The first week of the second month of the year is over.
IF YOU HAVE NOT SET YOUR GOALS (OR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS) YET, NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO START.
GOALS PROVIDE PURPOSE.
GOALS PROVIDE DIRECTION.
SET YOUR GOALS TODAY.
ACHIEVE THEM TOMORROW.
POSSIBLE.
FOLLOW YOUR PLAN, NOT YOUR MOOD.
~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller
I am finding it quite difficult to write at this very moment, not for the lack of an idea, or two, a story, or more; to have an article up for publication. It is not that I am physically unable….well, yes,…a bit.
Just stood on the weighing scales. It is not that I don’t do this ritual every day in the morning. Then again, after I come back from my 15,000 step (roughly just over 11.0 kilometers [km] or about 6.786 miles) daily walk. And then again, in the night. I take these statistics very seriously.
Coming back to having stood on that platform, that same device that people use in hopes of “telling” or “showing” them good news; however it doesn’t. Yet day in and day out, we still use it – the weighing scales. I am 6.0kg over weight. Now, how did this happen? How did this sneak past me? As a neighbor of mine, Mrs. Teoh exclaimed to me as I walked past her on my walk yesterday, “Wah! You very fat now.”
Could all the articles on my / our (including Jeannie & Laura) visits to the many restaurants and eateries have something to do with it? Well, maybe, just a little bit. However, we don’t really over eat, just have regular meals each day.
Yet, how did 6.0kg get past me? I am one who tracks my weight diligently. I go for my brisk walks. Brisk here means that the average person age 65, walks 1km in 11 minutes. I first hooked on to the speed about 4 years ago. I had to meet this time or inside this time of 11 minutes per kilometer for each of the 10km. Which means my 10km walk would take 110mins or less. In recent times, my overall total timing has slowed down by 3 – 5 minutes.
I believe that one of the biggest culprits to my weight gain is S-U-G-A-R! When I think back over the last few months, my sugar intake, be it in food or drinks has been on the rise. I love chocolate and have been eating more than my fair share per day or week.
I don’t have any sugar health issues. It is just that I want to keep my weight within the limits. For instance, when I eat something that contains a lot of sugar, I will cut back or refrain from taking in more sugary food and drinks for a couple of days at least.
Snacking is a bad habit that I used to pride myself in completely abstaining from. It is a habit not worth having and keeping.
So, while I have all the tools and knowhow to keep being overweight at bay, there is something else that I need to get back on track towards a healthy weight and get rid of my potbelly, too. That is DISCIPLINE.
I thought I was very disciplined with a regimented routine. However, the 100 grams that slip by here and the couple of hundred grams there that escape my notice, adds up. I noticed it, though, I often think I will make up for it the next day. That “next day” has not come in a long time.
Now, I have decided to “take the bulge by its flab” and address the issue. Over the last couple of days, I have cut off most of the sugar and reduced my food intake. I have also refrained from all snacking. Well, almost all. Since I love chocolate, I treat myself to a small piece a day.
I have also put more vigor in the “vigorous”, daily brisk walking. I have put in some stomach crunch exercises (10 x 3 rep) per day. The result after 3 days. Weight is down by 2.2kg. Once I regularize my healthy weight, I will work on keeping it steady.
What is better than self-control or discipline? Don’t be tempted.
I am finding it incredibly difficult to write this article about how rising interest rates, soaring prices in almost all normal everyday sectors, without a corresponding increase in wages / income to balance off this increase in interest rates, are affecting people.
This difficulty is because emotions seem to creep in every nook, corner, gap or space it can find. However, the famous statement, “Keep emotions out, we are to win! (at all cost?)”, comes to mind.
The wealthy continue their pursuit of lavish lifestyles, giving the government and national banking officials of the day, the idea that everyone has money, including those that don’t have the money. In reality, those that don’t have the money, actually don’t have the money.
In order for these everyday people to continue to make ends meet; they will dip into whatever savings they have or worse, use credit instruments like loans and credit cards; to do so. The wealthy – is hardly dented by this.
The government and national banking officials of the day should work with a top down approach to mop up cash liquidity from the market. Those who fly around in private jets; live on luxury yachts and drive around in luxury cars, wear expensive clothes – the opulent lifestyles; they should have their liquidity mopped up first.
I do not have anything against the rich and their lifestyles, they should continue the way they live. However, they have to take a responsible approach befitting their image.
If a 25 basis points hike in interest rates would cause a household to have $100 dollars less in their spending power; then the wealthy should have a corresponding effect in percentage to their household earnings, too. Does it work that way? It would be amateurish to believe so.
The financial market has a basic principle. Someone gains on an another’s losses. “Why should this be so?”, you may ask. A good question. What is this “basic principle” founded on? You will hear a common term “market forces”.
What are “Market Forces”? It is the economic factors affecting the price of, demand for, and availability of a commodity. (1)
Again, this question needs to be asked, What is this “basic principle” founded on? “Market forces” as an answer is not going to the core of the meaning. Anyone wants to chance a guess?
This “basic principle” has to change. The idea of where when one side wins, while the other side loses, is outdated. For this change to happen, we would need the whole world to come to an agreement like for instance when they came to an agreement that when the sun comes up, it is daytime; and when it goes down, it is night. The idea for change may seem lofty, and those with vested interests may / will not want to reposition themselves if it means they have to give up something to create a level playing field.
This is not the first time and it won’t be the last, to hope for a change. For now, people will have to cut back their spending even further, to make up for the loss that the interest hike has caused them. Homecooked meals instead of eating out is a great way to cut down on overall expenses. Plan your road travel journey, using the best possible routes. Be on the road when it is relatively free of traffic – you save more on fuel. These are among the many ways of reducing your monthly overall expenditure. As the trending American term goes: “You got this!”
NOTES
1. Oxford Languages