls, emails, and messages can wait until a future time
  • If the day flew by I am doing it right

Over 25 years of working in the professional world and I’m still reminded of how much there is to learn and how much more discipline there is to build.

Presence:

Lifting today was pretty brutal. I wasn’t even close to lifting the weights I should be lifting. It was all aboard the struggle bus time. By the last reps of the last set of each exercise my muscles were shaking. I didn’t even get to the number of reps I was shooting for in each set. t hurt. It was mentally taxing. My ego got the shit kicked out of it. In so many ways I could look at today’s lifting as a complete failure and disappointment…

…but I experienced and view it as an overwhelming SUCCESS.

This was my first time lifting in about four weeks due to travel and crazy pre-travel schedule. I was going in completely rusty and rather than not showing up or quitting early I chose to finish the workout. I struggled but I pushed. I gave myself the grace to drop the weight in-between sets so I could keep the right form. I didn’t stop until my muscles did. I took the step of re-starting, I took action.

The next round will be similar, but each subsequent session will feel better and better. Today I took the first step. It hurt, but I felt great.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for New Concepts from Old Resources, a Recurring Idea, & Weightlifting Based Presence

Day 3,041

Growth:

We never step in the same river twice, we are never the same person when we read a book another time. This proved very true today as I started reading one of my all time favorite books, Essentialism by Greg McKeown. Over the years I’ve read this book on “the disciplined pursuit of less” several times and each read has brought new insight.

Today was no different. Within the first few chapters I had an epiphany moment that helped me see a solution to a challenge in a very different way. It connected to a couple of ideas I’ve been working through in other projects. Crazy how perspective works, isn’t it? The answer has always been there, I just wasn’t ready to see it yet. I’m very thankful for the advice I learned long ago to read and re-read the books that hit home the most.

Appreciation:

The movie Inception revolves around the idea of planting an idea in someone’s head while they are dreaming. This idea grows and grows and becomes a core of who they are and how they react. Over the past week or so an idea has continued to grow and grow and is taking on more and more of my thought processes. It is a challenge I’m working through, but coming at it from another direction (which is why I started re-reading Essentialism in the first place). While I stay focused on and up to date with the work I need to do this project appears randomly in my brain and connects to what I’m working on at that time and shines a different light on both projects. This cousin of an earworm – I’ll call it a “brainworm” – appears and reappears throughout the day and I’m finding myself jotting more and more notes and ideas to myself about it. Tomorrow I’ll have time blocked out specifically for it and I’m excited to see how it all plays out!

Presence:

Due to scheduling challenges I had two weightlifting workouts planned for today. I hit a solid push workout this morning and then a pull workout after work. I am feeling completely spent now and I still have a leg lift and cardio workout ahead of me tomorrow. Honestly, the reason I am putting this in the presence section is because the workouts helped me be present throughout most of my work day. In the morning I had more energy from working fresh off my workout. In the afternoon I was able to push through some things knowing that I had heavy stuff to throw around after work. All in all, more presence today as a result of lifting!

Thanks!!!