30 days CAP

My  30-­‐Day  CAP   Yicong   Since  the  day  I  arrived  in  Durham,  everything  seems  like  a  new  start  to  me.   So   it   looks   like   I   can   choose   whatever   to   be   my   30-­‐day   CAP   activity.   At   the   beginning,   I   had   a   lot   of   thoughts,   but   all   of   them   were   abandoned   by   me,   except   going  to  gym  after  class  every  day.  It  might  be  normal  for  students  in  Duke,  but   as   for   me,   I’ve   never   done   that   before.   It’s   a   healthy   lifestyle,   from   which   I   find   myself  inner  peaceful.   Before   I   considered   going   to   gym   and   exercising   every   day   as   my   30-­‐day   CAP,  I  came  up  with  lots  of  different  ideas.  Some  of  them  are  normal,  and  the  rest   are  not  quite  creative.  Because  of  the  injury  on  my  left  hand,  I  decided  to  use  only   one   hand   to   do   things,   which   eventually   I   fount   it   extremely   inconvenient   for   my   life.   So   I   quitted   it.   Then,   I   thought   about   stopping   logging   on   Zhihu,   a   Chinese   website  resembling  Quora,  which  I  used  to  learn  some  financial  knowledge  on  it   every   night.   But   I   found   myself   difficult   to   give   it   up   because   I   can   always   find   useful   information   on   it.   It’s   like   an   obsessive-­‐compulsive   disorder   that   I   need   to   check  every  night.  So  I  quitted  that,  too.  Finally,  I  made  a  decision  that  I  should  go   to   the   gym   during   the   30   days.   Exercising   is   meaningful   and   valuable.   Though   sometimes   it   can   be   boring   and   tiring,   people   can   still   make   it   an   activity   of   creativity.   Actually,   I   consider   myself   as   an   athletic   person   but   I   seldom   do   exercise   and  go  to  the  gym  when  I  was  in  China  due  to  the  studies,  assignments  and  my  

laziness.  I  remembered  there  were  so  many  times  that  I’d  like  to  go  swimming  or   jogging   but   I   didn’t   because   I   should   spend   time   coping   with   my   project.   Last   semester,   I   only   went   to   play   tennis   once   a   week,   giving   up   all   the   other   sports.   I   used  to  be  crazy  about  swimming  and  jogging,  but  I  didn’t  go  to  swimming  pool   or  playground  the  whole  semester.  So  here  is  an  opportunity  for  me  to  build  up  a   brand  new  me  at  Duke.  Due  to  that,  I’m  considering  choosing  exercise  everyday   as  my  30-­‐day  CAP.   The   first   day   I   went   to   the   gym,   I   found   myself   exhausted   after   one   hour   training.  It  reminded  me  that  I  haven’t  been  going  to  gym  or  doing  any  exercise   for   nearly   one   semester.   So   it   is   why   I   felt   tired   easily   and   not   very   well   at   the   beginning.  I  almost  thought  of  giving  up  at  the  second  day  because  there  was  a   sound  in  head,  telling  me  that  ‘oh,  you  can’t  accomplish  it,  you  can’t  insist  on  it,   and  you’ll  fail  doing  it.’  But  eventually  I  made  a  Ready  Fire  Aim.  I  told  myself  if  I   could  keep  on  doing  it,  things  would  be  totally  different.   People  might  listen  to  exciting  music,  see  videos,  or  watch  TV  while  running   or   cycling.   As   the   most   people   do,   I   also   listen   to   music   to   excite   and   courage   myself   at   the   vey   first.   But   after   I   knew   the   concept   of   Wondering   while   wandering,   I   began   to   let   my   mind   and   thoughts   fly   to   somewhere   full   of   creativity   and   imagination   while   on   the   running   machine.   People   getting   out   of   their   comfort   zone,   instead   of   wandering   at   where   they   are   used   to   going,   they   tend   to   wander   at   somewhere   they’ve   never   gone.   So   it   is   the   same   with   me.   I’ve   experienced  wondering  while  I’m  wandering  at  the  garden,  at  the  path  in  front  of  

my  apartment,  and  at  the  field.  But  wondering  while  on  the  running  machine  is   an  amazing  and  awesome  experience.  Recently,  I  found  it  a  fantastic  and  effective   way   to   come   up   with   some   creativity   ideas.   Thinking   and   imagining   while   running  can  make  you  feel  time  pass  more  quickly.  Meanwhile,  running  also  does   unimaginable  effect  on  thoughts  and  insight.   Going  to  the  gym  every  day  not  only  helps  me  live  a  much  healthier  life  than   before,   but   also   teaches   me   never   give   up   when   faced   with   difficulties.   It   is   certain  that  I  would  have  some  difficulties  in  going  to  gym  every  day.  The  Wilson   Recreation  Center  is  quite  far  away  from  my  apartment,  so  it  is  not  convenient   for  me  to  go  to  the  gym.  I  always  walk  there  after  class  at  Perkins,  and  run  on  the   running  machine  or  cycling  for  an  hour.  After  my  workout,  it  takes  long  time  to   wait   for   CCX,   which   I   should   take,   so   I   determine   to   walk   home   treating   it   as   another   way   to   exercise.   Walking   such   long   distance   isn’t   a   quite   easy   for   a   person   who   hasn’t   been   doing   sports   or   practicing   for   a   long   time.   So   at   the   very   beginning,   I   always   went   back   home   with   an   exhausted   body,   out   of   all   my   energy.   Distance   and   exhaustion   can   be   really   tough   and   difficult   for   me.   But   I   told  to  myself,  I  can’t  submit  to  those  little  difficulties  and  I  should  keep  on  doing   what  I  want  to  do.  It’s  hard  to  describe  why  I  thought  so  at  that  moment,  but  I   knew  I’ve  achieved  a  new  level  and  had  a  new  horizon.  Life  is  full  of  troubles  and   problems.   Faced   with   them   directly   is   much   better   than   just   explaining   them   away  or  submitting  to  them.     By   going   to   gym   every   day,   I   find   myself   performing   quite   well   at   being  

solitude,  which  is  unbearable  for  me  before.  Since  I  was  in  my  childhood,  I  have   hated  to  be  alone,  needing  companion  badly  wherever  I  went.  I  still  remembered   when   I   was   in   my   senior   high   I   used   to   ask   someone   to   accompany   me   to   the   restroom  at  the  internal  between  each  class.  To  be  the  truth,  I  never  did  anything   alone   without   anybody   ‘s   companion   because   of   being   afraid   of   solitary.   But   I   have   no   choice   but   to   go   to   the   gym   on   my   own   without   friends   or   classmates.   Exercising  is  a  private  issue  and  it  is  inconvenient  to  match  both  of  our  schedules.   So  I  made  my  mind  working  out  alone.  It  is  really  suffering  at  first.  There  is  no   one  talking  with  me  on  the  way  to  gym,  also,  no  one  to  communicate  with  while   exercising.   First   few   days   are   extremely   hard   for   me   to   come   over.   But   as   time   goes  on,  I  get  used  to  it.  Sometimes  I  begin  to  enjoy  the  moment  to  be  alone.  It   isn’t   that   bad   to   to   be   solitude.   Though   I’m   still   afraid   that   I   don’t   have   other   people  ’s  companion,  I  become  braver  and  can  stand  it.  I’m  so  proud  of  that.   Moreover,   going   to   gym   every   day   gives   me   a   better   figure   and   healthier   body.   My   friends   are   always   surprised   by   a   truth   that   I   never   sweat   even   in   a   scorching  summer.  I  can’t  figure  it  out,  either.  The  first  day  I  went  to  the  gym,  I   didn’t  sweat.  But  I  gradually  began  to  sweat  since  the  first  week.  It  amazed  me.   Although   I   can’t   be   drenched   in   sweat   after   running   like   everybody   else,   I   still   sweat,  which  never  happened  before.  I  was  so  surprised  and  amazed  that  I  called   my   parents   and   told   them   about   the   magical   thing.   They   said   it   was   about   my   metabolic  process,  and  exercising  might  have  enhanced  it.  My  parents  said  they   were   so   gratified   to   know   that   I   began   to   exercise   and   became   robust.   They  

encouraged  me  to  continue  going  to  the  gym.   People  in  the  gym  are  so  athletic  and  vigorous  that  also  set  a  good  example   for   me   to   do   more   exercises.   It   seems   like   the   power   of   modeling.   I’m   eager   to   have  a  slim  body  shape  as  them  through  a  healthy  way.  Going  to  the  gym  every   day  changes  me  a  lot,  not  only  my  figure,  but  also  my  faith.  If  I  determine  to  do   something,  I’ll  manage  to  achieve  it  and  try  my  best  to  accomplish  it.  I  begin  to  do   one   thing   in   order   to   succeed   it,   not   to   fail   it.   If   I   know   there   is   something   predestined   to   be   failure,   I   won’t   start   doing   that.   But   the   moment   I   decide   to   do   that,  I’ll  hold  out  to  the  last.  Once  I  come  to  a  resolution  to  go  to  the  gym  every   day,  I  believe  I  can  make  it.  It’s  so  amazing  that  I  can  keep  on  going  to  the  gym.   I’ve   learned   a   lot   from   it   and   I   really   appreciate   days   in   the   gym.   It   makes   a   totally  brand  new  me.