Twenty-Five Givens

Recently, I've been pondering what makes some people capable of sticking to a workout regimen and others, not so much. I am one of the lucky ones who has absolutely no trouble sticking to a training schedule--or motivating myself to run even if I am not training for anything in particular. The first and most obvious reason is simply that I love it. I love running. I actually want to do it. It is not a chore for me, but a cherished favorite activity. The deeper reason, I realized in my recent reflections, is that I just take for granted that I will do it. It's just a fact of my day. I fit exercise into my week the way I make sure to fit in sleeping, showering, eating, or going to work. It doesn't matter if I'm tired. It doesn't matter if I have a stack of papers to grade. It doesn't matter if it's hot or cold or raining. If I planned to run today, I will. There's no question, no other option (barring, of course, illness or serious injury). This realization led me to further introspection, and I started wondering what other activities I engage in because I take for granted that I must or that I will, and wondering about that ultimately led me to compose this post.

When I first started working on this post, I titled it "The Rules I Live By." As I reflected on the values, morals, and motives that guide my actions and decisions, though, I realized they aren't so much rules, a word that can sometimes convey a negative connotation and that implies a consequence for any infraction, as they are "givens."  It is a given, for example, that I will walk my dogs every day. There is just absolutely no question about it. It's built into my every day, period--just like eating or showering or going to bed at night.

Here are the other twenty-four givens I realize I live by:

It is a given that I will...

do something outside every day
exercise in some form or fashion every day
tell the people I love that I love them
write when I can
read when I can
hardly ever watch TV
read the book before I see the movie
read a section of the Bible lesson every day
check the weather forecast (often)
keep a diary or journal
write and adhere to a to-do list
volunteer
use every moment of every day productively
go to bed early
work ahead (If it's not early, it's late.)
recycle every recyclable thing
not wash my hair every day
change the sheets every Sunday
eat dessert
eat breakfast
have faith that it will all work out
smile at people I pass
be kind
follow the rules (for the most part).

I haven't yet figured out how knowing these things about myself is actually beneficial--but it is interesting.