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Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to any change in
its velocity. This includes changes to the object's speed, or direction
of motion.
An aspect of this property is the tendency of objects to keep moving in a
straight line at a constant speed, when no forces act upon them. Someone else wrote that, but being a definition, I think you'll forgive me for pasting it here. Hopefully, you'll also forgive me for employing this rudimentary literary device.
Life is full of inertial forces that oppose moving in a straight continuous line, but let's be honest, it's very easy to float along being moved by those forces rather than opposing them. I'm witnessing this right now as I am still in the beginning stages of a new program (for me) called 75 Hard. It's a free program, so if you follow that link you can read all about it. It's entirely about developing the skill of mental toughness. It goes about it by requiring participants to complete some rather easy tasks, which are made difficult by a) being lumped together, and b) being required over a duration of 75 days, without fail, without substitution, and without modification. In sum, all the tasks lumped together account for probably 120 minutes of each day (disregarding the fact elements of the program involve eating and drinking which you would do in any given day anyway). So it's not a huge time commitment, yet cumulatively it is.
At the outset, I began this journey having been pretty sedentary-- that is moved about by the inertial forces around me-- not exercising consistently and my diet was, frankly, shit. Since this program requires two-a-day workouts, my muscles have been screaming at me to stop. DOMS is something my body has exhibited in a fairly extreme way after periods of a mere two weeks of relative inactivity for years now, and there is no analeptic nor analgesic therapy either allopathic or homeopathic that assuages the any of the predominant symptoms except time-- adaptation. Here am I, jumping in full bore to boot. My body has been screaming at me from every angle the last few days. It's been resisting changes in motion at every turn by telling my brain to cease and desist and in no uncertain terms. I've been kindly telling it to fuck off.
The key, really, has been to ignore all those signals, chalk them up to what they are, and move forward anyway, because I know better things lie ahead. My own past experiences have borne this out, and if they hadn't there is the example of thousands of others on which to lean. My motivation is this: my body doesn't present itself in its finest form* when it's at rest, tending to stay at rest, or even when it's in motion in one direction unhindered for a while. Further, there's a spirit of entrepreneurialism, individualism, and independence that is squashed, when the body is weak and unchallenged. It's a battle my mind is winning and I have been learning that my mind is more powerful than my body ever has been or ever will be.
Practically speaking, I have been re-learning-- because mental toughness is a perishable skill-- to use my mind to connect to my body, root out the problems and their source, and feed off the negative energy being disgorged. This may sound spiritual. It is. We are spirits inhabiting flesh. Our spirits animate our bodies and it is likewise a perishable skill we can teach ourselves how to fully engage our spirit with our flesh, to direct and control it. Secondly, I have been providing my body with the nutrients it needs to perform well. This is part of the program, of course, but also something I have learned over many years so it becomes merely a matter of doing the things I already know are beneficial. The process also yields the stripping away some of the byproducts of bad choices I've made in the recent past-- choices made for me by being passive, if I'm honest.
It seems likely there will be more to come about this process in the next 70 days. I know that day 5 is one precipice of change**. My experience tells me the next is at day 14 or thereabouts. The one after that comes at day 30. Beyond that it's less clear. It won't be smooth sailing. This I know. For one, the program is 75 Hard, because it's honest and... it's hard. And for two, I don't want it to be. I don't want to settle with adapting to the "new norm". That's just more inertia. My plan is to use the remaining days of this program, and beyond to continue to insert new hurdles. So be sure, and feel free to check in with me and see how it's going.
*It's very hard to define "finest form". I don't think I've ever seen it yet, and am unsure if I would recognize it, to be honest. I know this present state ain't it, however.
**The first hurdle for me and most is day 2, but it's in the rear view mirror.
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Michi
Can you give me some examples of the daily tasks you have in this program?
It's all in the link.
by Randy®; ; Report