The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. – Stephen Covey

Have you ever noticed when you are learning something important that the information seems to show up from multiple places? Maybe it is because you are focused on the topic, but it still shows up unexpected? I have seen this several times. Most recently around planning. Let me explain.

The reason I have found success in my 100 Day Strong journey is because I have a plan. I wrote about the List a few days ago. I even presented the idea of the List to my Toastmasters group. What is the List you ask? In short, it is a plan that I have to execute to every day.

I was reading Extreme Ownership yesterday and that chapter of the book was called Plan. In the chapter they discuss a rescue mission they undertook while in Iraq. The hostage was the son of an Iraqi official. The enemy had threatened harm and would kill the young man if their demands were not met. They described the planning process and the execution of the mission. In the end the hostage was saved and no shots were fired.

One thing they highlighted was this, there may be variables and uncertainty, but a well designed plan prepared the troops so that they could still move forward and deal with whatever came up. They followed the plan and were successful.

For transparency here, I am not a natural planner. I used to think planning was the antithesis of spontaneity. So, I would actively avoid planning altogether. Yeah, I know. It was very shortsighted of me. My plan was to dominate through sheer force. When I got hurt, that was out the window and I had nothing to fall back on.

I tried the weight loss thing before. Several times. The last “successful” run I had was in 2009. I had a plan…exercise 3 times a day. That was it. While I did lose weight in the short term, I overextended myself and got hurt. The weight then came back on quickly. So much for spontaneity.

This time is much different. I have multiple goals and facets I am working on. If one starts to slip, I still make progress with the others while I circle back and fix whatever is wrong. It is a methodical approach and has worked so much better. I am losing more steadily and not struggling as I progress.

The plan is working. I will keep executing. I can’t wait to see how far I am able to go.

I have made a rediscovery on my 100 Day Strong journey. I love books. I have had a love/hate relationship with them over the years, because I have a hard time sitting still to read. However, the audio book helped solve this problem. I love getting the information and being able to move around.

One of the books I picked up is called Extreme Ownership. It was written by two Navy Seal commanders who served in Iraq. The stories they tell of what happened as they served in Iraq are amazing. The bravery and determination of the troops in those circumstances are very inspiring.

The thing I like most about the book is how they can apply the principles of leadership across all domains. In war and in business, leadership is essential. It is needed more today than ever. As Navy Seals they got to apply the leadership principles they teach in a life or death environment. So naturally, my ears perk up when they start sharing how to do things like they did.

I am especially struck with the idea of extreme ownership. Loosely translated, to display extreme ownership as a leader you have to take responsibility for everything that happens under your lead. If something blows up, you have to own it. If one of your team doesn’t perform as they should have, you have to own it. As a leader, you are personally accountable for all the details. It is called extreme for a reason, but as the authors demonstrate, it works.

I am come to a place where I understand more fully what this means. The first person that I lead is myself. I am responsible for the decisions I have made. If I don’t like where I am at in my life, it is on me to take that ownership and do something different. Personal responsibility and accountability. I need this.

If you haven’t read the book, I encourage you to check it out. It is a good one.

I have a ten pound dog sitting on my chest. She is usually very sure of herself and headstrong. She is in a new environment this evening and she is out of sorts. So, she comes to me for comfort.

I like it. Since she is my darling wife’s dog, I am not usually the source of comfort. But, every once in a while she comes to me. I know things are better when I feel her breathing change. She loosens up and starts to relax.

While I love it that she will come to me, I don’t fault her for preferring my wife over me. I am rather fond of my bride as well. She gives me comfort like no one else. So, it is safe to say I understand where the pup gets it.

We all need that rest. We need a safe place we can go. I think that is why I love the verse in Matthew:

Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. – Matthew 11:28 TPT

Just like my little dog comes to me scared and nervous, I can go to Jesus with what burdens me. I can come to Him freaked out and He promises to refresh my life and be my oasis. When I let Him do that I find rest. Before long, I relax. He gives me peace and rest.

I feel stuck. I’m not, I don’t think…but it sure feels that way. The scale does this to me every so often.

For the first couple of weeks of this 100 Day Strong journey I wasn’t losing much. I started at 285 pounds. It felt like to took forever to get down under 280.

Then, when I got into the 270s, dropping weight went a lot faster. In no time, I was down under 270. Then things slowed down. I have made it down to 263, but it has taken some time.

My question is this: does it matter how fast it comes off or is it more important that I stick to the process? In truth, the process is the reason I am doing this and it’s the reason the weight is coming off. I need to trust the process and lean in.

This is why this challenge is set over a span of 100 days. I am striving to be consistent day over day. It is making a difference. The mirror is starting to tell me so. Keep moving forward.

Is it on the list? If it isn’t, it probably won’t get done. This has been my surprising discovery over the past 51 days.

What do I mean by this? As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have been following 7 steps to reach my 100 Day Strong goal. They are not complicated, but the power of writing them down has had great effect. I have accomplished everything on the list for 51 straight days.

For my exercise goal, I originally had weight lifting and walking as my plan. I worked out three days a week and walked the other 4. This was adequate for getting started, but I quickly realized I needed to improve on that as I went. So, I moved to lifting 3 days a week and also walking 7 days a week. I started to see results.

I then realized I needed to add flexibility into my routine as well. Enter yoga.

I am going to admit, I have never been a yoga fan. I have tried it more than once over the years and it never stuck. It seemed floofy. My best attempts have been using DDP Yoga. It is a great program and is more my speed. I have picked it up again and am starting to get into a rhythm.

Now, I am lifting three days a week, doing yoga 3 days a week and walking every day. The weight isn’t dropping as fast as I would like, but I can tell my cardiovascular health is improving. A lot. And my flexibility too…a little.

How did I add yoga in successfully? I wrote it down as part of my original list. If it doesn’t make the list it may not get done. I had to put it on there, because I need to get it done. It’s that simple. When it made the list, it had to be done.

What do you need to add to your list today?