Monday Reboot

4:40 AMThe alarm jolted Soren awake, its shrill chime cutting through the heavy fog of sleep. For a split second, he was disoriented, his mind clawing its way out of dreams only to be met by the harsh reality of the early morning. But today, the alarm had worked. Today, he hadn't slept through the intended start of his day.

He rolled out of bed, the chill of the morning biting into his skin. His body ached from yesterday's half-hearted leg stretches, but he ignored it. His muscles would adapt. They had to.

4:50 AM – GymHe threw on his workout clothes, grabbed his gym bag, and slipped out of the house. The air was crisp, the darkness just beginning to retreat as he walked the short distance to the gym.

Inside, the sterile scent of iron and disinfectant greeted him. The place was mostly empty, save for a few dedicated regulars who also found comfort in the solitude of the early hours.

Soren's routine today was focused on his chest and triceps. He started with Incline Bench Press, the iron barbell cool against his palms. He struggled to push out his final reps, his muscles trembling, but he pushed through. Next, he hit the Chest Press Machine, driving the padded handles forward until his chest burned. He completed five sets in total for his chest.

Moving on to triceps, he completed his Tricep Extensions, his arms fighting against gravity and his own weaknesses. Finally, he moved on to the Dips, feeling the strain travel from his shoulders down to his triceps. By the end, he was breathing heavily, but the satisfaction of completing his workout kept him moving.

6:00 AM – HomeBack at home, he brewed himself a glass of orange juice and downed his vitamin tablets and iron tablet. He poured himself two bowls of cereal, spooning the dry flakes into his mouth between gulps of juice. An apple sat on the counter. He grabbed it, biting into its crisp sweetness. His body was clamoring for calories, and he was determined to feed it the fuel it needed.

6:30 AM – Shower and GroomingThe shower was hot, almost scalding, but it woke him up fully. As the water poured over him, he let the steam loosen his stiff muscles.

Once he was done, he went through his oral routine—brushing, flossing, mouthwash. The effort was mechanical, but necessary. His yellowed teeth were a reminder of past neglect, and he was determined to change that.

He massaged a gentle cleanser into his face, rinsing thoroughly before applying the anti-acne serum the doctor prescribed. His skin had improved recently, but it was a slow process. One of those things that demanded patience and consistency.

He ran his fingers through his straight, damp hair, then grabbed the sea salt spray and misted it through his strands, tousling them to create volume. The result was... okay. Not perfect, but better than before.

He moved on to his facial exercises, contorting his features through various expressions aimed at building muscle tone. It felt ridiculous, but the idea of his facial structure improving over time was a comforting thought.

7:10 AM – Preparing for the DayToday was the day of the dreaded blood test. His mom had hounded him about his poor diet, her concerns finally leading to this checkup. Whatever. It was better than having her nag him constantly.

He prepped his lunch—a simple peanut butter sandwich, two pieces of fruit, and a couple of snacks for good measure. The meal wasn't balanced, but it would keep him running.

His school uniform lay wrinkled on his desk chair. With an annoyed sigh, he went downstairs and found his mom."Can you show me how to iron a shirt?"She raised an eyebrow, then nodded and led him to the ironing board. The lesson was short but thorough, and soon enough, he was pressing his uniform with clumsy efficiency.

He took his creatine serving before leaving, the gritty texture unpleasant but tolerable.

7:45 AM – Clinic Waiting RoomHe arrived at the clinic, the sterile scent of antiseptics hanging in the air. He checked in, found a seat, and pulled out his school laptop. If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well make some progress.

He tackled some of the math exercises for the upcoming test, fingers flying over the keyboard as he lost himself in equations. The satisfaction of solving a particularly tricky problem was a small victory in the chaos of his life.

8:30 AM – Blood Test CompleteIt was over quickly—a sharp prick and then nothing. Soren rubbed his arm as he left the clinic, heading straight to school.

9:00 AM – Classes Begin

Period 1 (Chemistry): Ignored the lesson entirely, using the time to cram more math.

Period 2 & 3 (Advanced & Specialist Maths): Full focus. He could feel himself making progress, even if it was inch by inch.

Break 1 (11:00 AM):He found a secluded spot and ate his peanut butter sandwich, fruit, and snacks while watching practical psychology videos. But the lure of socializing pulled him away, and he joined a group of friends to sneak into an empty classroom for poker.

Period 4 (French): The teacher's strictness forced him to actually pay attention. French exam preparation was going to be hell.

Period 5 (Literature): Editing and refining his essay, making sure it was as good as it could be.

Break 2 (1:30 PM):More poker.

Period 6 (Biology): Focused on the lesson, finally feeling productive again.

3:30 PM – After SchoolHe worked through the last of his math revision, determined to finish everything but the specialized revision chapter.

5:00 PM – HomeSoren trudged through the front door, the dull ache in his legs a reminder of the long walk from school. His uniform felt stiff and uncomfortable, creased from a day of sitting, walking, and his occasional anxious shifting. He dumped his backpack beside his desk and rolled his shoulders, stretching out the stiffness. His body demanded rest, but rest was a luxury he couldn't afford.

His body still felt tight from the morning gym session, and though he was mentally worn down from school, he knew he had to do something for his body's recovery. He laid down a mat on the floor and began his stretches, targeting his calves, quads, hamstrings, and hip flexors so he could perform certain kicks for his martial arts.

He stretched deeply, holding each position for at least thirty seconds. His breathing slowed, a deliberate effort to focus on the tightness being released with every exhale. Martial arts would demand flexibility and explosiveness—two things he severely lacked.

The stretches left him feeling marginally better, and more importantly, they cleared his mind of the noise from the day. He rolled up the mat and sat back on his bed, fingers lacing together as he tried to collect his thoughts.

5:20 PM – Planning His Martial Arts JourneySoren grabbed his laptop and opened a dozen tabs dedicated to Muay Thai tutorials and training guides. Punches, kicks, knees, and elbows—the four fundamental weapons. He bookmarked several videos detailing proper stance, basic strikes, and defensive techniques.

He scribbled down a preliminary training routine in his notebook, structured to cover the basics and build up slowly over time.

Warm-Up: Leg stretches, shadowboxing, basic footwork drills.

Striking Practice: Jab, cross, hook, uppercut combinations performed against his training dummy.

Kicking Drills: Front kicks, roundhouse kicks, and knee strikes aimed for speed and precision.

Conditioning: Shadowboxing with ankle weights, core workouts, and stance holding for balance improvement.

Cool-Down: Full-body stretches, focusing on legs, shoulders, and hips.

He knew his setup was amateurish—basic at best—but everyone had to start somewhere. What mattered was that he'd taken the first step. Now, it was a matter of consistency. He scrawled down his motto at the top of the page: "Consistency is everything."

Even writing it down felt a little absurd. Soren had been anything but consistent in the past. His notebook was littered with discarded plans, half-hearted attempts at making something of himself. But this time, something felt different. He wanted to break free of the mess he'd been stuck in.

6:00 PM – Planning Tomorrow

Soren pulled out his planner and scribbled down his goals for the following day. He paused, glancing over the list. It looked daunting, but breaking it down hour by hour made it feel manageable. That's how he'd have to approach his life from now on—small steps, taken daily.

6:15 PM – Dinner

He wandered into the kitchen where his mother had already prepared dinner. The sharp scent of fish fingers greeted him, along with a simple side of boiled vegetables. He loaded his plate with a reasonable portion of everything and settled in front of the TV.

The news droned on about the latest economic shifts, political controversies, and celebrity scandals. None of it interested him. His eyes glazed over, his mind drifting away from the familiar monotony of televised drama. He ate mechanically, swallowing bites of fish fingers between dull segments of news.

Soren finished his meal around 6:45 PM, his stomach full but his mind still restless. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't afford to slow down. His grades needed to improve. His self-discipline needed to be ironclad. And his goals were hanging by a frayed thread.

7:00 PM – Reading Hour

Back in his room, Soren reached for one of the many books stacked on his bookshelf. The titles varied from scientific literature to philosophical texts to self-improvement classics. Tonight, he chose a thick volume titled "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.

He'd read parts of it before, but never with the level of intention he was bringing now. As he turned the pages, he absorbed every principle, every strategy aimed at making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible.

The words seemed to thrum with life, a beacon of hope amid his persistent fog of frustration. Every chapter planted another seed of determination. The power of habit was real, and if he could harness it, maybe—just maybe—he could claw his way out of this endless cycle.

8:00 PM – Night Routine and Self-Hypnosis

With his reading time over, Soren set the book down and moved to the bathroom. The mirror reflected his tired, but somewhat resolved expression. He began his oral care routine: brushing his teeth thoroughly, flossing, and using mouthwash.

Next was his skincare routine, washing his face with a gentle cleanser before applying the anti-acne serum prescribed by his doctor. The coolness of the serum felt refreshing, like a cleansing ritual meant to wipe away the grime of the day.

Once back in his room, he took out his phone for facial exercise guidence videos. He knew he wouldn't revieve results for a while, even so, he kept at it. Like with everything else, consistency was key.

Finally, he prepared himself for the last part of the night: his self-hypnosis session. Lying down in his bed, he slipped his earphones in and played the recording he'd made.

The sound of his own voice drifted through his ears, calm and measured, guiding him into a state of relaxation. His recorded voice spoke with authority, painting vivid images of the person he wanted to become:

A disciplined and relentless worker.

A confident, resilient individual capable of pushing through setbacks.

A mind free from the traps of addiction and laziness.

The suggestions repeated themselves, like a mantra carved into his subconscious. His breathing slowed. His thoughts grew dim. The whispers of his own voice pushed against the boundaries of his mind, planting seeds he could only hope would grow.

8:30 PM – Sleep

Soren drifted off, his consciousness slipping away to the backdrop of his self-hypnosis script. His last thought before sleep took him was a simple, powerful promise:

Tomorrow will be better.

Summary:

Achievements: Studied well, went to the gym, created a Muay Thai training plan, planned the next day, read for an hour, maintained hygiene and skincare routines, completed his self-hypnosis session.

Challenges: Fighting fatigue and frustration, avoiding old habits, maintaining motivation.

Goals for Tomorrow: Gym session (Back and biceps), math practice tests, refining the martial arts routine, reading, and repeating self-hypnosis.