Where will you be by 2030? Looking ahead a decade (and back).

Today is a bit longer of a post but I believe it will be a tremendous help if you will read it. Saving yourself money and potential frustration seems like a good way to start the year!

We are coming to the close of 2019 – and as humans love to do, we are contemplating what we have done with ourselves for the past 10 years. Of course it only happens on even numbers, because everyone knows that we can simply ignore 2009; as it had no bearing on our life.

Normally we simply look back on our year and look at how far we have come, whether in a positive or negative direction. However, this year, we get to jump back to what seems like a lifetime ago; yet thanks to smartphones, is only about 20 seconds of fast scrolling.

It is quite a powerful tool to be able to look back and see where we were, who we were with, and what we were doing. Sometimes all 3 of those have changed to the point where you feel like you don’t know “that person”.

I believe that the changing of the year provides a nice period beyond the clichés, to sit back and think about what you would like to do for the next 365 days. I often ask myself a few questions each year.

1. Who do I want to become?

2. In regards to who I want to become, what types of things does that person do?

3. How will I go about making these changes?

4. What sort of obstacles may be in my way?

5. How will I deal with self-doubt? *This one is an evolving answer – don’t go overboard with your reply. Something as simple as a mantra can be effective.

These are all simply questions to develop awareness and putting your goals out into the world. So, go ahead. Write these 5 things down in a notebook. I will wait for you.

Ok good! Now you have something on paper and hopefully it involves growth in some way. People always have goals, or at least they say they do. Today is about realizing that there is usually a huge roadblock in the way of your goals, and that is you.

If you know anything about what I preach you will know that I believe everyone NEEDS a practice. This is not an option. Humans don’t “get to” move, we HAVE to move. What you choose to practice is up to you, but if you want to be the best version of yourself you are going to want to adopt a practice that covers a broad and general base of physical challenges; a prioritization on high quality and individualized nutrition, and respect for your bodies recovery and sleep time.

Now, with the new year coming you will undoubtedly see CHALLENGE – popping up everywhere. The idea of these challenges is to get people to start working out, eating better, and feeling better while their fleeting motivation is high. The problem is that the challenge only lasts 4 weeks. After 28 days people will completely turn their back on what they said were their goals and return to their comfortable habits.

So, back to your goals. What do you need to do in order to get there?

I think it helps to break it down to small wins, and eventually to non-negotiables.

For example : I want to achieve my first chin-up.

Plan A :

I will attend 2 classes per week focusing on developing my strength.

If I attend 2 classes per week for 52 weeks I will have performed 104 training sessions in 2020. Over 10 years that will be 1,040 training sessions. Long term consistency matters.

Do you think you will be closer to a chin-up after performing 104 training sessions vs. 0?

Maybe 0 is too harsh – but after 3 months you quit because you didn’t get the results you wanted. Now we performed 24 sessions. That is 80 sessions left on the table. Do you think that has an effect on your goals?

Plan B :

You only need a plan B if your Plan A doesn’t work out. So let me give you one just in case. I often find as we all know that most people quit training in the first 3 months of the year because of either poor results or disinterest. Most of the time I find it to be due to a lack of education on nutrition and behavior change.

So, lets look at a Plan B.

I want to achieve my chin-up, and I have been attending 2 classes per week for 1 year. After 104 sessions I have improved, but still no chin-up.

If I work with a dietician for 1 session / month for 1 year I will spend 12 sessions objectively reviewing my nutrition and bringing awareness to my habits, so that I can make healthier choices that support my lifestyle and goals.

I laid out these plans because often times people think that training is a linear progression. They look at other people having success in their training and claim its good genetics (which of course is a factor) and a host of other excuses. However, here is the truth.

You are not special. Of course, I love you anyway, but you are not special in the sense that you do not get to skip the steps necessary to achieve good health. It is EDUCATION, and the less you know, the more EXPENSIVE it will be to catch up. The more you invest upfront in SERIOUS teachers, the quicker you can get on to being the person you want to be.

If you think it is expensive to pursue good health, you might want to do some research into what it costs to be sick.

Where were you a decade ago? I was in the operating room getting a knee procedure done. I couldn’t stand on my hands for more than 5 seconds (if I happened to get lucky) and my back squat 5 rep maximum was 205lbs. I had never used gymnastics rings and was most definitely scared to dance in public.

Today I can stand on each ONE of my arms independently for 15 seconds, at one point I was squatting 335lbs for 5 repetitions, have developed ring routines, and with a smart program have stayed healthy and training since my knee surgery. Where will the next decade bring me?

More importantly, where will the next decade bring you?

I look forward to hearing your answers in the comments below or in my e-mail inbox! Put it out there in the world, and just know we are here to help you every step of the way.