Hi. My name is Spencer. I am 26. I have been spinning my wheels since I was 17, when I dropped out of college. I went to college when I was 16, but I did not have the discipline or any kind of healthy mindset to simply show up to class and do the work required to pass my classes.
I won't rehash my life's story, but it took me a long time to fully understand that action rather than talking and dreaming is the only thing that matters at the end of the day. Due to my upbringing, I thought being smart was enough to be successful and satisfied in life. Nobody taught me about discipline and hard work. Failing out of college was the wake up call for me.
What will change my life and myself is being willing to, for the first time, front-load all the discomfort and pain necessary to make lasting changes toward a life consistent with my values and purpose.
Without action, I am an inanimate object. It is the reason I have been spinning my wheels for so long.
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Right now these are my primary focuses chosen based on my unique circumstances. Of course everything I do can be improved in multiple ways, but I want to focus my attention on a handful of very specific things and do it with consistency until the habit is created and the center of gravity in the system has shifted so I no longer have to try too hard, then move onto the next focus.
Money
Problem: Over-spending on food and drink.
Solution: Stop eating out entirely.
Pitfall:
- Not allocating time for shopping and cooking in my schedule which leads to eating out.
- Not bringing food to work, which leads to ordering something at the restaurant.
Energy
Problem: Feeling tired and burned out during the day.
Solution: Minimum 8 hours of sleep every night.
Pitfall:
- Getting home after the late night shift and being "too tired" to do anything, so I screw around for 2 hours instead of having a healthy nighttime routine, then going to sleep around 3 to 5 AM.
- Using caffeine.
- Not drinking enough water.
- Inconsistent and poor diet.
Anxiety/Depression
Problem: Constant worrying, sulking, and self-deprecation.
Solution: Minimum 30 minutes Vipassana meditation upon waking and before sleep.
Pitfall:
- Using the excuse that I'm too tired and/or too stressed to meditate.
- Not allocating enough time before work for meditation.
Programming
Problem: Giving up due to inconsistency.
Solution: Set aside minimum 30 minutes on days I have to work and 4 hours on my days off work to learn programming.
Pitfall:
- Unfocused and looking at too many resources.
- Limit resources to watchandcode, codewars, and funfunfunction. Nothing else.
Lifting
Problem: Plateau in strength and weight.
Solution:
- Drink 2 shakes every day.
- Change sets x reps at the beginning of every month.
Pitfall:
- Not allocating enough time to finish my workouts then having to cut it short.
- Poor/inconsistent diet, not enough calories, not enough sleep.
Relationship
Problem: Lack of quality time with girlfriend.
Solution: Less time, higher quality vs. More time, low quality.
Pitfall:
- Not planning out dates and time at home together.
- Not communicating specific time frames and activities, leaving her wondering what we're doing that day and week.
- Not following through on promises, no matter what.
