My 2020 New Year’s Resolution? 100 Push-Ups A Day, Every Day
It’s not the physical benefits that count, but the mental ones.
My New Year’s resolution is to do 100 push-ups a day, 365 days in a row.
Let me give you a little context.
My name is Alvin, and I used to be a halfway-decent amateur fighter. I quit when I was 20 and now I mostly run my own company, Singapore BJJ Open. I also write on Medium and have aspirations of becoming a published author.
Why 100 Push Ups Daily?
The first questions that are likely to pop up in most reader’s minds are:
Why 100 push-ups a day?
That’s oddly specific.
Are you a diehard One Punch Man fan?
All legitimate questions and all seem simple to answer. However, sometimes seemingly simple goals hide deep-seated desires, and sometimes seemingly simple questions have more than one answer.
There are 3 reasons why I chose this oddly-specific resolution.
You see, I want.…
#1 To Build Momentum
“Step by step,
walk the thousand-mile road.”
— Miyamoto Musashi
The 100-push up challenge is me deliberately chasing low-hanging fruit.
Oftentimes we set our goals too big. It comes from a place of positive desire, but this often has a paradoxical effect: the bigger and more daunting the goal, the more likely we are to procrastinate, and the less likely we are to eventually reach them.
This defeats the purpose of goal-setting in the first place. Unaccomplished goals are merely wishes, and if wishes were horses every beggar could ride.
Focusing on the end goal has a paralyzing effect. Instead, I’ve found it’s far more effective to set small goals and focus on generating momentum.
Instead of trying to write a 400-word novel from scratch, journal every day for a year.
Instead of wanting the body of a fitness model right away, do some crunches every morning when you wake up.
Instead of gunning to make a million dollars straight out of college, get a job and put 10% of your salary in the piggy bank.
Many of us are too focused on the end result when we’d do better to focus on the process.
The way to summit Everest is the same as climbing any mountain; handhold by handhold, step by step. The hardest part is getting started. Once you get the boulder rolling, it’ll get easier and easier.
Momentum will take care of the rest.
#2 My Desires To Be 100% Specific
“I don’t throw and hope….I aim and fire.”
— Israel Adesanya
Notice how my goal is simple and specific — the best kind of plans always are.
The objective? To do a 100 push-ups before the clock strikes 12.
365 days in a row.
Rain or shine, high or sober, whether I do it at night or at dawn — it doesn’t matter. If the day passes without me hitting the big one-oh-oh, I’ve failed. If I succeed, I’ve passed. Till tomorrow.
Simple as that.
Oftentimes, our resolutions are vague.
Oh, I want to be rich.
I want to be more attractive.
I’d like to get better grades.
These aren’t resolutions or goals — they’re wishes. And vague ones at that. And if vague wishes were horses, every beggar would get lost.
Remember, when it comes to goal setting, be as specific as you can.
#3 To Take Care Of My Mind (And My Body)
“To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”
— Oscar Wilde
From 2017–2019, I suffered a two-year streak of unending injuries. Multiple-corneal abrasions from boxing? Check. Blowing out my MCL a week after being discharged from the Air Force? Check. Repeated subluxation of both shoulder joints?
Checkity-check-check.
Personally, I can attest that that two-year period was also when my emotional health was at it’s worst.
Mental health awareness is all the rage these days, but something many people don’t get is that your mental well-being is greatly affected by your physical well-being, and vice versa.
Some things in life are best handled subtly. Like approaching a frightened animal. Or courting a beautiful girl. There were a great many times when I was in a brain-fogged slump but instantly felt miles better after a great workout.
Will doing 100-push ups every day get me in Saitama shape?
Of course not.
It is fortunate then, that that is not what I’m primarily after.
The 100 push-up a day challenge is a form of self-care for me. Instead of going to the spa or treating myself to a massage, getting a quick workout reminds me to take care of myself.
Both physically — and mentally.
Long story short, by doing a 100-push up a day I aim to improve not just my fitness, but in many aspects of my life.
I want to set small goals, and let momentum do the rest. I want my desires to be specific, quantifiable — to end the day knowing if I’ve passed or failed. I want to take care of myself, and let discipline bleed over into all aspects of my life.
That’s it. That’s my New Year’s Resolution.
What’s yours?
Thanks for reading my story :)
