solidthomas.com

Why is it so hard for so many of us to have a decent self image?

I had coffee with a friend today and he gave me a card.  In this card he had written me a nice note.  Here’s an excerpt:

You’re a great guy always looking out for others whether you’re the one to congratulate them during the good or be a shoulder to cry on for the bad.  You’re a very smart guy with a steady career who is very independent.  You strive to keep up your body, mind and spirit like no other and I respect that.

First, let me say that I have a lot of respect for him too for many reasons that I’d rather not go into here.  Let’s just say most people in the situation he and I found ourselves in would never end up as friends.  Frankly it should say a lot about both of us that we built a friendship out of it.  Based on that, what he said there means more to me than I can put into words.  The person he described is the person I have tasked myself with becoming during the last couple of years.  I don’t know if I’m there yet, but that’s kind of the point of this blog post 😉

(continue reading…)

Fletch Fit: What do I want to do?
Well, I’ve lost about 70# and I would like to drop about 25 more. In addition to that I want to be strong (muscular).

I've come a looooong way!

In order to do this and to maintain it, there are three things I need:
1. A good workout regimen (Got it)
2. A good, maintainable nutrition plan (Need it)
3. A much better sleep schedule (REALLY need it)

I strongly believe that fixing my sleep schedule is the most important of the three, because it will affect my entire life and not just my physical well-being. Once I have that under control, I believe I’ll have the energy I need in order to learn how & what to cook to solve my nutrition issues. As far as the workout goes, I’ve got more muscle than I’ve ever had, I’m more flexible than I’ve ever been, I’m faster than ever. If not for a little extra weight, I’m in the best shape of my life.

In the end, if I can get these three parts of my life in line, I believe it will provide the self-image that I need in order to be a more confident person. Confidence, as many of you know, is one of the key personality attributes to being successful in most areas of life!

So. What could possibly stop me from doing this? Well, right now it’s kind of a catch-22. I don’t sleep enough because I can’t get everything I want to do, done, in the time I am currently awake. I don’t get everything done because I just don’t have the energy like I should. I don’t have that energy because I don’t sleep enough. Bah! It also makes it harder for me to think critically & solve problems at work, and since that’s basically my job (software developer) it leaves me feeling inadequate.

So, in a nutshell, what could stop me is laziness and/or lack of willpower.

(continue reading…)