Category: Daily

In a recent Huberman Lab podcast, Dr Andy Galpin talked about the four buckets of focus.

1. Business/work
2. Relationships
3. Fitness
4. Recovery/rest/whatever makes you feel recharged and g-g-g-gooooood

You have 10 points to allocate between the buckets. To shove points in one bucket means taking them away from another bucket.

I love this concept because it forces the painful realisation (yet again) that we can’t chase all our goals at once.

Besides the points for recovery being at least half of that of fitness, there aren’t guidelines on how to best allocate the points. Getting them in perfect harmony isn’t the idea.

The idea is to have the points divided to support your current business, life, or fitness goals.

Here’s what up.

Are you happy with how you’ve currently divided your points? Do they support where you want to go next?

-J

“I don’t have the time for it.”

That’s a typical comment from someone who realises they need to adopt a more active lifestyle. But struggle to justify the time commitment because of the hectic work and family life.

Yet, when they do commit to being more active, and stick with it for a while, this happens:

“I need the workouts to keep me grounded during these busy times.”

That’s a client’s comment from last week. He’s surrounded by all kinds of fucked up chaos right now. And it’s his twice-a-week workouts that give him the energy and stamina to move through the chaos. Both physically and mentally.

When you’re stuck in one of life’s electric whirlpools, the cost of time to exercise might feel too expensive. But it’s often an investment that buys you exactly what you need.

-J

 

Look into the review mirror when you’ve started and stopped following workout routines. What were the obstacles, issues or problems you rammed into that made you stop? Both temporarily and for good.

There’s likely a reoccurring obstacle that keeps terminatoring your efforts. Getting injured or ill, not having time, work, kids, free Margaritas…

What actions would reduce the chance of that same obstacle blocking your path next time?

You might not be able to eliminate the obstacle. But perhaps you can prepare for it.

-J

Related to this post, I’d like to know what podcasts you listen to? Regardless of the genre. Please hit reply and share. Anyhow, here’s today’s post.

Have (or listen to) conversations with people who have already achieved (and can maintain) what you want to achieve with your health and fitness. Ask them about the tools they’ve learned.

And then copy those tools.

But also, Batman probably shouldn’t go to Superman for advice on how to fly. Because regardless of the technical nuance and unbottled enthusiasm that Superman can convey to Batman about how he spreads his arms and clenches his butt and twinkles his toes to fly, Batman’s not going to fly anywhere without getting propelled by some form of transportation.

So, it helps to adopt the tools from people who are like you. Folks you can relate to. Talk to Annie next door. Not Rynold Joseph Magnolia The V who has naughty dreams about barbells and the darker shades of broccoli and carries a teaspoon in his chest pocket just in case he has to measure how much standard Dijon mustard he puts in his salad dressing.

Because WTF and yeah I will definitely not ever do that.

-J

ps. About those podcasts. I’d love to know. Just hit reply and share.

What’s stopping you from stepping onto the next rung on the ladder? Here are some common struggles and some (un)common tools to overcome those struggles.

Negative self-talk? Explore the why and what of what causes this negative talk. Then learn the tools to help you change that self-talk into something more constructive. But also. Depending on the wiring, learning some of these tools might require the help of a therapist.

Not having the time to do the things you know you should do? Keep a time diary for a week to see how you spend time. Most of us can find an extra 10-20 minutes a day.

Lacking the motivation to do the things you know you should do? Dig into the deeper ‘why’. It’s likely not about being fitter and healthier. But more along the lines of being able to still snowboard with your daughter once she’s a teenager, hike with the family without pain, or return to kayaking after a 20-year hiatus.

Struggling to keep yourself accountable? Regardless of the inner motivation, some need the accountability of an outsider to show up consistently. Rope friends into doing things with you, or hire help.

Not knowing what to do with your workouts? Learn the absolute basics of how to work out. Or use this plan instead.

Struggling with an injury and not sure how to train through it? Here you go.

Not sure if your eating habits support your goals? Educate yourself on the basics of healthy nutrition. Or maybe you need the tools to roundhouse kick sugar cravings to the chin?

There is likely more than one tool at play here. Focus on the one tool that makes learning the other tools irrelevant or easier.

-J

The gap between where you feel your strength and energy are now and where you want them to be in three, six and twelve months can feel daunting. Especially when you’re just getting (re)started.

You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to figure out how to get to the next rung on the ladder.

What tools do you need right now to reach that next rung?

Once you’re clear on the tools you need, you can pour most of your focus into learning how to use them.

And then repeat the same process for the next rung. And the next. And the next.

And eventually, you’ll be up there on the roof, watching a topless, 56-year-old Brad Pitt fixing an antenna. Because why not.

-J

This balance requires multiple factors, some (most?) of which are outside of our control, to go our way. When we feel like we’ve finally figured out the perfect balance, it will only be for a fading moment. Because life has the annoying personality of being a real dick sometimes.

Yet, we can strive to master the principles of fitness. And we can learn to implement these principles with greater flexibility.

Not breaking and letting go but bending to make the principles work regardless of life’s mood. At times it can feel like an endless, frustrating struggle. But as with any other skill, the more we practise, the closer to mastery we’ll get.

The catch?

The practice that builds these skills is the practice we do when closest to quitting.

-J

Reclaiming your strength and energy won’t happen without a change. But change doesn’t have to mean overhauling your existence into something that’s unrecognisable.

For most, trying to make a significant change with one broom sweep doesn’t stick. It might work for a while. But it’ll eventually fall off like a car tyre held by old gum, yesterday’s newspaper and hopeful whispers. Never to be seen again.

Instead of an overhaul, it might be helpful to ask, how would this change look if it’d be easy?

And then start with that.

-J

It used to be that eating fat was bad for you. Enter “99% fat-free” labels everywhere.

And then the carbohydrates were bad for you. Enter paleo and the ketogenic diet. Because troglodytes did have access to premade nutbars and collagen powders.

I think some people still say that sugar is bad for you. Enter “99% sugar-free” and stevia and whatnot.

And now it seems that vegetable (seed) oils are bad for you. Enter “safe vegetable oil alternative.” Because something something treated with unicorn sweat glands and harvested rainbow reflections.

And I’m sure before we know it eating fat is bad for you. Again. Enter nightshade-antiketo. Trademarked.

All it takes to start a trend is hyped-up nutrition research colliding with an entrepreneurial mastermind. And voila, the entrepreneurial mastermind has (again) found their mission. And they can yet again solve this society-threatening “problem” with their new incredible product.

The success of the first product then fuels all the other wannabe health entrepreneurs to come up with their version of the solution. Because capitalism. And we now have the illusion of a world-threatening problem. I mean, it must be since we see solutions everywhere.

Capitalism has many upsides. It makes our world a better place. It shits on communism. But turning a raindrop of nothing into an ocean of OMGWEAREALLGOINGTODIEIFWE… isn’t one of the upsides.

Here’s where it’s at.

Most things done to an extreme are bad for our health.

Yes, we probably shouldn’t base our diet on eating only vegetable oils or fats or sugar or free-range fairy bread and expect to live a healthy, long, and prosperous life.

But isn’t that just common sense?

Eating a healthy, balanced diet most of the time means that most of us don’t need to get carried away with yet another trend that probably amounts to nothing.

Leaving us more time to focus on what actually matters.

-J

ps. Well. I didn’t realise how upset I felt about all this.

You have a high-flying career. Kids. Housework.

Because of your commitments, it’s usually way past 7pm when you can put your feet up. At least on weekdays.

That’s the opposite of being lazy.

So when you say that you don’t do something for your health or fitness because you’re “lazy”, where does that label come from?

Who created it? What’s behind it?

And if you want, how can you change it?

-J