I looked back at my posts regarding to the value themes I've set for myself at the start of the year. Apparently, there are only two themes that I've identified and written: Frugality (2013) and Consistency (2019). Six years apart. Dang. I can't say I've been frugal in between 2013 and 2019, but at least frugality was on my mind. Still working on this aspect.
At least this time around it didn't take me six years to identify a new theme I would revolve around for a year. For 2022, I would like to center on PATIENCE.
In November 2021, I started to embrace being consistent in exercising. As what I kept seeing on Instagram about working out: Consistency over intensity. This adage stuck with me. I started examining why I can't be consistent with my workouts and figured it's because I always make my exercise as intense as I can. I wasn't satisfied with a 20-min jog/walk on the treadmill, nor was I feeling accomplished at doing just three sets exercises. I wanted to push myself EVERY SINGLE TIME I work out. I was being hard on myself.
Then I decided to change my mindset. I decided to go easy on myself, for ticking the box and considering as having worked out for that day even if it meant just doing a brisk walk on a treadmill for 20mins, or doing 15mins of HIIT, or dancing for 15mins, or opting to walk going to Target, or opting to walk going to school. I decided to change my definition of "I have exercised today" by doing movement that is not too intense and something that I consciously need to do every single day. By allowing leniency on the intensity of my workouts, I was able to allow myself to tick the box of "I have exercised today". It was through these incremental changes that I was able to develop consistency.
Where does patience come in though? Well, when we exercise, we immediately want to see results. We want immediate gratification for putting all that hard work in. But I realise, no. I may have exercised 19 days out of 30 (that's about ~4-5x per week in a month) in November-December, but it doesn't guarantee I would immediately see chiseled arms, abs, and legs. That effin' FUPA is still there and won't go away. Those love handles are so stubborn I just want to shave them off me. But I did see a flatter tummy, and cuts are developing around my upper arms and shoulders. I think there may also be some decrease of girth around my hips as some of my pants felt more comfortable to wear compared before. Incremental changes brought by consistency require patience. I should not feel deflated if I don't immediately see results because they will come IN TIME, provided I stay consistent to my exercise regimen. Heck, it took me a DECADE to realise my PhD dream. Good things take time.
Additionally, being consistent (it's really a conscious effort to do this, the willpower needed in the beginning is tremendous!) brought changes to other aspects in my lifestyle as well. Because I love how I was able to hit my short-term goal of exercising at least 4x a week, it made me feel so good and fulfilled and accomplished. Yes, I allowed myself to feel accomplished when I exercise at least 4x/week. I love celebrating small wins. This feeling made me inspired to apply consistency changes to my sleeping habit.
I sleep very late (around 8 or 9AM), I wake up very late (around 4 or 5PM). It's a fucking vicious cycle. I even went to a physician just to treat this very ugly sleeping habit and got diagnosed with insomnia. It messed up things for me, but I'm thankful that despite this, I still managed to get two As out of three subjects at the end of the semester. So anyway, applying what I did to my workout issue, I did the same for my sleeping habit: consistency (which, by the way, sleep pattern loves). I decided to go easy on myself: if by 9pm I'm already feeling sleepy but there are still some dishes left on the sink, I just allow that to go unwashed and try to catch the sleepy feeling. If by 10pm I'm already feeling sleepy and have not done my nightly skincare routine, I drop the skincare routine and just sleep. I prioritised sleep, I made it consistent and just dropped everything that prevented me to get my zzzs on time. And lo and behold, I am now in bed between 10PM-12MN (the 12MN can be further improved) and set my alarm not at a specific time, but the NUMBER OF HOURS I need to sleep. For example, when I go to bed at 11PM, I'd ask Google to wake me up after eight hours - this allows me 30mins of falling asleep time (I usually read a book), clocking in a total of 7h30m of sleep, just what I need to get a full rest.
After doing this for about a month, I was able to identify the time wherein I would already feel sleepy: around 10-11PM. So if this is the time I would go to bed, I make sure to prepare dinner before 6PM, eat between 6-7PM, talk with Mico in between, wash the dishes, clean the kitchen and the floor, feed my rats, floss, brush my teeth, do my skincare by 9PM, and do other stuff. Then by 10PM when I'm sleepy, I've already finished all the chores that I need to do before going to bed.
It's interesting that just by being consistent, sticking with that attitude, I was able to change many routines, which in turn made me feel happy and accomplished. So I'm trying to just be consistent, but if I want to see changes, then I must be patient. For this year, that's what I'm going to do. To see changes, one needs to be patient. Because by being patient, one can understand and appreciate the process of change, hence motivating oneself to stick with the process and be consistent.
I'm excited what other routines I'll be able to change. Right now, I'm just really happy with my exercise routine and my improved sleeping and waking up habits (I don't lollygag in bed anymore, yay!!! I get up when I've had 7.5hrs of sleep).
When the semester starts on 18 January, let's see how this newfound consistency and patience can help me in my study habits.
Happy 2022!
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