You are what you do repeatedly.

You are what you do every day.

You are what you do, not what you say you will do. (Carl Gustav Jung)

And that is true.

If you cook every day, there’s a chance that you might end up as a chef. If you take photos every day, you might end up as a professional photographer. Our identity is also shaped by the things we do consistently.

Look at Casey Neistat, he used to make a vlog every day, now he’s one of the big YouTubers out there. Seth Godin writes a blog every day, now he sold 20 best-selling books in 37 languages.

I used to design every day. I made dozens of designs and illustrations every day, I can draw a lot every day. But that was a long time ago. Fifteen years ago. When I was a college student when I got my first client as a freelancer, and when I got my first job as a graphic designer.

I work as a graphic designer (seasoned graphic designer now) for the last twelve years. Do I still design every day? No. After working 9-5 as a designer, I would come home, watch YouTube, scroll through social media, and overthink. I bet I’m not the only one. Except if I have freelance work, then I can “design” until midnight. But I don’t get any freelance work right now.

You might think that I’m not passionate enough about design, and you might be right. I don’t passionate enough about design, I’m just really good at it. But we can talk about this later.

Now, I feel like I don’t have any activity that I could do every day. I don’t find any motivation to do certain activities.

During the pandemic in 2020, my knees got injured. It hurts so bad and I can’t barely walk. For the record, I’m a big guy, 175 cm (5’ 8”) and 125 kg (264 lbs). 

Then I went to a doctor and he said that I need to do some exercise or at least move my body and lose weight. Because during the quarantine I barely move my body, I just get up, take a shower, eat breakfast, and start working. I was way too lazy to do some exercise. We were working from home back then.

Long story short, after doing some research, studies, and interviewing some people, I decided to start exercising and do weight training. Because it can burn calories faster and longer. And that ladies and gentlemen when I start working out, in 2022. Yes, I know, I procrastinated for two freaking years. October 2022 to be exact when I start working out.

So while I’m overthinking about I don’t have any consistent activity, then I remember that I’ve been working out for almost 7 months. Do I get any results? A little bit. Because it took at least 2 years for me to lose weight and gain muscle. I also doing intermittent fasting.

Do I love working out? Yes, very much. I don’t know either. But I do feel a lot of benefits of working out every day. You might already know, heard, or read about the benefits of working out every day, and they are all true.

Even if it’s gonna take me years to lose weight and get into shape, I don’t mind at all working out consistently 5 days a week ( I rest on a weekend). I feel great after working out.

Why would I would willing to do that? Because now I have a long-term goal and I have a bigger picture.

My long-term goal is to become healthy and have a good physique in my 50s, 60s, or 70s. I’ve been a big dude for more than 30 years, and having a good physique is my dream. Paul Sklar is my motivation.

My bigger picture is I want to stay healthy. As you already know, I have a mom and 3 younger sisters that I have to feed and take care of. If I got sick, who’s gonna take care of them?

Besides, what’s wrong with being healthy?

Unlike designing, I don’t have a bigger picture and only a short-term goal, which is to become a graphic designer, to work as a graphic designer, that’s it. And once it is accomplished, I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t have any long-term goals or the bigger picture. 

I know it could be frustrating sometimes when you don’t know what to do with your life. When you feel stuck and can’t go anywhere. I feel that too, even now. The difference is I work out. I feel better after working out. When things go wrong, I get upset and the next morning I have the energy for my anger to work out, and I feel better after that. When things going great, I’m happy and it also gives me the motivation to work out the next morning.

Maybe you should try working out too.

Other than working out, I do read and write every day, so those are the activities that I do consistently almost every day. I don’t know where it’s gonna get me, but I’m up for a surprise. I’m just gonna see what happens, I might get lucky. And hopefully, I can find a new activity that I can enjoy the process every day.