Have you noticed that often the best and right thing to do, is sometimes not what you would expect at all?
Only from trying something time, and time again with poor results – do you out of desperation do something that is counter intuitive. And only then, do things finally click. In fact sometimes, the counter intuitive thing you do, isn’t even a conscious decision. It came about, only after throwing your hands in the air, and finally giving up on something. Only then, did trying something completely different jump out at you.
I’ll share an example of something in my own life.
I used to be a very detailed goal setter. I’m talking, Tony Robbins on steroids.
I had five year goals for every area of my life. Each goal was broken down into 1 year, 9 months, 6 months, 3 months and 30 day goals. I had a very long and elaborate routine to plan my week, so that I could achieve these. I was utterly convinced this was the right and only way to be successful and happy.
The bottom line – yes, it helped me be successful at things. But, it was a very miserable way to live life. There was no room for deviation. I found myself constantly re-planning my goals when something changed – which it always did. In fact, I was spending more time re-planning my goals, than working towards them.
After reaching peak meltdown for about the thousandth time, I gave up on goal setting. I had my own ‘throw my hands in the air’ moment. I then went through a no goals period of my life, which of course was a very counter intuitive thing to do at the time. But, I was at my wits end with it all.
That didn’t work out particularly well either. It turns out that you kinda need to have a sense of where you want to be going, if you’re going to organise yourself well on a day to day basis.
Nowadays, I’ve settled somewhere in the middle. I’m the most productive and happiest I’ve ever been in my life. But it did take counterintuitive action to end the vicious cycle of frustration and poor results.
It’s funny how we will try to do something over and over again, even though it repeatedly isn’t working.
OK, let’s bring it back to health, fitness and habits.
How many times have you tried to commit to a new training program, diet, or even healthy behaviour – but only managed to stick to it for a week? Perhaps you lasted a month. Maybe you’re even one of the lucky ones, and you managed a few months. But, like every other time, you weren’t able to stick it out much longer than that.
I used to be exactly the same. I tried every training program and diet under the sun. I could tell you the ins and outs of them all.
But, I couldn’t seem to make any of them a consistent behaviour. I couldn’t get anything to stick. And as a result, well, I didn’t get many results.
And now I know why. I was going about it the wrong way around.
Here’s the big problem. I wasn’t the type of person who was capable of sticking to training programs, diets or advanced habits. It was inevitable that I would only last so long, despite having the best of intentions.
Instead of jumping into a new training or diet program, or fancy new habit, I needed to buckle down and build a set of foundational health habits. I needed to build a base level of capability.
Someone who slept well.
Someone who didn’t consume alcohol.
Someone who moderated their caffeine intake.
Someone who ate enough protein.
Someone who was well hydrated.
Someone who ate mostly whole foods.
Someone who walked a lot.
I was going to become someone who was highly disciplined. Someone who was confident. Someone who looked good and felt good about themselves. Importantly, someone who was capable of doing the things I desperately wanted to do. And, I was going to be super patient, and take my time with it.
Let’s fast forward to today. I now find it easy to train for two hours a day. Throughout the week, I do a mix of weight training, interval training, zone 2 cardio, walking and mobility work.
I now find it easy to be in control of my nutrition. I track my calories, my macronutrients (i.e protein, carbohydrates and fats). I eat mostly whole foods. And, I can influence with a fair amount of precision what I want my body composition to be.
I can only do that now, because I went through a process of rebuilding myself.
It’s the base of the pyramid metaphor that I like to use. The foundational health habits ARE the base of the pyramid. It’s essentially a base layer of capability. When you build that base layer of capability, you end up building a person that’s capable of doing so much more than a person who doesn’t have those foundational health habits down.
And now whatever I decide to turn my attention to (i.e the layers above the base of the pyramid), I have a hell of an easier time sticking to them. I’m now coming at it from a highly capable place.
And that’s why you probably have things the wrong way around.
Forget jumping into new training programs, new diets, or trying to give up or start something new and big in your life.
Instead, slowly rebuild yourself. Become the type of person who is capable of making big changes in your life. Build that base layer of the pyramid and build foundational health habits into your life.
If you do things that way around, I guarantee your life is going to be, and will feel very different.
I’ll give you one last example, in case you’re not convinced.
Do you know someone who all of a sudden committed to a big physical challenge?
Maybe a half marathon, or climbing a mountain – something like that. I say all of a sudden, because for that person, it usually comes as a bit out of character. They’re not usually the type of person that you would associate with that type of thing.
Now of course, it’s very impressive to see them commit to the type of training needed to achieve their physical challenge. And most of the time, they are fairly consistent with the training. They go on to achieve the big physical challenge. They’re very pleased to have done so – as they should be.
But, now notice. How many of those people go on to consistently continue their training?
If your experience is the same as mine, very few.
So, why is that?
It’s because, for the most part, the sheer accountability that comes from committing to it publicly, as well as getting monetarily sponsored by close friends and family – helps them put in the work. It pulls them over the finish line.
As soon as that goes away, what they’re left with is just themselves. And now the option to continue that type of training – or not. And for the most part, it usually dies off.
It goes back to what I’ve been talking about in this episode. They are not fundamentally the type or person who is capable of sustaining that type of training and effort over the long-term. The accountability factor catapulted them into it, and was propping things up all along. It was only ever going to last for a fixed period of time.
Now, I want to be clear. I’m not trying to dismiss people taking on big challenges, and putting in the work to get them done. It’s super impressive. In fact, it’s maybe even more impressive because they attacked it from a place of not being prepared, or being capable to do that type of thing.
But what you don’t want is hacks. You want to become the type of person that can put in the work day in day out. Week in week out. Month in month out. To sustain it over many years. In fact, sustain is over a lifetime.
And if you want to do that, you have to build a base layer of capability, discipline and confidence. You need to build the type of person that can do the types of things you want to do.
And that’s where the foundational health habits come in.
If you want any help or advice on how to get started, you know where I am. Just reach out.
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