Plan. Invest. Live.
Make a goal. And then go after it.
I appear to be making some strides in taking better care of myself. I had good news from some lab tests on my liver, but there is one more test I want just to be sure.
I have now run a mile in 6 mins twice this week. I realize an Olympic athlete can do that in under 4 minutes, but I was at 7 mins a few months ago so I am heading in the right direction. I am down about 15 pounds since when I quit drinking 3 Pepsi “vending machine” bottles a day in the Fall of 2015. I had to buy some new jeans. The old ones would not stay on me. I wonder when the craving will stop. If I was the only guy left on the planet and there was a bunch of Pepsi around I’d have a hard time saying “No.”
One of the neatest people I’ve heard about is a guy who took 12 years to get his 4 year degree. But he never gave up. You should see him now. His name is Eric Thomas and he has quite a story. You can easily find him online via Google and YouTube. He has quite an inspirational story. One day it all clicked for him and he stopped worrying about his regrets.
I have regrets. I am sure you do. We should not dwell on them. But we do. One of the things on my bucket list is to go back in time. But I don’t have a Flux Capacitor (Back to the Future, 1985…still love that flick).
Here’s what I mean…
In the spring of 1994 I was barely 19 and I was a few weeks into the US Army Basic Training at Ft Knox Kentucky. We did a lot of push-ups. I gained about 24 pounds of muscle in those 15 weeks. I felt like an ox. I remember my brother (an Army vet himself) checking out my shoulders and smiling, since he had just seen me prior to entry. His smile and approval meant so much to me. I have always looked up to him, so that made my day. But it has been 23 years, and I don’t quite have that physique anymore (stop laughing), but I am making progress.
Anyway, one of the things we had to do to “stay” in the Army was qualify physically. We had to do a certain number of sit-ups in 2 minutes. We had to do a certain number of push-ups in 2 minutes. We needed to complete a two mile run under a certain time. All of our results were transferred to a sheet and a score was tallied. I have no idea now what the minimums were, but I was competitive enough to want to get the maximum points in each category. Which you can see in the photo. That’s how powerful our memory is. I haven’t seen the sheet in 20+ years but I know it was 12:34, 82, 92. Clear as day.
I never maxed out once. But I really wanted to. Sit-ups were always my downfall. I could get the 82 push-ups and the 2 miles under 12:34, but I never made it to 92 sit-ups I remember my max score vividly. 270. I couldn’t break through 270 in any of the many attempts over my Army career. 100 points for the run and 100 for the push-ups. But the sit-ups killed me every time. It’s because I didn’t focus enough on that part of the test. I loathe sit-ups. But sometimes we have to push through things we don’t want to do. Maybe I’d like them if I could do them.
I heard someone say “If you want something bad enough you’ll find a way to get it, or you’ll find an excuse.”
What do you want to accomplish? Don’t let fear of failure hold you back. Go for it!
Are you trying to get a savings plan started?
Are you trying to kill a credit card for the last time?
Are you going to set up that monthly giving that you’ve been meaning to establish?
Are you going to climb a 14er this summer and take pictures (as proof!) from the top?
So for me, one goal for this summer is to max the Spring 1994 US Army PT test. If Eric Thomas can get a 4 year degree against all odds, I can max the PT test for a 19 year old in 1994 at least once. Or I may die trying.
As of today I am at 51 and 55. Let’s see what progress I can make in a week.
What is your goal for the summer? Pick something not too easy… and then email me so I can try to keep you accountable.