Persistence Makes A Habit

 

Two months ago my friend and I entered a weight lose challenge complete with a variety of exercise options. We met and worked out together 4 to 5 times a week. Now I am not a lover of exercise. I like what it does for me so I plow ahead.

Planning to exercise every week at about the same time was something new for me. Sure I’ve exercised in the past but it was hit or miss. Didn’t matter if I didn’t like doing the exercises, I was obligated by my promise to my friend and the promise to myself.

So we tried the boxing workout, I really discovered a passion for punching the bag as hard as possible. The dumbbells, challenged every part of my body, I grew to hate squats.  The Pilates and yoga tested my patience as the instructors positioned us then had us hold the poses, forever. The high-intensity workouts involved a lot of jumping, jogging and sweating, a lot of sweating. And finally my favorite zumba. Who doesn’t love to dance the pounds off?

All of these were classes were led by one or two smiling instructors, who did not sweat and talked for the entire hour. Can I just say right here that I really wanted to hate them all for telling me I could do it, just one more rep and way to go for hanging in there. But in all fairness they meant every word and it is probably how they got in such great shape.

Now that you know far more about the types of exercise than you wanted to where am I going with this?

My friend and I lost some weight, a few inches and built endurance. So it was a win all around. But most importantly we’d built a habit. And when my free trial ends next week I will still find someway to keep working out.

As a writer I have learned that persistence can be the difference between someone finishing a book and not. It can also be the factor that can help you get published. I have seen it happen with my chapter mates who have pushed ahead writing and submitting and writing some more. Then boom they are selling like hotcakes.

But you can’t make someone want what you haven’t created. So I’m applying this lesson to my own writing journey. I’ve finished my first book and am ready to send it out into the world for someone to love like I do. As soon as it’s out the door I’ve got the next book to work on.

Writing is sometimes like those revolving doors in the fancy elevators that always keep moving. You just have to jump on and do the work. I’m a work-at-it-everyday kinda gal just because that’s my process. So it isn’t hard to shuffle my habit of exercise onto my writing. They both require a constant practice to maintain.

So a healthier and  happier writer, that might be worth all of the sweat and aching muscles.

So what habits have your recently discovered?  Or applied to your writing

Related articles

• 19 Habits of Happy Writers (you don’t really want to be miserable all your life, do you?) (rhyscorhys.com)
• 7 Habits of Highly Buff Women (joemartinfitness.com)

 

The ABC’s

I am trying to take responsibility for my health by entering a weight loss competition. The kick-off offered several exercise demonstrations and booths with healthier eating ideas. While enjoying a delicious low calorie dinner the moderator went over foods we should and shouldn’t eat.  Having all these tools should fire anyone up to get started losing weight.

Considering all the years I’ve wrestled with the pounds, the usual stuff wasn’t going to do the trick. Stronger medicine was needed. The medicine came in the form of a 65-year old ex-football player with a story, an against all odds type story. And boy it was a doozie. This man got a chance for a do over. How many of us would love a chance to do over something in our lives that haunts us?

He was given the golden opportunity to finish out his last year in college football at the age of 59. Unbelievable. I’m 51 and could never physically consider redoing activities of my youth. He did it by staying fit. He became a strength training coach and never stopped working out. We all could do this but life offers too many temptations. Our jobs are sedimentary and exercise; takes effort.

His speech centered around three main ideals. The A.B.C.’s

Attitude. 
With the right attitude anything can be achieved. It’s all in how you look at it.

Belief.  We have to believe that what we want can be accomplished. I always think my favorite child hood story,  The Little Train That Could as the epitome of that idea.

Commitment. Without this one the other two are just ideas. To commit to accomplishing a goal is the final step to realizing the goal. That requires looking at the whole picture, all the variables and figuring out how to plug the holes.

Listening to his speech I realized that I was applying some of this to other areas of my life. Something this year has put a fire under my feet. Things I have procrastinated on in the past are getting done. Maybe the wisdom that comes from turning 50 has been the catalyst. So while the fire is hot I’m adding get healthy to my list of to-dos. This time I’d like for it to stick.

Maybe the saying wisdom comes with age has merit. Or maybe I see that time is not as infinite as it use to be. Obviously age is not a deterrent for this man. I came away from his uplifting speech determined to make staying healthy a long-term lifestyle choice.

Check him out-  http://www.cbn.com/700club/features/amazing/mike_flynt110508.aspx            http://www.mikeflynt.com

So what motivates you to stay healthy?