Newsletter #10 - Consistency is a Bitch!

I participated in the Delhi Half Marathon 2022 on 16th October and ran a distance of 21.1 KMs; although I have been running for a long time, I wasn't much prepared for this run.

I didn't run much in the past 2 months.

The first 15Kms were pretty smooth, but then it got really challenging; my knees and hamstrings were in so much pain, and I felt the lack of training, but that's the kind of challenge(s) I live for.

However, after the run, I felt I had used all my willpower, and the pain in my legs was too much; it was even difficult to walk.

I felt like doing nothing after it. For the next two to three days, I watched unnecessary videos on Youtube, ate junk food, and did a lot of other unnecessary stuff.

I stopped following my routine; I didn't wake up early, I didn't journal, I didn't meditate, and I didn't even take the morning bath.

Result: I only felt worse because of the excessive screen time.

However, I knew what I needed to do to get back to a better state and get back to my healthy lifestyle.

I have had so many relapses in the past that I know the process; I am prepared for the ball and bounce back.

Consistency is basically manoeuvring through these ups and downs.

I have multiple systems to get back to my routine, which I call my anchor habits.

I always feel better when I write and run; these are my two anchor habits for the past 3 years.

I wasn't in the state of running, but I could always write.

Here are a few other simple things I do whenever I feel stuck and like doing nothing.

• The most important thing is I never criticize myself, and I am very gentle with my self-talk and hopeful that I will soon find my way out of this.
• I go outside, have a walk in my sector, or go to some other peaceful place.

• One of the most underrated and effective things that always works for me is a long warm water bath.
• Cycling with music. I consider cycling to be a form of therapy. It always gets me into a better state.

I also make it very easy to write, like if I cannot write in my journal using a pen, I start writing on my laptop or phone, and to be honest, I love using my pen and paper to write, but I also enjoy typing too.

Here are a couple of things you need to understand to be consistent at anything, especially habits,

Two most important things when it comes to consistency,

• Baby Steps - It's a long-term game. If you understand that, you will focus on the bigger picture rather than a few days of intensity and falling back to where you were before. Yes, showing up is essential, but sometimes it's okay to take a break or make it easier.

What matters more is how many days you showed up in a year, not how many days you showed up in a week or month.

• Relapses are part of the process. Life will happen, and it will break the consistency. It's up to you how you are going to start again. If you are prepared to get up after the fall, it will get effortless to be consistent in the long term.?

To overcome the relapses, you need to build systems that work for you, are very easy for you to do, and at the same time effective in changing your emotional state.

Let me know what little things or systems you use.

Question of the Week,

Last week I asked, "What is the most important victory of your life"?

My most important victory has to be this,

When I ran 10KMs for the first time ever.

It was September 2017, and I was at the lowest point in my life, and nothing in my life was going right for me; I was reeling with pain, emotional and physical. I was continuously failing, failing, and failing in all areas of my life.

For some reason, I decided to start running and made a goal to run 10KMs.

Initially, I was very consistent and started running 5KMs in just 2-3 weeks. Then life happened, and I couldn't run for a while, but I got back, and finally, after 5 months, I ran 10KMs.

It was a very pleasant February evening on one of my favourite places for running, my college football ground. I ran 10KMs

It wasn't that easy; my legs were paining, but I ran non-stop for 10kms for the first time ever, and as I finished, I jumped, I shouted, I exclaimed in joy; it was similar to how Virat Kohli celebrates. :p

This was a very different feeling, something I had never felt in my life.

That day I learned, There is just so much power in achieving the goals that you, only you, set out for yourself, goals that come out of no one's expectations.

It felt like a win I deserved after facing failure one after the other; it was similar to finding water after you have lost in the desert for days.

As I write about it, it's been 5 years, but that moment is very much alive within me.

It was a total mindset shift, and running 10Kms was a big deal back then.

This is my most important victory, more so because it came at a time when I felt so lost.

It completely shifted the momentum of my life, and I haven't looked back since that day.

If you haven't thought of it yet, start thinking now, what is your most important victory in life?

Question for this week,

"What would make you most excited to wake up in the morning to another day? "

Book of the week,

It is one of those books that I want every person to read.

We are raised in a society where we are conditioned to believe many stupid things. Then we struggle with perfectionism, procrastination, self-criticism, saying 'NO' to people, and setting healthy boundaries.

Even the idea of self-love is so misunderstood by a lot of people.

This is a must-read if you struggle with procrastination, perfectionism, and other unhealthy patterns.

This book has got everything you need for a whole-hearted living.

Sharing a excerpt from the book,

When we spend a lifetime trying to distance ourselves from the parts of our lives that don't fit with whom we think we're supposed to be, we stand outside of our story and hustle for our worthiness by constantly performing, perfecting, pleasing, and proving.

Our sense of worthiness—that critically important piece that gives us access to love and belonging—lives inside of our story.

The greatest challenge for most of us is believing that we are worthy?now,?right this minute. Worthiness doesn't have prerequisites. So many of us have knowingly created/unknowingly allowed/been handed down a long list of worthiness prerequisites:

-I'll be worthy when I make a partner.

-I'll be worthy when my parents finally approve.

-I'll be worthy when I can do it all and look like I'm not even trying.

The list goes on and on.

When will 'you' be worthy?

Ok bye.

Love and Cheers