Background

June has long since passed, but it’s never too late to reflect on past challenges. Prior to this challenge I had been in the middle of the busiest work-related time of year and really was not moving nearly enough as I should have. I had gained probably 25 lbs. since February and it was starting to get obvious, at least to me anyway. So… my challenge for June was to exercise daily for a minimum of 30 minutes and I could do whatever I felt like doing.

What did I do?

I started out well. I went to the gym basically every day. I mixed in strength training with lots of jump roping and agility work. I would go to the gym during my lunch break and hit it hard on the weekends when I had even more time. I was feeling good and my pants were fitting better than they had in months, haha.

Successful?

Unfortunately, I did not finish the month as well as I had started it. June in Cusco is a very festive time which climaxes with the Inti Raymi celebrations. During these holidays I took some time off to enjoy the cultural celebrations, then fell behind with work and really did not make it back into the gym again until mid-July. : ( So, this challenge was a failure.

What Has Happened Since…?

After 3-4 weeks of way too much work and even way too much inactivity I got to the point where the size 36 pants which I worked so hard to fit into didn’t really fit me well anymore. That was a humbling experience. I definitely did not feel that great, was unmotivated and generally not as happy and positive as I prefer to be. A little over two weeks ago I got back into the gym again and the difference in how I feel now is significant. Aside from my pants fitting again, simply put I feel happier than I did before.

Discipline vs. Motivation

Motivation is wonderful, but it does not last forever. Once it leaves, so too can all of the results you have gained. Instead, being disciplined is a much more desirable character trait to have. Some days I don’t feel like waking up early, working all day, plus exercising, eating right and getting enough sleep… as evidenced by my failure in June’s challenge, my motivation slipped and I stopped exercising. If I had been more disciplined I would have just gotten on with my exercises and would be much fitter now. Lesson re-learned!