Beginning Anew

It is easy to fall into the societal norm of waiting for the start of the year to initiate positive change. I’m not sure what the statistics are on when the typical person falls off the new year resolution bandwagon but I suspect the majority break their resolutions within a few weeks of the start of the year. Change, lasting change, is best accomplished by relentless incremental progress. Best intentions and ambition do not guarantee success. Without discipline and follow through, it is almost impossible to make meaningful headway on any goal.

I began 2016 like I have begun every year since 2007, by completing 1000 pushups and consuming less than 1000 calories on January 1st. Neither endeavours were to initiate a lifestyle change. Since 2007, I have completed over 400,000 pushups and mindful eating has been my practice for decades. Grounding myself by beginning the year with acts of discipline and empathy reminds me to not take my past successes for granted. Most of my successes were made possible by a foundation of discipline. That foundation, no matter how solid, is always in a precarious state. It only takes a few things to go wrong in a relatively short time frame to wipe out the benefits I have enjoyed from the daily structure I have built into my life.

The soreness in my muscles these past two days is the only reminder that I need to stay the course. Mediocrity may only be one bad decision away.

“We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)