Posts

Consistent Action, Lasting Results

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After a few months into starting the gym, I  started seeing  a difference: Kian Hanlan, iPhone As I approach my Senior year at SDSU I realize how important the gym is to me. I started going in my sophomore year for 8 consecutive months, took a pause in my junior year, and started again this summer. After returning to the gym I have seen a noticeable difference in my physique. Seeing this change makes me proud of staying consistent and showing up, but it’s not always easy. Many days I do not feel like going to the gym either because I am tired or I want to do something else. However, I think about my goal of reaching 160 lbs, a weight I was so close to reaching last year but failed, and know that a day I don’t show up is one more day that sets me further from my goal. This motivates me to show up and stay consistent with this activity.  By going regularly, the gym teaches me the power of consistency and its relationship to success. The small efforts may not feel like they ...

Buying Value: A Guide to Financial Decision Making

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What Do You Buy That Adds Value? Picture by: Unknown,  Freepik If you’re just starting to tiptoe into the “real world” full of adulting and obligations, you know the significant amount of responsibilities that begin to pile up, especially financial obligations. Like me, you probably don’t have a ton of extra money laying around for wants after needs are taken care of. That’s why it’s important to plan out your money so that you can cover your needs while still having room for the things you enjoy. For me, I had to plan how I was going to save money in order to buy my guitar because playing music is an important activity. The way it pushes me to get better and the beautiful sounds it produces are reasons why saving was worth it. But in order to get it, careful budgeting was required so that I could afford my needs and my wants. I believe there is a line everyone needs to walk between never treating yourself and splurging unnecessarily . Both are extreme ends that can negatively aff...

An Escape to a Creative World

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 What Brings You Happiness? Picture by: Kian Hanlan, iPhone What’s an activity that brings you to your happy place? Sports, cooking, taking a walk in the park, yoga? Having an activity you like and can look forward to doing is important to maintain balance in a busy life. For me, playing my guitar (especially flamenco ) has always been my favorite pastime activity which brings me satisfaction and peace of mind. Whether I am having a long day or dealing with problems in my life, playing guitar always brings me to a place of calm and serenity. I tend to catch myself losing track of time often playing for hours which only feel like minutes. This is the activity that gets me 100% into a flow state of mind. After a few minutes, I become fully enveloped in the world of music where notes and beats come alive and create vivid illustrations in my head. With the world being as fast paced as it is with no signs of slowing down, I find it common for days and weeks to pass in the blink of an e...