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Transformation 5.0

Transformation 5.0

Change Your Focus to Change Your Outcome

Posted on June 30, 2014

PingPong

What else can you focus on?

Have you ever been in a situation where you don’t want to indulge, yet ultimately you do?  Why does this happen?

On Sunday, we took a fun group to Frankford Hall in Northern Liberties.  It’s a true beer garden – half indoor/half outdoor, long community tables, pretzels, and huge mugs of beer.  We arrived at lunch time, and the plan was to hang out until dinner.

If you enjoy beer (which I do around good friends), this is a dicey environment.  After all, it is a beer garden.  They have unique pours that you don’t see everywhere, and the environment revolves around them.

Here’s the thing – I didn’t want to indulge that day.  So what did I do? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Fitness Block, Pressure, and Preemptive Recovery

Posted on June 28, 2014

WritersBlock

What if you’re making this too big of a deal?

What if you’re putting too much pressure on yourself?  What if that is the reason you haven’t had your fitness breakthrough, and it’s not because you are incapable, weak, and/or unmotivated?

“Writer’s block does not actually exist…writer’s block is almost like the equivalent of impotence.  It’s the performance pressure you put on yourself that keeps you from doing something you naturally should be able to do.

The reason you don’t get writer’s block as a writer is because you have a deadline and it has to be in and you have no choice.  But if you sit there and you think this piece has to be the ultimate article or the ultimate book ever been written and my entire self esteem is wrapped up in this…the bigger of a story you make up about what you are doing, the bigger the block will get…it’s all completely a performance anxiety.”

– Neil Strauss on The Tim Ferriss Show Episode #15

Does that resonate with you? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Ranting, Raving, and Long Term Thinking

Posted on June 27, 2014

SamHinkie

I’m ranting today.  Brace yourself.  Ready?

Why is it so hard to see the forest for the trees?  Why are we so skewed towards short-term thinking?

While short-term thinking makes sense in light of evolutionary demands, it’s pretty damn frustrating!

(Bear with me, this isn’t entirely about sports.)   I spent last night watching the Philadelphia 76ers and the NBA Draft.  The 76ers have a fairly new General Manager, Sam Hinkie, at the helm.  His strengths: smart, savvy, calculating.  His weakness: not media friendly what-so-ever. Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Hikes, Birthdays, and Thank Yous

Posted on June 26, 2014

Day30Hike1Day30Hike2

While the exercise world technically contained a day of recovery, Marissa and I went on a 3 hour hike in the Wissahickon Valley for her birthday.  That’s right, it was a birthday hike!  For those familiar with the area, a large chunk of it took place on and around Forbidden Drive.

Our favorite topic of conversation was marveling at our surroundings and exclaiming what a good idea the hike was.  No joke.

Being in this kind of environment just feels right somehow, and it’s mentally and physically restorative.  Stress management at its finest.  No city buildings, no concrete, no people and noise overload.  Only trees, green as far as the eye can see, and the occasional biker/hiker and bird song.

We also found 3 hours, split into two pieces (lunch destination at the midpoint) to be the perfect length for a day hike.  Of course there are places and times for far longer, more intense hikes, but this was ideal for a day event.  Enough to get a sweat going but not enough to break down the body.

I beat the nature drum a lot, so I’ll spare you more praise.  Simply put, schedule one and get out there, will you? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Calendars, Scheduling, and Your Health Business

Posted on June 25, 2014

ScheduleWorkout

What type of calendar do you use in your day-to-day life?

Google, iPhone, Outlook, third party app, pen and paper, or (gasp!) nothing but your head?

If you’re anything like me, your calendar is your fail-safe.  It’s your trusty sidekick.  When the madness hits and appointments are scheduled, changed, and cancelled at an uncontrollable pace, it keeps your day in check.

You definitely use your calendar for work events.  You probably use it for personal events.

But do you use it for health events? Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

Chaos, Perspective, and Coping Mechanisms

Posted on June 24, 2014

ShitFan

What happens when shit hits the fan?

When the going gets tough, do the tough get going?  Or when the going gets tough, do Ben and Jerry and a host of old bad habits come marching in?

No matter what you thought you knew, when shit hits the fan, you will know how committed you are to change.

Tough times provide the perfect excuse not to change.  They’re unexpected.  They’re at least mildly disconcerting and at most they shake the ground you stand on.  They stir up all sorts of old stress coping mechanisms. Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

0 to 60, Shrinking Supersets, and Nonsense

Posted on June 23, 2014

CarPush

It gets easier.  It really does.

When beginning a fitness push, you inevitably sacrifice something.  Remember, there is a balance between action pattern sacrifices and physical results.  To improve the physical results, you must alter your action patterns.

The sacrifice may be extra time in the gym.  It may be less sweets.  It may be extra vigilance when out with friends for the second night in a row.  It may be extra preparation time in the kitchen.  It may be less tv time on behalf of improved sleep.  You get the idea.

These sacrifices require initial focus.  Initial effort.  Initial difficulty.

It’s important to understand that the hardest part of going from 0 to 60 is going from 0 to 1.  Going from inertia to forward motion. Continue Reading

Transformation 5.0

33% Complete: A Look Back

Posted on June 21, 2014

LookBack

33% of my Relentless Transformation is complete.  Done.  Gone.  Over.

I both can and can’t believe it.  It feels blink-of-an-eye short and grind-your-nails-on-chalkboard long, all at the same time.  I’m comfortable I have plenty more weeks to achieve my vision and terrified that they’re not even close to enough, all at the same time.

That is the transformation rollercoaster.  Put more broadly, that is the positive change rollercoaster.  It’s simple, but it ain’t easy!

I’ve written about the absolute importance of periodic reflection, so let’s reflect, shall we? Continue Reading