Day 74... Stop Thinking About It, Stop Reading About It and Just Do It...

We learn far more by doing than by thinking about things or reading about how to do things....

That’s a simplified declaration, of course, because reading teaches us quite a lot, and thinking about how to attack a project is necessary but it’s in the actual doing of things that we do our real learning. It may be a fairly harmless statement for most of us, but think about this: 

• Are you actually putting things into practice? How about in your efforts to improve your life?

It’s easy to see how this applies in a fitness or health improvement situation: You can read all the blogs, books and blurbs you want about a fitness program… Google the fuck out of diets, and watch a zillion videos on healthy cooking… Hell, you can even spend money and join a gym, buy some home fitness equipment and a couple of yoga mats but until you put these ideas into practice, the only thing that will happen is you will increase your knowledge about the concepts and reduce your bank account…. It is much more effective to put on the workout clothes you bought and utilize the gear you purchased and actually prepare and consume the meals you were reading about…

When you want to improve your life in some way, say by simplifying utilizing minimalism, by being more frugal, by starting to exercise or eat healthy, by learning more productive habits, by being a more positive or compassionate person, your desire is to learn a new skill and when you learn a new skill, all the reading in the world won’t teach you the skill. You have to learn by doing.

So reading countless self-help articles and books are great, I’ve written one about meditation (Ask me how to get it for free...) myself, but you have to remember that it’s only the first step. This blog has been full of ideas on how to change your life, acquire motivation, develop discipline and change your life for the better, but it’s just a blog with ideas, you have to be the one to take them, make them yours and implement them.

You have to put the personal development into action, step away from the computer or book you are reading, and start doing it. Do it today, do it now….

Only in doing it will you actually learn the skills you need to develop that new habit you desire… Only by doing will that book you want to write materialize… Only by doing will you lose weight, get in shape and feel better… You get the idea….It is up to you to act on your desires…

Reading does help though: first in helping you to understand what to do, and second in keeping you motivated as you actually do the skill. Thinking about the how, the plan and the moving forward is great, this gives you a pathway to start, but you have to start… Reading and thinking are not a substitute for doing.

So stop reading this post, and go do it… Even if it is only for ten minutes, go do it… Go be a creator… Make it happen…

Get to work fuckers… The sand is running out the bottom of the hourglass and I don’t want your last thought to be some stupid shit like, “oh fuck why didn’t I do that?” Is maybe binge watching Game of Thrones is what you really want? Well, I guess you can die thinking about that I suppose… I would make some snarky comment about Game of Thrones but I don’t have a clue about it, never watched it…

Well, I guess I will see you tomorrow and I would like to wake up to a comment about how one of you tried something new, or began to do something you have been thinking about, or better yet, you created something… Have a beautiful day… Make it a day you intend to have… 

The 90 Day Life Change Challenge update… Day three of "I would rather have diarrheas on a long drive between bathrooms...." type of morning. Running on pure discipline to get started and then my mind cleared and I was able to focus and power through it. It was a difficult week with P90X3 and I am sore as hell, stiff and pretty tired of being tired... However, with something like 17 days to go, this is expected... Isn't it so perfectly human to be so close to the finish line and want to lie down and quit? If psychology holds true, I should be starting that rise in energy and desire to reach the finish line any day now... Don't get me wrong though, I am very excited to have made it this far and the changes in my mind, body and emotional state has been profound... The changes that I have made in 90 days have shocked me... We will talk more about it as we get closer to the finish of this challenge... I am starting to plan the next 90 day challenge already... There are no breaks when it comes to self improvement... 

Listen, a couple things before I end today, I know I that I come off as an asshole sometimes but think about this… What if everyone took some time out of their lives every day to do something that made the world a little better place? Dropped some sage wisdom on someone, wrote a kind letter to a person who needed it, or maybe just smiled at a stranger… What if every potential artist, writer, poet and musician birthed themselves into existence? Think about all the art, books, blogs, poems, and music is out there but the potential isn’t being realized because of stupid shit like a television show… They tell me the graveyard is full of lost potential… Don’t waste it if you are one of the people holding back…

Again… Get to work…

Love you all like Michael Jordan loved flying through the air with his tongue out…