Slowly Then Suddenly (CoPilot Edition)
Ernest Hemingway said it best, "It occurs first very slowly, then all at once."
This post is 616 words, a 3-minute read.
Yup, this is the same post as last week. However, it has been modified by Microsoft's CoPilot (powered by ChatGPT). My prompt to CoPilot was to make last week’s post concise while leaving some stories in it.
Let me know your thoughts on the results. Is it better than the original? Do you prefer the pace of the writing to the original? Reply to this email or leave a comment below.
Over the last year, I've gone from weighing 185-190 pounds to 215 pounds. How did this happen? Slowly, then suddenly.
Looking back, I see how tiny decisions stacked up. Skipping my daily 1-mile run, avoiding soccer, and making poor nutritional choices contributed. Each change seemed insignificant alone, but together they formed a 25-pound mound of fat.
It started with choosing not to do my daily 1-mile run before working out. I hate running, so I found excuses like not having enough time during lunch workouts or thinking I could replace running with less rest time between sets. By itself, this would have been fine. I had gone without running before and nothing happened.
The problem began when it wasn't the only change. I also stopped playing soccer weekly. I had good excuses, like going to bed late and missing early morning runs, but it boiled down to laziness. Not playing soccer and not running alone weren't so bad, but they started to add up.
My nutrition hit me in two ways: not eating enough of the right things during the day and eating too much of the wrong things at night. I stopped stocking up on nutritious foods like salmon, broccoli, and fruits. Instead, I defaulted to fast food like Chick-fil-A because it was cheaper and closer. Switching from brown rice to white rice made me hungrier, so I ate more. Again, by itself, this wasn't so bad, but combined with other changes, it became a problem.
I also started going to bed later and later. Initially, it was due to my soccer ref and field managing side gig, but it escalated from 2-3 times a week to 5-7 times a week. Staying up late made me hungry, but not for salads—more like plantain chips, potato chips, or wings. I no longer stocked up on fruit salads that used to satiate me when working late.
Why detail these changes? Because I want you to notice what I didn't stop doing. Ironically, I was still going to the gym and working out. I may have switched things up, but I was still doing the "right" thing.
This pattern isn't unique to fitness; it applies to finances and other life areas. We increase income, then spending, and lose financial focus. Subscriptions, higher living costs, and supporting loved ones add up. Eventually, we feel stressed over money, wondering how we got here.
The answer is simple: Slowly, then suddenly.
The good news is, that positive changes happen the same way. By consistently implementing good habits and learning new ones, we can achieve our goals.
For me, that means going to bed on time, replacing snacks with fruits, and adding running back into my routine. Remember, bad things happen slowly, then suddenly. But so do good things.
My question for each of us as we finish out 2024 is, What are the points of erosion in our lives?
Maybe it is finances
Maybe it is faith
Maybe it is fitness
Maybe it is relationships
Whatever it may be. Let's put focus on it, and be surprised by the large changes we make
Slowly then Suddenly.
And Remember Generosity>greed
God Bless you
✌🏾