Thoughts of a Random Nature

I think spring is finally here! It’s been in the mid-70s and sunny for the past few days. Combine that with Daylight Savings Time starting and the days have been so long and fun I barely want to come in. If I sound giddy over spring it’s because I am. Spring is my favorite time of year. Flowers are blooming and it hasn’t gotten so hot it’s uncomfortable yet.

Besides my battles with hay fever, the only thing I dislike about spring is the idea of spring cleaning. I grew up having to do it every year and if you know me you know how much I hate spending a nice chunk of my day cleaning, though I appreciate how clean and fresh everything feels once I’m done. While I’ll probably be taking one of these weekends to get rid of old clothes, books, and doodads I’ve accumulated over the past few months I’m going to do be doing some mental and emotional spring cleaning as well.

I find it easy to hold on to sad and mean feelings (I’m sure I’m not the only one). There have been slights, no matter how small and inadvertent, that have led me to hold silent grudges and be angry for months. I’ve been working on letting go of petty stuff, either be writing about or talking about it (in some cases to that person, other times not). Whatever I do, I’m learning how to do deal with what’s made me upset, as opposed to keeping it bottled up and it manifesting in potentially self-destructive ways.

I have a few goals and plans for this year and I can’t dedicate my focus to them if I’m caught up in nonsense and inconsequential stuff. With sites like Facebook and Twitter where you can keep up with people’s lives without even having to talk to them, it takes no effort at all to fall into a web of comparing your life to others’ and getting caught up in gossip and mess. I enjoy Twitter more than Facebook but I’m going to try my hardest to limit my time on both of them.

I’m going to trash these bad habits so I have more time to devote to hobbies I enjoy and make me a happier person, such as working out, being outside, reading and writing.

By the way, kind of random but I just read a good article from Forbes Magazine titled “How to Make Twentysomethings Happy”. Talks about millenials in the workplace…definitely worth checking out.

Are there any bad habits or tendencies you want to get rid of in the near future?

J

Happy Wednesday!

Today I met with a personal trainer for the first time. My main goal is to get in shape for the summer and tone my arms and stomach. Wow did I get a workout! The exercises weren’t necessarily strenuous but it required some discipline and willpower to get through 4 or 5 sets of each. I’m not going to bore you with the details of my workout regimen, instead I want to focus on two ideas I just mentioned, discipline and willpower.

Often when we see someone who’s in perfect shape or an actor who’s finally got their big break, we don’t know all of the work and time they put into achieving that goal. I’m not bragging by any means, but when I was in school I never had to work hard for good grades. I was always fairly fit even though I rarely exercised and never committed to a diet. For the first time in my life I’m learning how to really commit myself to a goal and focus. It hasn’t been easy by a long shot but it’s awesome when you start seeing results.

For example, I want to be a writer. Now I used to say this all the time but I only wrote sporadically or when the mood hit me. Ever since starting this blog (and its been a month today!) I have forced myself to sit down every evening and write something. I’ll admit, I wanted to give up after a week because I had no idea how I was going to come up with something interesting to say everyday. But I kept on, because with each blog post, I started to find my voice and really enjoy putting my thoughts out there for everyone to read. Writing today is a lot easier than the day I created this blog and I have no doubt it’ll get even easier as each day goes on. One of the main pieces of advice famous writers give out is write something everyday. And this is so true. This forces you to think and helps you trudge through obstacles such as writers’ block.

Obstacles and setbacks suck, they really do. I don’t know any other way to put it. If you’re working out diligently and not seeing the weight fall off as quickly as you would like. If you’re an actor and you keep getting rejected audition after audition. If you’re a writer and your work keeps getting rejected no matter how many times you edit and revise. If you’re searching for a job and not getting it despite creating an excellent resume and giving near-perfect interviews. A goal can become blurred and pushed to the wayside when you’re doing everything you can and it still doesn’t feel like you’re accomplishing anything. I’m not trying to sound like a self-help guru and I’m only speaking for myself, but the rewards are much more gratifying if it’s something you have to work hard for. If my blog had become popular the first day I put it up I don’t think I’d be growing into my writing the way I am now. If I lost weight just like that (*finger snap) I wouldn’t be as focused and working out muscles I never knew I had.

This is a long post I know. It’s just that hard work and discipline are traits I’ve really come to appreciate these past few months. Some people have known these things their whole lives but I didn’t.

Do you have any goals that you refuse to give up on, no matter the setbacks?

J