Hey hey!
2022 is here and all that. My last post did abysmally, as apparently none of you give a rat’s ass enough to respond :) But that’s okay. It allows me to continue making shit up and going along.
So, for this year, I thought I’d take one more baby step and tweak my “3 quotes” and reduce the quotes by one and add a thought of mine in there instead.
I would also like to continue making this a bit more interactive. Maybe not every week but whenever the post lends itself. My first post today, Above the line, is one such post.
So, let’s get to it, shall we?
Above the line. My attempt to define a simple framework/compass. Rather than being strict with outcomes, allowing a lot more exploration and space to continue moving forward.
The point of the ride. Training is my sandbox for life. I learn quite a lot from it. I routinely forget it. And so I write things down to remember them better. 5 truths as I know it today.
2 quotes and a thought. Better choices today means more choices tomorrow. Duh.
Above the line
Objectivity
Goals, benchmarks and numbers are all great. They work rather well for personal goals, for business stuff and whatever else. With an objective target, everything becomes simple.
You either did it, or you did not.
And therein lies the problem.
What if you did not set the right goal? What if you said you were going to lose 20 kilos but lost only 18? If you are anything like me (and unfortunately, I've realised I am not unique in this situation), you are gonna chalk it down as a failure. And categorise you as a slacker or whatever. You will lack the outsider perspective for what a frickin' amazing job you did by losing a godawful amount of weight.
Journaling
For the past year and some, I've been good with a new habit of mine - journaling. I write down answers to a few prompts and reflect on them, and use them as a feed-forward loop into the next month.
And what I realised was I was doing the same thing. I was setting pretty good (and not random) goals but along the way, I'd realise that they were off or sometimes conflicted with one another.
While I spout sensible stuff here and say one needs the outsider perspective especially on oneself, I am as much at fault as the next person. So, how about a better framework?
Drawing a line
So, here's my attempt. Drawing a line. I am either above the line, or below the line. If I am above the line, it is a win. If I am below the line, well, three guesses.
Yes, this gets rather black or white. But it is an improvement to "I will lose 20 kilos or cry". Let's use a couple of examples - one for strength, and one for fat loss.
Your strength goal might be to be able to lift an arbitrary amount of weight. For a serious lifter, this is a no-brainer. You go into a training plan with a goal to lift a certain amount by a certain timeframe. But what matters more is showing up. And if you show up and with positive intent, good things happen. So, instead of having a goal of "I will squat 100 kilos for 5 reps", how about you set your line differently?
Coz does it matter what you squat? Not at all. There are a zillion people who can squat more and squat better. Or you go to a small enough pond, you are the best squatter. Completely irrelevant - what one squats.
And for nutrition, instead of living and dying based on a few hundred grams, how about this?
It is not fully defined - to allow a lot of leeway but also enough clarity about what you will not be doing. One month could simply be about chewing more. Another month could be about reducing the rice you eat and increasing the veggies on your plate.
Your turn
If this strikes a chord, give it a shot. Reading is one thing. Acting on it, even what might be a sub-par method could lead you into a better truth for yourself.
How about you define what's above the line and below the line for you - one for your activity/fitness, and one for your nutrition/health?
I’ve had 2 people share theirs with me and it has improved my understanding of what I’ve written - as all interpretations and reinterpretations go into making it.
If you attempt this and would like to share it, I’d love to read it.
The point of the ride aka A few simple truths
Every direction is south
Lifting weights, running, and physical activity started off as a means to an end. I wanted to not look and feel like how I did - simple as that. "Not be here" was a good starting goal.
When you are at the North Pole, every direction is south.
That made it simple and easy - anything I did would help me to move in the right direction. Eat one less candy bar a day. Drink one less can of soda pop a day. Eat half a cup of vegetables more per day. Stretch for 15 minutes. Literally, any frickin' thing.
Truth #1: What one needs to do is to not over-think and just do.
Disneyland
Once I got out of the North Pole (or the bottom, or whatever you wanna term it) I realised that there was a large playground. So many options. But it is akin to going to Disneyland - there are so many rides and you wanna go on them all at once. That it gets confusing and overwhelming.
You do not need to get on all the rides today. You can keep coming back to Disneyland every year.
Truth #2: Pick a ride or two and enjoy them for a bit. Before moving on to the next ride.
The point of the ride
I looked at everything as a means to an end. But that's a side effect. A nice-to-have. When you ride Space Mountain, you are going on an amazing few minutes that leaves you exhilarated. And right back where you started. Filled with joy and wonder.
Truth #3: The point of the ride is the ride. You get joy from the anticipation, and from the ride itself. If you let it, it will leave you changed.
Results
But what about results? You cannot keep going on joyrides all the time. You need to get on a ride that goes from here to there.
Well, do you? As a coach who is required to deliver results, I cannot shy away from this requirement. What I need to do, for myself and for my students, is to keep my eyes open for all the amazing things that happen as we get to our goals. And the sucky things as well - coz as Coach Dan John rightly reminds us, what did you lose to win this goal?
Truth #4: The results are one part of what you got on the ride. Not the only part.
More than yesterday
There are a lot more truths and learnings that I have not had the discipline or vision to unpack. Even the ones I've unpacked, I still struggle to apply them in my training. Applying those learnings outside the gym is even harder.
Writing has helped. It is a note to self. It is a time to unpack, to reflect. And to feed forward into a tweaked ritual at the gym, and maybe in life.
Truth #5: I know very little. But (I think) I know more than yesterday.
And I could very well be completely wrong about all of this. But for today, they will suffice as a map. And using this map, I can re-draw my next map.
Friday thought, and 2 quotes
Small change to the format. Instead of 3 quotes, I am going to go out on a limb and share a thought of mine. And not be limited by being unable to make it a punchy quote.
You don't even notice what you notice,
because nothing in your education has taught you that what you notice is important.
– Verlyn Klinkenborg
Why don't we do things we know we should do?
Because we don't feel like it.
Every problem of self-control is not a problem of information or discipline or reason but, rather, of emotion.
– Mark Manson
Better choices today means more choices in the future.
Poorer choices today means lesser choices in the future.
Choose to eat better, explore your body and mind, and it means a lot more choices in the future. Tomorrow and in a bunch of years from now.
Eating better does not mean you have to never indulge. Or never sniff another drink.
Exploring your body and mind most definitely does not mean subjecting yourself to physical activity that does not grow your body and mind.
There are a lot of ways to go about doing this fitness and nutrition thing. The only wrong way is choosing not to do something about it.
And that’s it. The first edition for 2022 is done and dusted. I’ll see you here next Sunday.
Jan 9, 2022