I am through the first 16 days of a 75-day mental toughness program.
Even in a mere 16 days, I am learning things about myself, both now and past.
Lesson 1:
Use small successes to fuel bigger ones. Don’t settle for small successes
I am down 13 pounds in 16 days. I know this rate won't maintain, but it is remarkable to see the difference between my day 1 picture and day 16. In the past, I've had mild success losing a little weight, but after 5 or 10 pounds, or after a week or so of "eating well," I opt to celebrate my "hard work" with some kind of treat. One individual treat makes no difference in the long run, right?
I would take that small success and turn it into a failure. I would lose my progress.
Throughout the pandemic, I have maintained my weight, right around 215, give or take a couple of pounds. July 5, when I began this challenge, I weighed in at 217.4. This morning, I was 204.4.
Part of this 75-day program is zero compromise, so I don't have the option to have some treat which would historically derail my progress.
I feel better than I have in years. While I don't look great with my shirt off, I definitely look better than a couple of weeks ago. Instead of pulling my foot off the gas and taking it easy, it is driving me to push further.
Lesson 2:
Doing what you say you will do is a major win
I have realized how often I would compromise and go easy on myself. I would often settle for "good enough." I have learned how great it feels to not compromise and to do the things I set before me.
For example, on my 36th birthday, I looked at myself in the mirror and felt like a fat, lazy, tired sack of shit. I decided that day that by my 37th birthday I would do 100,000 pushups.
Through most of last summer, I had been doing around 100 pushups per day, but one day I skipped them, then another, and before I knew it, it was June 2021 and I hadn't done any meaningful pushups in recent memory.
I decided that 100k pushups would be difficult, but doable. It is a challenge that I need to constantly be aware of throughout the year. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
Earlier this week, I had set in my mind to do 400 pushups that day. As I started my sets, I began thinking "200 is still a good day…" I knew right then that I had to do 400 (I ended up doing 425). And damn it if I didn't feel better doing what I told myself I would do instead of taking the easy way out, selling myself short.
I am the only one holding myself accountable. But this was a small success. Successes compound.
In the same way, failures can also compound. Just like the one missed day doing pushups last summer led to a long stretch of no pushups.
Lesson 3:
The start is the hardest part.
The first set of pushups I did after an extended period of inactivity were some of the hardest I have done in this challenge. Day 1, I did 125 pushups. This morning, I did 45 sets of 8 - 1 set each minute for 45 minutes. 360 total pushups, before 7:00a.
After the first workout I did in the 75-day challenge, my legs were so weak that walking was difficult for the rest of the week. 16 days in, I am sore most days, but not in a debilitating way like at the start.
Pushups were harder 5,000 pushups and 10+ pounds ago.
Lesson 4:
Systems, not goals
Goals are good. Results are good. Results, even small ones, can be those successes and sparks that drive us further. We get a small taste of that which we seek, enough to spur further action.
But the results cannot be the sole focus.
I began this post on Day 13, and the scale read 203.2 that morning. Today was 204.4. Yesterday was 205.4.
Does that mean that the days since Day 13 have been failures, since the scale was 1% higher? If my sole focus was on the scale, then yes.
But I count all of the past 16 days as successes, regardless of the number on the scale. Why? Because I got the result I intended on those days - I followed the system for the mental challenge I am on. I did what I set out to do. On any given day, it doesn't matter what the scale says. By following the system, the results will come, in time.
The lessons will continue, I'm sure.
To recap:
Small successes fuel bigger ones. Don't settle for small successes
Doing what you tell yourself you will is a major win
The start is the hardest part. It's all easier from there
Focus on systems, not goals.