How to Start the New Year on the Right Path
By: Ryan Felman
@PathToManliness
If you want to lose weight this year, then read ahead. I let my weight get out of control and last year, so I set out to lose 12 pounds in 2018. I lost 25 pounds in ten months. How did I do this? First and most importantly, I had a mission.
What was my mission? I set out to run my first Spartan Race with 6 months to train for it. At the time I was not in good shape. I weighed about 210 pounds and had never run a 5K before. So, I took small steps to build up to this. I ran a 5K and struggled to finish, but I did. I scheduled a couple more 5Ks and consistently hit the gym. I found myself consistently motivated to work out and eat better because in the back of my mind was my mission: Spartan Race!
Did you know that when you get in shape, people will treat you differently? Believe it or not, people do judge a book by its cover. They may tell you that you shouldn’t do this, but the truth is that most people will.
The most common New Year’s Resolutions are eating healthier and exercising so weight loss is obviously a popular goal. Eating better really boils down to discipline. If you are serious about getting in shape, you’re going to have to eat right. 20% of weight loss is exercise, 80% is diet, so be smart when you are at the grocery store because that is where your efforts will be most noticed.
People like to over complicate this with trendy words like Keto or Paleo but all you need to do is stick to real foods and avoid sugar. Repeat after me: Sugar is the enemy! Not Fat! One quick and easy tip when buying groceries is to show around the outside of the grocery store where the real food can be found. And you’re going to have to quit drinking your calories. That means way less beers for you young bucks. But as Oscar Wilde says, “Moderation in all things, including moderation.” I get it. It’s New Years, but don’t make it a habit for 2019.
I even made a new header for the new year. Improvements for my website, as well as myself.
Writing
Do you want to write a book? Or maybe you simply want to learn how to write articles for a blog or start a journal. If so, be sure to get on my email list as I discuss this often in better detail.
Last year I set out to write a book, and at the beginning it felt like such an insurmountable task.
However, after writing my first book, I have perfected my own system for writing and now know how to write thousands of words every day. I have a formula for creating a book with relative ease and have become quite proficient at it. Currently I am working on two more books: One relatively short eBook to be out in a few months for a reasonable price. One that will be longer and more in depth, which will take more time to finish. I do not yet have a deadline for this book but watch my email for updates. I also have the collaboration with Jose Rosado which will be out very soon.
I have been hard at work this year and 2019 will be more powerful content as well!
One thing I've learned in writing over the past few months. Some days my mind is built to be creative. Other days it is meant to be critical. So, I write new content on the creative days and edit old content on the critical days. It prevents frustration and is efficient.
So, what’s the trick to writing successfully? Consistency. If you can write every day and turn it into a habit, you’ll gradually see progress. Each month, you’ll get a little better. Start out small with short threads on Twitter, or blog posts. And as you grow more comfortable, you can work on writing copy, emails or your very own book. We all start somewhere.
My life really began to improve when I started writing.
It is a powerful outlet for me to process ideas and emotions. But it also helps me get my mission and my goals set in a concrete fashion. This allows me to be more successful in leading a productive life.
Set concrete goals
Are you disappointed in your progress towards last year goals? I conquered nearly all of mine and I want to help you be successful in 2019. I may have had a couple I fell short on, but I overachieved in other areas so I’m calling 2018 a huge success. You can’t argue against this when you see a list like this:
Built a successful website
Wrote a book
Ran my first Spartan Race
2,500 followers on Twitter
Set up multiple sources of income
There’s more personal goals included in my list, but that’s in the past. Always look forward; don’t look back. You’re not going that direction. Set actionable goals that are well defined. It’s better to say shit like read 24 books than read more books. See the difference.
Also, be sure to create steps towards each goal that break down such lofty expectations. Writing a book sounds like an insurmountable task when you look at it in a big picture view. Now break it down. Instead of saying I need to write 30,000 words, say that you need to write 1,000 words a week. If you persist with this very manageable schedule, you could finish your 30,000-word book by August. This leaves plenty of time for editing, picking a cover and promotion. Suddenly your goal sounds much more reachable.
And let me tell you the juice is worth the squeeze. The sense of accomplishment from writing a book is amazing and when you get that first sale, it is oh so sweet.
Change your habits
We all know the Einstein quote about insanity. Despite this, many people will make new resolutions for New Years, but how many change up their daily lives? The trick to accomplishing these goals and having a successful year is in what you do in your typical day. These small habits will lead to massive results.
Get active
Too many people view dieting as a fad when it is a full-blown lifestyle. This is 100% the reason why people can lose weight but put it back on. Basically, they’re being active and eating well, but in a way that is unsustainable for them. So after about 6 weeks, they go back to their old habits and pick up their old weight. For proof of this: Watch the rise of attendance at your gym in January, and the subsequent fall in February. Every fucking year. Definition of insanity.
If you want to sustain a healthy weight, you will have to find a realistic approach in eating and dieting. Staying fit isn’t a weekend retreat; it is a lifestyle.
One excellent way to do this is to pick up an active hobby. For me, I took up Martial Arts this year and I have loved it. If you take it seriously and show up consistently this can be a life changing event for you. Its great cardio, its great knowledge for self-defense and it can be the perfect setting to form life long bonds with people who share a similar mindset.
I moved to my current state about a year ago and joining this martial arts group has helped me join the local community and form new friends. I felt out of place for a short while, but after getting to know people through a shared bond, I now feel a sense of brotherhood with many of these people and the community at large.
Push yourself to try new things
I basically already led into this with my foray into Martial Arts, but it bears its own segment. One of the beauties of trying something new is you’ll learn new things about yourself. 2018 was a very transformative year for me. One way I challenged myself to try something new was to become an instructor’s assistant in the kids’ Martial Arts classes. While the majority of the parents sit in the lobby playing on their phones, I decided to take an active role in helping the children of my community and it has been a tremendously rewarding experience.
Life is short. You have to decide for yourself if you want to be an active participant or sit on the sidelines.
Was I nervous and unsure about doing this? Of course, but after helping for a couple weeks I grew very fond of being a positive role model for these kids. They look up to people in these positions. They respect you and they enjoy learning new things. It’s an awesome experience.
It also will cause you to constantly look at the way you’re living your life, at least when they see you. I make sure the kids see a man who is positive and supportive while still offering critique and pushing them to improve. It’s basically a PG version of my Twitter account.
If you ever feel like you don’t belong, then you need to volunteer with your community. I know you lead a busy life, but I promise you that there will be at least a little time. And it will be worth it for you as well as your community.
One Final Thought…
This came to me while exercising, as many of my better ideas do. Lesson there. Make a physical list of your resolutions and frame them. Place this framed image by your bed or your bathroom sink. Put it anywhere that you will see every day. Then you will be reminded constantly about what your goals are for the year. This constant reminder will aid you in ensuring you have a fulfilling 2019.
My Goals for 2019
Lose 10 pounds
Run a 5K and set a PR (Current official PR: 25:40)
Run a Spartan Race and set a PR
Run a Half Marathon in under 2 hours
Write a 2nd Physical Book
Get 8,000 followers on Twitter (currently at 4,563)
Read through all of the Daily Drucker
Read through all of the Daily Stoic
Read 25 books
500 email subscribers
One surprise new segment for PTM coming very soon!
I have a few more, but I want to keep those close to the chest. I know posting proof of income is popular, but I prefer to be a bit subtler with my finances. But I do have goals about increasing revenue in various sources.
2019: The Year of the Pen
The year you start writing and watch your life gain focus and purpose.
2019: The year you stick with your gym membership and watch your confidence grow with your health.
2019: The year you make money online. The first step is to start.
2019: The year you make a budget. And stick to it! I use this http://www.mint.com
2019: The year you stop making excuses and start making results.
2019: The year you buy less Steam games and build that website you keep talking about Too much gaming can drain your wallet, time and energy.
2019: The year you focus on being more positive. Focus on what is working and do more of that. #Positivity has powerful results. People are attracted to positive people.
2019: The year where you crush procrastination. Find your time wasters and eliminate them. Spend your time efficiently and focus on high ROI tasks. No more paralysis by analysis.
2019: The year you quit boozing so much every weekend and live a fulfilling life of hobbies and purpose. Don’t live your life in a drunken stupor.
2019: The year you rebrand yourself and start building a better life.
2019: The year you stop watching the MSM and watch your anxiety drop.
2019: The year you stop watching porn and meet real women in the real world.
2019: The year you focus on your big ideas and ignore toxic gossip and energy vampires.
2019: The year you quit whining about the state of the world and get involved in your local community to make your own world a better place.
2019: The year you train to run that marathon that always seemed impossible, but now is in your sights.
2019: The year you delete Tinder and stop feeding attention to girls who still won’t sleep with you.
2019: THE YEAR YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE AND ADOPT THE WARRIOR’S MINDSET!