The New Ego

The next morning, I woke up with a clear goal in mind: sign up for the gym.

I'd been putting it off for weeks, but after yesterday's realization, I knew I couldn't wait any longer.

The gym was a five-minute walk from my house—a small, no-frills place with basic equipment and a few posters of ripped athletes on the walls.

I hesitated at the door, my stomach churning.

"What if everyone stares at me? What if I'm too fat to even use the machines?"

But I pushed the thoughts aside and walked in.

The guy at the front desk was friendly, if a little bored.

"First time?" he asked, handing me a clipboard with the membership form.

"Yeah," I said, trying to sound confident.

"Don't worry, man. Everyone starts somewhere."

His words were reassuring, but as I filled out the form, I couldn't shake the feeling of being out of place.

The gym wasn't as crowded as I'd feared. A few people were lifting weights, while others jogged on treadmills.

I started with the treadmill, setting it to a slow pace. Within minutes, I was out of breath.

"This is embarrassing," I thought, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.

Most people were focused on their own workouts, but one guy—a muscular dude in a tank top—gave me a nod of encouragement.

"Keep going, bro," he said.

I nodded back, feeling a small surge of motivation.

But not everyone was so kind. As I moved to the weight area, I overheard two guys laughing.

"Look at that guy. He's gonna hurt himself," one of them muttered.

I felt my face flush, but I kept going.

"Screw them," I thought. "I'm here to change, not to impress anyone."

After the gym, I went home and opened my laptop. I'd deleted TikTok the day before, but I missed the mindless scrolling.

"Maybe I can use it differently," I thought.

I reinstalled the app and spent an hour curating my feed. I blocked all the thirst traps, memes, and time-wasting videos, and followed accounts about fitness, self-improvement, and entrepreneurship.

"New me, new feed," I muttered.

That evening, I listened to a podcast featuring David Goggins. His story was intense—abusive childhood, obesity, and eventually becoming a Navy SEAL and ultramarathon runner.

"You have to be uncomfortable to grow," he said. "Most people quit when it gets hard. Don't be most people."

His words resonated with me. I started taking notes, jotting down quotes and ideas that inspired me.

I also decided to explore other ways to make money. I'd heard about dropshipping and decided to give it a try.

I spent the rest of the night researching and setting up a basic online store. It wasn't much—just a few products I'd found on AliExpress—but it felt like a step in the right direction.

By the time I went to bed, I'd made my first sale: $20.

"It's not much, but it's a start," I thought.

As I lay in bed, I reflected on the day.

"I signed up for the gym. I controlled what I watch. I learned something new. And I made my first sale. That's four wins today."

It wasn't easy, and there were moments of doubt and discomfort, but I was starting to see the possibilities.

"This is just the beginning," I told myself. "The New Me is here to stay."