Bryan Parady's Blog, page 15

Stretched to the Max

I love fitness, I love the gym, something inside me comes alive when I start lifting.  I have days when I absolutely dread going to the gym, but I’ve done it long enough now to know that’s normal.  I get changed anyway after a long day at work, and walk into that gym.  By my second set I know why I’m there, and I get in my groove.

But as long as I’ve been working out, I have to be careful to not get comfortable, and push myself past my limits.  So recently I started a whole new workout plan.  I follow Kris Gethin 12 week muscle building plan.  I can honestly say I’ve hurt in places I’ve never hurt before, and I’m only just finishing up week 3.

But I love it.  There is nothing quite like that pain that comes from lifting.  Because I know that pain means growth.

Life is like this.  We get into routines.  Our 2.5 kids, our house in that perfect neighborhood, over paid mortgages, and credit cards maxed to keep up with the Jones. Buying cars we can’t afford to impress people we don’t care about.

If you are in a place of contentment and comfort where everything feels safe and easy, then I encourage you to do something to get out of that.  Do something that makes you feel uneasy, that stretches you farther than you thought you could bend.  Whether it’s in the gym, whether it’s moving someplace new, going after that dream job, going all in trying to get the girl/guy.

Stretch yourself, and you’ll find your limits are a lot higher than you think.

 

To Not Give Up

What is standing between you and your dream?  I mean really?  Sure we can probably come up with a million things, money, time, kids, family, not enough experience, etc.  The list of reasons could be endless.  But in truth, it’s simply action.

We love adventure. Right now I am one of millions super pumped about the new Star Wars movie.  Why?  Because it’s one of those larger than life we wish we were in it type stories.  Why is that? Sure the trailer looks amazing Star Wars. But there’s more to it than acting and special effects.

We all want to be caught up in an adventure, and in truth we are all meant to be in one.  Our lives aren’t just about surviving.  I have to tell myself this on an almost daily basis, because I very easily get into survival mode, go to work, pay this bill, take care of this issue, etc.  And soon life is flying by and I’m stuck asking myself what I’m doing that matters.

You have something inside you that was meant to be lived out daringly and boldly, some dream, some aspiration.  Don’t let the world, or the responsibilities that lay on your shoulders keep you from dreaming for more, and taking steps and action to reach that dream.

Grab life, and go have your adventure.  No it won’t always turn out perfect, yes you will have hard times, but it will be one heck of a ride.

 

A Mindset?

What does it take to be successful?  What does it take to be able to repeatedly do something every day whether you feel like it or not?  Is it just great physical prowess?  Is it genes?  Is it having more time than other people?

It’s a mindset.  If you read any books, or watch any documentaries on what sets apart those who really become successful from others it’s a mindset.  It’s a mindset, that nothing will deter them.

This is why things like continually going to the gym can be so hard.  We don’t see immediate progress, and so we quit coming up with a million excuses.  But what makes you successful in anything you do, gym or otherwise, is a mindset that regardless of what happens you are in it for the long haul.  It’s getting your head in the game, as much as your body.

Success in many terms is more a part of if you believe you are going to be than anything else.

So stay positive, whether you are trying to get in better shape, start a business, or set new goals, go all in and go big.

This video gets me pumped when I’m questioning or doubting myself. Why Do We Fall

 

 

Taken For Granted?

Have you ever wished you had more opportunity?  More opportunity with education, with your job, with your dreams and goals?  More opportunity with friends, or to work out.

Truthfully, we don’t have to wish.  We live in a day and age where with a little hard work, we are truly able to get and do anything we have a mind to.

So why are so many of us left asking why.  Left scratching our heads thinking, “if only…”

We live in a world where almost endless information is only a mouse click away.  Want to learn how to rebuild an engine, bet you can find it online, need some inspiration, read it online.  We have so much more access than those living only a couple generations ago did not have.

So don’t get stuck thinking there is no opportunity.    The opportunity is all around you, you just have to look for it.  Sometimes you even have to build a door, and walk through it so you can see it, but it is there. Go out and get it.

Give Fear the Backseat

Growing up I had a butt load of fear. I was afraid of everything.  Afraid of what people though, afraid of messing up, afraid of not being adequate enough, either for other people or my own self expectations.

A lot of the fear I had was placed on me by myself, but I also had a hefty dose placed on me by others.

I’ve overcome a lot of the fear, I don’t expect quite so much out of myself (though I still tend to be extremely driven), and I don’t worry so much about what people thing about me (my wife says I don’t care enough).

So what changed?  What changed my life from being hidden behind 4 walls, anti-social, and a nervous small person to becoming someone who loves being around people.  What took away my nervousness and turned me into a confident (sometimes too much so) person?

It wasn’t some 5 step plan, wasn’t some quick fix answer.  It was making choices.  I came to a place where I literally asked myself if I wanted to continue to live my life in this state of fear.

And so I made a choice, I moved out of state chasing a dream and a hope that I had no idea if it would work.  That was my first choice.  It got me outside my comfort zone, outside of my box, and from there it was simply one choice after another.  It was choosing to go outside my comfort zone and meet new people.  It was going out of my comfort zone and going to college, it was traveling to other countries, it was joining the military, it was having a child and not wanting her to grow up with fear but rather with a picture of her parents tackling anything.

That’s it.  No fancy recipe.  Make choices.  Sure those choices aren’t easy, and you will get knots in your stomach when you make them, but make them anyway.  Everyone you make will get easier, and soon you will find fear has no place anymore.

Get out, explore, have adventures, travel (this one is huge, if you can travel to another country do so) it gives you perspective on how big the world is and how much more there is to learn.

Fear is a joke, slap it around and show it who’s boss.  You’ve got this.

 

 

Quit Excusing It

If there’s one thing we are great at coming up with, it’s excuses.  Not enough time, I have kids, work is stressful, I’m too old, I’m too young, I don’t have enough experience.

Almost everything we want to do in life we start coming up with reasons right away about why we shouldn’t. 

There is nothing in life that is worth pursuing that doesn’t come with a price. You want that dream job? It will cost you. You want a better body? It will cost you.  Good things do not come easy. They do take work. But they are worth it.

I’ve been working out for a long time and I can find myself getting comfortable with my workouts. In addition I stop getting better. Life is like this we strive for the best and instead we hit mediocre and begin to coast because it’s easy, but nothing ever gets better. 

Just like in the gym and with diet I have to continually push myself to be better and try new things, otherwise I stay stagnant.

So stop the excuses of why you can’t, stop setting for the easy way. Go all in, kick butt and do the best you can.

Have An Adventure

The weekend is here yet again. While I don’t really get a weekend off this week, it still gets me excited.  It should.  The weekend is a chance where we get to get away from some of the responsibilities of life, and yes relax some which is important, but it also gives us a chance to really live out our dream and be adventurous.

It’s an opportunity to take time exploring, learning, and building  your dream.  You have a full 48 hours to research, and build your goals.  Wanting to get in better shape?  No better time.  Wanting to do some research on building your specific business?  Need to write the next chapter of your novel?  Maybe you want to travel and explore somewhere new.  Go for it!

You have the time.  So be bold, be adventurous, make the most of your time this weekend.  Turn off the tv and get to work.  Your dream won’t fall in your lap.

 

How To Start Your Dream

So what do you do when you have a dream but don’t now how to start it?   You  have something that eats at you every day deep down.  Something that you want, that you’ve always wanted, but you don’t know how to get it, you don’t see how it’s possible when you have demands, and hard things to work through.

Well the first thing to ask is do you really want it, do you want it so much that if you don’t do it, you’ll forever question yourself on it, and regret your decision not to act.  If so then well, your answer is yes, you have to act.

So how do you start?  You start by taking  a step.  Maybe your goal is to me a musician, take your free time and start practicing, learn from everyone you can.  Maybe you want to start a coffee shop, go visit coffee shops, talk to the owners, pick their brains.

Maybe you want to be a writer.  Start reading other writers you want to be like and start writing drafts of your own.

Maybe you want to go into competition for weight lifting, or cycling.  Start training, start reading up on the sport, and doing some research online.

No one accomplishes a dream from it falling into their lap, you have to start where you are at with what you have.  The steps you take now may not seem like they will get you anywhere, but they will.  Trust me.

Don’t Stop

There’s usually a point when chasing something that you wonder if it’s worth it?  I’ve felt it, after all, if you are pursuing your dream it is inevitable that sometimes progress will be very slow. Things you’ve built up to will seem like they are not aiding you in getting any further and you may even begin to question if you made a mistake.

I have felt this, I feel this at times.  It’s not something I like necessary but something I have to get through personally.

So how do you get through days like that?

1. Remember how far you’ve come.  Life swallows us up and we can forget how much progress we’ve actually made.

2. Push forward. Even when you see no results, keep going.  Results cannot always be seen till much further down the road.

3. Stay positive, whether this involves you sitting down writing some dreams with a cup of coffee or tea, going for a gym workout and sorting out some thoughts, or taking a walk, take some quiet time away from social media to really remember why you started, and why you want what you are chasing.

You can make it, don’t give up.

Keep Going

Some days are long. Yesterday was one of those for me.  I felt like I made no head way.  I think my gym workout was the only thing I felt accomplished in.  Some days will be like that I know.  If I let my thoughts run wild it gets discouraging.

But I know that I am both tougher than the things thrown at me.  I know that today is a new day.  That yesterday is the past.

Life hits hard it’s true, but we can hit a lot harder.  Repetition, discipline, and the day in day out perseverance is what brings us to the top of the mountain.  It’s not an overnight choice, a spur of the moment action.  True these things can aid us in our struggle to the top, but it takes trying again, and again, and again.

Whatever your struggle is, don’t give up.  Keep moving, one step in front of the other.