Can I train myself to accomplish anything in a year?
As summer slowly approaches, I keep telling myself that soon I will have to start eating better and exercising regularly to become "beach ready" again. I'm not there yet, and though people will always tell me I look great and don't have to lose weight, I know that it's because I wear my clothes well and can conceal the flab. But just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's not there, and doesn't mean I have to live with it any longer. So, I continue to tell myself that soon I'll do something about it.
Browsing iBooks today, I came across 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. Intrigued by the description, I downloaded the free sample (38 pages!), and after becoming engrossed, purchased the full book. I rarely pay full price for ANY book, preferring to pick up second-hand reads from yard sales or from friends or family. But after reading that sample, I was pumped to finally get started on my own "body remodeling" plan.
I'm about 100 pages in, and after reading a throwaway sentence about meeting a book writing goal by writing just 2 pages a day, I thought, what if I did that? I've always wanted to write a book. Two pages a day times 365 days is 730 pages. I could write a book in a year. I could do that.
What else could I apply that model to? Money? I've never learned to save money. It's damn near impossible, at least that's how it seems. Money burns a hole in my pocket, and I've never been able to exert discipline over my finances. I just always make a little more than I need to pay my bills. Anything extra is gone before it can gather dust. So, what if I save just $10 a week? In one year, that's $520. It's not like I'd miss that $10 every week. I could do that.
I've also been thinking about learning to run. Ok, I know HOW to run. I run pretty well actually. For about 30 seconds until I feel like my chest is going to burst into flames. Anything longer seems physically impossible. But what if I plan on running everyday, starting with 30 seconds at a time, after which I can just walk leisurely. And maybe everyday I increase that running time by just 5 seconds? By the end of a week, I'd be up to a full minute. By the end of a month, I could be up to five minutes. In a year, it could be a marathon. Is it possible? It's not impossible. I could do that too.
I guess the tricky part of reaching any goal is sticking to it. But I know I can do that. I've done it before with other goals, so why not now?
What else could I accomplish in one year?
Browsing iBooks today, I came across 4 Hour Body by Tim Ferriss. Intrigued by the description, I downloaded the free sample (38 pages!), and after becoming engrossed, purchased the full book. I rarely pay full price for ANY book, preferring to pick up second-hand reads from yard sales or from friends or family. But after reading that sample, I was pumped to finally get started on my own "body remodeling" plan.
I'm about 100 pages in, and after reading a throwaway sentence about meeting a book writing goal by writing just 2 pages a day, I thought, what if I did that? I've always wanted to write a book. Two pages a day times 365 days is 730 pages. I could write a book in a year. I could do that.
What else could I apply that model to? Money? I've never learned to save money. It's damn near impossible, at least that's how it seems. Money burns a hole in my pocket, and I've never been able to exert discipline over my finances. I just always make a little more than I need to pay my bills. Anything extra is gone before it can gather dust. So, what if I save just $10 a week? In one year, that's $520. It's not like I'd miss that $10 every week. I could do that.
I've also been thinking about learning to run. Ok, I know HOW to run. I run pretty well actually. For about 30 seconds until I feel like my chest is going to burst into flames. Anything longer seems physically impossible. But what if I plan on running everyday, starting with 30 seconds at a time, after which I can just walk leisurely. And maybe everyday I increase that running time by just 5 seconds? By the end of a week, I'd be up to a full minute. By the end of a month, I could be up to five minutes. In a year, it could be a marathon. Is it possible? It's not impossible. I could do that too.
I guess the tricky part of reaching any goal is sticking to it. But I know I can do that. I've done it before with other goals, so why not now?
What else could I accomplish in one year?
Comments