Marcus Aurelius proved that absolute power doesn’t necessarily corrupt absolutely. He had immense power, and yet when he became the leader of Rome, what’s the first thing he did? He appointed his brother to co-lead with him.
Meditations is nothing more than his personal journal, something he wrote into morning and night. He literally said in his journal that he didn’t want to get up out of his warm bed every morning, but he felt that we are meant, as humans, to do more than the lay in bed, warm and comfortable. We are meant to work.
One of my favorite things that he said, aside from “The obstacle is the way,” is “Well begun is half done.” This talks to me, today more than ever. The thing I have always struggled with most is just getting started. Not just with exercise or fitness, but with anything. Huge report? Long list of people to add to a security group? Edits on a novel? Just getting started is always the hardest part. But here’s the rub; the mere act of starting something properly is half the battle, and you’re already, in that instant, half done.
This morning, I went to the gym on post and as I walked over to the power rack, I wasn’t sure how motivated I was to get started. But, I was already at the gym, I was already dressed up, and I was there with fellow Warrant Officers. There was no way I was going to not get started. So, I began with stretches and started laying out my plan for the workout (StrongLifts 5×5 does this for me, mostly). I retrieved the weights I’d need, and I setup the rack as I’d need it for my workout. And then I started.
I put everything into it. I started properly. I started by giving it my all, and by doing everything right. I made sure my stretches were long and deep. I made sure I was thoughtful with my movements. Being mindful during lifting keeps you from injuries (I’ve done lifts where my mind wandered before and it resulted in a pulled back muscle that took months to heal).
Before I knew it, I was done. I looked at my watch; 35 minutes had elapsed. That’s 35 minutes of good, solid work. That’s 35 minutes that all started with a simple decision: START.
My grandmother always said that everyone knows how to lose weight and get fit. If thoughts alone were good enough, everyone would be thin and would be fit. There would be no obesity and everyone would have six-pack abs. Anyone can do it. Everyone has the same ability. There are those with natural gifts, but even those people need the same thing the most unfit and unhealthy person needs: the desire to start.
Today is your day. It doesn’t matter what tomorrow holds. Tomorrow never comes; today is here. So what if the morning has passed. You have the entire day to fit in some exercise. You can start eating better with your very next meal. These are all things within YOUR power. The only person holding you back is YOU. Don’t be the cause of your inability to succeed. Be the force that propels you forward. Live each day as if it were your last.
Paleo Marine 