Get in get it done and get out

If you have read any of our previous articles, you will know that we are advocates of a moderate or middle-of-the-road approach to almost anything. We often see people get motivated to better themselves, start way too aggressively, burn out, and end up back where they started.

This is why we preach moderation and a sustainable approach to fitness, diet, and personal development in general. People are often not willing to set the bar low enough and choose a strategy that is sustainable for them in the long term, and therefore end in dissolution, self-doubt, self-pity, and falling back into the bad habits that have gotten them nowhere so far. But is there a middle ground between the all-in mentality and a more sustainable approach? Can you get the best of both worlds?

This has been the topic of many coffee talks lately, and we think that there’s value in both approaches—and a good approach could be to combine the two.

When people get motivated and want a different life, it helps to see quick results. Therefore, it could be beneficial to go hard and fast from the get-go. But instead of going all in David Goggins style (look him up if you don’t know who he is or if you need some serious motivation), then try to go all-in David Goggins style, but with a defined end date.

In this way, you can see the finish line from day one, and you know that you don’t have to keep living like an intense spartan for the rest of your life  

An example of this could be a 75-day challenge where you every day must do the following:

·         go outside and see the sunrise and sunset—preferably whilst walking or running   

·         take a cold shower

·         train (lift weights, run or do something similar)

·         no sugar and alcohol  

·         read a minimum of 15 pages of a non-fiction book

·         sleep minimum 7-8 hours (adjust sunrise/sunset so you get enough sleep if you live in a part of the world where this is a challenge) 

·         Do daily breathing/meditation protocol

This is an example of a get up early, dominate the world, and burn out fast strategy. But as you see, it’s a 75-day challenge, which means you don’t need to do this forever, and you should be in a better place if you survive the challenge, but what then?

We think that a lot of burnout comes from people not seeing the finish line—to never eat cake or drink a glass of wine can be a depressing thought, but this is where the sustainable phase gets relevant.

You’ve reached the finish line and are now in a better place and you should be very proud of your accomplishment. Now you can look at the challenge as an a la carte menu that you can choose from, instead of a strict lifestyle. See which things you want to do forever and choose them. The challenge is over, but now you need a sustainable strategy to keep making marginal progress in the long run. Train every other day and skip the sunset, drink in moderation, or get hammered occasionally. This part is up to you but remember to not fall back to where you started.      

It’s much easier to stick to a moderate plan if you’re somewhat satisfied with where you are, and we think that life should be enjoyed. You can always repeat a new challenge if you want to take things to another level.

So, get in, get it done and get out.

Until next time

Scott and Lennart