haha apathy & finding excuses...

Take a sledgehammer and wrap an old sweater around it. This is your "shovelglove." Every week day morning, set a timer for 14 minutes. Use the shovelglove to perform shoveling, butter churning, and wood chopping motions until the timer goes off. Stop. Rest on weekends and holidays. Baffled? Intrigued? Charmed? Discuss here.
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Do you care if you SG on an empty stomach?

I don't do my 14 without some food in me first!
1
11%
I doesn't matter to me - I'll eat afterwards
8
89%
 
Total votes: 9

Apartment5F
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haha apathy & finding excuses...

Post by Apartment5F » Thu May 04, 2006 3:06 am

so, i dilligently SG every non-S day cause i'm a good guy.

but for some reason, as of lately, i've been slacking.
i put a red 'x' on my calendar for the days i don't SG, and they've been growing in number for the past two weeks...what the hell?

i dunno what it is, but i do know that when i feel i should do it, i always hear myself say "dude, wait until you eat something" (usu. said in the morning).
so, then i'll go ahead and eat something and either:

1) I get distracted
2) I end up taking a nap :roll:


i posted this because i wonder: does anyone else go thru this?

i mean seriously, this is the best excercise ever...so, why aren't i taking 14 min to just do it?

any suggestions? tips? stories? flames :lol: ? etc.
all are welcome.

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu May 04, 2006 3:15 pm

Hi! I think we all suffer from procrastination and some amount of inertia...This is why Reinhard makes the SG "non optional"... to avoid the "excuse machine" which is basically years of programmed laziness and slothful habits...

I can only suggest that you truly find a time when you aren't pressured and aren't napping to do your SG routine...
Then stick to it by the letter of the law!
I normally need some coffee and music to get me goint, though admittedly, SG has only been a sporadic thing for me.. But when I was really gung ho and did it every day last Spring, I think I picked a time when my son was watching his Yugioh program or something and always did it then...
Carve out a time and just do it!
I wouldn't personally eat a whole meal before, but I can't see how having a cup of tea or coffee or a small fruit would hurt you...

I think Reinhard does his SG first thing in the morning, pre shower, so he has no excuse if the day gets busy... So you might want to try that! It's also a great way to set the tone for the day... You will feel pumped up and raring to go!~ Then you can treat yourself to a full breakfast as a reward...
Then after you do this on a regular basis, it won't take much effort to start your routine because your good habits will kick in to help....
There are some people who even do SG at like 5 am, but they must be superhumans or something :)

Good luck and have fun!
Peace and love,
8) Deb
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

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david
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Post by david » Thu May 04, 2006 3:55 pm

Hi,

My routine is to do SG pre-breakfast. Then it's out of the way. I haven't experienced any motivation problems. However, I'm not healing from an abdominal strain as well as I would like, so I'm <gulp> taking the month of May off, exercise wise. This is really killing me!

By the way, I did not get the muscle strain from shovelglove. I got it doing some explosive dumbbell snatches back in November. I thought I was over it, but it's creeping back on me. :cry:

thanks,
David

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Simon
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Post by Simon » Thu May 04, 2006 6:13 pm

I'm just struggling to commit to the time to do it. Which statement flies in the face of Reinhard's construct of schedulistically significant time, but there you go.

The No-S diet thing is working nicely for me, but when I don't have any free time until almost 10 PM and all I can think about is sleep...

...and then I'm committed to walking the dog in the morning before work...

Well, it's hard right now. But it has nothing to do with whether or not I've eaten.
Simon
"Hickory Hand of the North"

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Pete
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Post by Pete » Fri May 05, 2006 11:40 am

when I was still on the SG wagon, it was wake up, grab the sledge and go for it. Then have a shower and brekky.

Since I'm having trouble even walking some days, I haven't done it in a while. My sledge still sits by the bed, waiting patiently for me to feel better.

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Fri May 05, 2006 2:11 pm

Apartment5F , lately I usually do it after breakfast because that's when wife and child are out of the house and child is a little too fascinated by shovelglove for her own safety. But I've often done it before and haven't noticed a difference (except that I then eat like a wolf). Deb gives good advice, if "after" means "never," then make it before. 14 minutes isn't a marathon, you aren't going to collapse. Prep yourself with a glass of milk or juice if you feel you need something (or feel you need to appease the feeling that you need something). Thanks for starting this poll... let us know what you wind up doing. Another tact to take is: keep shugging after, but absolutely do not leave the house until you've done it. I don't want to get you fired for coming late or anything, but you'd be surprised how well the dread of coming in late plus the non-optionality of shovelglove can whip your habit into shape -- you're caught between two morally irresistible forces, the only thing that can legitimately give is slack.

Pete, I'm sorry your having such a hard time of it... I don't know if there's any way we can help, but don't be shy about posting. We'll certainly be happy to try.

David, sorry to hear about the abdominal strain... you're right to focus on healing up. When you're well enough (I hope) to pick up your sledge again next month, I think you'll be surprised how fast it all comes back.

Simon, "schedualistically insignificant time" is part joke, and not just because it sounds funny, but to poke fun at yourself for how much of an excuse "I don't have time" is. But it's a motivationally useful joke, I find. Why don't you try just 7 minutes an N-day for a week or two. Now you really can't make an excuse for not doing that that -- it's half of "one minute less than the smallest unit of schedulalistacally significant time." What you'll find, I think, is that the hardest part by far is starting. If you can do 7, I think you'll find 14 is easy. And who can't do 7? 7 too high? Try 5. Try anything to get you started, because the problem isn't really the minutes, the minutes are just an excuse. 7 and 5 too shamefully small to even motivate? Well how's 0. That's what you're choosing otherwise. Sorry if this sounds like a harangue, I mean it more in the spirit of a useful tip.

Reinhard

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Prodigalsun
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Post by Prodigalsun » Sat May 06, 2006 7:38 pm

Before I work out, I generally will drink a glass of OJ or some Odwalla superfood, that gives me the quick energy to get into the swing of things.

Since I do a high intensity jogging/running/sprinting routine on the treadmill first, I just roll from that right into SG, with a minute to breath between.
--

Starting Weight: 275
Current: 269
Goal: 190


"I shovel well, I shovel very very well."

Prodigalsun

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Simon
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Post by Simon » Mon May 08, 2006 10:59 pm

Tip taken, for sure, Reinhard.

I understand completely about starting being the hardest part. I did a pretty good job of getting into the No-S habit, but have so far neglected to form a corollary SG habit. I'll certainly be working on that.

It's not even the timing (14 minutes versus 7 or 5) that's the problem; it's picking up the hammer and getting started. THEN the 14 minutes just flies by.

I sometimes see the hickory handle sticking above the back of the sofa (where it's stored) and I think that I'll just go check me Email before I start. Famous last words.

I'm committing to change that. Tonight.
Simon
"Hickory Hand of the North"

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