We must protect our minds

As a martial artist, my dad used to tell me, one day of not following your training routine can set you back a week. Imagine what a week off can do. This kind of mentality is also in Goggins who talks about one's birthday can be destructive to the mind and the habits. As I get older, I can understand. Although every bit of hedonism and the human in me would fight this.

A good routine is good most likely because it is a form of delayed gratification. It is very often NOT what we want to be doing if everything went our way and there was no consequence. The average, untrained mind would crave to eat whatever and whenever we want. We don't want to take the harder path if there is an easier option available. We don't notice or care that the easier option may have some grievous consequences to the mind.

Going back to my dad's point above... Let's imagine you exercise 3 days a week. It's almost end of the year as I write this in December. Many of us begin to feel the grip loosening. We may begin to slack off. Slightly even. We take one day off that 3 day week training regime. Now for some of us, taking a day off feels wrong. If we go through with it, we may feel guilty. This is mostly because it is so deeply engraved into our routine and even identity, or our passion is still so burning strong that we feel like we have wronged ourselves. But for many people, this one day off is a welcome for the weaker version of selves (I always think we have two sides to us) to have a field day. The weaker self takes over the reigns and will cloud your mind with GOOD FEELINGS. It sounds hyperbolic to say that one day off will ruin your routine for good. I'm saying we must be mindful. We need to acknowledge and be conscious of why we are taking a day off and still stay true to our vision, routine and commitment. With New Years around the corner, we may tell ourselves, "I'll start again in the new year." This will habitualise somewhere within you, that it's okay to let it off because you have faith you will come back later. Do you really? Is this really the optimal way to 'condition' your mind?

To the title of this page, we need to protect our minds. We are creatures of habit. We are weak especially when struggles arise, by very nature. It is you against you. What do you allow into your life? Your thoughts are 24/7. What do you allow to stimulate your thoughts? This is especially relevant when your routine is just beginning to shape. I'm a big believer from my own experiences, that routine is something that you can commit to sustainably. Life is a marathon. If you need huge chunks of breaks within the year, you may not have a sustainable routine. If you manage your time, have the self-awareness of your own current and future trajectory of your capacity, burning out can be minimised.