Max Atlas Year of Change — Day 39

4 min readApr 8, 2021

I got up this morning for another jog, even though I was a little more tired than usual. I didn’t really care though, I just wanted to get my mind and body active so I could best tackle the day’s challenges. However, I will admit that I hit the snooze button on my phone a few times before I actually got out of bed.

While I was jogging, I thought about how to approach the day and practised some basic mindfulness techniques, when I suddenly came across a guy jogging in the opposite direction. He was very clearly out of shape, but he was also displaying a great deal of discipline by exerting himself that much first thing in the morning. To tell the truth, I don’t think I looked much different when I first started this regime, and that thought really hit me hard. I didn’t want to intrude, but I made sure to politely encourage him as he passed me by. A bit of kindness goes a long way–in fact, it can be the difference between sticking with your goals and giving up. If I could have even the smallest influence on someone reaching their goals, why wouldn’t I push them in the right direction?

This random encounter must have really got me motivated, because I seemed to be on a tear the rest of the day. I was as focused as I’ve ever been at work. Not only did I not get any cravings, I totally had to remind myself to EAT. You read that right, I was so focused that I almost forgot to eat during my lunch break. I would normally consider something like this to be absentmindedness, but I’m just going to take it as a positive before I can think about too hard.

Daily Image Year of Change Day 39 #YOC

Six pack is hiding still.

The evening workout went a bit better than usual. I lifted a little heavier, but I didn’t do anything crazy beyond that. Overall, I’m delighted with how things went today, and I’ve got a lot to think about for tomorrow.

Also See: 5 Stoicism Practices That Will Help Bring Calm to the Chaos We Face Today