Every year, without fail, the seasons change. Summer, fall, after winter then comes spring. Spring ALWAYS follows winter. This pattern isn’t going to change.
There are certain things in life that one man cannot change. How much control do you have over the changing of the seasons? Absolutely none. You can’t change the seasons. You’re just a spectator merely watching as things happen around you.
You can either be The Enthused Participant, The Punching Bag or the ACTIVE-DAD. Either way, it’s going to happen.
“Better is not something you wish; It’s something you become.”
Imagine you’re on trial and your daughter is called to bear witness on your daily habits. With her left hand on the Holy Bible (King James Version, of course) and her right hand raised the judge asks her “Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”. Your daughter answers, “Yes”.
What will her sworn testimony be? Will your daughter’s testimony be a glowing testament of how you Prioritize Physical Activity daily, or a striking one? Will you be able to hold your chest and chin up high because you know your talk and your walk are in stride? Or would your claims not match the man she knows you to be?
Will she say, “daddy Prioritizes Physical Activity!”, or will she say, “daddy really likes watching T.V.”.
Talk That Talk
“His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.”
The other day I had a coworker approach me. The conversation went along the lines of not having the motivation to Prioritize Physical Activity. Yes, the subject of Priortizing Physical Activity goes beyond these posts, it permeates my every day life. Often times its my relatives making similar comments or asking the same questions. This dates back to my younger years. So its not unusual for me to have these types of conversations outside of ACTIVE-DAD.com
To frame this conversation, the focus of the discussion was motivation. My colleague was seeking my help in motivating them to Prioritizing Physical Activity. They stated they needed me to help motivate them. In my mind I was thinking, if you need me to motivate you, then you haven’t hit the right level of disgust yet. I emphasize the “in my mind” part. An unfiltered conversation of this nature may not go well in the workplace, for obvious reasons.
Also in my mind was a quote from James Allen, “A strong man cannot help a weaker unless that weaker is willing to be helped, and even then the weak man must become strong of himself; he must, by his own efforts, develop the strength which he admiers in another. None but himself can alter his condition.”
Use Disgust as a tool
Now I know some Body PositiviERs may not agree, but there is a rock bottom for some of us. We would all like to think that we are just fantastic just the way we are, but from a health perspective, that may not be your truth.
As we all know, ACTIVE-DADs come in all shapes and sizes. There is no “Perfect” starting point because the goal is to start where you are, RIGHT NOW, and aim to continuously improve.
If that means going from completely sedentary to joining the One Activity, One Day A Week Challenge (How Low Has Complacency Set Your Bar?), then YOU’RE WINING! The secret; The more you keep going, the more you keep WINNING. Along the way, you can adjust and discover new approaches.
But first thing’s first.
major time on major things
I’ve said it before in Health Is A Wealth Multiplier, but I’ll say it again, if you’ve figured out how to build wealth, you already have the tools to be an ACTIVE-DAD and lead a healthy life prioritizing what brings you the most value. On your journey, you are likely to share the road with others traveling in the same direction, albeit, often at different speeds and in different vehicles
I am stoked to introduce you to Barri Griffiths. He hosts an extremely successful and alluring podcast appropriately titled Wrestling With Real Estate, to which I was fortunate enough to grace an episode of. Prior to the podcast episode, I met Barri traveling down a similar road to financial independence.
You’ve heard it here before, ACTIVE-DAD is a place for the Every day Dad to come for motivation, inspiration, tips and tricks from other Every day Dads, sprinkled in with some advice from experts.
ACTIVE-DAD is here to push Prioritizing Physical Activity; promote family; promote wealth through health.
That being said, you’re not going to find a bunch of dudes with their shirts off or a bunch of workout videos. It’s all about simplicity; how to get you from being a Physical Activity Contemplator to a Physical Activity PRIORITIZER.
So, this is about as NAKED as you will see anyone on here. Allow me to sacrifice my ego for the sake of connecting with you. Boy oh boy, do I feel exposed. Let’s get vulnerable.
Styku Bodyscan of Active-Dad, Fully Exposed.
The lens you see your adult body was likely shaped at an early age. Like many of you, growing up I tried to hide my trouble spots with loose fitting clothes. Baggie clothes were the style then anyway, so it wasn’t much of an effort on my part.
Some can relate, and some of y’all were just born STUDS! Things have likely changed since your younger years, and time hasn’t been all that gentle to you. Your struggles started later in life. Who cares, we are all in the same boat NOW.
Clothes are great tools to hide what we physically don’t like about ourselves. That area has always been the hips and butt for me. The first place to gain and the last place to lose. I blame it on genetics—that darn Smith gene on my mother’s side! Commonly referred to as the “Pear” shape.
I’d actually classify myself as a hybrid between the endomorph and the mesomorph. But I also use to think I could be a professional Muay Thai Kickboxer, so take my self-perception with a grain of salt.
Styku Bodyscan
I’m not sure just how accurate the body fat percentage calculations are on the Styku Bodyscan (despite what the makers boast them to be), but I’m not looking for exact. My initial and continued hopes are to track any trend toward my goal of decreasing body fat. Despite all my efforts, I did not achieve that goal. With the 1+ month between the two body scans, I ran 25 to 36 miles per week, PLUS at least an hour sesh in the gym, 3 to 4 times a week.
Styku Bodyscan of Active-Dad, Fully Exposed, Part 2.
I have never been one to shy away from putting in the work. Often times,the problem is, it’s too much work.
Decreasing my body fat percentage was main goal. I decreased my weight to below 200 lbs., yet my body fat percentage went up from approximately 16.4% to 17.0%.
For the most part, once you account for the potential variation, there was little overall change. What that tells me is that I need to reframe from beating my body down. ESPECIALLY, when the end result is a tired and beat up body.
What I lacked?
I have been depriving myself of sleep since late June. Truth be told, I picked up a part time position working the night shift. That’s in addition to my full-time career. So, the only nights I get to sleep are Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. That’s right. Those 3 nights I work night shift, I don’t sleep until the following night.
Do you think I have failed to Prioritize Physical Activity? Not in the least! I push myself to continue to Prioritize Physical Activity 6 days a week.
Do you think that lack of sleep has an impact on my physical activity performance? In quality—for sure.
Do you think the lack of sleep has an impact on my results? I wish I could say definitively. If I had access to the Styku Bodyscans prior to me taking on an additional job and subsequently depriving myself of sleep, I would have measurements to base my determination on.
Styku Bodyscan of Active-Dad, Fully Exposed, Part 2.
Nevertheless, this short-term assessment still leads me to think the lack of sleep has an impact on my results. That should not be a surprise.
Since January 2020, I have been pretty good at sticking to intermittent fasting. Check out How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Ration Food During COVID-19. I have been able to eat the things I crave, as long as I ate them in my eating window. I have been slacking to stick to that window, as of this past month.
What’s Next For Me? What’s Next For YOU?
Like most of you, my year started with some specific physical goals. Again, much like most of you, a lot of those goals were derailed with the ongoing pandemic. Those physical goals could have all ended with that GIGANTIC obstacle.
Hopefully, much like me, your goals did NOT end there. I just adapted my goals to the situation. Hopefully, much like me, your drive and determination did not end there. My drive and determination continued by feeding on the energy of Every day Dads, like YOU!
Let me give you an example. Right around April and early March, I incidentally increased my back-squat strength up to weights I previously lifted prior to turning 30. I’m talking about 405+ lbs. For some of you that’s nothing, for others that may sound like a lot—either way, the weight is not what’s important.
The gyms closed and I was back to running outside, using resistance bands and some light dumbbell work. I was, and still remain, at a point where my Under Armour fitted workout shirts and compression pants are fitting loose!
So, I’m back to the drawing board! I’m not chasing the pre-COVID me, because who knows, things might shutdown again and I’ll be back to being Slim Shady. However, I will stay the course on reducing my body fat percentage. Don’t count me out yet! I have roughly 4 months left in this year to reduce body fat.
But what about you? Will committing to an montly, bi-monthly, Styku Bodyscan keep you on track of your goals? If you have no other goal set for this year, you should AT LEAST set your scope on PRIORITIZING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY one day a week. That’s it!
You don’t have to be so drastic. You can just start with an achievable goal. Start with 60 minutes of Physical Activity ONE day a week. Join the challenge and read How Low Has Complacency Set Your Bar?
If you can’t find time during the weekday, join me and the other Weekend Warriors and get it done on a Saturday or Sunday. I PROMISE YOU, you won’t regret it! Get on board with 3 Reasons Why You Should Join The Weekend Warrior Circle. Let’s do this together!
You have 18 weeks left this year! That’s AT LEAST 18 days you can prioritize Physical Activity. THAT’S ALL! Use that momentum to CATAPULT you into 2021. We are all ready to leave 2020 behind us—WAY behind us.
I have heard this more times than I care to count. Each time I hear it, I cringe, internally. Maybe you have even uttered this once or twice. Possibly trying to be funny, using humor to soften the blow of the truth. “Because I’m FAT and LAZY”. It is one thing to admit your shortcomings and own up to them, it’s another to find comfort in them.
Consider the tone and context of this conversation:
If you were looking for an excuse NOT to Prioritize Physical Activity, you have come to the wrong place. Instead I’m here to give you SEVEN reasons why you SHOULD Prioritize Physical Activity this week. You have seven days to observe National Exercise With Your Child Week; why not have different activities?
Heck, I’ll even outline the activities for you!
Or better yet, sit down with your miniature clone and ask him/her what exercises they want to do with you. Get them involved. I did, and this is what she planned for us.
You have kept the bar pretty low. Complacency has done that to you. Your bar wasn’t always set this low. It happened over time. It is the result of you repeatedly settling for whatever you felt like at that moment. You must own it.
Of course, you don’t deserve ALL the credit. Those around you helped you along the way too. They would comfort you saying, “that’s ok” or asking, “why are you trying so hard?”. They thought they were being good friends, good peoples. Heck, you were giving them an excuse not to try harder too.
Admittedly, sometimes you need that soft-landing place, some comforting. But only occasionally, otherwise you become as fluffy as a pillow, like now. This sounds vivid and eerily familiar to your life, it’s because I have been there.
RAISE IT UP!
How easy would it be to raise the bar, just ever so slightly? I’m not talking about an all-out overhaul. Not one of those bootcamps that you go to for three to five days that blasts your body, leaving you beat up and hurting, never to return for another boot camp for two weeks or longer. I’m talking one small step for mankind, one giant leap….errrr, scratch that. But seriously, one small step. Followed by another. And another. Until you have reached one mile, two miles, three, etc.
Time For A Challenge
When is the last time you challenged yourself? Just enough to be break out of the normal routine.
I’ve been introduced to Darren Hardy and his phenomenal message about building good habits through consistency. That should sound familiar to you from any of the ACTIVE-DAD material (check out The Physical Activity Snowball Effect). But this isn’t about me, or ACTIVE-DAD, this is about YOU!
For the second year in a row, Darren Hardy has started the 90 Day Summer Raven Run Challenge. Run/walk ONE mile or more each day and post your mileage in the comments here: DAY 1. It started June 15th. If you miss Day One, Two, or day 30, who cares. That’s not as important as getting started and keeping the motivation going.
You and I may have missed the boat for the start of this particular challenge, but the year is still young! You can join Darren Hardy, along with THOUSANDS of others committing to consistency…consistently running or walking at least ONE mile and posting it for accountability with #RavenRun.
Running/walking ONE mile a day for 90 days not for you?
Let’s make it even more simplistic. I challenge you to challenge yourself in not going a mile today, but Prioritizing Physical Activity ONE day a week, for 6 weeks. That’s it! The Active-Dad ONE DAY A WEEK Challenge. One day a week, you choose the day, you choose the activity for 60 minutes. You can raise the bar if you want to, but that’s up to you. In fact, it’s all up to you! Start with ONE DAY!
Garden for an hour, walk for an hour, ride your bike for an hour, push the lawn mower for an hour, go fishing for an hour…any activity that doesn’t put you on the couch for an hour, go do it!
Weekend Warrior circle
If the only day you think you can pull this off is on the weekend, join the Weekend Warrior Circle and challenge yourself ONE Saturday every week, to Prioritize Physical Activity. Have your family hold you accountable by scheduling a family bike ride every Saturday. Biking not your thing? You chose the Physical Activity or let your family weigh in!
Every Sunday since the summer has begun, I have committed to my family to take a hike somewhere, and I my wife has taken full control over the destination. She’s happy because we’re out of the house, my daughter’s happy because she has her hiking stick, my son’s happy because I’m carrying him the whole way, and I’m happy because we’re hitting the ACTIVE-DAD TriFecta; 1) Outdoors, 2) Prioritizing Physical Activity and 3) Together Spending Quality Time.
IT’S YOUR TURN!
Commit To The Challenge!
One Day A Week
60 Minutes of Activity
Nobody can do it for you. But your family CAN help. Invite your family in on your plans so the can help you keep accountable. Nothing is more motivating than your four year old daughter being disapponted in for not keeping you word.
Also check out Darren Hardy and his book The Compound Effect.
The saying goes “you cannot change all the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around.”
Whatever lens you may be viewing the world today, who you surround yourself with has become ever so important. There’s no doubt in my mind that you have given this tremendous thought, considering the current state of the nation.
Since all of us have pretty much been hunkered down for almost four months now, we’ve likely kept our physical contacts with the outside to a minimum and contact with our immediate family at an all-time high! HOPEFULLY!
That can get challenging after a while. So, today is as good as any other day to take a walk with your daughter. Heck, it’s National Father Daughter Take A Walk Day. Could you think of a better walking partner?
