🌈 1368 – Monday, 18 August 2025 22:58

London

It was 10:58 p.m. when I finally sat down to write. I’m glad, it’s earlier than usual. Most nights, I don’t even start until midnight or later.

I often wonder why waking up early makes the day feel so different; the whole day goes smoothly. Things feel easier, I get more done, and somehow there’s still time left over. The day even seems to move more slowly. I’ve noticed this pattern more than once.

This morning woke up at 5:20 a.m. Felt fresh, but I didn’t want to start the day just yet. I hit snooze, though didn’t actually fall back asleep, and was glad for that. then sat at on the edge of the bed for a few minutes to meditate. I resisted checking my phone right away and went straight to my desk instead. There, while my mind was still calm, I wrote out fifteen affirmations.

Then I check the family group chat. Parents were already out for a foot appointment, and dear brother was messaging them there. I thought I’d give them a call when they returned.

Then I logged into work. Done a few tasks that are best done early, before the bosses sign in. That way, they could approve them quickly, and I’d already have what I needed to forward on. By 7 a.m., all of that was complete.

I got ready and headed to the gym – PureGym Piccadilly. I focused on arms today:

• 4 sets of 11 pull-ups

• Tricep presses

• Stretch skull crushers

• Rope tricep extensions

• Supinated EZ bar extensions

• Close-grip barbell curls

• Caveman curls

• Seated hammer curls

• EZ bar curls

While there, I ran into a mate I hadn’t seen for a couple of weeks. He’d just come back from a holiday in Spain. We had a quick chat before I showered, headed home, and made breakfast – Weetabix with banana. Then I sat back at my desk to catch up on work.

The workday went smoothly. Around 10:30 a.m., a friend rang to check in. He’d been at the beach over the weekend. The weather had been unusually hot – up to 33 degrees across the UK – though the nights were surprisingly normal.

Another friend texted to say he was feeling under the weather. I wished him a quick recovery. That reminded me of my brother, who’d been dealing with some arm pain for the last couple of days. I told him he needed to be careful with his posture while working at his desk. Something he was doing differently seemed to be causing the pain. I suggested he get a desk assessment, but he preferred to see a physio. I agreed – a professional opinion would help a lot.

It made me reflect on life for a moment. Why do we humans go through all these aches and pains? Birth, life, sickness, death – the stages we all must experience. People often say to stop overthinking, keep your inner chatter positive, and you won’t attract negativity. I wondered how true that really is.

Later, I remembered my parents should have been back from their appointment. I phoned them to check in. They were already home, napping. Mother said she was fine, had gone for some tests, and would get more help tomorrow after the results came in. Being far away, all I could do was send love to my parents, my brother, my friends, and everyone going through rough patches – wishing them a speedy recovery.

The rest of the day, I stayed at my desk, working. Around lunchtime, I went up to Sainsbury’s Mayfair, grabbed some snacks, and kept working with the radio and podcasts playing in the background. I stayed there until 17:19 ., then logged off.

Then checked the swimming schedule at Everyone Active leisure centre and saw one slot left at 17:30. I booked it quickly. Since I’d already had a big workout earlier, I took a 10-minute nap first. Then I got ready and headed out. I arrived 20 minutes late but still managed my usual 45-minute swim.

When I left, I noticed missed calls from both Mum and Dad. I rang Dad back – Mum was already on another call. We had a quick chat before I wished him goodnight and went home. Dinner was salad, beef, and lentil soup.

I had a short WhatsApp chat with my brother, and then I sat down to write.

Three things I felt grateful for today:

• Grateful for two solid workouts today.

• Grateful for a smooth Monday.

• Grateful for being able to head to bed feeling good.

What would it take for you and me to wake up ten times stronger, leaner, more muscular, energetic, confident, and motivated? To wake up early, have a great workout before work, show up decently, everything to be okay with family, friends and everyone around then have a relaxing, relaxing, relaxing, yet a productive day tomorrow?

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Goodnight, and good luck!

– Ash Khaleem