The way we think about & approach fat loss is a problem. When we focus too much on the overall strategy and not enough on the daily strategy, a few things happens:
We can undervalue the importance of today because there is no immediacy to the macro view
We can overwhelm ourselves because we’re looking at all the work that needs to be done & all the changes that need to happen instead of narrowing our focus to just today’s work
Mental & emotional commitment to a strategy or approach doesn’t equate to daily execution. You can attach to a big picture or a lifestyle without ever living it.
This is the fundamental difference between intention & action.
This is what we’re breaking down in today’s episode – how to move from intention to execution.
Marketing tycoon Gary Vaynerchuk says that you win the 5 year game by winning the 5 minute game. This is exactly what I try to execute related to my own health & fitness goals and how I try to talk my clients off the ledge of overwhelm & frustration.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, click here to listen on my Anchor channel. Please note: the Anchor channel is NOT the same thing as the Primal Potential podcast. The podcasts do not appear on Anchor. Anchor is short-form more casual audio content.
We completely overwhelm ourselves when we focus on the macro strategy of how we’re going to lose 20, 30, or 100 lbs. We totally distract ourselves when we’re trying to figure out how to do 10 pull-ups before we can do one.
You don’t even need to have your game plan mastered for the next week! Often times, when we do, we’re so focused on the macro, on the big picture, that we miss all the opportunities in front of us TODAY to make progress. Or, something doesn’t go according to plan and we tell ourselves that we’re screwed.
Sometimes we get stuck caring more about the plan & the theory than we do about the execution. No bueno.
When we focus on the macro instead of the micro, we miss opportunities for progress, we distract ourselves needlessly and we create a sense of chaos & overwhelm.
You win the week by winning the next hour. You win the month by winning the day.
Focus on TODAY. Focus on what happens now. Focus on how you can win the morning, or the afternoon – on how you can make the rest of your day the best of your day.
Focus on what you’re able & willing to do today to move in the direction of your goals.
I’ll use myself as an example. I wake up every day and ask myself what I’m able & willing to do to win the day. Here’s what my list looked like this morning:
This isn’t a task list. There are a bazillion tasks. These are the things that will make me feel like I’ve crushed the day when I’m laying in bed tonight.
I’m not worried about how I’ll navigate the family festivities next weekend. They aren’t here yet. I’m not worried about how I’ll lose 5 lbs. I’m focused on what I’m able & willing to do today to win the day.
PS: I’ll be going into more detail on this on tomorrow’s episode of the Primal Potential podcast.
Speaking of winning the day – my workout was definitely a part of that today! I’m almost back to the full swing of things and I crushed this one!
“Hard Pressed”
21-15-9:
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
Push Press
Burpees
I gave it everything I had & it felt amazing.
On the food front:
As you can see from my win list, today is all about that cabbage salad bowl. I’m totally in a rhythm with it and I’m loving the ease and lightness. I chose to take a quick break from Paleo Power Meals because all I was craving was this cabbage bowl.
The first bowl contained raw cabbage, 2 eggs over easy, 2 slices of bacon, half an avocado and a tablespoon of Primal Kitchen Chipotle Lime Mayo. If it seems like it’s a lot of fat, it is.
What we achieve, or fail to achieve, depends largely on our attitude & mindset. That’s why I created a positivity pledge for everyone who attended ASCEND Nashville back in 2016.
As I get prepared for a life-changing weekend at ASCEND Boston in November, I was going back through the workbook from last year. One of the first pages is the positivity pledge & I thought I’d share it with you.
Heck, just reading it this morning on Anchor got me fired up to make today an amazing day. When you take these words to heart and translate them into thought & actions, magic can happen!
Here’s the Primal Potential Positivity Pledge & I’ve included an image that you can print or save below.
I am here to grow.
Growth begins with my attitude & mindset.
I am here to find solutions, not to focus on problems.
I am determined to be a positive influence in my own life.
Life will present me with problems but I will not create them by being negative or cynical.
I know that perspective is a choice and a positive one will move me forward & enhance my life.
I will smile more.
I will laugh more.
I know that moving beyond where I am requires letting go of what keeps me here.
I embrace hard work because I know it’s the path to growth & transformation.
I won’t give in to fear.
I will practice being resilient, creative and hopeful.
I will stay positive no matter what energy is around me.
I am more interested in being happy than in being stubborn or right.
Setbacks don’t bring me down, they strengthen my resolve.
I look for a way, not a way out.
I won’t follow negative thoughts.
I will seek & find opportunities each day to make positivity louder.
Which line of the positivity pledge resonates most with you right now? For me it’s:
I will stay positive no matter what energy is around me.
What would you add to the pledge or what will you take from it?
Back in July you guys suggested that we turn the tables on the podcast and I be in the hot seat for an interview. I turned to my Primal Potential Masters Club to put together a list of questions and I’m sharing parts of the interview with you!
We are talking struggles, moderation, body acceptance, goals and so much more on today’s podcast. I share my thoughts on what has surprised me most about Primal Potential, when I decided to start my own company and lots of thoughts on my own personal journey and experiences as a podcaster/teacher.
If you have questions you’d like me to answer, put them in the comments and I’ll make sure to answer every one either in the comments or on my Anchor channel.
Please note: there is a curse word in this episode.
I am an introvert. For real, it’s true. It hasn’t always been that way but absolutely has been for the last 10-15 years. I am consciously choosing to not let my shyness be a barrier to connection but rather to break down that barrier, choice by choice.
One of the ways I do this is by seeking ways to step out of my comfort zone. I intentionally strike up a conversation with a stranger in the gym when I’d prefer to keep to myself.
I introduce myself to someone I want to connect with instead of hoping they introduce themselves to me.
Every day I look for opportunities to move towards things that make me uncomfortable instead of away from them.
I’m going to a party tonight. I’m going alone and I will know very few people there. The people I will know aren’t friends, they are casual, new-ish acquaintances at best.
Normally, I wouldn’t go. Today, I’m choosing to go.
Here’s what I realized when thinking about the party: uncomfortable isn’t bad. It’s not painful. I won’t get hurt. In fact, uncomfortable is totally fine.
If I go and feel uncomfortable standing by myself, that is fine. I will be fine. It’s not a problem at all.
If it feels uncomfortable to strike up a conversation with a stranger, I will be fine. It is not bad. It is not painful. It’s not a problem at all.
And, the only way to make uncomfortable things feel more comfortable is to step towards them, not away from them.
The same thing is true with all discomforts.
Does it feel uncomfortable to turn down temptation? That is fine. It won’t hurt. You can do it. It’s not a bad thing. Embrace the discomfort.
Run towards it, not away from it.
Does it feel uncomfortable to go to a new gym? That’s okay. It won’t hurt you. It’s not even bad. You can ease the discomfort by stepping towards it instead of running from it.
Uncomfortable is fine. Step towards it. Embrace it. You’re fine & so am I.
{edited to add}
I wrote this blog and then went about my work. I had to get Saturday’s podcast out the door, I had a handful of conference calls & in-person meetings, etc. Before getting ready for the party, I decided to hop on my bike to generate some energy since I was feeling pretty tired.
I get to one of the last pages of the book I was reading (Reinvent Yourself by James Altucher) and this is the picture facing me as I turn the page.
Today’s workout was a great one. It called for box jumps but I nixed those to be more tender with my knee after yesterday’s wall balls. Here’s what I did:
3 RFT
500m row
12 burpees
21 heavy ball slams
My shoulders were totally lit after those ball slams (which were in lieu of box jumps). Felt great to crush it!
On the food front:
I went straight to Whole Foods after my workout to get some bacon. I made up my cabbage salad bowl with bacon & avocado after the workout.
Throughout the afternoon I snacked on some pili nuts and drank a few bottles of sparkling water.
I chose to eat before the party since I don’t know what will be there. I had brussels sprouts and grilled chicken. I’m not planning to drink alcohol at the party but I’ll happily enjoy seltzer if they have it! If not, plain water will do just fine.
Make the most of your weekend! Give some thought to what will make you proud & then make it happen!
