Easy Way Out

I woke up this morning feeling like sleeping in and not going to the gym. A little voice in my head said that I could just go another day. "You're in good enough shape, one day won't hurt." But then I remembered how many times I've said that in the past and how many times I've skipped out on going to the gym because I listened.

Ivankov, a character from One Piece, said, "Miracles only occur for those with the determination to never stop trying". I remembered this and got my ass out of bed and hit the gym. My feelings of guilt were right and listening to them made all of the bullshit excuses I made moments earlier easy to shrug off. Now that I've finished my workout and have fueled up on post-workout proteins I feel like I'm one step closer to achieving my goals.

Reflecting on this experience, I thought about how humans are creatures that function off of heuristics (shortcuts). Whether it's how we store/process information or how we complete tasks at work, our brain uses shortcuts to complete things. In a way our brains have to do this because we process SO much information on a daily basis. Doing so tremendously lightens the cognitive load so that we're still able to allocate resources toward other things like studying, conversing with others, etc. As a result, I consider it the double-edged sword of our mind that prevents many from diving deep enough to unlock their potential in whatever they do.

It is the new year and we've all created resolutions for ourselves: to lose weight, to gain muscle, to get that job, to find a partner, to finish school, etc. Most start out wonderfully, go ham, get some results, and then give up after a few months. Why? Change (in anything) takes time and I think some people overestimate the efforts of their hard work. They create expectations and because we function off of heuristics, we want results yesterday. In my case, I sometimes feel unmotivated because I'm not gaining as much muscle as I want to. I'm making gains, but the progress is slow (and that's normal). The hours of pain and struggle that we go through have resulted in less than what we're striving for and we question whether it's worth the effort or not. We want instant-gratification.

Knowing this, businesses create dietary supplements, workout accessories, machines, etc. that promise "RESULTS! NOW!" Our heuristic monkey brains intrinsically see these products and a voice in our heads tell us this is the short-cut to getting what we want. "Take the easy way out. No need to work so hard." It's tempting, too. Many of us give in and it's in that moment that we lose the determination to try. That's when the miracles die, because we're essentially telling ourselves that there's no need to work toward anything when you can just take a short-cut. We allowed ourselves to sleep in and so our motivation to keep going gets shattered by the sheep we seek out in our dreams.

For the sake of our new year's resolutions, try to stay determined even if you're not at the level you want to be at. If you're not losing weight, ask yourself why and try increasing your knowledge on weight loss. Change-up your workouts. Learn, refine, and eventually create that lifestyle that you're seeking. Nothing worth seeking out comes easily in my opinion.

Stay determined and make your miracle happen.

                                                                                                             Peace

Within the depths of our soul we must face the beast of temptation. Will we give in to its whimsical gaze, or will we see its false warmth for what it truly is: a whisper guiding us away from where we can truly shine?