/sig/ - self improvement general

This thread endorses both physical and mental fitness in order to promote healthy living for everyone.

/sig/ Basics:
>YOU are 100% responsible for the way you experience life. Not your parents, not your surroundings, not your ex, not your bully, not your future spouse. YOU. Complete, sincere acceptance of this is the most fundamental step to bettering yourself, and it is by far the hardest thing you'll ever do.
>Work your way to becoming the best YOU you can be - one step at a time.
>Set realistic Goals and have a Plan. Use short-term Goals to keep yourself going.
>Learn helpful and effective daily/weekly/etc. routines, including mundane ones.
>Have a steady sleeping rhythm - one that works for you, so long as you keep to it. Get 6-11 hours of sleep. More Info: pastebin.com/h4CDDtKu
>Learn Mindfulnes Meditation. More Info: pastebin.com/0NMDEUNh
>Learn to be Brutally Honest with yourself. Stop being a slave to your Ego.
>Think critically.
>If you need to put others down to feel good about yourself, you are putting yourself in a position where you are dependent on the people you look down on.
>Focus on the essentials. If you try to do everything at once, you’ll burnout.

Resources:
>newarcitea.neocities.org/ - Overall Guide
>thework.com/ - "Simple" Mental Health self-help resource. You get out what you put in.

Discord:
discord.gg/YJQQSQf

Books:
>s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=22578279902195591270 - Mortimer J. Adler, Charles Van Doren - How to Read a Book
>s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=01374239493824328035 - Sam Harris - Waking Up
>misc.equanimity.info/downloads/mindfulness_in_plain_english.pdf - Henepola Gunaratana - Mindfulness in Plain English
>s000.tinyupload.com/index.php?file_id=93057425205857796418 - Dale Carnegie - How to Win Friends and Influence People
>Tsultrim Allione - Feeding your Demons

previous thread

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Went and got my old job back, just part time though. It's so nice, my old boss welcomed me back with open arms. Now I at least have an income while I search for an apprenticeship.

How long will it take to think normal again or at least lose the brain fog after concussion/whiplash?

Give me a phrase anons, prompt me on a short piece.

When I had mine a few months ago, it took me about an hour or so to become fully conscious again after the concussion.

When did you get hit?
If you have lasting congnitive impact from a concussion, see a doctor! It should just take you 24 hrs to be back to 100%

must be nice.
I was laid off haha

I'm in the middle of scaling up a business, but I am really really nervous.
I have $15k in the bank and spend 2.5k/mo (and I'll have to spend on marketing and a first production run of my product)

Took 2 years off Jow Forums

Good:
- x4 income now working at FAANG company
- qt GF

Bad:
- all lifts fallen by 20% only workout 4x week now
- bf% up 2%

Could be worse

On Easter but I had one 3 years ago and it took fairly long, like a month or 2, for the headaches to go away

Repost from last thread.
Should I focus on only one sport or should I try to divide my energy/time? I've always had a problem with liking too many sports, and wanting to do too many different things concurrently. Right now I want to lift, do kickboxing, maybe start BJJ, running, and swimming. I know it's too much, but sports is one of the only things that makes me truly happy. I just don't know if I should pick one or two and focus on those or just do whatever I feel like.
And advice? Also, how do I decide on a routine? I keep jumping routines and it's hurting my gains

If you don't have a goal like "Become a professional kickboxer" then do whatever you like. If you want to improve one thing then spend more time doing it.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with all these activities and ideally you SHOULD do all of them at least a little bit. Also, don't forget to rest.

>Become a professional kickboxer
is getting a gf as hard as ^^
is that a good goal to train for?

we're all gonna make it bros

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Looking good will get you looks but not a gf. If you want a gf you should find something you love doing and do it, make that thing your passion. In your case that's exercising, sports, martial arts, health, longevity - that's hot, that will get you a gf.

Thanks familia. I just overthink everything, also with what routine to do now. It's causing mental blocks and indecisiveness and it's really annoying.

bump

Bump

Based positivity poster

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what's the point of the flag

>got fired from last job due to being out sick for too long (new hire, they don't need a real reason to fire you)
>got a new job, started yesterday
>car spun out and got rear ended on the drive there
>no signal lights on the right side so not driveable
>insurance won't cover it
>have to call my broker and see if I can go after the insurance of the chick who hit me
>can't afford a new car or to fix it
Well this is a setback.

>day 8 nofap
>day 3 meditation
>day 2 water fast
>day 2 off coffee
Things are looking up bois

Fuck knows man, it’s just the auto generated background from the website I got it from.

I just nut today for an erotic dream.
Still count as no fap if i dont spank the monkey?

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Nah wet dreams are all good cause you aren’t controlling it.

>broke up with gf of 5 years
>antidepressants to combat depression
>fast forward few months
>now am quite good in my mindset
>the darkness is gone
>some days Im so full of energy to improve myself by reading, working out or hobbies
>but still I find myself thinking about her
>last time we talked 2 months ago she let it slip that she found someone new
>can't shake the feeling that despite me improving in other ways I still feel empty when no girl in my life

fuck I want to stop thinking about her. I want to forget her. I want that burst of energy to improve myself or focus on work to last for ever. do I just need more time or what can I do?

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why do the jannies keep deleting nofap threads

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They can't help it, they are coping with their porn addiction. Also, it's not really fitness related. At least /sig/ is tangentially related to fitness, though not purely so. But being that the mind is equally as important as the body, it's hard to say one is not related to the other. After all, you can't develop your body through fitness unless the mind is also developing the discipline to enact your plans.

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If I don't want to become a competitive lifter or anything like that, would there be any harm in doing a routine specifically for fun instead of power or hypertrophy, for example? I just want to have some fun while lifting, and throw some sports or cardio in there whenever I can. I was thinking of something like PHUL.
Any thoughts?

>sig

Nice idea but doesnt work in practice. There are some ugly antisocial hardworking incels that put 100% into school, they graduate as electrical engineers, then they still can't get laid. Then you have yourself a Falling down movie scenario.

It just doesn't always work out.

>doesnt work in practice.
>It just doesn't always work out.

I mean... what is the criteria you have for "it worked"?

Try your best but be content with your genes and the environment.

>improving yourself is only about getting laid
lel, imagine being this dull

Okay. So. How does sig go against this?

bump

I like myself now. Should I get social media? I’m find socially and I have friends, but its useful for networking right? Should I ascend to normiedom?

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Back in your bucket, crab.
This thread is for those who are improving themselves.

If you’re social and have good friends now, then no.
If you need to network, like for work, use LinkedIn.
Or make a strictly professional normiebook page And follow local professional organizations and networking groups.
You’ll likely get no benefit from looking at Meghan from high school having her second baby at 22.

I know you’re right, but I’m young. 21. People find it very odd I have no social media.

>antidepressants to combat depression
Those things are poison. Exercise, diet, fill your time with meaningful things

It's good to have some form of social media to add people too that you meet. Whatsapp and Facebook are both good for that, just avoid all the normie cancer and only use it to chat to friends. Whatsapp has the bonus of being an easy way to ask for someone's number. If you meet a girl you like you can just ask to add her on Whatsapp, and you'll get her number at the same time.

How do I work on putting more time and effort into coursework

Whatsapp is only really used by immigrants though. Figure I’ll just make a normie book.

Here in England everyone I know uses Whatsapp

I’m a murican. Whats the point of Whatsapp?

Provides a way to make phone calls via wifi or data which can be useful if you are abroad and don't want roaming call charges (data within most of Europe doesn't charge extra), and it has a group function for people to chat in with friends.

So it’s exactly the same as Facebook messenger?

At what age is it too late to turn your life around?

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How do you talk to girl, build up conversation and ask out?

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Time to invest in a home gym!

Pretty much, but it works with people's phone numbers which is kinda cool, and it has the advantage that you don't need a Facebook profile to use it.

It’s never too late.

Brain plasticity decreases with age. If you're past 30 years old, it will get harder and harder to change habits and personality patterns.

So, if you're 30 or around that age, this is your last call.

77

Somewhat true and somewhat bullshit. I'm changing my habits and personality patterns in my mid-40s. Deal with it.

Gets harder, not impossible. Good for you

You lost half of your life already

I don't know bro... I don't know...

Trust me I know. All I can do at this point is make the last half worth living.

Fuck yeah. The best time to figure shit out is at 16, the second best time is right fucking now.

Indeed, user.

I dno, just realistically reflecting on your past and accepting that even if you do your 120% best things could turn out badly because nature is fucking brutal.

I mean if you were bullied, parents are drugs addicsts, all that sort of shit. Maybe you just can't overcome it.

Like easiest doomed scenario that jumps into mind is deadly manletism. Like sub 5'3. Your life will always be miserable

I have a crippling fear of success, it's gotten to the point where I'm dodging homelessness on a month to month basis.

I know it's all in my head, I just have a tough time shaking it. I know the thing to do is to take as much action as possible, so I end up starting project after project only to lose interest when I run up against a wall of self-loathing, and lack of self worth. It feels like the only way forward is to become even more numb, but that just seems like giving in to the mental traps I seek to conquer.

I'm lost guys.

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I'm the same. Meditation has been helping but only so much. You really need to go through the emotions in your head, figure out the cause. Use a therapist if possible but it doesn't seem as if you have money

>stop lifting
>stop cardio
>daily drinking
>no sleep before 5am
>caffeine pills
>fast food
>dont leave apartment
>shitpost every minuet awake
how do I even begin to unfuck my life?

How are you doing /sig/? How’s the week been? How’s the upcoming week/months looking? Let it all out lads.
The bad
>marvel cucked me out of my outing with qt coworker
>fucked up my eBay return so now I’ve got to go through PayPal fuckery to get my money back
>only gone to the gym once this week, can’t go again
>still can’t be arsed to study for my exams, despite them being under two weeks away
The good
>changed the outing to a trip to the local beach town on bank holiday Monday. Which is just better in every way
>not going to the gym because I’m working a lot-getting those financial gains
>going to a party next weekend, looking forward to getting shitfaced with the boys
>thanks to /sig/ I’m back into writing and far more confident in sharing my work with my mates
Remember lads: with adaptability and effort, almost every bad thing can be turned around into a good one. We’re all gonna make it lads.

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Reverse those things starting at the top.

I've had therapy in the past, but this fear of success has sabotaged that as well. I realized that until I'm willing to see myself do well, therapy won't be anything but me lying and wasting time.

Ironically enough I often wish there was something wrong with me that could be diagnosed, so I could blame that instead of taking responsibility for the fact that even if there is some disorder I have....ultimately I still have the responsibility to live my life in a way that serves me.

LSD has been helpful, but it's exposed desires in me that I wasn't willing to accept as things I enjoy, and perhaps need to be fulfilled. Another trip, and some rational positivity...especially the latter, will help get me back to a realistic mindset. Fuck this hurts though. I'm barely 26 and I feel old. dat dere depresso.

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>starting at the top
Not possible I'm injured. Actually that was the beginning of the downward spiral. Also if it was that easy I would have already done it.

Wannabe armyfag here, posted in this thread a while back. Haven't smoked weed or drank more than a beer (with a meal) in a couple weeks, began running a couple miles a day plus going to the gym, pressups etc.

The improvements are starting to take effect, we can all make it lads. Having a goal has helped.

>have fun dying for israel

I'd rather die for Israel as a Jow Forums grunt with money in my pocket than spend the rest of my life a hopeless neet cunt. Maybe the military pill is what some of you guys need too.

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>if it was that easy i would have already done it

Never say this to yourself again. It goes nowhere, it's the pinnacle of the most toxic vibe any man can experience: Self pity.

People aren’t replying because you’re not an attention whore but you’re doing great user!

>electrical engineers, then they still can't get laid
TAKE IT BACK

>t. finally using my degree and started an electronics company 3 months ago
big bucks incoming please

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>don't need a Facebook profile to use it
give zuck about 6 more months

/threadjack

>posting the URL of a pr0n site
>sewing seeds of doubt
SHOO SHOO

I've got an exam in 4 weeks that I haven't started studying for. The material is so boring I have no desire to study for it. Any tips on motivating yourself to do something you have no desire to do?

I wouldn't say it if I wouldn't feel that way. You are right though. Sorry

>Another trip... will help
no, taking action on what you've already learned will help
you don't need another event or experience to happen _to_ you to fix anything
your locus of control needs to be internal
you are in the driver's seat, not external events

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you don't need motivation
you need discipline

Start doing it anyway.

Bros I'm so fucking crestfallen. I've been lifting seriously since I've been about 20 and I'm now 22. I've watched videos, talked to people and read books about fitness, form and diet and had advice from my dancer/martial artist/ gymnast sister, but I keep fucking injuring myself and I've actually lost strength compared to my first year of lifting. I'm hypermobile and I suspect it's got something to do with these shitty joints of mine.

After roughly the first year I was pretty close to getting to 1234-maybe another 4 or 5 months and I woulda been there. Then I hurt my fucking knee and got tendinitis. That healed but my leg still has a weird tendon flicker gear change thing but whatever. Then my thumb acts up sometimes. Other times my wrist. I've been to a physio a fuckton and he says I'm abnormally stiff and tense. I just got back from having some work done on my traps and chest (ligament damage in intercostals) and now I hurt the left side of my lats just under my ribs and it hurts if I apply a bit of pressure and move my back.

I just can't fucking stop injuring myself. It's so demotivating. My form is fine, I eat right, I've even started using light bitch weight cuz of my physio's orders- I'm doing 65kg squats after 3 years, for fuck's sake. I used to do over 100kg. Now every little thing leads to injury. I've been taking it as easy as possible. I don't know what to do.

I dunno man, after spending literally thousands on fitness on gym memberships and equipment and powder and all kinds of shit... I'm just not progressing. Combine that with graduating and realizing how awful regular adult life is and going bald and having cavities and getting fatter, my life is just going to shit. But at least I always had fitness. I'm so crestfallen. Some exercises I can't even do cuz they hurt, like reverse curls. It fucking sucks. Meanwhile my sister is thriving.

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It's weird but I don't struggle with discipline in other aspects of my life. I go to the gym 6 days a week and have lost 40lbs since January with strict dieting. Why is this one exam hanging over my head?

How do u escalate from texting bros? Asked a girl from uni if she wanted to get a drink and we did but nothing else happened (we hugged at the end but there was a bit of a lingering moment). Now she’s texting me virtually every day but I’m not sure what to do given that the last time we hung out was so inconclusive. Don’t really want to waste my time playing games

You're absolutely correct. I haven't even fully or honestly pursued the things that have been exposed to me, through both experience and LSD.

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Pick up a copy of supple leopard. Or just google "supple leopard pdf", should be one of the first results. Read the entire book very carefully, cover to cover, until you firmly understand all of it, and apply it to your life.

Want to do even more to be careful and injury-proofed? Take a break from lifting and do convict conditioning. Follow it to the letter until you reach the highest progressions before you go back to lifting. Do NOT skip the embarrassingly easy shit. Yol have to leave your ego behind for several months. It's extremely effective for healing and strengthing joints, tendons and ligaments, but it takes time. I was in the same boat as you about 5 years ago and now I'm finally able to lift heavy and don't look like a twink. Haven't injured myself since I started this journey. Always make sure to warmup before and stretch after workouts. You don't always necessarily need to, but you'll be safer in the long run.

>Brain plasticity decreases with age. If you're past 30 years old, it will get harder and harder to change habits and personality patterns.
True

>So, if you're 30 or around that age, this is your last call.
Not at all true

how do you warm up? I do it by just, say, starting a squat with just the bar for a few reps, then going to like 40kg, then to 65kg or something

Maybe I do need to just leave all my ego behind for a bit. I'll do all the easy convict conditioning shit too. I just seriously need to improve.

Is it ok to do cardio too? Any particular cardio you recommend? Mine is fucking shocking and idk how to really improve it since I'm worried about hurting my joints through banging my knees when I run or something.

What are you afraid of?

my boy
there is a world of possibilities
go bowling
watch a movie
take a hike
smoke a joint
jus sit in a park and have a conversation
have a picknick

find a common interest that you both pursue
and then pursue it together

My kneejerk rxn was to just say 'success' again, but if I'm honest I don't really know why. So I am not quite sure of what I am really fearing there.

I know I am afraid of success, and I lie to myself about reasons why that are more endearing to my ego, like being some kind of closet demon or something....but I think that the real fear, like all fear; is just ego based. I've become attached to the misery I've endured, and all the L's I've taken.

At least part of the fear is letting go of that identity of someone who has strength by the virtue of the suffering they've endured. Letting that go and truly trying, truly going after what I want without leaning on the dark, morbid self image I've become accustomed to is a factor.

I honestly do not quite know what the core of the fear is, the ego thing is maybe 12% of it at best.

I dunno, I want to really talk this out with someone but so much of what I want involves amoral, immoral, and violent activities. I can't just chat about that with anyone, they'll think I'm a goddamn sociopath, which I'm obviously not given the level of inhibition and fear I experience.

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22 to 30 days.

I've had people say to me that convict conditioning is a scam. What do you think?

I started losing weight around this time last year and weighed about 310 lbs. As of today I'm a little under 220 lbs. I've been slacking off this past month and eating more than I should be so I've only managed to maintain my weight for that time. I really need to get my shit together and stay focused. Good luck to the rest of you and thanks to /sig/ for encouraging me to start a year ago, even if it was the Jow Forums /sig/ and not this one, but /sig/ is /sig/ I guess.

What does /sig/ think of minimalism? I've been watching and reading on it and it honestly seems very appealing even if it is kinda hipstery/soiboi.

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I like it but I'm not a regular here

You just gotta accept that you'll maintain your diet for the rest of your life. You slack for a month and it's back to square one.

It's not a "thing". It just means you don't have a lot of shit you don't need/can't afford. Live in a small space, have what you need and a few wants, and no more. Making it some Marie Kondo hipstery bullshit is, well, bullshit.