Inflexibility To Change

STUCK IN THEIR WAYS

As we get older, it's a sad fact that we are more likely to become less flexible in body and mind. According to a study made by Virgin Active, people by the age of 25 are already stuck in their ways. Choosing the same routines and even ditching the hobbies they used to enjoy, many people give up on trying new things. 

Change is difficult for everyone. Because we become creatures of habit, preferring our established truths about the things we know and lazily sticking to the same old things rather than looking for something equally as good or better. 

We should all try something new on a regular basis. There's so many new things to experience. If we can keep up these challenges for 30 days in a row, we end up forming new habits and suddenly, we have a new habit or routine. If we can choose positive changes and remove negative ones in the same manner, we will become a much more flexible and constantly evolving individual.

Pain Threshhold

LEAVING YOUR COMFORT ZONE

If we want to make improvements in anything we choose - one has to constantly push the boundaries. This means being out of our comfort zone a lot of the time.

It's fear of the unknown that makes us want to stay in a familiar place. Go with what you know, as they say. This is fine to a degree, but I propose that we should be actively learning all the time. If it's the not knowing that makes us feel uncomfortable - we just need to know it to beat the fear. Be it learning a new job, language, visiting a different country/place or training for fitness - we have to keep ourselves away from the easy known path and on to the one of discovery if we want to expand our horizons.

Small Achievements Lead To Bigger Ones 
We have been doing a little morning routine every day that helps prepare the body and mind for the day. Part of the exercise routine includes doing some 1 minute 'planks'. These are relatively easy to hold, but doing three in a row is tougher. The other day, my partner and I missed a set and decided to do six in one go to make up for the ones missed. That was a big decision at the time - suggesting we double what we'd been doing already, seemed too arduous a task! Thing is, once we'd made it to five, the sixth one was really easy compared to how number three had been feeling the day before. This is because we moved the goal. The focus was on six and number three, which was now only half way, flew past as we dug in and pushed towards the final number six. This was an eye-opening revelation.

Don't Underestimate Yourself
We were so surprised at how much easier six planks had been in relation to three that it's now six planks every morning as the norm - and this quota will be re-assessed again as we get used to six over time. This is the right mentality for success and exactly how people who don't push boundaries, get stuck in their ways. They underestimate their potential. Sticking to what we know and do well means we'll never progress and rise above the norm.

Break Habits To Form New Ones
Start small and see what differences can be made by just changing simple everyday tasks, things like - the route you take in every day to work, the places you go to eat and even the clothes you wear. Create new patterns of routine, break cycles of tasks that you do unconsciously every day and try things differently. This will create a more open mindset, free us up to a new way of thinking and put us on a path of discovery away from the comfort zone.

Sticking to the programme

FOLLOWING SOME SIMPLE RULES

Make some positive changes by implementing some simple rules. Write down the plans, then set a time frame to work within. Don't be too hard on yourself - you want to be able to stick to these rules for the duration. Set out your goals and make a schedule. If the time frame is too short, the task won't feel enough of a challenge and if the timeframe too long, the discipline required won't be enough to get you through. The idea is to set yourself up with new and positive lifestyle changes. by removing old habits and forming new ones.

We're currently in week three of a six week training schedule that will help get the body back in shape for the summer and in good physical condition to best enjoy all the fun times that lie ahead. The early starts and hard work - an hour of intense exercise - have stopped the late nights and curbed the drinking levels. Initially, it was hard getting up so early but now, there's no chance of me missing a class as the lifestyle has been adjusted to fit around the exercise routine.

I've just written a blog/page on making plans called Taking Stock which outlines a few changes I've made to help me stay motivated and on track. And I'm using this blog to implement/track any positive changes I'm making by writing it all down. The action of writing intentions and results down really does help cement the changes we want to make and keep us focussed on making them. Then we can re-visit these pages in the future and see how we've got on.

Practicing Daily Rituals

MORNING RITUALS SET UP YOUR DAY

If you start the day on the right track - the rest of your day has a better chance of success. Try forming morning habits and rituals that you can stick to and they will help with forming other positive habits. I watched a few video clips on martial arts yesterday and became really interested in learning more about harnessing life energy (Chi or Qi). I'm now doing this 10 minute QiGong morning practice (below) every morning. I'll be checking my local yoga centre for when the Qigong sessions are on - looking at doing a couple of classes to complement the yoga as it really seems to help get the body energised.

Qigong Master
If you want to see what powers harnessing Qi energy can give us, do a few internet searches. I watched this video clip on Qi the other day and now have the 4-part series called: The Ring of Fire in my list of things to watch. One of the series talks about this martial arts master John Chang (video below) who uses Qi to heal people - amazing footage....

Unpopularity

STANDING UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Every day, I'm looking critically at myself - physically, mentally and spiritually. I look to others for new teachings, learnings and affirmations that I'm on the right path. In the last 6 weeks, I've already made some significant changes to my habits and improved my output. I've identified areas for improvement and I know that it's going to be a daily, ongoing challenge for me to fight back the urges, stop the old habits creeping back in and stay true to my new lifestyle.

It takes courage to face up to our shortcomings, inadequacies and failings. The small tweaks can be achieved in a short time frame but, to evaluate ourselves properly, we need some quality time to address and deal with any deep rooted issues we may have. Firstly, we need to identify the traits and parts of ourselves that could benefit from some attention in order for us to improve - and as we can be blind to our ways, identification of these facets to our personalities often comes from those closest to us. It can be hurtful when criticism comes from others and we have to assess if it's constructive and a benefit to follow it. We're all affected by what other people say and think - and in the quiet pre-dawn hours (and some middle of the night hours), I've been playing conversations over in my mind and analysing what, why and how to respond and act accordingly to criticism. I've looked at different viewpoints and reasoned. I've chided myself, then countered, assessed and set what must be done. The outcome from all this thinking is, when I can see something is right based on sound judgement and logical reasoning - I must stand up for what I believe in - even if it goes against what others believe in and consequently, makes me unpopular.

Boethius wrote a book entitled The Consolation of Philosophy, which was written in a time when he'd lost his wealth, social standing/power and was condemned to prison, awaiting what he knew to be a violent death. He was in this situation because he'd stood up for what he believed was right. He came to terms with his fate and his writings from that time about 'The wheel of Fortune' were considered to be one of the most important texts to be studied from the middle ages right up to the renaissance period - references to his work can be found in lots of important works including modern day books and films too. Although Boethius had fallen out with the powerful while defending his principles. Even with his possessions and freedom taken from him, he still faced his executioners with the one and most important thing remaining in tact - his integrity.

There is another even earlier example of someone famously falling foul to the powers that be. Socrates was an early classical philosopher who stood up for what he thought was right. He also came to a grizzly end because he refused to give in and compromise what he truly believed in. This guy is another great source of inspiration to me - because he questioned assumptions, rhetorical ideas and the establishment, using philosophical reasoning & deeper logical thinking to find truths. 

I've been reading more of Alain De Botton's books lately - and this one entitled: 'The consolations of Philosophy is a great source for learning about the fates of both Boethius and Socrates. There is a six part series of short documentaries based on this book called: Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness, which can be found on Channel 4 - also written and narrated by Alain - they can also be found on Youtube along with Alain's other great short docs like 'Status Anxiety' but you may need a VPN or Zenmate to watch if you are based in the UK due to copyright issues.