Road to Financial Abundance – Week 61

Two weeks ago I said I would do the following:

1. Diversify my writing portfolio by doing a Weekly Writing prompt at least one day a week
2. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services

Wow, I can’t believe I haven’t written a blog post in two weeks.  And on the 1st year anniversary of this blog page, too.

While I have not been diversifying my writing portfolio, my awesome Amazon coworkers, whom are all writers, decided to do a weekly writing prompt.  How f***ing amazing is that???  I have never had such a fun group of coworkers, who share so many interests as me (in other words, we’re all geeks).  So I’ll be able to diversify my writing portfolio every week now, and get great feedback as well.  Plus, my writing skill will get stronger from reading other people’s writing.  I’m excited.  This week is our first week of doing the writing prompt, and our prompt is to incorporate a figure from mythology.  I got Baldur – a Norse god.

I think I’m going to put my second task on the back burner for now, since I’m already plenty busy with work and with this new weekly writing prompt.

Seeing as how this is the one-year anniversary of my (recorded) quest to achieve wealth, I think a little reflection is in order.  Well, after checking my first blog post for the “Road to Financial Abundance” page, I have discovered that I actually made my first post on May 26, 2011.  So it’s more like 1.5 years since my first post. Regardless, I feel it’s good to take stock of what I’ve learned and my progress.  Unfortunately, I don’t feel I’ve come very far.  I still have about the same amount of money in my checking account, I don’t have a reliable stream of income (I don’t count contract work reliable), and I still only have one stream of income.  Pretty fucking depressing.  Not sure how else to look at it.  I know I’ve learned some things, but the main goal was to be financially abundant (making $5,000 per month), or at least be better off financially than I was at the start of this.

What does it mean?  I feel like shaking my fists at the sky, or banging them against the ground in frustration.  Why do some people seem to be blessed financially, while others like me have to struggle so much to achieve wealth?  It doesn’t seem fair.  Maybe I’m just destined to always be part of the working class.  I don’t see a way into wealth, unless some miracle occurs.  And, I’m tired of hoping, wishing, waiting for one; I’m sure it’s healthier to be optimistic, but all this left me exhausted.

I just want money.  Why can’t I achieve it?  What’s in my way?  What am I not doing?  Well, I think the following reasons are the answer:

• I don’t have a wealthy family
• My parents don’t know how to make lots of money
• I don’t have any wealthy relatives nearby to help me become wealthy
• I don’t have any mentors in finance

I don’t

I don’t

I don’t want to focus on the negative, but I also don’t want to ignore very realistic reasons for why I’m not advancing towards my financial goal.

So the above are all possible reasons.  They could all be “glass half empty/full” views.  I think the above factors definitely haven’t helped my quest to find wealth.  I just am finding it harder to find possibilities and miracles.  Tapping usually helps me when I’m down, but I’m so fucking sick of temporary remedies; I want hard evidence of windows of possibility, of actual progress.

Next week:

1. Complete Weekly Writing Prompt for coworkers
2. Tap to feel better about my finances

Road to Financial Abundance – Week 59

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Diversify my writing portfolio by doing a Weekly Writing prompt at least one day a week
2. Search for jobs on craigslist everyday and apply to at least 3
3. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services

So sorry it has been almost two weeks since my last post, guys.  But I’ve just been so busy after getting a job AT AMAZON!  Woo-hoo!  I can’t tell you how exited/relieved I am.  Just finishedmy first week, and my coworkers are great and I really enjoy the job itself.  I’m looking forward to growing and supporting my coworkers.

Well I feel like taking a break in the whole hunt for abundance; I feel like this job will bring me lots of wealth.  I do still want to continue my writing and write regularly for a film and/or gaming website.  That can still be part of my tasks.

Next week:

1. Diversify my writing portfolio by doing a Weekly Writing prompt at least one day a week
2. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services

 

Body Sculpting – Week 54

Last week I said I would do the following:

• Experiment with preparing two lunch meals night before
• Include kung fu drills into exercise routine

Bah, I know I missed another week.  Sorry, guys.  But I’ve just been so busy after getting a job AT AMAZON!  Woo-hoo!  I can’t tell you how exited/relieved I am.  Just finishing up my first week, and my coworkers are great and I really enjoy the job itself.

On a related note, being at work has forced me to pack my two lunch meals, which has been great.  I’ve been experimenting with including my kung fu drills into my daily routine, but it’s been difficult, since I have limited time now in the mornings before I have to go to work.  For now, I’m doing the drills (there are four of them) on Mon, Wed, Fri.

I’ve decided to do P90X, due largely in part to a strongman friend who put my fears about the program to rest.  You see, I have been afraid that if I do this intense 90-day program, my metabolism would plummet afterwards.  But my friend assured me that no, after I’ve completed the program, I’ll have more muscle and a higher metabolism, and therefore my body will be more efficient at processing food and developing muscle even after I’m done with the program.

I figure I’ll start P90X once I get my first paycheck from Amazon, because the program includes a diet, which I’ll have to most likely buy.

Next week:

1. Look at P90X diet and plan what foods I will need to buy & eat for the next 90 days
2. Find way to do kung fu drills every day

Road to Financial Abundance – Week 57

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Diversify my writing portfolio by doing a Weekly Writing prompt at least one day a week
2. Search for jobs on craigslist everyday and apply to at least 3
3. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services

Sorry I missed last week, guys.  I’ve been busy going to interviews, yard work, side work for a local realtor, and dealing with my poor quality of sleep.  All excuses, I know, but at least I’m being proactive, hehe.

Alas, I have not been diversifying my writing portfolio, due to the afore-mentioned reasons.  I know I need to take responsibility, but sometimes it feels so hard when outside factors seem to weigh down on me.

I have been searching for jobs on craigslist, but the pickings have been slim.  Thank god I just had two interviews with a great company this week; I hope I get one of the positions.  I should know within a week.  In the meantime, I’ll continue searching craigslist, but I’m really hoping I get one of these positions.

I haven’t reached out to film websites lately as well.  Arghhhh…  I will do that today.

Next week:

1. Diversify my writing portfolio by doing a Weekly Writing prompt at least one day a week
2. Search for jobs on craigslist everyday and apply to at least 3
3. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services

Body Sculpting – Week 52

Last week I said I would do the following:

• Iron out current routine with pullups & core exercises
• Eat less for lunch meals

Sorry I missed last week, guys.  I’ve been busy going to interviews, yard work, side work for a local realtor, and dealing with my poor quality of sleep.  All excuses, I know, but at least I’m being proactive, hehe.

I’ve ironed out my exercise routine to include pullups (MWF) and core exercises (I’m doing the P90X Ab Ripper on Tues & Sat.  So, my current exercise routine looks like this:

M: 16 min tabata + 20 min chest & back

T: 20 min tabata + Ab ripper

W: 16 min tabata + 20 min legs

R: 20 min tabata + core work on exercise ball (I’m actually experimenting on this day)

F: 16 min tabata + biceps & triceps (I’m thinking to work on biceps & triceps one other day as well)

Sat: 20 min tabata + Ab ripper

Sun: Rest

I have been eating less for lunch meals, but I haven’t been doing good about eating two small lunch meals, due to my sporadic schedule.  I thought about preparing next day’s lunch meals during dinner the night before, so we’ll see how that goes.

I also started taking kung fu lessons!  Woo-hoo!  Something I’ve always wanted to do, but held back because I didn’t have enough money.  But, I finally reached a point where I decided, “F*** it.  I’ll look into it at least”.  Turns out this local kung fu studio is going to work with me on payments, which is amazing.  My instructor gave me some drills to do everyday, as well as a fighting combo.  I’m toying around with fitting it into my current routine.  My current goal is to be able to do a flip.

Next week:

• Experiment with preparing two lunch meals night before
• Include kung fu drills into exercise routine

 

Road to Financial Abundance – Week 55

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Tap for better sleep
2. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services
3. Diversify my writing portfolio every day

Ever since the weekend, where I just took it easy, I’ve been able to sleep a lot better.  Mom got me melatonin and suggested that I take up to 5 grams, since past dosages haven’t been effective.  So, I’m actually going to try that tonight.  Good sleep is the foundation of sanity, I’m finding.

Found and reached out to at least 10 movie websites yesterday, so I feel pretty good about that.  I always get excited when I come across really well-designed movie websites.  Hopefully a great one will want to work with me.

Have not been diversifying my writing portfolio; I guess I’ve put that on the back burner since I decided a few days ago that it was more important to apply for jobs everyday.  So I’ve been incorporating applying for jobs into my daily morning routine.  I find it difficult to add writing to my morning routine, which already consists of a 45-min workout and showering and chanting (this takes a little over an hour).

OK, tomorrow I need to do one of those Weekly Writing prompts – get the ball rolling.

Next week:

1. Diversify my writing portfolio by doing a Weekly Writing prompt at least one day a week
2. Search for jobs on craigslist everyday and apply to at least 3
3. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services

Body Sculpting – Week 50

Last week I said I would do the following:

• Look into integrating (as opposed to substituting) “The Ultimate 28-Day Six-Pack Programme” into routine
• Research local wushu/kung fu schools

Looked more deeply into the exercises in “The Ultimate 28-Day Six-Pack Programme” – they have a lot of really great exercises.  I’m hesitant to incorporate them into my routine just yet, because I’m actually still trying to find middle ground with my current routine.  I want to do at least 40 pullups MWF, and I’ve also been toying around with doing P90X’s Ab Ripper twice a week.  For now, I’m confident I’m getting a decent workout that works out all major muscle groups.

I’ve been putting more attention and focus into my diet; the phrase, “It’s 60% diet, 40% exercise” is really starting to sink in.  I noticed from year-old photos of myself that I have indeed gained weight around my mid-section.  Ugh.  I remember my diet a year ago – steel-cut oats for breakfast, tortilla chips & hummus for lunch, and dinner was usually whatever was available at the house.  I’m thinking one portion of that diet worked extremely well – not eating a lot for lunch, since I like eating a big meal for dinner.  So,  this week I have been eating very little for my one or two lunch meals – less than 10 almonds, some dried seaweed, some sort of protein.

I visited the two local kung fu schools today.  One was closed.  I’m going tomorrow to the other school for a free 30-min lesson.  I want to learn some sort of acrobatic martial art, because I’ve always wanted to be able to do flips and move gracefully.  I always wanted to take gymnastics when I was younger, but my family couldn’t afford it.  So, I figure an acrobatic martial art combines aerial movement with self-defense – the best of both worlds.

The teacher at the latter school informed me that the type of kung fu I want is called wing chun.  I’ve heard of this type of kung fu, but didn’t know it was acrobatic.  The teacher said that at this particular school, they actually do a more grounded form of kung fu, but that their school in the surrounding suburb offers wing chun.  I’m excited to go tomorrow and learn some basics.  I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to start this journey.  It’s been because of lack of money.  But, I guess I’ve finally reached that point where I’m not ashamed to barter; I was thinking of offering to clean the studio or something.

Next week:

• Iron out current routine with pullups & core exercises
• Eat less for lunch meals

Body Sculpting – Week 49

Last week I said I would do the following:

• Replace eggs with egg whites
• Add more ab/core exercises & cardio to routine, in order to burn fat and have abs show:

M: 14 min tabata + chest/back strength training, 3 sets of 10 myotatic crunches, 3 sets of 10 cat vomit, 3 sets of 10 pullups

T: 20 min tabata + Ab ripper + 3 sets of 10 deadlifts

W: 14 min tabata + biceps/triceps strength training, 3 sets of 10 pullups

R: 20 min tabata + 3 sets of 10 deadlifts

F: 14 min tabata + legs strength training, 3 sets of 10 myotatic crunches, 3 sets of 10 cat vomit, 3 sets of 10 pullups

Sat: 20 min tabata + Ab ripper

Sun: REST

Been doing great about my diet for the majority of the week – it consists mostly of legumes or brown rice, protein, and veggies.  I’m still enjoying my modified routine, so that’s awesome.  I feel good about working out a different muscle group every other day.

StumbledUpon this great fitness article on Men’s Health – “The Ultimate 28-Day Six-Pack Programme”.  Looks pretty much like what my research has been telling me – (quoting from the article) “You’ll raise your body’s metabolism through compound exercises, optimise fat-burning with a variety of cardio workouts, create the perfect ‘V-shape’ through back and shoulder specific routines.”  Like any new routine, I’m hesitant to completely substitute my current routine for a new one, as I’m afraid I might gain fat from any sort of drastic change like that.

This routine, for example, has you doing weight training (targeting different msuycle groups) one day, then cardio the next, then another strength training day, then a rest day, and so on.  I’m hesitatnt to leave out cardio everyday, because I want to burn as much fat as possible, and I know you can almost never overdo cardio (as opposed to weight training, where you need to rest your muscles).

I’ve also been giving major thought to doing wushu or some sort of martial art, since it’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I think it would be a great way to sculpt my body and have fun in the process.  So that’ll be part of my tasks this week – look into local martial arts studios that offer wushu/kung fu.  I want to do wushu/kung fu specificaly, because it’s a very acrobatic martial art, and I want to improve my flexibility and be able to do flips.

Next week:

1. Look into integrating (as opposed to substituting)  “The Ultimate 28-Day Six-Pack Programme” into routine
2. Research local wushu/kung fu schools

Road to Financial Abundance – Week 54

Last week I said I would do the following:

1. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services
2. Diversify my writing portfolio every day

Similar to last week, I have found it difficult to find time to do the above two tasks everyday, due to my sporadic schedule.  But actually, a larger factor is my poor quality of sleep these past two weeks.  I’ve been waking up exhausted, barely able to function after I do my morning workout, which makes it extremely difficult to add the above two tasks to my daily routine., let alone function properly.  I think I need to recognize this sleep issue first and find a way to solve it.

I’m sort of at a loss of ideas as to what to do while I wait to hear back on a potential job offer.  It would be a very opportunistic company, and I really hope I get it.

Next week:

1. Tap for better sleep
2. Find and reach out to at least ONE website centered on film/movies, and offer my awesome writing services
3. Diversify my writing portfolio every day

Body Sculpting – Week 48

Last week I said I would do the following:

Stick with following workout routine and monitor results:

M: 12 min tabata + chest/back strength training, myotatic crunches & cat vomit, pullups

T: 20 min tabata

W: 12 min tabata + biceps/triceps strength training, pullups

R: 20 min tabata

F: 12 min tabata + legs strength training, myotatic crunches & cat comit, pullups

Sat: 20 min tabata

Sun: REST

I’ve been freaking out a bit, because a friend pointed out that my tummy had gotten bigger.  I knew it.  I knew I was gaining weight; whether that weight is muscle or fat, I don’t care.  It looks like fat.  After telling my friend my diet, he suggested that I stop eating so many almonds (I thought it was a good source of protein, but he says they contain more fat than protein), and replace eggs with egg whites (again, I thought eggs to be a good source of protein, but he also pointed out that they contain lots of cholesterol).  So, I will do just that.  Seeing my tummy and love handles growing makes me so crazy.  I’ve thought about reverting back to my diet a year ago, of hardly eating anything for lunch and just doing cardio and some pushups & ab exercises.  But, I reasoned, most fitness gurus say eating 4-5 times a day helps boost your metabolism.  Plus, I am having fun working out different muscle groups every day.  But, I’m thinking I might focus more on abs.

Ugh, it’s so hard to know which fitness advice to follow, as there is a lot of conflicting advice out there.

Next week:

• Replace eggs with egg whites
• Add more ab/core exercises & cardio to routine, in order to burn fat and have abs show:

M: 14 min tabata + chest/back strength training, 3 sets of 10 myotatic crunches, 3 sets of 10 cat vomit, 3 sets of 10 pullups

T: 20 min tabata + Ab ripper + 3 sets of 10 deadlifts

W: 14 min tabata + biceps/triceps strength training, 3 sets of 10 pullups

R: 20 min tabata + 3 sets of 10 deadlifts

F: 14 min tabata + legs strength training, 3 sets of 10 myotatic crunches, 3 sets of 10 cat vomit, 3 sets of 10 pullups

Sat: 20 min tabata + Ab ripper

Sun: REST