I am elated to share with you this second article on the invisible body builder series. "Building Muscle." In the previous article Part 1: Testing your limits(Click HERE if you have not read it yet),  we explored testing your limits so you would discover your foundation and starting point before you began the journey of developing and building your invisible body. It is hard to run a race if it does not have a point of departure. So it is essential that you establish this before you move forward. That way we can start thinking about the next steps.

Let's jump in! I am not sure if you have ever thought about it but I know for myself the people I respect most at the gym are the ones who are legitimately out of shape and are putting the sweat equity into making the changes in life that will alter the course of their destiny. The reason I am bringing this up is I want you to know I have mad respect for anyone with the willingness to work at changing one's life for the better because at the end of the day it is hard work. I also want you to know that you got this. I will say though, one of the biggest things that will make or break you is if the amount of hunger you have for change does not exceed your desire for comfort. Are you willing to humble yourself and ask for help? Are you prepared to read an uneducated bloggers opinion? Are you willing to even entertain the thought and visualize what your life would look like if you started to make drastic changes for the life that you desire? 

After you have realized that you need to make a change in your life, or maybe you found out you never keep your word, struggle immensely with communicating about your emotions or lose your temper more than you want to admit, then, from that point of self-awareness you can go somewhere. I know it sucks realizing you are a pathetic piece of shit, but get over it, we are all imperfect humans. Let that motivate you rather stop you. Self-anger, hatred, and condemnation will not be useful at all if you want to move forward with changing your life, remove these leeches from your body and throw them to the wayside.

Now let us get into the nitty gritty. The next few points are some steps you can take to strengthen and build the muscles of your invisible body.

Goal Setting

Okay! Assuming that we have quantified our weaknesses/starting point, the next step is to envision and set goals of where we want to be and go. This part can be tricky because setting realistic goals and creating strong expectations can be almost as difficult as attempting to attain them. If this is an area, you feel weak in, a simple query of the internet will help equip you with tools to do so. Seriously take some time and read a couple articles on how to set realistic goals. This is what I have done in the past to help myself on my journey.

Here are some examples of goals I have set in the past. Making my bed every day when I wake up, do pushups every day for a set amount of time, eat healthier, work through a particular emotional issue, confront an insecurity, and give up substances that I use to numb myself from reality for a given amount of time. These are all simple things I have done in the past to help me grow on my journey and how I addressed them was thought out. I do want you to know I in no way think I have arrived in any way, form, or fashion, rather, I have many weaknesses that I want to and I am working on.

Here is the thing though, when you set your goals I want you to tangibly write them down. After you have done this pick one, or maybe two of these ambitions you have written down and start taking steps towards them. Also, make sure the ones you start with are the easiest things on the list because this will give you the sense of accomplishment you need when starting out and it is essential that you do not overwhelm yourself, or create goals that are impossible. 

Lastly, be super specific when you set your goals. If you aren't detailed enough this leaves wiggle room for failure to creep in. For example, if you set a goal like you want to overcome all the fears in life. This vagueness will leave you feeling overwhelmed and unequipped to face life. But, if you say you want to confront fear in life and this is how you are going to accomplish it by doing these different small acts for the next 30 days leaves little room for ambiguity to empower failure. Being articulate and specific with your goals will enable you to think through and realize that overcoming fear is possible because now you have tangible steps you can take.

Goal setting summary.
- Write them down in a journal or a piece of paper.
- Make your goals detailed and specific.
- Pick one or two of the easiest ones and accomplish them first.
- Set realistic goals. 
- Ask google for help on goal setting skills.

Setting It In Stone

Once you have set your realistic goals, it is of the utmost importance that you create a determination that is unwavering. A resolution that is so solidified that you will not cave when the storms of life begin to head your way. I love how Napoleon Bonaparte said, "The truest wisdom is a resolute determination." If you want change to occur in your life, you need a hunger and determination that will push you through the journey of discomfort that lies ahead of you. 

How do you create a healthy resolution for action? Well, if you have taken the time to set specific goals and thoroughly think through what you want in life this is one way to start creating it. For example, if you set a goal that you want to be a professional skydiver you are not going to save all your money and spend all your free time on scuba diving, no, you will start saving your pennies and spending your free time on skydiving. Setting a goal and acknowledging your dreams is the foundation to discovering determination.  

Another way you can develop and create more resolution is to tell your friends about your goals, or maybe even your worst critic. Doing this will create a sense of unspoken accountability. I have yet to meet a person that wants to be known as a liar or as someone who is all talk but no action. So, if you tell the people who you are closest with that you are going to become a skydiver, and these are all the steps you are going to take in the next six months to work towards that dream. Chances are much higher that your determination will increase significantly if your reputation is on the line.

Lastly, know yourself. It may seem odd but assess yourself, the goals you have had in the past, which ones have you attained and which ones you have failed to achieve. Ask yourself why did you succeed and fail. Self-assessment will empower you to know how to avoid pitfalls of the past and will give you the confidence to tackle what the future holds for you. This is a powerful tool for creating the determination needed to accomplish your goals. Here is an example. Let's say I had the goal not to drink alcohol for six months. But, in the past when I had tried to take a break from drinking when I hung out with certain friends I caved and drank with them, and when I went to the bars to meet up with some people, I drank there as well. Observing this past failure tells me that the two things I will have to change if I want to not drink for the next six months are that I will not be able to go out to the bars and hang out with those certain friends if I want to accomplish this small goal. Having this knowledge of my past failure empowers me to create a plan for my success, and therefore I have more unwavering determination for what I want in life. 

Setting it in stone summary.
- Set specific goals with action plans. 
- Put your reputation on the line. 
- Tell some friends and maybe some enemies of your goals.
- Self-assess your past failures and successes. This will expose your weaknesses and strengths which will help you create a plan for how to brace for the future.

There are many more steps one can take to strengthen and build up your invisible bodies strength and health. Just like working out gym there are thousands of opinions and methods on what someone should do. I have tried to pick what I believe are the foundational aspects for getting started. I believe that these are two very foundational steps that many can practically take to create progress in life. 

If this article has helped inspire you in any way, please take some time to share your thoughts, I am always learning and growing in in life so if you share your journey with me as I have with you, we can grow together! 

Cheers,

Timothy