Something interesting happened to me the other day. I was sitting down to read my Bible the other day and noticed that my reading plan called for me to read 2 entire chapters… at once. Sure, I had read about 120 pages from a textbook the night before without a problem, but, for some reason, the thought of reading these two chapters seemed like a lot of work.
As I reflected on this, I realized that I can be a pretty lazy person. Seriously! How long does it take to read a few pages out of my Bible? The answer: about 3 minutes. As silly as it is, this is really a symptom of a larger problem that permeates most areas of my life at one point or the other.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about beginning a workout for the day but put it off until it was too late. I could also go into the amount of times I have procrastinated in doing my homework until I was up against a stressful deadline, just hoping I would get my paper finished in time to make it to class 5 minutes late to turn it in.
The most amazing part of all of this, to me, is that I have never regretted doing any one of these things after the fact. I can’t remember finishing a single workout thinking, “man, I sure would feel a whole lot better about myself if I had just skipped out on that today.” In fact, it is just the opposite that always seems to ring true. After completing a great workout, finishing my homework with plenty of time to spare, or doing my daily Bible reading, I always feel a great sense of satisfaction and am grateful for having stepped up to the occasion.
So, if all of this is true, why do I so often avoid the things that I love to do? Why do I struggle to start doing the things that I will never regret doing? The short answer is that I just don’t know. It seems like I just convince myself that the easy thing (inaction) is the better thing because it will be less work.
But, as with anything in life, the task that is the least amount of work is rarely the most beneficial. I’m sure we’ve all had those really difficult experiences that were worth every ounce of effort and strength. The satisfaction that is felt from paying off a large debt can only be understood by someone who had manned up and done what it takes to succeed. Finally getting that six pack after years of trying can only truly be appreciated once you understand exactly what it takes to get there.
So what does it take to get over the hump of laziness? Well, I think it takes a clear focus on why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s about having a clear direction, setting goals, and taking action. It’s about looking to others who have inspired you and realizing that there are others waiting for you to inspire them. It’s about making sacrifices now so you can reap great rewards later.
In my own life, I’m trying to get better and better and just doing what needs to be done, but I still struggle. I think I’ll always struggle. But I’m ok with that. Someone once told me that it’s better to realize there is a problem and struggle with it than it is to not struggle at all because you choose instead to ignore the situation.
Hopefully you’ll join me in taking a stand against laziness. Just think of all the things we could do without it.
Do you struggle with laziness? What have you done or are you doing to combat it?
Photo by Darkumber.
This is a review of the Yoga X workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.
If you’re like me, your first thought of doing a workout called Yoga X isn’t all that pleasant. Before doing P90X, I had tried yoga a few times and was always turned off to the experience, usually because I thought it was too weird to be thanked for “sharing my spirit” with the class. Sure, I recognized the value of the strength and flexibility required for and developed by participating in yoga, but I just couldn’t get past the yoga culture. The good news: you do Yoga X in your living room!
The yoga mat
When I was first looking into the program, I really liked the fact that you really didn’t need very much equipment. The advertisement is always: All you need is an hour a day, a pull up bar, and a set of dumbbells or resistance bands. That’s just not true; you also need a yoga mat and a yoga block. Sure, you could get away with not making this small purchase, but I will vouch for the benefits of these two pieces of equipment and think they were worth every awkward look I got (or felt like I was getting) walking through Target with my merchandise.
The mat is what really enables you to complete the moves in the Yoga X workout. Without it, you will definitely slip and slide and become very frustrated with the workout. Believe me, it’s hard enough when slipping isn’t an issue. Additionally, the mat is really useful as a general exercise mat for other workouts in the program (like Ab Ripper X, Core Synergistics, and even Shoulders and Arms). It provides just enough cushion to prevent the floor from digging into your hip.
The yoga block
If you’re thinking, “Great. I’ll just get a yoga mat and skip out on the block,” I’ve got news for you: get a block. First of all, you can pick one up for $10 or less (that officially makes it the cheapest part of the program) and, secondly, it makes the exercises in Yoga X a lot easier. Basically, you use the block to make up for your inflexibility. I’ve never been the most flexible guy and, without the aid of the yoga block, wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of the moves, especially the first few times through. And, if you’re ultra freaky flexible, you can even use the yoga block to extend stretches further!
The trick to Yoga X
I have to tell you, Yoga X was often one of the most difficult workouts of the program for me. It’s easy to go in thinking, “It’s stretching, how hard can it be?” Well, give it a shot and you’ll understand that yoga is more than just stretching. The key is to just stay calm. If you get frustrated over not being able to complete a move, the game is over and it’s not easy to get back on track. So, relax, breathe, and, if you just don’t enjoy stretching, push through it. On a side note, there’s a little secret section of this workout affectionately referred to as “Yoga Belly X.” Have fun with that!
The crazy ohm’s
So, at the end of the workout, Tony likes to do ohm’s. Yep, ohm’s. As in, sit in a meditation pose and make funny noises ohm’s. I tried it a few times and it was a little relaxing. In the end, though, I just didn’t like them and wound up skipping this part most weeks. Feel free to do whatever you want here.
The results
As much as I often didn’t enjoy doing this workout, I do have to admit that it gets some pretty amazing results. After just a few weeks, my flexibility really started to improve. By the end of the program, I was able to do things along the lines of flexibility I had never thought possible (like putting my palms on the ground while doing a standing hamstring stretch!).
Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.
Photo by GrahamKing.
If you spend very much time around people who are trying to get out of debt, you are likely to encounter the topic of credit cards. A lot of people will tell you that going anywhere near these forms of “magic money” is a really bad idea, while others will say that, with a little bit of self-control, you would be dumb not to use them. So, what’s the answer? Should you use a credit card? Please note, this post is a follow up to another article discussing why you shouldn’t use a credit card. Think of it as a debate…
Reasons to consider using a credit card
Many people who are trying to get out of debt choose to keep a credit card as the source for their emergency fund. Usually, the argument here is that it might be better use any money available to pay off debt with the possibility of borrowing money that you can pay off before acquiring interest. Then again, a lot of people keep a small emergency fund in the area of $1-2,000 dollars and worry that, given a “real” emergency, that might not be enough. These people often choose to keep a credit card available only for catastrophic emergencies.
Many credit cards offer rewards. Why would you choose to use a debit card when you can use a credit card, spend the same amount of money, and get something extra for free? Credit cards are happy to offer you anything from airline miles to cash back. And if you pay the card in full every month, you don’t get charged interest. It’s also argued that it makes more sense to earn bank interest from your checking account while you are borrowing money interest-free from the credit card company.
Speaking of using a credit card vs. using a debit card, you might realize that the study showing that people tend to spend more with a credit card than they do with cash probably applies to debit cards as well. If you’re prone to spend twice as much at a vending machine due to the ease of access to funds with a credit card, wouldn’t you be prone to spend just as much with a debit card. On this front, it seems that you would have to use cash only if you want to support this claim.
One other note on debit cards is that many banks offer “free” overdraft protection so you don’t have to face the embarrassment of having your card declined at the checkout stand. Of course, this often comes with a $25 or more fee for overdrafting your account! For many, even having interest payments on a credit card is less expensive than paying these overdraft fees.
The point of the matter
So, what’s the verdict? Should you use credit cards or not? That’s really a personal decision for your own finances. Personally, I do use credit cards – responsibly. To be honest, however, it is a choice that I rethink pretty regularly and just might change in the future.
Want more info? Check out the other side of the argument.
Do you think it is possible to use credit cards responsibly? What do you think about my choice to use them? Any other thoughts or opinions on the matter? Feel free to comment below!
Photo by doyoubleedlikeme.
This is a review of the Shoulders and Arms workout, part of the P90X program. To learn more about the program and see reviews of the other workouts in the program, click here.
The Shoulders and Arms workout seems to be designed to appeal to more traditional weight-lifters. Unlike many of the other workouts in the P90X program, you’re going to need a good variety of dumbbells or resistance bands if you want to get everything out of these exercises.
What you do
As you can imagine, this workout targets your shoulders and arms. In other words, you’ll be working your biceps, triceps, and deltoids pretty intensely over a 58 minute time frame.
The way this works is as follows: You will do a set of three exercises (one for the shoulders, one for the biceps, and one for the triceps) to the best of your ability. Then you get to repeat those three exercises. Following that, you get another set of three exercises, also to be repeated. In all, there are five sets of three exercises. As far as the types of exercises, you can count on a lot of shoulder presses, bicep curls, triceps extensions, and variations of those three. Pretty simple premise, really.
Impressions
Of all the workouts in the P90X program, I found this one to be the easiest to manage from a mental standpoint. While it is certainly tough to give it your all throughout the workout, you never really feel like you’re not going to make it. Everything in this workout feels pretty manageable (which is a nice change of pace after completing a workout like Plyo X).
Not to worry, though, you’ll definitely get a burn from this workout. And Tony makes sure to remind you what you’ll need to do to meet your goals. He’ll tell you repeatedly how many reps you should be doing to get lean muscle or big muscle and, as always, shows ways to modify moves for those who are struggling.
The results
In doing this program, there were two main areas where I saw big results: the number of pull-ups I could do and the weight I was able to lift during this workout. I always looked forward to this workout and think you will too.
Don’t forget to take a look at other workouts in the program.
Photo by Exolucere.
If you spend very much time around people who are trying to get out of debt, you are likely to encounter the topic of credit cards. A lot of people will tell you that going anywhere near these forms of “magic money” is a really bad idea, while others will say that, with a little bit of self-control, you would be dumb not to use them. So, what’s the answer? Should you use a credit card? Please note, this post will be followed up by another article discussing why you should use a credit card. Think of it as a debate…
Reasons to avoid credit cards
For people trying to avoid debt, the number one reason to not use a credit card is that, by definition, it is a form of debt. When you use a credit card, you are borrowing money from the bank or card company that issued you your card. I think it stands to reason that, especially if you are struggling with credit card debt, the use of credit cards should be avoided. Period.
There was a study done a few years ago indicating that, when you use a credit card, you are more likely to spend higher amounts of money than you would if you were to spend cash*. This is especially true for fast food and vending machine purchases. From personal experience, I can attest that the temptation to spend more with a credit card certainly exists. It’s so easy to get the large drink instead of the medium when you don’t actually have to hand over the bills and coins.
Credit card companies aren’t looking out for your best interest.
That’s right, they’re actually out to make money. They want to find the perfect level of risk tolerance that allows them to have responsible, balance carrying, interest paying customers. I remember getting my first credit card. I proudly applied at my local credit union for the maximum limit they would give me: $200. I was 18, had no credit history, and had a very low income. Of course, this wasn’t a problem because I never planned to carry (and never have carried) a balance on any credit card. I would never pay one cent in interest, so it really didn’t matter to me how high my credit limit or interest rate was. In fact, it would be several years before I even requested a credit increase… to $500!
Since this time, the way that credit card companies deal with me has changed. Where I used to have to actually call my card issuer to request a credit increase, I now get letters in the mail informing me that, “due to my excellent payment history,” I have been granted an automatic increase! It about floored me the first time (meaning, it’s happened more than once) I was informed that my credit line had been increased by over $8,000 without so much as a word asking me if I wanted such a thing to happen!
Instead of credit, use debit
Most people know the difference between credit and debit cards. As you’ll recall, using a credit card means you are borrowing money from someone else to make a purchase. When you use a debit card, however, the funds come directly out of your checking account (read: you’re spending your own money). The good news for those looking to avoid debt? Debit cards are accepted at pretty much every place credit cards are. They also provide for easy electronic tracking of your expenditures.
So, there you have it. Don’t forget to check out the other side of the argument!
Do you use credit cards? Why or why not? What would you say to someone who argued that you should use credit cards?
* The study usually cited is one done by Dun and Bradstreet, which indicated that people using credit cards tended to spend 12-18% more on transactions than those who use cash. I wanted to verify this source, but I just couldn’t manage to locate it (I found it “referenced,” but never managed to find a real source). It is, however, the study that Dave Ramsey cites when discussing credit cards. Because I am convinced that Dave is rather on the trustworthy side, I’ll give his reference to the statistic a vote of confidence and call it good.
Photo by b.franchina.
My name is Branden. I am a high school teacher, a track coach, and a fitness and finance junkie who happens to think that life is pretty rough without viewing it through a spiritual lens. On this site, I hope to help you explore how to get into peak physical and financial shape while serving others, growing spiritually, and giving both time and money.
