It is hard to believe that 75 days gone by since I started my 100 Day Strong journey. It has been full of accomplishments and some revelations. Let me share a couple with you now.

1. This wasn’t as hard as I expected it to be. Sure it has taken a lot of work, but it was very doable. Why? I made a list and stuck to it. Sounds oversimplified, but you will see what I mean in point 2.

2. Discipline is not the enemy. It is the opposite. It is a dear friend that is misunderstood. What do I mean by this? If you don’t know the rules can you successfully play any game? No. You would be frustrated. You wouldn’t enjoy playing because you’d keep getting a flag thrown. When I developed the rules to play by (The List) and started playing the game to those rules, that is when I started seeing results. Freedom has come because of discipline.

I still have 25 days to go. I am excited to see what else I can accomplish. I am also looking forward to what comes next. Undoubtedly it will involve another list and another set of instructions. It seems to be working, so I think I will just keep going.

There is something awesome about being with family. I love these two more than I can describe. Just being home with them is so restorative. I know that when the world is going crazy, this is most where I want to be.

We are listening to an audiobook while they do a puzzle. I am here at the other end smiling as I watch them move around. This is the good stuff. My wife is as beautiful as I have ever seen her. My son keeps getting taller and making me more and more proud.

I am so thankful to God. I am thankful for my family. For the life he has given us. For…so many things. God is the source of it all.

#thankful #solideogloria

I’m an extrovert. There, I admitted it to the world. Although, I don’t think it was much of a secret. I love people. I love being around people. It gives me energy and a lot of joy.

There are times however, when it is time to get away, and be with only a select few. That time is now begun. The Thanksgiving break is upon us.

I’m excited for the next few days. We will spend time together as a family. My wife, my son, and I hibernating here at home. There will be good food, lots of laughter, and a trip to Middle Earth. Yes, we watch Lord of the Rings every Thanksgiving.

Wherever this finds you, I pray you have a moment to rest and refocus. I pray you are surrounded by those you love. I pray that you feel God’s love.

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

I am excited for Thanksgiving this week. It has always been one of my favorite holidays. It is a time to pause and reflect on the food that is in your life and the One who gave it to you.

Long ago, we would spend every Thanksgiving with my grandma. She loved in a small town in Oklahoma, but it didn’t stop everyone from coming together. There was food and more food and more food. And some family to visit with too I suppose. My grandma made chocolate sheet cake that was out of this world.

I remember more than once being at her house for Thanksgiving and not feeling like I was going to be able to walk after dinner. The meals were home cooking and tasted wonderful. They weren’t the best for your health or waistline, but we were all happy and enjoyed.

My family and I have chosen a different path as the years have gone by when it comes to Thanksgiving food. No offense to southern home cooking, but we don’t really do Turkey for dinner anymore. After a lot of years we figured out we don’t like it that much.

What do we do instead? We pick a meal that we can cook together and enjoy. Something a little out of the ordinary. Last year we had lamb. It was delicious. This year it will be Cornish hens. It will be delicious because we will all be doing it together enjoying.

The food may have changed, but the focus has not. There is so much to enjoy and be thankful for. God has blessed us with so much. We choose to take Thanksgiving day and enjoy it together.

I have made it 71 days and have accomplished all of the daily goals I have set out to accomplish. For the majority of days I have kept my head down and been able to finish everything with relative ease. Today has been harder.

If you read my post yesterday, I have added two items to my list of daily tasks. This has unsettled the rhythm I have been in and I have been struggling with how to get things done. I am getting through them. The big one I have yet to accomplish is the 1000 words I have set out to write daily. There is still several hours before bed though, so I should get there.

This is another reason I am discovering change to be hard. Once you have yourself set in a habit or routine, breaking it can be a challenge. Even if you are adjusting it to add more cool stuff it. It is still a change and it still takes adjustment. I know I can’t be the only one that struggles with this.

I am also struggling today because I gained 3 pounds over the last couple of days. I have stayed in my calories and I still put pounds back on. I know it is not permanent and has happened all throughout this journey, but it is still discouraging. I have gotten to where I want to weigh in every morning to see my progress. It is a real mojo killer to see the scale go up.

All of that said, the goal still remains. I will make it to 100 days and I will accomplish the goals I have set before me. The results I achieve from pursuing these actions have to be the extra. I am doing the tasks because they are worth doing. I know they will eventually take me to where I want to go. But, even when I get there (lose the weight, write the book, etc.) there will still be more goals to pursue.

I am in this for the long haul. I am in this for the process. That is what makes this time different.