January 2020 - February 2020 Building Good Habits - The Zen State Of Mind

After moving back to the UAE, I had given myself a few months to find a job considering it had always been a tough market to crack.

I decided to utilize this time to regain focus on fitness, clean eating etc.

I remember having warrior like discipline and solid instincts to avoid what wasn't good for me. I'd never touch an aerated beverage, sweet stuff, crisps, pizzas etc.

The discipline to turn away from temptations without batting an eyelid, that was the truest form of Zen for me. Where I never felt I was missing out on anything.

In the 6 weeks I took to find a job; I worked super hard. 6 days a week without fail.

I'd reached my goal weight, and I was feeling good. Once you reach a goal, you need to set another goal.

I started feeling invincible and took my progress for granted.

March 2020 - August 2020:

Undoing good habits.

Over the course of "lock-down" and being at home, the consistency, discipline and avoiding what was bad for me/ working out regularly reduced overtime. In a few months, it was borderline unhealthy.

Cheat meals and rest days more frequent, the relentless effort to push myself less frequent. I saw my weight gradually increase over time, but you start taking it for granted, "work from home"/ "lockdown" were justifiable excuses in my head.

Had I known what I know now, lockdown and work from home was an opportunity to get better, not worse.

I'm sure all of us went through these situations at some point during the lockdown, and I'm hoping most of you were able to bounce back from it. I haven't yet.

September 2020 - October 2020

Building bad habits - The Devil State Of Mind

During work from home, I was moving about a fair bit. Once working from office resumed in September, it got way worse, and stagnancy kicked in.

I started ordering food from out frequently, and over the course of these months, the foods I would eat once a month became once a week, and the food I'd never touch became a once a month/ once in two weeks occurrence.

I was all over the place.

November 2020 - February 2021

The New Normal

Have you been in a situation where you say you'll start something and then keep pushing it indefinitely? I had my bachelor party around then, the holiday season, my wedding in the pipeline, sisters wedding following that.

Every occasion was an excuse to indulge lavishly and push my goals and actions for the future.

Inaction led to more inaction.

I had realized that these are my habits now. This is the new normal. When I see a box of chocolates, I will go in and take 5-6 pieces until I'm sick of the sweet taste. If I see a packet of crisps, I will finish it.

I kept telling myself, "it's okay, these moments won't come again", but I didn't understand the value of balance and discipline. The world isn't going to run out of chocolate for me to finish the entire damn box.

I let these 4 months slip and enjoyed the occasions thoroughly. When it was time to come back to routine, there was a problem.

I'd realized, building good habits is tough; undoing bad habits, WAY tougher.

The lack of discipline had done a lot of damage.

March 2021 - Present

Figuring this out

I am trying my best to figure out how to bring routine and discipline back into my life with my eating, sleeping, exercise, habits.

The first step is acknowledging that there is a problem, then identifying a solution.

For those of you who know me, you know I'm extreme. It's all in or nothing.

I've been listening to podcasts, downloading apps, figuring multiple ways to balance everything in life.

I keep receiving different opinions on making this happen, but only one person can figure out how to do this. Me. The only way it'll happen is by trial and error and compartmentalizing the above into smaller goals based on priorities and eventual habit formations.

Somedays you will fail, somedays you'll succeed. The idea is to keep trying.

Step 1 is to get the right eating habits, exercise routine, and sleeping pattern. Everything else will follow.

What I'm trying to do to condition my mind is something I heard in a Jay Shetty video.

Don't quote me on this, but it went something like this:

Makes sense?

Here is an example:

Before eating that burger, it's all you think about. After eating it, you drown yourself in self-loathe. Does that happen to anyone else?

Before working out, you're way too lazy to move and get yourself out of your comfort zone. The second you are done with it, you feel amazing.

The trick to this, as per one of my favourite podcasters, Rob Dial is,

Let's see how this goes.

Planning to work on this over the weekend. Stay tuned to see how it goes.

The Zen State Of Mind will return.

Cricket Update:

Game 1:

Titans Internal Game

Batting first, we had a decent start. I opened, and we had a solid start.

We were 27/0 in 2 overs. The run rate slowed down after the first wicket fell, and around the time we were 45/1 in 6 overs, I got carried away and skyed one in the air, premeditated.

I messed up a good start with a good strike rate and got out at 17(12).

Overall had a good day on the field with a runout and getting my close mate Phani out while bowling. I almost got the 2nd wicket, but a couple of dropped catches took that away from me. It felt good to have an all-rounded contribution to the team. I wasn't the best in any department, but I was 2nd/3rd best in all. Not ideal, but a positive step in the right direction, and I hope to build on it from this.

We won the game, and it always feels good to contribute to a winning cause.

Game 2:

Stallions Friendly Game

This happened last night.

It was a friendly game with another team, and we had 2 extra players who were supposed to play for the opponents. The captain informed me that I'd be one of them because he felt I'd get a better opportunity to bat there. The older me would have jumped in a heartbeat, but my focus revolves around comradery and playing with/for the team. I voiced my concern and requested to be back with the team, and luckily they did that.

We were bowling first in a 25 over match.

I was surprised when given the ball, which I had never done with Stallions. Luckily I got two guys bowled in the first over. My 2nd and 3rd over were decent, too, no wickets, though. Got a catch, too, towards the end.

While chasing a modest total of 138 in 25 overs, I was mentally prepared not to bat because our top order was strong and needed exposure. The top order had a decent start, but at some point, we got super complacent, and wickets kept falling.

I went in at #7 while the score was 52-5. Shortly after I went, it was 56-6, and one of my teammates, Awais joined me in the middle. We are both top-order batsmen, out of form, and we have never strung a solid partnership together.

Funnily enough, when we reached the ground, I told him that we have never really had a proper partnership. Whenever we have been in the middle, one of us has gifted our wicket away. He said, "Aaj Karte hai" (today is the day).

Such is the power of words. That's exactly what we did.

We dug in deep and finished the game for the team. I finished at 30*(31), Awais making 48*(32). I couldn't be happier for both of us to get back to some form and, most importantly, to have voiced my dissatisfaction with being in the opponent team and helping the team cross the line.

Tonight I have another game with Titans (the finals of the internal clash) before we go into an exciting tournament—a big opportunity to build a case for being a top-order contender.

Saturday, I have another tournament game with the 2nd string team of Stallions.

Let's see how these games go. A couple of days ago, we heard some disturbing news about one of our fellow cricket colleagues in the UAE cricket circuit passing away. I didn't go for net practice that day, and I was truly shaken. Young 37-year-old bloke taken away, just like that.

I wish his family strength and offer my condolences for their loss. RIP Tariq Bhai.

I apologize for ending this on this note. I hope people (including me) figure out what's important and worth living for and start doing the things that make you feel fulfilled.