Cheat, Slow Down & Take Breaks

I've discovered over the years that one of the main reasons why people can't stay fit and healthy is because they put so much pressure on themselves to see constant improvement in their performance and appearance. They also become discouraged when things like strength, energy, range of motion and endurance waver from workout to workout. For some reason many of us think that with every workout we're supposed to get stronger, leaner and better. The truth is, no one can continuously maintain or sustain an ever improving level of energy and enthusiasm for every workout. It's impossible. There are dozens of factors that effect how we're able to accomplish things. Sleep, stress, diet, weather, illness, injuries, biorhythms and more, all play a part in your day to day successes, disappointments, accomplishments and setbacks.

My 5th Law of Health and Fitness is Reality. If reality dictates that you're wiped out after a long day, and at the end of that long day you have a PlyoX workout to do, then let reality play a roll in how you will do that workout. Some choose to skip the workout altogether because they feel (prior to starting) that their performance will be substandard based on past performances. Others might 'get through it" but beat themselves up afterward because they weren't as strong or capable as in past workouts. If this kind of mental gymnastics is happening with you, then understand that comparing your present situation with past ones will make you crazy. This kind of thinking is a leading cause for why people can't get or stay fit and healthy.

Life is filled with ups and downs, and these ups and downs will inevitably affect the quality of our workouts. When I ask you to do your best and forget the rest, I'm asking you to see if you can show up and be okay with how you're doing right now, not last time. The place and head space you're in right now is all you have. Why would you want to ruin it by comparing it to something else? If a particular workout seems daunting prior to starting it, then I say, it's okay to "get through it" anyway you can. This includes using that pause button on your remote often if necessary. It's also okay to skip parts of a workout. Run-in-place or stretch during Bow to Boat or Plyo Push-ups if your too tired or not in the mood. I'm here to tell you that it's perfectly okay to cheat like hell, take breaks and skip some moves if that's what you need to do to get through a workout. I do.

Any workout (no matter how altered it is) is always better than no workout at all. When you shift your mind set to doing something (even when you don't want to) you'll be less likely to completely fall off the fitness wagon. Don't let your ego fight what's happening to you right now. Gracefully accept the conditions that present themselves as opposed to fighting the reality of your situation. I've mentioned the fight or flow scenario before and it applies here as well. Go-with-the-flow based only on who you are right now, and stop fighting the truth of now because you so desperately need to keep up with your past. If you can do this and accept this, then you'll know how to stay fit and healthy for the rest of your life.

Resolution

As the new year kicked in I was struggling with a New Year's Resolution. I thought that maybe this year I'd just blow it off and keep doing what I've been doing. Truth be told, 75% of the time things were great, while the rest of life was a struggle. As I began to look at it closely, I kept trying to create a statement that would reveal what I needed to do, to improve my percentages. It didn't feel right that most of the time I felt open, positive, creative, energetic and hopeful and a forth of the time I was feeling scared, anxious, sad, nervous and overwhelmed. A grand improvement from my days of youth, but I knew that there was still more room for improvement. I understand that certain situations in life can and will cause some discomfort, but I believe that I'm the main cause of my unhappy times, not some outside source. This revelation came just after the new year and in that moment I realized what my resolution for 2007 had to be.

I figured out that most of my angst came from two things that are directly connected. 1. Not knowing how to make my way through certain situations that involve solving complex life problems. And 2. Not having the confidence that I already have the answers, or the courage to ask questions of the right people who can help me understand/solve my problems. When I became aware of this, the statement I was looking for popped in my head clear as day. I knew in an instant that in 2007 I needed to find clarity with the people in my life and tie up unfinished business. I was very clear about my workouts and diet, but my finances, relationships and career were only getting part time attention. This was creating problems and I knew I was the only cause. This newfound clarity resulted in having difficult conversations with lawyers, accountants, investors, friends and family. I was pretending to know where everyone stood in my world, but the truth was I was clueless.

I stopped waiting for situations to resolve themselves, and for people to come around when they were ready. I had to take the initiative and ask as many questions as possible to make sure that the people around me knew exactly where I stood. This didn't require being a tough guy or a wise ass. I didn't have to raise my voice or point any fingers. I tried to stay upbeat, humorous and curious throughout the process. My job was to find ways to help me understand where I stood with all the people and situations in my life. The lack of clarity and unfinished business was eating away at me and it dawned on me that asking the right questions was the only way to make for a better life. I made lists (and still do) of the things that felt unfinished. I called and e-mailed the people connected to these unclear, unfinished situations and asked them how they intended to proceed. The end result was astonishing. My concerns were washed away once I began talking with people. When everyone involved is fully informed, clarity is achieved, unfinished business resolved, and life becomes joyous and a lot less complicated.

The Slide

The Slide is that thing that occurs between the time when you have focus, energy, determination and enthusiasm for something positive and productive in your life, and when you don't. Hundreds of thousands of people who set goals on January 1 are beginning to feel The Slide right now. Good intentions quickly switch back to old bad habits again. This is a very difficult period for people because the transition is often abrupt, unexpected and overwhelming. I've seen news stories on the tube and newspaper articles touting January 22nd as the most depressing day of the year because some expert somewhere determined that Americans fall back into old habits on the third Monday of January. The Slide can happen any time of year and it often occurs several times in a year for many people. It happens in relationships, at work, with our finances, you name it. One day we've got our act together and the next it all goes to hell in a handcart.

In most cases The Slide doesn't just happen, it's triggered by something. An occurrence that overwhelms us. An unanticipated event that causes one or more rock solid patterns in our lives to go south. Whether it's a sudden case of tennis elbow, a breakup with your girlfriend or a letter from the IRS, this trigger can throw all the positive behavior in your life, right out the window. The truth is, calling this shift "The Slide" is being kind. I should call it "The Crash" because it turns up into upside down overnight sometimes. Bad shellfish and a night of poor sleep might be all some folks need to start the downward spiral. If there's been a pattern of see-saw events in your life then you're probably very familiar with The Slide. Good intentions have never been enough to keep people on track, so the only way to keep from sliding back (to the old ways) is to surround yourself with good people and a plan/philosophy to reach for when the going gets tough.

Let me say that I've been a victim of The Slide in years past. I've also had a very strong tug to blow some things off again this year. My tendency has been to fight it, but I've learned that avoiding The Slide requires flowing not fighting. I'll get these two voices in my head that have a little discussion about what to do (or not do) when it comes to tough decisions and things that require some discipline. When I've had a good night's sleep, kept stress at bay, made a plan for the week and ate healthy food then the voice of productivity kicks the crap out of the whoa-is-me voice. I've noticed that I struggle most when I'm lacking clarity about what it is I want from day to day. When there are lots of untidy loose ends in my world I end up sliding all over the place. The difference between fighting and flowing is the difference between sliding back or going forward. I think far too many of us freak-out about the outcome of events in our lives before we even start them.

If you want to slide less then you need to flight less and flow more. This means that you need to take the focus off of the future and see if you can do the right thing right now. How many calories you need to eat per meal so that you can lose 2 pounds a week in the first phase of your program is crazy talk! How many days into the future do you want to think this way? Unless you're a robot (and some people are) this approach will cause a slide show every time. When you flow you show up in the moment and you never beat yourself up when things don't go perfectly. The line between fight/slide and flow/go is very subtle because the activity between the two looks the same until the fighter fails. Not to say that flow people can't slip and fall, it's just that they don't recognize failure the way fighters do, so they rarely suffer from the slide. The bottom line is that if you want to slide less and flow more then sit back and enjoy the ride, do YOUR thing, go at your pace, make a plan without being attached to the outcome and surround yourself with people in-the-know who want to help you succeed.