I always tell my wife that life is supposed to be tough. Every day you should be challenging yourself in many aspects of your day.
Life isn’t about getting to a magical point where you become comfortable. We can call this the “fat and happy” stage.
In fact, life is about the exact opposite of this dream. It’s about pushing yourself in your fitness, dieting, budgeting, relationships, and investing.
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Do not wait for some external source of validation; you’ll find your success in your daily habits, rituals, and routines. You just need to understand how to build them.
Why are so many young people lost? I joined the Marine Corps in 1999 and credit much of my discipline to the military.
However, my dad was very strict and played a massive role in preparing for the military. Between the military and my dad, I became a very regimented person (maybe a robot).
However, society exchanged this school of discipline and routine for ideas of freedom, independence, and individualism. Today, life is all about choice.
Young people are choosing wrong. To get ahead in life, you have to play the “game of life.” You must present yourself to the outward-facing world differently than inside your home. Everybody doesn’t need to see your true self.
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What is your daily routine? What you do every day determines your success and happiness. Does drinking a sugary McDonald’s coffee make you happy?
Does being 30 pounds overweight give you pleasure? Life is about choosing to balance between your weight and today’s coffee.
Unfortunately, adults have not told their children the truth about these daily decisions. The world does judge you based on looks, attitude, dress, and appearance.
Despite words like “quiet quitting,” “the great resignation,” and “work-life balance,” you still need to work hard at your job.
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The world presents you with tons of options to waste time and get you off track. These distractions include social media, dating apps, streaming channels, and online shopping.
However, the truth is you should be reading self-help books, building relationships, exercising, dieting, budgeting, learning new job skills, and following the markets.
Shift your mindset and change your routine. Our brains were designed to keep learning constantly. The education system numbs us to new ideas and bores our senses.
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Once we graduate high school or college, we “data dump” everything we learned and stopped moving forward with self-education.
As we settle into our mundane working lives, we get further away from the truth—we stop learning. To numb the pain, we spend money and gossip.
It takes 30-90 days to form a routine or habit. Changing from your usual grind to an enlightened posture will be tough. Let me ask you some questions.
- Are you happy with your weight?
- Are you satisfied with your bank account?
- Do you plan to retire by age 50?
- Do you have a significant other?
- What is your relationship like with your parents?
These questions will dictate what routines you must enact. All of these questions lead back to one word—discipline.
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My daily routine. I have been in the military for 24 years and have built a great life for myself and my family. My life did not come easy; I’ve done my time in the desert and missed more birthdays than you can imagine.
Through all the grinding, I keep a tight routine. Your routine will allow you to push through the madness when things get tough. Once the pain is over, you can reflect on what just happened.
Here are my current habits.
- I maintain my weight under 156 pounds. I have hovered around this weight for 12 years.
- I do cardio every day. I run three miles during the weekdays (at 0530) and do the elliptical machine on weekends (0800).
- I write 1,000 words every day and produce a book.
- I follow a strict $50/day budget.
- I read a self-help book 30 minutes a day and follow the markets for 30 minutes.
- I talk to my wife for at least an hour.
My weekdays are hectic. I write at midnight and create a book during lunch. I talk to my wife on the phone after work.
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I get into my bed at six pm and sleep by 7:30 pm. I have some weekend free time to play video games and watch old movies.
The key to life is in the grind. Life is all about grinding; however, you must grind with a purpose. You can’t just aimlessly float through life—living paycheck to paycheck.
Even accomplishing the smallest goals can get you into the right mind space. Start with something like building a $1,000 emergency fund.
Once you do that, you can pay off one credit card or open a Roth IRA. Life is about these small wins.
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The more little daily victories you can piece together, the more these positive actions compound into greatness.
Before you look for a special someone, make yourself special. Get yourself in shape and on a diet. And maintain these habits for your life—there is no stopping your dieting and exercising.
Conclusion. If you are not where you want to be, it’s your fault. As soon as you assume responsibility for your life, you’ll quickly change the status quo.
“The closer to the truth, the happier we become.” No more blaming anyone else for your unhappiness or depression.
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You can claw yourself out of any rut by creating one goal. It may be to walk three miles, save $500, or read one book (even a small one).
Your goals will determine your habits and vice versa. Greatness comes from waking up early, making your bed, exercising, watching your weight, and reading excellent books.
If you can do these things, your life will improve dramatically. My wife and I decided to “do better,” and the results speak for themselves.
We went from $77,000 in debt to almost $300,000 in the bank in less than four years. These tactics work if you put in the effort, stay disciplined, and enjoy the ride. Good Luck!
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Disclosure: I am not a financial advisor or money manager, and any knowledge is given as guidance and not direct actionable investment advice. I am an Amazon Affiliate. Please research any investment vehicles that are being considered. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. All Right Reserved Military Family Investing
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