"Stay the course. When thwarted try again: harder, smarter. Persevere relentlessly."

- John Wooden

This is a really great quote I just stumbled upon. I knew the message I wanted to send, but didn't have the exact quote to send it. I was happy to find it, and even more happy when I realized Coach Wooden and I share the same birthday. We've all heard the many different versions of this quote. I've always believed in getting up after falling down. However, I've always seen it as something that only applies to big situations. As I've reflected on the last week of my life, I'm realizing more and more how applicable it is to every single day, regardless of events. 

I started last week off with a completely new mindset. I've been trying really hard to make changes in my life to be a better, more productive person. It's my life's ambition to improve the lives of those around me, but for the longest time I didn't much care to improve my own. I sit here and talk about all of the fears everyone should fight, but haven't always walked the walk. How can I sit here and tell you to take control of your life when I'm hitting the snooze button for an hour every morning, only to then scroll through social media for another hour? It's preposterous. I decided it was time for that to end. 

I developed a morning routine. Wake up, make the bed, drink water, make breakfast, write in my planner, read, and then face my task list for the day. This is all while my phone sits silenced in a different room, where I left it the night before. I made the decision that the first and last hours of my days will no longer include any screen time. I crushed it the whole week. I got so much done. Things I had put off, things I had been thinking about doing, and things I should've been doing every day anyways. I'd plan my day out the night before, I'd wake up and write my goals and journal during breakfast, read something useful (if you know me, reading has never been much of a hobby for me), and proceed with my day. I felt unstoppable. 

Well, after waking up and getting the day going on Friday, I started to feel a little sick. My ear was hurting and I was feeling some congestion. It's not uncommon for me to get a sniffle when the seasons start to change. No big deal, I've dealt with it before. It was a big deal, though. I let it get too far. I let it get in my head that I was sick, and it was all downhill from there. One negative thought can cause a chain reaction when dwelled on too long, and I made the fatal mistake of dwelling on this one. My routine went out the window. It fell apart as quickly as I built it. 

When I went back to work last night, I put it in my head that today (Monday) is the day I restart. This was big for me. I'm not usually so quick to realize I've strayed from the path. Typically by the time I realize it, it's a hundred times harder to start it again. That's where this quote comes into play with daily life. Every day should be seen as an opportunity to do something better than the day before. So if you go a little outside the bounds of your routine, it's not a big deal. Get stepping back inside that boundary and pick up where you left off. For me, I'm back to my routine with full force, because I want to feel like I'm on top of the world again. I want to set the example for the message I am sending to you.

Can I tell you a secret? My Monday hasn't even started. I'm typing this still as part of my Sunday night. I just got off work and it's 04:15 in the morning. I almost talked myself out of it. "It'll be fine if I don't post a blog this week." "People probably don't even read it anyways." "Maybe I won't do a coffee break with BP tomorrow either." You see how freaking quickly one thought takes you completely off the path? It's absurd, but it's very real. So here I am. I'm typing this because I've made a commitment to get these blogs out every Monday. I've made a commitment to try to improve my life and your life. And I'm here to tell you that despite whatever has you discouraged right now, you have the absolute power to change it. You've fallen down, and it's time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse. You have goals and you're not going to achieve them by giving up. You owe it to yourself to see it through. Persevere relentlessly.

GO CRUSH IT!