“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.”
Maya Angelou
Song: Good Times (Roll On) by Fortunate Youth
Article: This doesn’t work for me by Ozan Varol
Thought: My friend Stephen Sanders has a phrase I love – “get better at hard.” I like the simplicity of the phrase but I also hate what it really means. It means life isn’t going to get easier so I better get stronger.
I’ve been doing a bit of work with a personal trainer and it’s physically manifesting the training I need in my mind, heart and emotions. Each time we meet we focus on a single muscle group (e.g., arms, chest) though failure. We do some sets that basically mean nothing to find the right weight. Doing more than 15 reps means we haven’t found it yet. The goal is 8 to 12 reps where I can barely move the last 2. We also use the cable machine a lot and not the free weights. It keeps tension throughout the rep and focuses on just that one muscle. Building muscle requires it being hard and pushing through the burn for just one more. It requires keeping tension.
My mind tells me make it easy. So each moment I work to make it hard; that’s how it gets easier.