It Only Takes a Few Minutes...

It amazes me how much pain can be inflicted by just a few minutes of lifting weights. I did legs on Wednesday morning for about 20 minutes and here I sit 51 hours later still cursing the Y and stumbling around like a old fart with a dirty diaper. (Hopefully that last phrase isn't prophetic of my future!) My legs just don't move like they should!

Inevitably I'll miss legs some weeks. I've always noticed that when it comes time to do legs the next week, the aftermath isn't nearly as bad as the first week. The principle is simple - the more you partake of positive habits, the less difficult they become while the benefits multiply exponentially. In other words, if I consistently work my legs, the less strain I will feel as I continually build up muscle, which in turn allows me to work my legs more. It's a cycle of positive momentum.

Spiritually, I've been making great strides to shore up some weak areas in my relationship with God, specifically in the area of consistency. Guess what? It's uncomfortable at first, but routine has started taking over and I feel that I am in a cycle of positive momentum. And it feels good. God has been a most patient personal trainer and my biggest cheerleader. I'm convinced that it's only through His strength that we can be successful, from the mundane to the most profound. His hourly rate isn't too bad, either...

One of my daughters was telling us about a quote she heard on a commercial the other day. It states that in 21 days you can either develop or break a habit, and from what I've experienced that's pretty accurate. Whether it's flossing, not biting your nails, reading the Bible, dealing with persistent sins, or giving up Cokes, it's staggering to think that the potential for such good or evil only takes three weeks to gestate and develop into a fully-fledged habit.

What areas do you need to buckle down and "do legs" consistently in order to work through the pain and discover that cycle of positive momentum? It'll hurt like the dickens at first, but when you see it through, you'll reap the rewards of your effort.

Now, back to my legs...