The First Steps

Time: 4:15 PM – Saturday, March 22, 2025

Soren stared at the scattered notes and textbooks sprawled across his desk. His room was a mess of disorganized papers, crumpled up wrappers, and dirty laundry strewn across the floor. The air smelled faintly of sweat and neglect, an environment that reflected the state of his mind.

He grabbed his phone to check the time—4:15 PM. Hours ago, he had been lying in bed, paralyzed by his own weakness. It was amazing how strong the pull of procrastination could be, how willing he was to surrender his ambitions for a few more hours of mindless videos and wasted time. His phone was still there, tempting him to abandon his work for just a moment's distraction.

But he knew what would happen if he caved. One video would turn into ten, and then ten into a hundred. Hours would evaporate. His fingers trembled slightly as he set the phone down, screen facedown, and slid it to the far corner of his desk.

Today would be different. It had to be.

He reached for his advanced maths textbook. Five subchapters to complete. That was the first task. His eyes scanned the first page, the equations blurring slightly as his mind wandered, desperate for anything other than the grind in front of him.

"This is what separates the disciplined from the weak," he murmured to himself. "Just do the work. That's all that matters."

The hours bled into each other as he pushed himself through one problem set after another. At first, it felt unbearable. His focus was weak, his thoughts jumping all over the place and fatigue was setting in. But each time he faltered, he forced himself to return to the equations. Slowly, the numbers and formulas started to make sense. His progress was shaky but tangible.

By 6:30 PM, he had finished the five subchapters, the last problem completed with a satisfying scribble of his pen. His head pounded slightly, his stomach growling from neglect. But the minor victory lifted his spirits.

It was time for dinner.

Time: 7:00 PM

Soren made his way to the kitchen and assembled his usual dinner—halloumi wraps. Fried halloumi sticks wrapped in souvlaki bread. Simple, satisfying, but part of the problem. His diet was poor, and he knew it. His body needed better fuel if he was going to get stronger, if he was ever going to build muscle and gain weight. But change had to be gradual. From tomorrow, he would add vegetables to his meals.

He ate in silence, alone with his thoughts. Each bite tasted like comfort and shame at once.

Time: 7:30 PM

With his stomach full, Soren returned to his room and organized his literature notes. Planning the essay was easy enough. Ideas flowed well on paper, but he knew that writing the actual essay would be another beast entirely.

Next, he turned to the chemistry assignment. Refinement was a meticulous process, one he detested for its tedium. But he made progress, polishing his work with methodical precision.

Martial arts practice came last. He dragged the training dummy from the corner of his room, its worn padding barely enough to absorb his weak strikes. Boxing and kickboxing were his primary focus. His punches were clumsy, his kicks even worse. But every strike was a step forward, however feeble.

The workout left him sore and disappointed. He was nowhere near the strength or skill he wanted to achieve. Still, he had tried. And trying was better than wasting time.

Time: 9:00 PM

The day was over. Soren sat at his desk, pen in hand, eyes strained and weary. Yet there was something there, a glimmer of hope that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Daily Summary

Achievements: Completed 5 advanced maths subchapters, planned the literature essay, started refining the chemistry assignment, began basic martial arts practice.

Challenges: Lack of focus, weak martial arts performance, poor diet.

Goals for Tomorrow: Finish the literature essay, finish the chemistry assignment, finish biology assignment, do some specialist maths study, go to the gym, enhance martial arts training, research better nutrition.