Year of Push 4.22 Rulers of the Weak

“Circumstances are the rulers of the weak.”

We only let our circumstances get in the way of things we’ve decided aren’t that important. Working out. Eating well. Getting enough sleep. Otherwise, we find a way. We make it work.

If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, click here.

We don’t fail to pick up our kids from school because it’s been a crazy day at work. Why? Because it matters.

I am not here to say that you’re a weak person. But, when we let ourselves be governed by our circumstances, we’re exercising weak will. Weak intent. Weak heart.

I’ve been surprised by how many people have said to me how impressive it is that I’m still going to the gym every day even though I have to stay off my right leg.

I didn’t even really think about it. I just go because that’s what I do. That’s the habit I’ve built. Because all the reasons for me to workout daily still exist and because one minor injury doesn’t change my overall ability.

But I guess it’s true – it would be very easy to use my injury, a circumstance, as a way to justify not going.

There will always be a way to justify not doing something. The question is: will you continue to accept those justifications?

Make a decision & find a way. “The way” won’t always look like you thought it would but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options.

I’ve shared before that when I was getting out of debt, not one single month went according to plan. So what? I adjusted the plan and did what I could.

Adjust your plan. Don’t surrender.

We all have stressful days. We all experience illness, injury or a bad night of sleep.

There is still a way. It might not look how you thought it would, but there is always a way.

Speaking of finding a way…today’s workout made me happy.

Traditional deadlifts are out for me because the setup requires a bit of a squat which aggravates me knee. However, stiff-legged deadlifts seem to be in play! Here’s how today’s workout went down:

EMOM 5 #1

3 moderate weight deadlifts

EMOM 5 #2

1 heavy deadlift

AMRAP 7

1 deadlift

130 m row (one leg only – described in the audio)

2 deadlifts

130 m row

(deadlifts keep climbing until time expires)

The EMOMs mean “every minute on the minute for 5 minutes”. It was a solid workout for being so limited!

On the food front:

Greek yogurt with unsweetened cacao powder after my workout followed by a steak salad and lots of sparkling water.

I’m excited for dinner – it’s cauliflower crust pizza night! Some of my Masters Club clients have been posting their cauliflower pizza from my 2015 recipe and they’re inspired me to make it! Here’s one of the ones posted in the group! Doesn’t this make you want it!?

Year of Push 4.21 In The Wrong Story

Want to hear a quote I tell myself throughout the day? “If you find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” ~ Mo Willems

If you’d rather listen to this blog on Anchor, click here.

I remind myself of this quote if I’m in a bad mood, if I’m feeling stressed, if I’m bummed about a choice I made or if I’m angry at someone.

We create the stories we experience with our focus & our thoughts. The beautiful thing about that is we can CHOOSE to leave the story, go to another one, or create a new one.

If I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed about work, I don’t have to stay in that story. I’ll shift my focus to how lucky I am to have a job. How lucky I am to have people who rely on me and how lucky I am to work in my passion.

If I’m feeling disappointed in a food choice I made or like my physical progress is too slow, I can leave that story. I can choose to create the story of all that is in my power to make a change right now.

If I’m feeling hurt by someone I love, I can choose to leave that story. I can remind myself of how much they love me. I can choose to see the situation as a misunderstanding or as poor communication. I can remind myself that it’s not worth being upset – that relationships are a gift and life is short.

If you find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” ~ Mo Willems

This is a superpower we all have.

Today’s workout totally crushed my shoulders! Since I’m still on crutches, I’m pretty limited in what I can do, so I had to get creative. Here’s what it looked like

3 rounds of:

  • 7 seated strict press
  • 7 ring rows
  • 7 situps

2 min max effort on bike (arms only)

3 rounds of:

  • 7 seated strict press
  • 7 ring rows
  • 7 situps

2 min max effort on bike (arms only)

3 rounds of:

  • 7 seated strict press
  • 7 ring rows
  • 7 situps

Afterwards I did some recovery work on my shoulders and then got a massage.

On the food front:

I was sooooooo hungry after my massage. I enjoyed the heck out of steak & sweet potatoes in the early afternoon. I made it a bigger meal because I’m headed into Boston and probably won’t be able to eat for about 8 hours or so. I’ll choose not to snack, so I wanted to make sure I ate enough to hold me over.

While I was out, I had a large Americano.

When I got home, I had a huge cobb salad with a few cups of added raw red & green cabbage.

Make it a great day, guys!

365: Accepting Reality Without Finality

365: Accepting Reality Without Finality

Do you get hung up on your past? Do you let it frustrate you? Does it contribute to your doubts about what you might be able to do in the future? That’s what today’s episode is all about.

It’s time to understand how to change that.

This episode was inspired, in part, by The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. A couple of the quotes at the center of this episode include:

I do not deny the reality of my situation; I deny the finality of it.

If we familiarize ourselves with the chains of bondage, we prepare our own limbs to wear them.

Make sure to listen to this one!

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Resources:

ASCEND: Get on the wait list

The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews

How To Leave A Rating & Review (thank you!!!)

 

Year of Push 4.20 Paralysis

Every Sunday I send out an email to folks on my free VIP email list. I don’t usually share them on the blog but yesterday’s seemed to really resonate in a special way so I’m sharing it here today on the blog. You can get on the VIP email list right on the homepage of primalpotential.com or, if you’re in the United States, by texting the word PRIMAL to the number 44-222. Below is the email, including the link to listen (which is not an Anchor link because this was an email, not a blog, at the time).


Hey there!

I have been hit over the head with the same message over & over again this week. I just have to share it with you!

It’s about INACTION. It’s about how oftentimes, when we aren’t sure what to do next, we do nothing at all. It’s about how we allow ourselves to be paralyzed by options or refuse to make a good choice simply because a perfect choice isn’t possible.

If you’d rather listen to this email, click here. Otherwise, read on.

Do you spend more time thinking about your next step than actually taking it? That means you’re also spending more energy on thinking than on acting.

Do you spend time & energy beating yourself up for NOT doing what you told yourself you would do (instead of getting up and doing the thing?)

Do you throw in the towel when you’ve missed the bar on “perfection” instead of embracing “good” or “better than nothing”?

Do you let fear or uncertainty hold you back or slow you down?

Do you fall into the trap of saying “I’ll start tomorrow“?

Let’s change that. Right now.

Earlier in the week I shared on my blog that some colleagues in my summer altMBA program were frustrated about the lack of clarity on an assignment. They were frustrated by it and weren’t pushing forward with the work because of that confusion & desire for certainty. But here’s the thing: action creates clarity. Waiting prevents all progress. Decide. Act.

Create the clarity you seek through action.

Then, one of my clients shared this article in our Fat Loss Fast Track Facebook group. (It’s a bit of a read, but totally worth it, and I read it in full in the audio recording of this email for those who get distracted when trying to read)

Here’s one of my favorite lines from the article:

“You’re expecting a product without respecting the process. I’m not interested in getting something perfect from you, and you shouldn’t be either. Just do the work. Write the story. And then write it again, as many times as you need to.”

Then, a close friend of mine who is trying to start a business snapped at me in frustration. “It’s scary to reach out to people about a service you don’t even know if they want!” He was avoiding doing the work because he was scared even though the only way to break through the fear is to do the work. He then said, “How did you START?

I saw the fear and acted anyway.

I recognized that the only way to not be afraid was to see fear as a starting point, not an ending point. It’s the beginning. It’s the place we start. It’s the place from which we act.

On top of all that, I woke up unmotivated this morning. I wanted to stay in bed. I was tired. I was thinking about my daunting list of everything that needs to happen. I asked myself, “Can I make just ONE day great? Just THIS day? What would it take to make it a great day & can I do that just once?” Yes, of course I can. How?

The answer is simple: ACTION. My Masters Club clients & I refer to this as “turning off the thought faucet“. Just do. Go. Do ONE THING that is aligned with your goals.

It doesn’t matter if you can’t take the perfect path because of time or money or because of choices you’ve already made on a given day.

We aren’t here for perfect. We’re here for progress. And progress begins with your next choice.

We all have ONE GOOD CHOICE in us. We break through the fear barrier & the uncertainty discomfort with ACTION. With choice. So, get going.

XO

E

PS: This week, in response to your question for more short-form audio content like my blogs or weekend updates, I launched my Anchor channel. You can hear my daily blogs and other short-form ramblings over there. You can also comment or “call in” with your questions or comments. Hope to see you there!

On the food front:

As I shared on Anchor over the weekend, I decided to do a short, impromptu fast from Saturday afternoon-ish until this morning. I broke my fast around noon today with some grilled chicken & cauliflower rice.

Since I’m not working out today (see below) and will be pretty much on my butt all day long, I’ll adjust my eating accordingly. I certainly don’t need to eat as much as a day when I’m rushing all about & working out intensely.

With that said, lunch was a cobb salad with added raw cabbage (a few cups of cabbage) and dinner was a big bowl of greek yogurt with cacao powder and coconut flakes.

In other news: I did not workout today because crutches over the weekend were really kicking my tail and I think it’s best for my body to take it easy today.

Make it a great day guys!

365: Accepting Reality Without Finality

364: The Science of Cravings & Your Sugar Solution

Struggling with sugar cravings? Do you want to make better choices but find yourself repeatedly giving into the pull of your cravings?

One of critical steps we need to take in order to overcome cravings is understanding how our current behavior is actually creating those cravings.

Sure, practice, discipline & self-control play a role, but identifying the ways that your current choices are triggering the return of your cravings is a powerful place to start.

In today’s episode we’re geeking out on a couple aspects of the science of cravings so you can begin to create your own personal sugar solution.

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Resources:

ASCEND: Get on the wait list

How To Leave A Rating & Review (thank you!!!)

055: Probiotics for Health & Fat Loss

The Carb Cycle

195: The Golden Rules of Carbs & Fat Loss

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