| Hi Friend!
Sunny Monday to you!
Sure feels good to see it and hit the ground running on a new week. Last week I turned the big 4-1 and I'm all in on feeling and being newer every day vs. older. The question I get asked the most these days with each calendar turn is probably similar to you. How do you feel now that you're a year older. The answer for me is the same as last year. Responsible.
Responsible It's crazy. That's really the biggest difference. I watched all the St. Paddy's Day people party, and I saw a group do an Irish Car Bomb shot, and on one hand it looked like a lot of fun, but then on the other, I thought, well, I'd probably need Sunday to lay in bed all day recovering, while asking myself if it was worth it to party hard and then I'd need Monday to get back to normal by moving and then Tuesday I'd sort of be ready to resume things per the usual, so really that's not worth it for me right now and it's not because no matter what Vivi is waking up b/w 6-7am and she's a high energy, very smart and very verbal kid and she's gonna climb on me and bounce on my head until I get up and chase her around the house, which brings me such great Joy (hi Alicia), so that moment of fun has a high cost of a wasted day and missing out on family time, so that's an example of being more responsible. Plus, it might not go over so well, if I don't do my roles at the house and the Queen has to do them or be impeded because I didn't do them, so that's not worth it either. Low stress, Kum-by-ya is much better for me.
Consistency I think the rewards are great when you have a good home & work balance and a good work + rest balance, but for me it really requires boundaries (guardrails, bumpers, etc...) like not working on family days and not doing family on work days, or not doing work during family time or doing family during work time; or stopping short even if I'm on a roll, so I can keep my schedule; putting myself to bed, so I can present a rested best case self to my next day so I don't have to borrow energy, favors, resources or health from the future.
To do this, really requires more than a daily plan, it requires a 7 day per week plan, vs. M-F and the weekends. It also really requires weekly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual planning for all the recurring things that happen. I don't have this part mastered, but I'm actively working on it because I see repeating trends. This also has never been my strength, in real life, except for sports as I was good at planning backwards in sports.
It's hard for me to be consistent, but it's worthwhile, that's why I do it. I like the challenge. I like the wins that come on the 7th day, or the density of attention, achievement or mindfulness when you win the day. I like progress.
Slow vs. Fast Do you ever notice, when you're overloaded, under slept, malnourished (not medically, but you haven't eaten well like you might normally), dehydrated, etc... how challenging it is to do your normal things and live your life normally?
Take for example, workouts. If you don't feel great, you're tired, you didn't eat enough or you haven't been eating well, you're body doesn't feel great from travel or work, or there's been a lot of life stress, how challenging it is to workout. No matter what you do, everything feels difficult.
Tip: when you don't feel great, the easiest way to get the win is to show up, go slow and finish the workout by doing whatever it takes (using lighter weights, lower levels, fewer reps, 1 set vs. multi-sets...).
Now take for example, you're nailing your consistency. You're eating the right foods, in the right amounts, at the right time. You're hydrated. You're well rested, you're getting your workouts in. Work & home are balanced and in good places. You ever notice how you can really push it and bring the intensity in a workout. Did you also ever notice how hard that workout is because you can push it and bring the intensity? You'd think because you feel great and you have a myriad of reasons why you've presented your best case self to the workout, the workout should feel easier, but because you're dominating the workout because you're so strong, it still feels hard. It's an interesting dichotomy (S.A.T. word).
In any event, I'm really loving these responsible years. I predict great things for me, my family and for the people around me (aka YOU!) because I feel like if you work to be consistent 7/24/365 and that work includes boundaries that address and support "work + home balance" and "work + rest balance", good things will happen.
This email is written about me, but it's written for you. How could being more responsible and accountable to your goals and commitments, by being more consistent, 7 days per week, vs. only M-F or on the weekends, and by practicing it and planning for it each month, quarter, half year and full year lead you to more frequent wins, results and a more full and balanced life?
Sometimes you have to go slow to get the wins and sometimes you do everything right and you get to go fast, only for it to feel equally as hard as the times you go slow. Doing both moves you forward, in spite of how it feels, so keep moving forward, getting newer every day and consider going all in with your responsibilities and 7/24/365 consistency.
Newer,
Mike
p.s. what'd you do for cardio minutes the last 2 weeks (we got 31 minutes per workout and 50min at the family boot camp)?
p.p.s. how many challenge workouts did you do last week (including the make up classes)?
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