Intervals, exploring Łódź – Poland’s weirdest city, the festival of colours, light bulb bugs in the mountains and my first thousand on Facebook fan page. June was an intense month.
The most important lesson I’ve learnt about habits
Although this part of the post may appear to you non-travel related, I find it so important and enlightening, I have to share this with you. Maybe you will also benefit from my findings? (Which actually would be great!)
It limits you, puts you into trouble, makes you feel ashamed when you fail, creates frustration and bad mood. It decreases your self-confidence. What’s that?
The BAD HABIT.
Getting up too late, procrastinating with doing the things you have to do anyway, spending money on things you don’t need, eating that one extra snack when you shouldn’t. Bad habits either make you succeed or fail. In basically every area of your life: job, relationships, even your passion.
Regardless of what your bad habit is, I’m sure you want to get rid of it. It’s not so easy, though, is it? I’ll tell you why it’s like that. The hitch is that you’re trying to rob yourself of something while not giving anything in exchange. Do you understand what I mean? You are trying to kill one habit but this makes you feel somehow void and empty. That’s why it doesn’t work.
Instead of wasting time and energy on trying to “get rid” of a habit, REPLACE it. Substitute the bad habit with a good habit, one that will not make you fail. However, the good habit also has to be… pleasant.
So you shouldn’t drink that much black coffee but you like it? Try out chicory coffee. You hate getting up early? Create a nice morning ritual, like preparing and eating a healthy and tasty breakfast, to make the morning less scary. You spend too much money on things you actually don’t need? Go to the ATM, take out a certain amount of money and leave the credit card at home, pay cash only. It REALLY works. I am a walking proof of that.
20 kilograms of a difference
A few days ago, while I was working out at the gym and doing one of my favourite exercises, the seated leg curl, I noticed that the weight I was lifting was 20 kilograms higher comparing with the one when I started working out four months ago. 20 kilograms of a difference. It didn’t happen overnight – I was working really hard for this for the past sixteen weeks by being so acutely systematic with visiting the gym that I am actually still surprised about that. I’m surprised that I actually AM ABLE to be so determined when I have a goal in mind. I am also so surprised to see how my body and mind change following the commitment to work out.
I would not have achieved that had it not been for two things. The goal and deadline by when I want to achieve it that I set at the beginning of my journey. The results I see from week to week. I am so happy about it because although setting goals matter, I am actually ENJOYING the whole process. Working out is my discovery for this year, I have never been so committed to anything for such a long time. Four months without any breaks is like a marathon for me and I am really, really enjoying every moment of it.
What’s the lesson for you here? Set yourself goals but don focus only on them. Experiment and find something that gives you both pleasure and satisfaction and you’ll see that working on your goal will become so much easier then. For me it’s interval training and weight lifting. Each time when I finish my workout, I feel so deeply relaxed and confident about just anything, I can’t recommend this feeling enough. Also, cramming training sessions into my routine made me more organised. See, it has only benefits. :) Making the gym my habit would not work out if I didn’t like it.
If you’re more into sport and fitness, here are some links I found very useful.
The curious incidents of Kinga exploring Łódź – Poland’s weirdest city
In June, I finally went to Łódź – one of the most fascinating cities in Poland. It has rapidly changed in the past years and is full of striking contrast. I had some really funny, sometimes scary adventures there which you can find here. I’m craving to come back.
Cultural Poznań – Malta Festival
Each year, when June begins I wake up with the thought that I forgot to buy the tickets for the Malta Festival YET AGAIN and that next year will be different. Guess what? The same happened this July. I have this thing that once I click “interested” or “going” on events on Facebook, I INSTANTLY forget about it.
This year my saviour was Ela, who reminded me about the beginning of the festival. The opening performance was a dancing show ending with colours “battle” like on the Indian holiday – Holi. It was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I’m sure I’ll participate in something similar again.
By and large, if you’re considering visiting Poznan, do it in June. The Liberty Square (Plac Wolności) is full of comfy hammocks, exhibitions, music, and people. A lot of the festival events are free, taking place right on the streets. It’s a really amazing time.
The scariest escape room ever
In June, driven by the need to feel some adrenaline once again, I went to an escape room. Not sure what I was thinking while booking this particular room – I chose the SCARIEST room in the whole city and it’s not an exaggeration. Just in case you’ll want to visit this, I will not spoil it. I’ll just tell you there are things that MOVE in this room and you start off being closed in a cage. Separated from your friends. Aha, I have to say this – I went there with my friends from the office and I was not the person scared the most. Actually, I had fun, although there were some frightening moments.
Adventurous weekend in the Lower Silesia
I’m still working on this post, so here’s just a short blurb to whet your appetite. With a friend of mine, Hanna, we went on a weekend trip to Lower Silesia to do some hiking in the mountains. The funny thing about both of us is that we attract adventures. When we met, we attracted even more adventures than we normally do and it was funny, exciting, sometimes scary. We walked A LOT, we conquered three summits, experienced heavy storm while on the way to the top of one of the mountains, lost the way, walked through the forest after dark and saw the devil’s house. And drunk beer watching the stars on the clear, dark, sky.
It was a really, really good weekend.
Preparations for the Iceland trekking have begun!
In less than a month, I’ll be trekking Iceland. I have already started preparing for this experience and some little challenges are cropping up. ;-) Recently, I “booked” an expedition tent in a specialised shop and guess what? After three days after booking, they just told me the tent is actually not available. :) Such professionals. Luckily, a friend is helping me out.
Actually, when it comes to Iceland I am not busy looking for ALL KIND OF USEFUL INFO: the weather conditions, what I should pack, etc. If you have any info, please let me know. ;-) I’m stepping down from the travel bloggers’ chair now, looking out for your advice.
So that was my June. I enjoyed it a lot and am looking forward my next adventures. How was your month?
