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Daily Journal of Life 17.04.2023

Habits App
Habits App.

Habits

Over the last year, I have been able to create some pretty strong Habits including abstinence from erotic indulgences on the Internet. I had gotten down the spiral several times in my life over this bad habit since my school days. But it prevailed throughout my life even in the phase where I was otherwise astute. It affected my behavior and conduct around the opposite sex. It brought anxiety and frustration whenever I relapsed after a concrete resolve.

I always had this feeling that one day I would be able to ditch it and lead a life where there was no need to go through it. However, I failed year after year. I had started growing skeptical of my ability to ever be able to work around it. This time, the trick to observe and track my progress played the trick.

This particular aspect of the Habits app has changed my life in the last year. It has created a chain reaction where I could stack one good habit over the other, be it abstinence from a bad habit or a positive act to do every day. Although I could not take up everything for which I relied on the app I have been fairly successful in stopping some of the bad habits. It is the positive reinforcement of ticking the box every day and feeling happy for the distance covered thus far that makes it exciting for the next day to go on.

The table below is my assessment of today's task list: 

Habit

Description

Y/N

Remarks for today

Meditate

5 minutes of practice to start with

No

Never picked up meditation after making it a part of daily activities. I should rather treat it as mindfulness for 5 minutes and delink it from a particular time and place. That would help me do it anywhere and anytime. Will come back tomorrow

Influence Book

Book by Robert Cialdini. Want to go slow to internalize the concepts

No

Tough to do it daily along with 3 other books that I generally read every day. But let’s finish it on priority.

Homework for life

A daily practice to capture important events of the day that made an impact on you; that can form a story.

No

No since 16 days. I should give this habit a try. As per the book Storyworthy, it is a great habit to form to remember worthwhile moments of the day and also document them to have stories for the future.

Zone 2-3 Training

The range of Heartrate between 110-145 bpm which is good for cardiovascular health. I note it down through my Garmin watch analysis of the workouts. (180 minutes per week target)

12 mins

Monday and 12 mins. Challenge to live up to 180 mins. Progress daily to reach the Goal. Tomorrow I should do 5 minutes extra cardio.

Weight

Daily monitoring to track my eating habits and goals.

No

I will do it tomorrow empty stomach

Pushup

Just to have an everyday pump

No

Worked out chest in Gym. So exemption can be claimed. Tomorrow go for it again.

Kegel

For a strong pelvic muscle floor.

Yes

Did just 2 repetitions. Try doing on Red lights on way to office.

Calves

To grow these minions

No

Did yesterday. Rationalizing to try doing it every other day.

Write

To take forward a passion not realized

Yes

Happy that I wrote today. Have picked up this momentum in the past few days. I read a great thing in one of the recent books that miss 1 day then you miss 2nd and then a week. That is how you get derailed from your habits. This project might help me stay regular in this pursuit. Let’s hope for the best.

Mewing

Just a fad maybe. To breathe better; for a visible jawline

Yes

Just doing this while I type this. A bro-science maybe. But doesn’t hurt. So let’s see

One Podcast

Podcasts to learn and grow. Utilize Travel time

Yes

I usually listen to Andrew Huberman on my way to and back from Office. Amazing science-based insights into a healthier life based on protocols that are functional and doable for common people. learned a lot from Huberman. I owe my no-alcohol resolve to his podcast.

Today’s podcast was on exercise with Guest Andy Galpin. Key takeaways that I remember are:

1.        Muscle memory exists and thus it takes lesser time for the muscles to get back in shape after you stop working out as compared to the first time you grow muscles

2.       Non-negotiables for muscle growth are adherence and progressive overload. 

Rest to be covered tomorrow.

Flossing

Remove Plaque, prevent cavities

Yes

Did in the morning. Have stopped using Water flossing due to space issues in the bathroom. Till I start that again I should try using it

Brush at Night

Needs no description

Yes

Consistent but need to visit Dentist for half-yearly checkup.

Exercise

My Religion

Yes

Working out well around back injury. Happy to hit the Gym on Monday, Great start for the week.

Skin Care

To look at least my age and age gracefully

Yes

Removing tan from Goa trip through dedicated skin care routine 2 times a day.

Clean

No Intoxications for a spiritual, healthy, productive, and meaningful life

Yes

Solid 95th day of staying clean. Feeling alive, young, energetic, healthy, spiritual and centered after a long time. Enjoying my sobriety. Want to take this forward forever. Sky is the limit

No Po

Abstinence from a vice

Yes

Happy to be rewired. Still scared at times to relapse. Strong 346 days. Goal till eternity.
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