(DON'T) JUST DO IT!

MAY2006
75KG. Overweight alarm! Muffin belly. Double chin. Hit the gym. Lost total of 7-8 KG after 3 months. More exercises since then.

OCTOBER2009
MRI Result: diagnosed with a pinched nerve on the fifth lumbar. In short = terrible backpain.

LESSONSLEARNED
Don't just do it. You might get the results like I did. I did lost the weight I wanted, but who knows that apparently some of my heavylifting activities (I might have lifted more weight than I supposed to or simply used a wrong lifting stance) has now cost me my backbone and future physical fitness. The fact is I didn't have trainer, I simply asked a friend who's been practicing for a while to assist me. I'm glad with the fact that I overcame that overweight phase, but then again, I might have lost the same weight by doing any other less-dangerous sports. Now, after three years the backpain is what I got. As for now, I still can't do much strenuous work. I'm not allowed to carry heavy stuff (not even my own laptop), I've been sleeping on bed topped with flat-wood for weeks (yeap I feel Japanese already and their tatami). I can’t sit longer than one hour. I have to walk twice slower than I used to. And don’t mention the hurtful acupuncture session.

If you ever going to push yourself into leaving your comfort zone and pursue a goal, whatever it is, I’m sure it’s for your good, don’t just simply do it. But do it right. It is much more important to step back a while and learn and know how to do it right rather than rushing it and having the regrettable after-effect some time after.

APPLIES TO

Many things. The closest that come to my mind is starting a relationship. You know that rush-of-blood-to-the-heart you have when you’re falling in love. As a normal dude you’ll find a hard time repressing those feelings and to be aggressive is who we are. And you rushed into that commitment while maybe its not your season yet. As one of my friend quoted “Love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely”. And by ready it means know how to treat your girl right, know your partner well (at least you gotta know how she’ll be when she’s angry otherwise the shock and the negativitywill tremendously doubled when you’re already in a relationship), know your borders, know if you can manage the time, know if you’re financially okay (no girls will pay for your dinner dude), and such and such. Have you ever consider those stuff before starting a relationship? I did to the smallest details and yet I still screw up here and there. What if I just jump and do it? Worse? Better? Well, you can figure out the mathematics.

I can think of another hundreds application of this in real life, but I promised to make this short enough to trigger your thinking and let your mind ponder, digest, and relate it to your own life.

Don’t just do it. Do it right! Its not only about making a start, but also how well you finish.

Smile on, shine on!