Eyes Off The Prize!, redux

One year has passed since I wrote this blogpost about taking your eyes off the prize, and how this could be an actually more optimal way to move. This is an opportune time to revisit the subject, since I'm not sure I explained the concept all that well the last time round.

A recent shock

Back in June, I took a blood test. The results left me flabbergasted. While blood sugar and pressure were fine, cholesterol levels had skyrocketed since the last blood test six months ago. That meant in the past six months, something in my lifestyle had caused this to happen in my body.

Annual bloodwork.

For sure, it wasn't lack of exercise. I was working out five times a week. Couldn't have been the smoking; this blood test was a recent thing. Therefore, it was most definitely the food. It wasn't like I was pigging out every day, but I had been frying unhealthy stuff for dinner because it was cheap and convenient. Daily.

This had gone unnoticed because I had not put on weight, nor had my waistline expanded. This had led me to believe that everything was fine; in reality, it was the daily exercise that had kept fat at bay. However, cholesterol is not fat, visible or otherwise, and there is no way to exercise it off. Thus, the only way I found out was through a blood test, which, by the way, is absolutely recommended for everyone above their mid-thirties.

The doctor recommended medication, but I was like, fuck that noise. I was going to do it my way.

Lifestyle changes

A dietary change was in order. Instead of buttered toast or a sweet bun at the coffeeshop, breakfast was now a boiled egg and a lettuce sandwich. Instead of frying stuff for lunch, I had half that sandwich.

That lettuce sandwich!

And for dinner, I ate organic rolled oats boiled in milk, with bananas and dried fruit.

On weekends, I'd go out for meals with the wife and give myself a break. But come weekdays, it was back to the grind. Only, it turned out not to be that much of a grind, but more on that later.

Two months later, I went for another blood test and my cholesterol levels had gone down a full sixty percent. The doctor was impressed enough at the progress that instead of recommending medication, he instead told me to keep doing what I was doing.

The point behind taking your eyes off the prize

People were gushing over how much discipline it must have taken, but in truth, discipline was only required for about two weeks. Beyond that, I had hit my stride and it had become a matter of routine. I was on autopilot at that point. After the second week, I was eating my oats without thinking about the fact that I was eating oats.

You see, I did have an objective - improve on my cholesterol readings. More importantly, I wanted to achieve that goal in a way that would not put too heavy a strain on myself. Hence, the dietary change. The prep work, the washing up; all of that were tasks that were designed to take a minimum of fuss. The real feat most people imagined, was to be able to eat oats for days at a time, over a period of two months.

Oats daily.

That's where my singular advantage comes in. I'm quite possibly the most boring man in Singapore. I don't crave variety. I don't have this need to seek out new and exciting experiences. This makes it far easier for me than others, to be consistent. Once familiarity sets in, I'm good to go. Forget two months; it's been six now, and I'm still going. Thus, the probability of me going back to my old ways after meeting the original objective, is about nil.

Professionally...

This is apparent in the existence of this blog. Initially, this was set up so that I would hone my craft on a regular basis, and have prospective employers see this. And it worked. I learned new technologies, kept up to date with tech news and developments, kept myself sharp. I progressed from employer to employer, building up my portfolio as time passed.

As mentioned before, I surpassed my income goals a long time ago before I even realized it. Why do I still do this?

Why am I still
taking shots long
after scoring?

Because it's become a habit. A very productive habit. It has become an integral part of my lifestyle. Without it, I might be engaging in any number of less wholesome pursuits. Getting into the salary range was the original objective, but because my eyes weren't on the prize, I came further than I ever imagined. I arrived at this point at least partially because of this habit, and me staying on this trajectory is probably dependent on maintaining this habit. Stopping at this point just because I seem to have obtained the prize, could turn out to be dangerously complacent.

In Conclusion (for real this time)

The value of the prize is not the prize itself, but the habits you formed while getting there, and the lessons you learned.

No doubt, people need to have goals. However, what's arguably more important is a realistic and sustainable way to them, and beyond.

Don't let the destination get in the way of the journey,
T___T