Although a lot of things have happened to grow me as a person, if I was forced to name one single event which transformed me from a boy into a man, it would be when I went to Air Force Boot Camp (that link will lead you to the story of my experience there). These grueling, growing experiences don't need to be limited to the military. If you strip away the drill sergeants, the mind games, the inspections, the grueling exercise, the drill, the marching, if you blur all the particular details about these soldier forges, what's left? It boils down to a period of intense personal change. Besides lots of unimportant details, all a boot camp really adds up to is a voyage outside the comfort zone, outside what you're used to, into the unknown.
The default human nature is to hover on autopilot whenever possible, to avoid change, avoid the unknown. When you're surrounded by all the pet luxuries you've grown used to, it takes a lot of willpower and self-discipline to push yourself to improve or grow in any way. This is where rigorous, systematic, structured training really shines. The conscious willpower I had to exert to sign up for the Air Force was relatively small: the whole process only took a couple days of deliberate exertion. Once the plane touched down at Lackland AFB, I no longer had any choice about how I'd be spending my time for the next month and a half. That might not sound pleasant, but it means I had no choice but to grow like hell. Slacking off, veging out, procrastinating... suddenly, none of these things were an option. Is it any wonder I was in for the biggest six weeks of pure development in my whole life?
Want to become better at something? Maybe you want to learn a programming language, lose ten pounds, get a sixpack, pick up a 2nd language, read "War and Peace", or start a business. Whatever achievement you're going for, you can give yourself a free boot camp. Be your own drill sergeant. Since you won't have someone shouting orders at you, and you won't have the threat of military jail lingering over your head, you'll need something else to inspire you to action when you're feeling the temptation to give in. What's the next best motivator after a screaming, angry drill sergeant? Your own ego. Put your own sense of pride on the line by making your boot camp a public ordeal. Make a blog and record your journey there, day by day. Get your friends reading it and don't let them let you let yourself down. Hype the whole thing up until your only choices are abject humiliation or victory. It's amazing how easily you'll find the time to jog every day when the alternative is answering to an audience.
How long should you make your training? You should ultimately aim for thirty days. Thirty days is a great trial period for any change you'd like to make in your life. A thirty day boot camp is totally doable, but it's long enough that the changes it gives rise to will be built deep into your personality. You might even find that at the end of thirty days, you've grown to like your new routine. A monthlong challenge to write a journal entry every day could very well mature into an effortless lifelong journal. The big three-O is plenty of time for a space outside your comfort zone to become assimilated into your comfort zone.
If a challenge is very difficult, and you're new to being your own coach, you should begin with shorter runs to get yourself psychologically ready. It's fine to do even just a single weekend boot camp: you can rest afterwards and use the experience to prepare for a slightly longer run. Soon, you're strong enough to go a week, then two weeks, then three, and before you know it, you're conquering 30 solid days of adventurous challenge. And once you've done it once, you'll find it easier and easier to do new boot camps.
What are you doing still sitting there?!?! Get down and gimme forty!!! Then hit the drillpad and let's see some work! :)
FURTHER READING
Training Self-Discipline
French in 30 Days
30 Day Article-A-Day Challenge Completed!
30 Day Workout-Every-Day Challenge Completed!
The default human nature is to hover on autopilot whenever possible, to avoid change, avoid the unknown. When you're surrounded by all the pet luxuries you've grown used to, it takes a lot of willpower and self-discipline to push yourself to improve or grow in any way. This is where rigorous, systematic, structured training really shines. The conscious willpower I had to exert to sign up for the Air Force was relatively small: the whole process only took a couple days of deliberate exertion. Once the plane touched down at Lackland AFB, I no longer had any choice about how I'd be spending my time for the next month and a half. That might not sound pleasant, but it means I had no choice but to grow like hell. Slacking off, veging out, procrastinating... suddenly, none of these things were an option. Is it any wonder I was in for the biggest six weeks of pure development in my whole life?
Want to become better at something? Maybe you want to learn a programming language, lose ten pounds, get a sixpack, pick up a 2nd language, read "War and Peace", or start a business. Whatever achievement you're going for, you can give yourself a free boot camp. Be your own drill sergeant. Since you won't have someone shouting orders at you, and you won't have the threat of military jail lingering over your head, you'll need something else to inspire you to action when you're feeling the temptation to give in. What's the next best motivator after a screaming, angry drill sergeant? Your own ego. Put your own sense of pride on the line by making your boot camp a public ordeal. Make a blog and record your journey there, day by day. Get your friends reading it and don't let them let you let yourself down. Hype the whole thing up until your only choices are abject humiliation or victory. It's amazing how easily you'll find the time to jog every day when the alternative is answering to an audience.
How long should you make your training? You should ultimately aim for thirty days. Thirty days is a great trial period for any change you'd like to make in your life. A thirty day boot camp is totally doable, but it's long enough that the changes it gives rise to will be built deep into your personality. You might even find that at the end of thirty days, you've grown to like your new routine. A monthlong challenge to write a journal entry every day could very well mature into an effortless lifelong journal. The big three-O is plenty of time for a space outside your comfort zone to become assimilated into your comfort zone.
If a challenge is very difficult, and you're new to being your own coach, you should begin with shorter runs to get yourself psychologically ready. It's fine to do even just a single weekend boot camp: you can rest afterwards and use the experience to prepare for a slightly longer run. Soon, you're strong enough to go a week, then two weeks, then three, and before you know it, you're conquering 30 solid days of adventurous challenge. And once you've done it once, you'll find it easier and easier to do new boot camps.
What are you doing still sitting there?!?! Get down and gimme forty!!! Then hit the drillpad and let's see some work! :)
FURTHER READING
Training Self-Discipline
French in 30 Days
30 Day Article-A-Day Challenge Completed!
30 Day Workout-Every-Day Challenge Completed!
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1 comments:
Agreed. I even picked up blogging again. And I want to do this work out plan
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