Hey Everyone!
It has been a good long stretch since I have chatted, and to be honest, after 10-plus years, my motivation to write had waned. Chatting for the sake of chatting has never been my goal, so taking a break has enabled me to refresh my thoughts and ideas of what may be valuable to share. Moving forward I may chat a bit less but will continue to share and enlighten as I deem valuable.
The above quote is one of my favorites and I believe is suitable in every aspect of our lives. It may take a bit of thought, but it is worth unpacking.
Though this quote has unlimited application but let’s unpack it as it pertains to our health and fitness.
Often, I have conversations with people who want (intention) to be better fit (destination), but they cannot find time to workout. My response is twofold, first I ask them what they desire for the future to look like and second, list out what they did each day for the past week. The answer to the first part, is usually, to be active and enjoy retirement. I don’t accept a general statement such as “active”, so I ask what specific activities would they like to do (specific destination)? Golf, tennis, running, traveling, fishing, and playing with their grandchildren are some of the specific responses I get. So now that I have a bunch of “destinations” laid out, I ask about their daily activities they listed out and do they align with the direction to their desired destination? For the most part, the path (current activities or lack thereof) they are on is not moving toward the destination they want to end up at. Most of the current activities current path) people are doing, are leading to a destination of limited physical capability.
"Direction not Intention determines your destination"
My desired destination is one of strong muscles, bones, cardiovascular capability, and minimal extra body weight. My current priorities (path) are running and weight training, but my path in the direction of body composition (destination) is struggling to stay on. 2 out of 3 may seem okay, but all three are important for my overall destination goal of healthy and fit.
I challenge you to do the above exercise of listing specific activities you want to be capable of 5 to 10 years from now and then list your current daily activities. Do your priorities align with your desired destination? Just playing golf is not going to keep you on the put you on the path to play in your later years. If you neglect your body, there is a high likelihood that you will not be capable of playing sooner than you would like.
As you invest in your financial future (destination), think about the need to invest in your physical capability future (more important destination). The cool thing is it is never too late to start working out. We have clients who are coming to us in their 70s and they have never done any exercise, but we are helping them to move and function better.
I hope you pause and think about where you are at and where you want to end up at?
Feels great to be back chatting with you! I hope your summer is going great.
God Bless
Mike
