Accepting a Bad Situation Vs. Changing it

People today have become accustomed to accepting their bad situations, telling themselves that they can't change anything. Be it that they're stuck in a dead end job or getting sick every autumn, they tell themselves that "It's just the way things are. You can't change that."

And most people who reason like that will never see their situation changed. Why? Because they've accepted it as something unavoidable. Instead of potentially changing the bad situation, they remain in it for an unnecessarily long period of time. All because they keep telling themselves "That's just the way things are."

Most situations, however, can be changed. Although some can be quite difficult, the cornerstone to improving any bad situation is to adopt the right mindset for it. You need to refuse to accept the situation you're displeased with!

Because saying "That's just the way things are" is pure bullsh*t. We can always change the things around us, if we just put some effort into it. Don't just accept a bad situation - that way it will never change. Instead, refuse the terms of it, and demand a change! Only when deciding that you won't accept the situation anymore can you actually do something about it. Whether you feel like you have no free time, or simply don't like your job, there is always something you can do about the situation, as long as you actively decide to change it.

Example: Diseases

I remember a discussion I had a while ago with a friend, who told me about how she usually spent months every fall and spring with a cold and runny nose. Months! When I asked her how she put up with that horrible situation, she told me "That's just the way things are for me."

As most of my friends there agreed with her, sharing that they too were used to getting sick at least twice a year, I couldn't help but wonder how they could just accept that.  How could anyone put up with expecting to get sick every year?

I guess I can consider myself one of the lucky ones who don't get sick a lot - I can't even remember the last time I was bedridden, and I haven't had so much as a cold for years. This has made me view diseases as something completely out of the ordinary, which makes it so difficult for me to understand how people can just accept getting sick every year as something unavoidable.

And people don't even seem to question it! Let alone try to do something about it.

This is a fine example of how you can get used to a bad situation, and eventually accept it as unavoidable. People seem to believe that staying healthy all year round is an impossibility, and therefore don't even aim for it. They just lay back, accept the situation as it is, and refuse to even try to change it.

This same principle applies to a lot of situations for a lot of people, although it might not be quite as obvious. The solution, however, remains the same; Only by refusing to accept the situation can you hope for a change to occur.

Breaking Down the Excuses That Stand in Your Way

 Today, I was in line at the grocery store when I overheard a rather obese woman in front of me complaining to her friend that she wanted to get in shape. As if putting words to my own thoughts, her friend then asked what was holding her back, to which she got the answer "I'm just too lazy for it."

She then unloaded her shopping cart full of snacks at the register.

This got me thinking about the ridiculous excuses people make to avoid doing anything difficult. Being "too lazy" is not a valid excuse for not doing something. It's a problem they could easily fix as well. Then I came to the conclusion that almost any excuse can be broken down to a ridiculous level, if questioned enough.

Breaking Down the Excuses

For instance, whenever someone I know complains about being out of shape, I ask him "Why don't you start working out, then?" I almost exclusively get answers like "because I'm too lazy", or "because I'm not disciplined enough" To which I always continue to ask "And why are you *insert provided lame excuse*?"

 

These excuses are always pure bullsh*t. Being lazy or undisciplined aren't valid excuses for anything, since it's easy to do something about that too. People who make such excuses and refuse to do anything about it are not awesome - An awesome person doesn't just give up like that. Oh no.

 

An awesome person will strive to overcome whatever is holding him back. If he is fat, he will begin a diet and exercise program. If he lacks the discipline to do that, he will begin working on improving his discipline. If he is too lazy to do that, he will start working on becoming less lazy. If he doesn't know how to become less lazy, he will try to find out how, and so on. An awesome person does not make lame excuses to cover for his weaknesses. Whatever they may be, he finds a way to fight them, one at a time!

 

Beating the Excuses

 

If you want to improve your awesomeness, you have to stop making excuses. And as I mentioned above, there is a simple way to make any excuse manageable - you simply need to break it down to the core. Question every excuse you make, and ask yourself "Why?" , until the chain of excuses sounds completely ridiculous. 

 

Just break down each and every one of your excuses to a manageable level, and start working from there. Every excuse can be overcome like this - it just takes a bit of time and effort. Because, as you will notice, every single excuse you make will start to sound ridiculously easy if you question it and backtrace it far enough.

Shaping Your Future Self

Most people (myself included), mainly thinks of the present, or near future, when it comes to their daily routines and habits. They continue with their bad habits without caring what it will lead to in the future. 
 
Because eating that extra piece of pie, or smoking those daily cigarettes, won't have any effect on you today, or tomorrow - so why should you deny yourself that small pleasure now? Future you is faar away, and he'll probably be able to handle the consequences later. Right?
 
Well, if this is how you think, you need to consider how all the things you do now will affect your future self. Sure, you probably won't see any noticeable increase in weight within the next few weeks from drinking a soda to your lunch every day, but it will come back to haunt you in the form of your future self's stomach.
 
And it's not just the negative things you need to consider - you should also consider what the positive things you do right now will lead to. Deciding to read a few pages in a book every day, or going for a jog twice a week will give your future self some amazing results.
  
Ask yourself this; What do you want your future self to be like? How should he act, how should he look and how should he think?
 
You probably want him to be better than you are now, or at least as good, in every aspect of life. You want him to be in shape and to be smarter and wiser than you are now. But how do you expect this to happen, if you don't start working towards it now? Do you expect yourself to magically achieve all your goals at once someday far from now? Because that will never happen.
 
You need to act today in order to shape your future self. Do you want to be big and muscular in the future? Start working out and eat right today. Want to be smarter? Start reading more books, or do something else that stimulates your mind. You get the picture here - whatever you want yourself to be in the future, you need to prepare for today.

"If Overweight - Lose Weight" - Why Simple Instructions are all You Need

Today, I saw a picture on a humor website depicting a series of instructions, which included the very helpful advice "If overweight - lose weight." 
I laughed a little at the blatant simplicity of this "advice", but then I thought "Why is this funny? It should be that simple."

 Let me explain:

[NOTE: The principles in this post hold true for a lot of things, from laziness to addictions, but for the purpose of this post, I'm going to use obesity as an example.]
 

A lot of people today are obese, and face a hard time struggling to overcome it. What's sad is that most of these people go about it all the wrong way. They think the obesity itself is the only problem, and that once they fix that, everything will be all right. 
 

What they fail to realize, however, is that their obesity is most likely not the problem itself, but rather a symptom of a much bigger issue.
 

Fixing the Problem, Not the Symptom
 

Let's look at this another way by using an analogy. Say that you've broken your finger, and it's causing you a lot of pain. 
 

Would you A) focus entirely on the pain and take pain killers for the rest of your life while ignoring the fact that your finger is broken, or B) go to the doctor and have your finger fixed, thereby removing both the problem and the pain? It's a simple choice, isn't it? Why would you focus entirely on the symptoms and ignore the problem?

Well, the exact same principle applies here: things like obesity, laziness and addictions are merely symptoms of something much worse: a lack of self discipline.
 

In this case, the poor self discipline is the broken finger, and the many problems that arise from it is the pain. Don't just treat the pain - fix the problem, and the pain will go away on its own!

"If Overweight - Lose Weight"
 

Back to the obesity analogy. If you think you can fix your weight problems by going on a special diet, taking weight loss pills or having surgery, you're going about it all wrong. All those things do is treat the symptoms of an underlying problem. And if you don't take care of the problem, the symptoms will almost certainly return.  What makes you think you'll be able to stay slim after you stop taking those pills, or give up on that diet? You'll just revert back to your old self if you haven't addressed the real problem.
 

The problem: your lack of discipline.
 

Fact: a disciplined person will never become fat. He is able to stop eating when he's had enough, and can easily push himself to exercise. He doesn't need any special diet or weight loss pills - he stays in shape by controlling what he eats and how much he exercises. He is in control of his own body. He won't get fat, because obesity is nothing but a symptom of a problem he does not have.

A disciplined person who is intent on getting in shape needs no other instructions than "If overweight - lose weight". It's that simple.

Remove the Problem, and the Symptoms Will Disappear
 

If you're struggling with losing weight, you're probably going about it the wrong way. If you need a bunch of guides, diets and outside help, you're completely missing the point. The obesity isn't the problem - the lack of discipline is. 

Train your discipline, and your obesity will be a problem no more.

(These principles holds true for a lot of things, from laziness to addictions - just replace obesity in this post with the problem you want to address)

Training Discipline - The Key to All Awesomeness

Discipline. The single most important thing to possess when it comes to developing your awesomeness. It's what allows you to resist any urges, and keeps you going when the temptation to quit is strong. If you have a strong discipline, nothing can hold you back. You can learn whatever you want, become whatever you want and do whatever you want. It is the cornerstone of a strong mind and body, and it will enable you to develop all other aspects of awesomeness as well.

Therefore, it is absolutely essential that you greatly develop your discipline!

So how do you do it?

Developing your discipline is a simple, straight-forward process. You develop your discipline every time you force your body or mind to act against an impulse, no matter how weak or strong. This teaches your body and mind how to more easily resist temptation, which is exactly what we're trying to accomplish here.

For example, say that your body is craving sugar, and you're thinking about going to the kitchen to get some candy. If you refuse to act on that temptation, you train your discipline, and you will have an easier time resisting the temptation in the future.Your discipline will have grown stronger. Then, when stronger temptations appear, such as the temptation to quit whatever you're doing, you will be able to resist it, since you've trained your discipline well enough. If you forfeit to that same temptation and go stuff your face with candy, however, you will instead find it even harder to resist it the next time temptation comes around.

This is the basics of training your discipline. All you need to do is to try and resist any and all temptations you feel during the day - no matter how small. Feel like checking Facebook before you get to work? Resist it! Want to get a soda with your meal? Resist it! Eventually, as your discipline grows stronger, you will find it easier and easier to resist these things.

A more detailed and in-depth guide about how you can develop your discipline will be posted in the future, but for now, this is all you need to know. 

How to Avoid Letting Yourself Go as You Grow Older

This is an issue that’s been on my mind lately; how can you avoid letting yourself go as you grow older? 

I’m in pretty good shape – and so are a lot of my friends. Becoming out of shape has never really been a concern for me, since exercising has always been a part of my life. But then I looked around and noticed how very few people actually remain fit as they grow older. I know a lot of people who were pretty fit when they were young, and now sport an impressive beer belly– and I can’t help but wonder what went wrong. 
 

When did they decide to drop their training and go lazy? Did they lose the time to work out? Did they just stop caring? Will the same happen to me as I grow old?

This has led me to fear that I might lose my fitness as I age too, which has made me quite interested in finding the cause of this phenomenon, so I can avoid it myself.
 

Therefore, I decided to find the answer to the question “When and why do people drop their fitness as they grow older?”
 

When

Most people seem to lose their fitness around the time they finish school and start working. Their degeneration seems to start the minute they head out into the world and start living completely on their own. This leads to the obvious reasons behind it being:

The Reasons

The cause of most people losing their fitness as they age can be summarized to two reasons; poor diet and lack of training. As people start living on their own and getting a job, maintaining the well-rounded diet their bodies are used to can be tough. 

Be it because of a low budget, a lack of time or a lack of know-how, many people see a deterioration in the quality of their food habits. Some people start eating more junk food, while others eat a lot less than usual due to a lack of time. Either way, this dietary change has a severe negative effect on their fitness.

Meanwhile, the same person finds himself having less free time than ever, and simply doesn't have the time to work out anymore. (Which is why they should consider Making a Workout Part of Your Everyday Routine)

These two things combined are enough to cause a deterioration in everyone's health and fitness. However, being conscious about it can really help beat the issue, or at the very least provide an explanation of the situation.

Stay tuned for another post detailing how to avoid letting yourself go.

Making Exercise a Part of Your Everyday Routine

In order to stay physically awesome, you need to exercise regularly. There is just no way around that. But keeping up the habit of exercising can be tough, especially in the long run when motivation tends to run out. That's why it's important to make the workout a part of your everyday routine. This way it becomes easier to stay on course with your training, since it would be a natural part of your day, instead of something you just do when you have time for it.

Let's look at your existing routine. You probably have things like sleeping and eating on there, which you make time for no matter what (unless you're a med student, in which case it sucks to be you). Meanwhile, your exercise program is treated differently, and you only follow it when there is time. You don't make the time for it in the same way you make the time for sleeping and eating.

If you found yourself short on time, would you consider skipping sleep in order to catch up? No? Then how about skipping your workout? That's probably more likely to happen. Why is that?

You may argue that working out isn't important enough to be included in your daily routine. And granted, skipping a few training sessions probably won't cause as much harm as skipping sleep or eating would do, but it's of equal importance in the long run. If you don't stay in shape, it's going to take it's toll eventually. Therefore, you should make sure to treat your exercise program with the same respect as you do your sleeping schedule, and make sure you put time aside for it each day.

But how do you actually do it, if you're already short on time? Well first off, you should try making the time for it, by any means necessary.
 

Making the Time for the Workout

Let's say your daily schedule is already too full to incorporate a daily workout. (If it's not, feel free to skip this step). You just don't have any time to spare out of your day. Perhaps this is true, perhaps not. Either way, there are a number of ways to make sure you get some extra time for a proper workout - without any major consequences.

The first and simplest method to find time is to replace something you already do, with something that would give you exercise as a byproduct. For instance, would it be possible for you to replace your daily commute with a run or bike ride to work? Would you be able to do some pushups and situps while watching TV in the evenings? Search your day for everything and anything that could be replaced in this fashion.

If you're unable to find anything to replace, however, there is another method which anyone can implement; cutting back on sleep. This sounds counterproductive, I know - you probably sleep as much as you do for a reason. But the thing is that, with regular exercise, anyone can reduce their need of sleep with at least an hour every night. That's because a well trained body requires less sleep on average to recover during the night, that does its untrained counterpart. So by replacing an hour of sleep with an hour of exercise, it will all even itself out in the long run.

Making Sure You Stick With it

However, once you've found a way to incorporate your workouts into your daily routine, another problem still remains; how do you make sure you stick with your training in the long run? Although this problem is a lot easier to handle once you've successfully made exercising part of your day, it can still be difficult at times to keep up with your training. 

That's why it's so important to treat it like any other vital part of your day. You'd never skip out on sleeping, would you? Why would you be willing to skip your training? Just change the way you look at your training, and tell yourself it's something you have to do - much like eating, or brushing your teeth. That way, it won't be long before your training has become a natural part of your life, and you won't have to give it much thought in the future.