Faucet

Kim and I were chatting yesterday during the podcast about how surrounding yourself with the right people can make such a difference, and really trying to weed out the people that drain your energy.

We all have those people in our lives…

You know who I’m talking about.

They just drain the energy right out of you.

They constantly complain, take a lot of your energy to keep going, and are a real drag.

On the flip side, we have faucets.

Faucets are people with an endless amount of potential, forward motion, and possibility.

They are the source provider of energy.

It is possible to turn a drain into a faucet.

It’s mostly a choice.

It’s a mindset.

How you look at things…

Are you an energy drag, or are you filled with forwarding motion and positivity?

Life is filled with enough drains, be a faucet.

I heard this analogy from the great writer, Seth Godin.

I love it.

Most of this stuff comes down to choice.

In her book Mindset, Carol Dweck introduces the concept of a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.

If someone has a growth mindset they believe they can achieve anything, when they get frustrated they persevere through, when they fail they learn, and they love a good challenge.

In comparison, someone with a fixed mindset believes they are either good at something or not, they give up when they’re frustrated, they think they’re no good when they fail, and they don’t like to be challenged.

To continue with the above example, your drains are fixed mindset people, and your faucets are growth mindset people.

In health and fitness it’s important to have a growth mindset, and either be a faucet, or surround yourself with them.

It’s going to be challenging (I’m not talking about the workouts, I’m talking about the long-term journey of just showing up), you’re probably going to fail at some point, and like bathing, you’re going to need motivation and accountability daily.

If you approach it with a growth mindset that excites you, you know you can overcome it.

That’s why we’re such big proponents of having coaches with you at every workout, and as support throughout the entire journey.

A coach has a growth mindset, they can see the transformation before it even happens, and they can be your “faucet” of energy.

Find more faucets.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

What If...

I remember the day I signed the lease to our first building on the hood of my truck in front of the landlord and said: "what if this doesn't work?"

Three years later I remember signing the purchase and sales to our current building and thinking "what if this doesn’t work?"

Now we’re getting ready to move forward with a 5,000+ square foot expansion to continue our mission and inspire positive change in people’s lives.

And I ask myself the same question…

“What if this doesn’t work?”

With any goal, with any big change, with any progress, fear and doubt will always be a part of it, and as it gets closer, the bigger the fear, the more anxiety.

In fact, I’ve learned that’s a good thing.

Fear allows you to better think through all the worst-case scenarios, to be more detailed, to plan for plan B.

We all have examples of this every day, big and small.

“What if people make fun of me in the gym?”

“What if I can’t keep up with everyone?”

“What if I screw up?”

“What if I don’t do a good job?”

What if…

What if…

What if…

The "what if" fills our life with fear, anxiety, and negativity.

It can often be paralyzing to the point of not wanting to go forward with a decision.

A big mental shift is to say “When I…”

When I complete this project it is going to be a place where lives are changed...

When I walk into this gym it's going to be comforting and welcoming. 

When I go all-in, I'll get all out of it. 

When I drop those pant sizes, not what if I drop those pant sizes. 

When I can feel strong and confident, not what if I feel strong and confident. 

It seems simple, but it's a huge shift in your mental state. 

Does it remove all fear?

No.

But as I mentioned, I think a little bit of fear is a good thing.

It keeps us on our toes.

However, shifting to “when I…” allows you to still move forward, to still make progress, to not let fear be paralyzing, and to speak to yourself like it will happen or has already happened.

Try making that daily shift in your mind and let me know how it goes. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

A feeling of hope

The most challenging moments in our lives, I think, are the ones where we are afraid to hope.

The definition of hope is:

A feeling of expectation and desire for certain things to happen.

As you sit here right now, let me ask you this question:

Are you hopeful about achieving whatever goal it is that you are chasing? Do you believe in the possibility of achievement?

In my twenties I wrote a weekly column for a local newspaper in Pennsylvania, and one week, my article was inspired by the Disney movie, “The Rookie.” The story was based on the real-life journey of Jim Morris, a high school science teacher who found his way to the Major Leagues at the age of 35.

I loved that story, and I wrote passionately about the importance of persistence and hope in pursuing the dreams and goals that are most important to you. After the article was published, one of my co-workers, who was in her forties at the time, was cynical about my point.

She chalked my optimism up to the naïveté of youth. Life, she said, would zap that optimism out of me eventually. It’s not as simple as remaining loyal to your dreams, she said.

In that moment with her, all I could think was that I hoped I would never feel so dour at the prospects of what I might be able to do in my life. And yet, as the years have gone on, I see more and more of that cynicism that she was talking about.

And I think that skeptical attitude comes from experience - from setting out to achieve a particular goal and falling short. Once you’ve ridden that cycle of behavior - set a goal - work towards a goal - fail to achieve a goal, or you achieve the goal but only for a short while - it becomes harder and harder to expect that you will succeed.

But I still think that your goal has to be rooted in hope and possibility. You need to find it within yourself to believe that you won’t just try to hit your goal, but that you will hit your goal. And if that belief is becoming harder and harder to come by after a lifetime of attempts, then it’s time to look for some inspiration.

A baseball player who succeeds in only three out of every 10 at bats will go down in history as one of the greatest in the game. Google the failures of Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Edison. Look up the story of the baseball player Jim Morris.

But whatever you do, look around you for hope and possibility. Past failures are just the roots that will make you more grounded in your success. Keep looking skyward - keep moving forward. Good things will happen.

Implementation

Yesterday on the podcast recording Kim and I were talking about overcoming challenges, you’ll see that episode get released on Thursday.

However, in the midst of the episode, she asked me about my skill of implementation.

When looking at a challenge, or anything to do, according to her, I have an innate skill for just getting it done, implementing it.

As I like to say, a term I believe I got from Seth Godin…

SHIP IT!

Any who, it got me thinking after the fact…

What makes a good “implementor"?”

Because here’s the simple fact…

In any area of life, it’s never the idea that matters, it’s the execution of the idea.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking working out, tackling a project, taking on a new role within your company, or doing something with your family.

Thomas Edison once said, “Ideas without execution are hallucinations.”

So, how do you execute better…

1. Have a clear vision: I talk about this a lot, and I will continue to do so until I die. Your vision is a time frame in the future, a picture of what things look like. You can do an entire “life vision” or you could do a vision for a project you’re working on at work. The important part here is you have a clear, documented, picture of what you want things to look like. You have to have a destination before you ask for directions.

2. Shoot for the moon: I aim to shoot for the moon in anything, because as they say, even if you miss you’ll fall back on the stars. I aim to set BHAGs, Big Hairy Audacious Goals.

3. Rip it apart: Whether we’re talking a small project, trying something new (liking joining a gym), or anything you’re stuck executing on, I aim to rip it apart. I map out all the steps involved, and I ask myself…”What’s the absolute worse thing that can happen?” Typically, our negative self-talk and fears stop us from executing on a lot of our ides, and this exercise can help a ton. Once you map it out, and get realistic about what’s the worst thing that can happen, you realize it’s not that bad.

4. Move with urgency: Any day that goes by that an idea is not executed is a life not changed. That’s really my mindset. Why wait until Monday to launch something if it can make an impact today? Why wait to workout until next month when you can start making progress today? Maybe it’s all the traumatic deaths I’ve experienced in my life, I don’t know, but I know I might not be able to make a difference or get better tomorrow, it’s not promised. So, that’s how I execute.

5. Mini Milestones: No matter how big the task, no matter how big the project, I always aim to set daily milestones. What does progress look like on this today? Reverse engineer it, break it down into manageable chunks, and win the day.

6. Draft: Everything you see is in draft version. You can always go back and make it better. Today you are going to try your best, and be your best. Tomorrow, hopefully, you’ll have a chance to try again. That goes the same for projects, workouts, or almost anything else in life. I’m just “publishing” the best draft I can, and then I’ll go back and redraft, and redraft.

Hopefully one of those six tips resonated with you, and you can improve what I call your SOI.

Speed of Implementation.

If, of course, that’s an area you want to improve.

That’s up to you.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

What's The Difference?

If you played sports growing up, you'll always remember your favorite coach.

Even if you didn’t, you know the impact that a coach has on someone. 

That's why we have always called our team members COACHES, not trainers.

Trainers are people who got some weekend certification, love to exercise, thought they'd hang out in a gym all day, and count your reps or scream into a headset. 

They deliver workouts. 

And for some people, that's cool. 

I think the biggest difference between a coach and a trainer, putting aside backgrounds, degrees, etc is this.... 

A coach delivers an experience that truly changes your life.  

Sure there is a time and a place to modify technique, pick the right exercises, and count some reps. 

However, what about those discussions when you're having a bad day?

What about that external reach out via a Facebook message or e-mail to see how you're doing?

A coach looks at the total picture, delivers a complete experience, and truly makes a difference in your life. 

A coach is not just concerned about this one workout, but your entire journey, you as an entire person.

We have an incredible team of coaches, not trainers, and we deliver a coaching program. 

I always tell people...

If you're looking to just join a gym, we're probably not the right fit for you. 

You can pay to rent equipment anywhere. 

If you're looking to just do some squats, push-ups, and planks, you can do that anywhere. 

The magic is in the coaching experience. 

That's something that can't be duplicated, and it's the coaching, accountability, and a strong community that goes behind everything we do that makes it such an incredible experience.

In surveys, by far the number one thing that always tops the list…

COACHING.

So why is this important to you?

Well one, I want our readers to be super educated. 

Whether it's here or somewhere else, I want you to know the difference between a gym and a coaching program.

Two, I want to give huge props to my team because they're the best team around and don't like being called trainers :) 

And finally, this is usually the time of year where people seem to get frustrated that they have not made any progress on their New Year goals. 

And I can guarantee you one thing...

If you don't have coaching and accountability behind what you're doing, in some way or another, you will not achieve your goals. 

It may be blunt, it may sting a little, but it's the truth. 

That's true for all of us. 

Even us coaches have coaches. 

Just remember this...

The magic is not in whether you do a kettlebell squat or a bodyweight squat...

The magic is not in whether you do a push-up or a dumbbell press...

The magic is not in whether you follow this diet or that diet...

The magic is the coaching, consistency, community, and culture behind it. 

Let me know if you agree.

If not, that's super cool, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

So, action item?

If there is an area of your life you’re looking to improve ask yourself this question…

“Do I have a coach on my side?”

This goes for not just fitness, but any aspect of life.

If not, go get one.

I promise, if you find the right one, or in our case, a team of them, they’ll change your life.

1% Better. 

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

I'm proud of you

Last week I was meeting with a client who has been incredibly focused and is making tremendous strides towards her health and fitness goals.

At the end of our meeting, I couldn’t help myself.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying,” I said. “But I’m really proud of you.”

She appreciated the sentiment - and as as I reflected on our conversation later, I realized that as adults, we don’t hear that phrase very often.

I’d argue that there are some people out there who haven’t received that type of praise in years.

I think many of us were raised with parents who perhaps showed their affection instead of saying it. I don’t ever remember my mom telling me that she was proud of me - though occasionally I’d catch her bragging about something I did - and that second hand knowledge was the only reassurance I got from her about anything I was doing.

So many of us already have trouble owning our accomplishments. A few weeks ago in my personal development class, I asked the group to name a proud moment from the past week - a question I borrowed from a weekly meeting questionnaire we fill out at the gym.

And I watched as 10 women sat with pens hovering over a piece of paper, trying to come up with a moment of which they felt proud. Most did, after giving it a few minutes of thought.

We minimize the good and amplify the negative.

So today, I guess I’m just reminding you that sometimes we all need to hear those words of praise. Sometimes we need to know that someone else out there sees us. That they see our hard work and effort and how we our entire being into what we do.

Sometimes we just need a little nod of the head - a little slap on the back - and that one little phrase.

I’m proud of you.

Infinite Game

This game we’re all playing is an infinite one…

Until some catastrophic event happens and wipes out the entire earth, humans are not going anywhere anytime soon.

We can at least comfortably say that our kids, their kids, their kids, and their kids will be here, right?

And isn’t that the point of all of this?

To be fulfilled (see yesterdays post), to be happy, and to play the infinite game.

The never ending game of getting better, living your life’s purpose, and leaving the world a better place than you found it.

Now, to bring all of that down to reality…

We often act like we’re playing a finite game, when in reality, this is an infinite game, a never ending game.

Here’s what I mean…

A football game is a finite game.

There is strategy and performance that goes into the game, and at the end of the time a winner is determined based on the scoreboard.

But life is not like that, yet we make decisions like it is.

Let’s look at the game of fitness, of health, of wellness…

In order to be at your best, to live the healthiest life, to be around for your friends and family as long as possible, I think we would all agree that working on your health and wellness is important, and that it is something that will always, in some capacity, have to be a part of your life.

It’s an infinite game…it never ends.

However, we often make decisions or tell ourselves stories based on it being a finite game.

“Let me lose 20lbs and then I’ll be happy.”

“I’m going to do this 30 day cleanse and then I’ll be good.”

Those are all decisions, strategies, and beliefs for a finite game.

Fitness is not a finite game.

I would argue there are very few things that are a finite game.

Let’s look at parenting…

How you do it, what it looks like, changes as the years go on, but you are constantly looking at becoming a better parent until the day you die.

What are personal development?

We are constantly looking at ways we can become better people, more kind to ourselves, better partners, a better friend, or a better co-worker.

It’s an infinite game.

So, what does this matter?

Well, hopefully two things come from it…

One…

You develop a life purpose that is more motivating than any short term goal ever could be.

You are forever intrinsically motivated to get better, in all aspects of life.

Two…

You don’t make decisions that “win” the short-term, the finite game, but then might sacrifice the long-term chances of the infinite game.

Short term decisions, short cuts, quick fixes, in any area of life, are often with that mindset that of “If I just get here…” but that’s not the mindset of the infinite game…

The infinite game is a game that never ends, it’s just about having a true purpose, a deep cause for yourself, and getting better in all aspects of life, forever, everyday….

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Emotinonal Labor

Every week, Sheila and I try to have a Friday night date. We don’t see each other much during the week, and that’s our opportunity to catch up. During our conversation last week, she introduced me to the concept of emotional labor. 



One of the benefits to being married so someone smarter than me - I’m always learning :-)



I’d never heard the term before, but she described it as the “thought labor” that goes in to making sure that things get done: that kids get to and from sporting events, that the house gets cleaned, that a broken washer gets fixed - etc. etc.



The concept isn’t one that I’d given much thought to (see what I did there?), but as I open my eyes to the idea, I see how much time and energy that kind of labor takes up in our lives. We might carry different versions of it, but her point was well-taken:

It’s very real labor.

No, it’s not physical labor. But it’s still work. And the work is still taxing and draining and takes a toll on us.
That labor takes up space, and I’m not sure that many of us give much credence or even recognize the thought work we are putting in to our day to day lives.

We have a family friend who recently retired from her job as a therapist - and when I asked her what the best part of retirement was, she said that she missed her patients, but she didn’t miss the constant worry.

“Someone was always struggling,” she said. “And I didn’t realize how much worry I carried with me during my off hours until I fully retired.”

No, that’s not quite the same kind of labor as managing a household, but I do think that’s part of the weight you might carry in various places in your life. Maybe it’s as a parent - maybe it’s as a caregiver - maybe the weight is the way you interact with the world when you are a very high empath (or a highly sensitive person).

Either way, I think it’s so importance to give credence and space to emotional labor and appreciate it for what it is - work.

Sometimes we get to the end of a day or a week and we wonder why we feel so tired and so run down. Then we start ticking off the things we “did” on our fingers. We “only” worked out one time, we “only” worked 35 hours, blah blah blah. (Also, we’re judging ourselves and our permission to feel fatigued by what we have crossed off on a list.)

So take a moment today and try to appreciate the emotional labor that you are putting in to your life, your health, your family, your work, your personal development, and sit in the understanding that you are working hard. Maybe even harder than you realized.

If You're Furious

The journey we're all on can be so frustrating at times. 

You think you're trying hard, but yet you just can't seem to get the results you're looking for. 

Or, you're nervous and scared to start, that paralyzes you, and you never take any action. 

It can be frustrating for sure. 

However, what happens when we get angry or frustrated?

We say "screw it!"

In fitness we might binge eat, stop working out, or try to do it on our own, but in reality, we end up just yoyo-ing around, and never make any progress, or worse, go backwards.

On this journey, which I call it a journey for so many reasons, you're going to go through ups and downs, nobody loses weight every single week, nobody makes progress 52 weeks a year, and that can lead to massive frustration. 

Next time you get frustrated (and this could apply to any moment of frustration, not just fitness) think of one of my favorite lines...

If you're furious, get curious. 

I use this in business a ton. 

If I'm frustrated with a team member or a result of something we're trying, it's very easy to get mad, but instead, I try to get curious. 

The same thing in a relationship. 

It's never all roses, sometimes you have moments of frustration. 

When you feel that coming on, try not to get furious, but get curious. 

We now have a 6’ life-size teddy bear in the gym.

We named him Carl. Curious Carl.

Although he acts as a hilarious prop (see our Facebook Page), he also is a good reminder anytime you see him to be curious.

Ask yourself why.

Why are you frustrated?

What's the problem?

What's the solution?

What could I do differently?

Am I doing everything possible?

Do my actions match my intentions?

Keep asking questions. 

Typically, that tends to reveal a lot more, especially a lot more over just getting furious about it, which does nothing. 

With fitness, by getting curious you may be honest with yourself and realize that you may not be trying as hard as you really can. 

You may realize that your intentions are great, but they're not always backed up by your actions. 

Getting curious may make you realize that you're doing the same thing you've been doing and expecting a different result. 

It forces you to be self-aware. 

So, next time you're frustrated, in fitness, or in life, remember the line...

If you're furious, get curious!

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

No Change Yet?

We’re halfway through February and the “New Year Sprint” is over for most people.

How did the first six weeks go for you?

I hope you’ve made some positive change so far, and are making progress towards your 2020 goals.

If not, don’t fret, but take a minute today and make sure you’re incorporating the 5 S’s to Sustainable Change.

Chances are if you haven’t seen the results you’ve wanted, one or more of these are probably missing from your approach.

When we look at creating sustainable change it comes down to five things. 

The 5 S's. 

Now, before I share what those are there is one keyword I think you might have missed above. 

Anyone?

Sustainable. 

That's the goal with all of this. 

We're trying to make changes that will last, not a change that you can only do for a month and then bail on it. 

The 5 S's of Sustainable Change.

1. Simple

You've heard me say this before. 

Keep things very simple. 

Ask yourself this question...

"How confident are you that you can do this every day?"

If it's not at least an 8, it's not simple enough. 

Simple exercise routine.

Simple nutrition approach.

Always look to simplify because simple drives significant change.

2. Segmental

Break things down into smaller chunks. 

I've written about this in detail, although it's actually quite simple, not enough people do it. 

If your goal in 2020 is to lose 40lbs, what does that look like in 3 months?

10lbs. 

What does that look like in 30 days?

3lbs. 

What does that look like this week?

1lb. 

Segmental. Break it down. 

One pound a week sounds simple, but if you don’t break down your big goals and just stay focused on “winning the week” it becomes overwhelming.

3. Sequential

Start with "thing 1" before you move onto "thing 2", "thing 3", etc. 

Meaning, go back to that goal of 40lbs. 

What's the first thing I need to do?

Maybe it's writing the goal down. 

Then it's cleaning out the kitchen. 

Followed by making a weekly grocery list. 

Shop right...

Start moving a couple of times a week. 

Get those things down before you get super fancy.

Snowball it. 

4. Strategic

Be strategic about things. 

Don't just "wing" it. 

If you're going out with friends on Saturday, adjust things during the week leading up to it. 

Plan and schedule your workouts.

If you fail to plan, plan to fail. 

5. Support

No one can do this alone. 

I repeat, no one. 

Our coaches need coaches. 

Everyone needs some form of accountability. 

Whether that's joining a support group, hiring a coach, or getting a buddy to join you in the journey. 

We all need a teacher, we all need a coach, and we all need support. 

It's too hard doing this alone. 

This is probably the one that has the biggest impact.

If you have a strong support network, and a “team” around you who want to see you succeed, your chances of not succeeding are slim to none.

So there's the 5 S's. 

Which one do you need to implement in the rest of 2020?

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Gamify Your Fitness

Next month we’re kicking off a challenge…

A team challenge…

You get points for every day you workout, plus all kinds of bonus points for doing certain things (strength challenges, nutrition challenges, etc)…

The excitement of the challenge in our fitness community has been amazing.

As always, I try to pull a lesson out of everything. 

Why the excitement?

We just made the next 8 weeks a game for our clients.

Collect points for your workouts, and try to beat the other teams.

We’re all a little competitive to some extent, right?

So, how can you gamify your fitness?

I've talked about it at length, but fitness needs to have a fun component. 

If you're just a hamster on a wheel staring at a television, you may be able to grit through it in the short-term, but you'll never stick with it long-term. 

Now, the cool thing is, fun or "gamifying" fitness can look different to each of us. 

This doesn't mean you need to go jump on a box 100 times as fast as possible and try to beat your time. 

There is fun and competitive but keep in mind safety trumps both of those. 

So, here are 5 ways to gamify your fitness:

1. Think of reps as points. Instead of thinking you have to do 50 squats, think of it as 50 points. Set a goal each day for a certain amount of points and increase it each week. 

2. Do countdowns or ladders: Pick two exercises, one upper body, one lower body. Alternate between them and do a countdown. 10 squats, 10 push-ups. 9 squats, 9 push-ups, etc. You can down a countdown, or you can do a ladder (5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). 

3. Associate good behaviors with points. Getting 7 hours of sleep is a point, getting a workout of at least 20 minutes in is a point, hitting 5 servings of vegetables is a point, getting 100 grams of protein is a point, and writing down 5 things you're grateful for is a point. Get 5 points every day! 

4. Workout in a group environment. The reason why most people find fitness boring is they think it has to be this mundane thing, headphones in, a couple minutes doing this, a couple minutes that. However, what if you worked out with a buddy, did a "you go, I go" workout, or joined our Team Training where we make fitness fun. Groups can be intimidating, I get it, but if you find the right one, they can also be one of the best motivators. 

5. Join us for the upcoming challenge. Seriously. It's going to be a ton of fun, and it’s teams of four, with one person required to be a new client.

Regardless of what you choose for fitness, indoor, outdoor, yoga, or strength training (hopefully all of the above), try to gamify your fitness.

It doesn't have to be anything extravagant, you could just play games in your head (wait, we already do that). 

It will be more fun, which will drive more consistency, which will drive better results. 

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

SOI

After a few conversations with clients this week it got me thinking about a concept I’d like you to think about as it applies to all facets of your life.

I constantly study SOI.

Speed of Implementation. 

There’s always a lot of discussions, a lot of thought…

“I should do that….”

“I think I’ll try this…”

“I have this idea….”

But what often happens is those thoughts, those ideas, those desires never turn into action, they never get implemented.

Speed of Implementation is looking at how fast you can take a desire, an idea, a thought, and take action on it, implement it.

Now, of course, there is the balance of making sure it’s not rushed, making sure it’s the right decision, and making sure it’s quality, but often too much of that really halts your SOI.

I can safely assume that the majority of my thoughts are not any more profound than others, I just try to implement them faster.

Because otherwise you pick your head up and a week goes by, a month goes by, and next thing you know another year has passed and you’re still percolating on that idea.

Let’s look at a fitness example…

We have Person A and Person B.

Let’s say that those two people set a goal to lose 20 pounds of weight.

Person A does the research to see all the ways she can lose weight: She googles different diets, workout programs, does supplement research and then figures out when it's going to work best with her schedule to start her new diet program.

Person B is all about Speed of Implementation and decides that "enough is enough" and that she's going to take imperfect action starting today and makes the time to walk for 30 minutes a day and cuts out a couple of sweets, and adds some protein to her diet.

Within 14 days Person B has lost 5 pounds and is excited and has a new sense of commitment to reaching her goal. She soon does the research and figures out which supplements to take, how to eat better, and discovers that she should probably add some weight training to this workout regimen.

Person A, on the other hand, has more information and knowledge - but she's failed to launch. As a result of that, she lost what little motivation and commitment she had for reaching her goal and slowly gained another 10 pounds over the next six months.

Success, results and the outcome is achieved faster for those who take massive imperfect action now and apply Speed Of Implementation to everything they do.

Notice I said imperfect action. 

It's never going to be the right time. 

It's never going to be 100% right. 

But you constantly have to take imperfect action. 

It's ok that you're still tweaking things and learning more, but at least you're taking action. 

So...I challenge you...how can you apply more SOI into your life?

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

This one question changed my life

Picture this:

Sicility, 1928.

Kidding. But I appreciate those of you who get the reference.

Altoona, Pennsylvania - 2005.

I was 28 years old, working three jobs, and managing a household alone, as my partner at the time was stationed in Kuwait for the entire year.

I’d been battling depression on and off for years by this point, though I'd not been formally diagnosed yet.

I managed to get out of bed every day, and take a shower and brush my teeth. I didn't function at a high level, but I showed up for life. I had periods of melancholy that sometimes lasted for two weeks; sometimes for two months. All along though, I kept showing up and doing the bare minimum.

But I struggled to maintain any type of focus. At tthis point in my life, I'd already started and left two different graduate programs in two different fields. I told myself that the reasons were external - life was getting in the way, I wasn't a good enough writer, I didn't like New Mexico (my second graduate program), yada, yada, yada. 

You tell yourself a lot of things when you're depressed. But you don’t realize - you can’t see - you can’t fully understand that depression lies.

I was, and still am, a victim of analysis paralysis, especially when I'm depressed - I will analyze something to the bones and become so exhausted by my thoughts that I can’t take any action. I will follow this thought pattern all day long. For days, for weeks - for years.

It was around this time in my life though, that I was working with a trusted therapist, and she asked me directly if I would consider taking medication for my depression.

“It’s just a funk,” I said.

“How’s that working for you?” she asked.

I’m managing.

She asked a second time.

"And how's that working for you?"

It wasn't a complicated question. I hemmed and hawed. "I'm managing," I said, again. 

She looked at me, and in the heavy silence that hung between us, I finally came face to face with a truth I’d been avoiding for so many years.

"It's not." 

The words came out of my mouth before I had a chance to filter them. I tried to back track but there was no point. I'd answered the question honestly. I was closing in on 30 years old and doing none of the things I wanted to be doing in my life or with my life. I had to admit that my approach wasn't working. 

But those two words - that shockingly stark truth finally opened the door for me to make the change I needed.

In the case of treating my depression, it meant trying medication, which was a difficult process in and of itself. You try one, and four weeks later find it's not working, so you try another. Eventually I found the right one, and I believe for me, the medication helped get me to a better, more focused place.* Within six months, I'd quit my job, moved from Pennsylvania to Boston, and within a year, I'd enrolled in a graduate program that was the right fit for me. And I finished it.

This question has come up again in part of my training for my Precision Nutrition Certification, because it's so valuable. It’s disarming. I found that I couldn’t answer this question from an intellectual perspective. I couldn't talk about what I was thinking. I had to say what was actually happening. 

What I was feeling.

So my proposal for you today is to ask this question of yourself about an area that you're thinking about changing in your life. 

You've gone paleo.

How's that working for you?

You're on a juice cleanse.

How's that working for you?

For me this question highlighted what wasn't working for me. But it might also highlight what IS working for you.

I started eliminating screen time for two hours leading up to bed. 

How's that working for you?

Great! I find that I'm falling asleep faster than I did before that.

Maybe it's good. Maybe it's not. But either way, the question is worth asking, whether it's about nutrition, or fitness, or some other aspect of your life. 

*I could write an entire post on my battle with depression, and I know so many others who could as well. Medication works for some, not for others. My main point here is that I made the change I needed for me.

Two Lenses To Look Through..

I remember in college looking through a microscope…

I hated it.

My big head seemed like it could never get close enough, and I couldn’t get the eye squint just right to see anything.

But a microscope is an important tool.

A lens to look at things in detail.

However, we also can’t forget about the telescope.

I never have a memory as a kid of having a telescope and setting it up to lookout my bedroom window at all the stars, I’m sure I’ll do it with my kids one day.

But a telescope serves a different purpose…

It’s looking out, it’s looking forward.

Two lenses, microscope and telescope.

We need both.

There are times in life, in fitness, that we need to look at things in depth, in detail.

Maybe that is looking at my daily to do list, looking at how many grams of protein I got in today, looking into how many calories I consumed, or what exercises I am doing today.

It’s the detail, it’s the picking apart stuff.

In my humble opinion, that is only 50% of the equation, it’s only balanced out with the telescope lens.

We need to spend some time thinking about why we’re doing what we’re doing…

We need to get really clear on what we want success to look like in 12 months…

We need to look at how what we’re doing now is impacting the future…

It can be daunting to monitor your calories or track your workouts (microscope)…

But you always know it’s worth it because those are just baby steps and details that bring you closer to the never ending pursuit of happiness, hitting your goals, fulfillment, and a healthier life (telescope).

We need both lenses.

They balance each other out.

Always look at which lens you’re looking through and decide which one you maybe need to spend some more time on.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

It's A Struggle...

I stepped on the inBody scale yesterday…

…

…

…

Back up.

After dropping about 15 pounds last fall, I gained 10 of it back over the last couple of months.

Under my fitness goals, I have three primary ones in 2020…

Hit 250 workouts for the year.

Get under 20% body fat again…because, you know, dad bod.

And I’m going to sign up to do the Tough Mudder (Team Spurling!) again this summer because for me, signing up for an event will help me stay focused on my workouts.

I’m on track with my workout frequency goal of 250 workouts, although, the intensity of effort in them is pretty mediocre.

I typically get one solid one and then 2-3 quick ones that I sneak in and they’re typically rushed.

But the results (or lack thereof) speak for themselves and I know exactly why…

I haven’t changed my nutrition habits.

At least not enough to justify the change I’m looking for.

Over the last three months, the scale has moved in the wrong direction.

Which tells me one thing…

I need to change my nutrition, reduce my calories.

Sure, I can blame it on stress, a busy and chaotic life with two young kids and a business to run, but the fact is, if I want to see a change, I need to make a change.

I share this with you today for a few reasons…

One, I think sometimes clients think because of our profession, we never struggle, we’re always consistent, and we’re just crushing this whole health and fitness thing.

That’s simply not the case, we struggle with it just like any other human being does.

I would say the only difference is we know why things are not working, but that still doesn’t change our behavior.

We all need coaching, accountability, and a supportive community, I don’t think anyone is above that.

Two, it’s a great lesson that we can be kicking butt in the gym and be super consistent with our workouts, but if we’re looking to make some significant body fat percentage changes, the nutrition has to change.

Plus, it has to change more than we think.

I can look back so far and say “I eat pretty healthy.”

But the numbers don’t lie.

Clearly, I was taking in too much, or at least too much to see any fat loss.

So, sure, I may think I’m eating healthy, but the fact is, I’m eating too much, too big of portions, etc.

I share this because we often hear clients frustrated with results after being really consistent with their workouts (this is the first step), but we don’t realize just how much we have to change our nutrition behaviors to see a change we’re after.

I’m just excited that I’m hitting my workout frequency, and I’ll chuck that up as a win, especially with everything going on in my life, that is a win.

But, if I want to see the real change I’m looking for I need to bump up my intensity, but the biggest impact will come from changing my nutrition.

Hopefully, this lesson resonates with you.

I do think if you’re just starting out, and you’re not getting 8-10 workouts per month at minimum, you should make that a habit first.

The biggest mistake we can make is trying to change everything at once.

So, if you’re just starting out, build the habit of workout frequency first.

If you’re consistent with your workouts and looking to see more change, we need to mess with your nutrition.

I wrote today’s post for you, but as always, a reminder to myself.

The journey has ups and downs, highs and lows, but you need to make self-care a part of your life, forever and always.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

What do you believe?

In the last few years, I’ve been having a familiar conversation with my therapist. I show up for my weekly appointment, burdened under the weight of a busy schedule that I both enjoy, and that wears me out. She tells me to take things off of my plate - and I tell her that I can’t. Or rather, that I won’t. I have things I want to do, and I’m not slowing down yet.

So we chat about ways for me to fill my tank, and then move on to other topics.

Two weeks ago however, I revisited this subject with her yet again - but this time with a much different conclusion and insight.

We dug further in to the “why” behind my busy schedule. (and when I say busy - I am happy and love the work that I do - I just do a poor job of prioritizing self-care).

And the answer we came to?

I do what I do because of a very, very old deep-seated belief. That my self-worth is tied to my achievement.

I am only as worthy as the work that I do. As the amount of work that I do.

There are a lot of struggles that come out of that belief. That constantly doing more and being more is non-negotiable because if I stop doing then I am no longer worthy.

Intellectually, I know that’s not true. But every time I choose to do something on my project list (all of which I love) over working out or training, my decision is based out of fear. That belief means that I am living in a fearful place. I think that’s why time off can be so hard for many of us - why transitioning to retirement might feel hard.

I think that’s why sitting still can be hard.

Living and doing equals not just being, but being enough.

There is a difference between doing work with the intention of helping someone - and I do believe that much of the coaching I am privileged to do comes from a place of intention. My writing this to you (sneaking it in at 10:34 pm on Tuesday, just before my deadline) comes from a place of wholehearted intention to honestly share my struggle.

But the work that I am doing, that I am trying to do, is make my choices in how I spend my time each day out of that honest intention. Because if I believe that I am only as good - that I am only as worthy as the last thing I crossed off of my list - then that is me acting out of fear.

And so my late night mantra - my early morning mantra - my once an hour mantra - is that I don’t have to earn my worth through. achievement.

Neither do you.

There's More In There...

Reach down…

Way down…

Yup, there’s more, right?

Earlier in the week I dusted off my coaching hat and ran a Team Training (our group workouts) session at the gym.

Kim was out sick and Josh was covering her, he had already been there 10+ hours so I jumped in to give him a break.

It was a nice surprise for the clients (I haven’t been on the coaching schedule on a regular basis since 2015), and a lot of them have never seen me in that role before, so it was a lot of fun.

As our business has grown there is just so much “behind the scenes” stuff, that’s where my primary focus is, not to mention we have a phenomenal coaching staff who are way better at it than I am.

But…

That doesn’t mean I still can’t bring the heat!

The session was a doozy, we kept it safe, we kept it appropriate for each level, but you could tell most of them have not worked that hard.

So, what’s the lesson for you?

There’s always more in there.

There is always more in the tank.

We can always do more than we think we can.

Now, I’m not just talking physically…

Of course, priority one is to keep it safe and appropriate, but we are all more capable than we tell ourselves.

So in this instance, we’re talking work out intensity, but what I’m really talking about it is everything.

You can do more, you can give more, you can be more.

There is more left in the tank.

Every day I try to empty my tank.

Give it my all, and then rest up and get ready to empty it again.

There’s more in there to be a better partner…

There’s more in there to be a better parent…

There’s more in there to be a more engaged employee…

You can always do more than you think you can.

And that’s the power of a good coach.

I’m not talking about the “rah-rah” screaming and yelling, no, I’m talking about bringing out the best in you.

Maybe the “best” today is just showing up.

Maybe it’s getting that text saying “come on in” and you would have normally skipped…

I aim to be a great coach (leader) to our team, trying to get the best out of them, to push them, to grow them, and in turn, I see they do that for the clients.

There is a time and a place for rest and recharging, we’re all for that, physically, mentally, emotionally, and there’s a time where you know you can pull a bit more out before you rest and recharge.

We all need cheerleaders in our life, we all need coaches because we all can do more than we think we can, we just might need someone to pull it out of us.

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling

Amplify your voice

Monday morning I woke up without a voice.

As I spent the day drinking tea and trying to sleep off a chest cold, I was thinking a lot about one of the keynote speakers from a recent conference I attended. Tara Westover, author of the book Educated (a must read), spent a lot of her speech encouraging us, as women especially, to use our voices.

And she asked the question – do you love your voice?

No, I don’t.

But I’m working on it.

I’ve never really loved my voice. When I was a teenager I was mistaken for my dad on the phone. Then I’d hear myself on a video or voice recording and be like…uh….do I really sound like that? I always spoke quietly because I was always trying to take up less space. I didn’t speak up in class, I didn’t like cheering loudly for my teammates at games – I really didn’t like using my voice.

One of the things that Westover reminded us in her speech though, is that if you don’t love your voice, you’re not going to be inclined to use it. And I realize that I’ve been learning to love my voice, little by little, more and more, in these past few years.

It’s important work, embracing and loving your voice - as was evidenced by several of the stats Westover went on to present.

A study out of Yale found that CEO’s who were women who spoke more then their peers were thought of as 14% less competent.

Women are interrupted more than anyone else. At the Supreme Court women were interrupted 3x as often as their male counterparts.

In top grossing films, women speak less of the time – including the movie Frozen who have two female lead characters.

A snowman speaks more than a women in a movie for crying out loud.

We internalize those messages. And don’t even realize we’re doing it.

As I’m trying to learn to be more vocal, in recording podcasts, and videos and yes, even in my writing, I’ve also watched a funny phenomenon develop with Rooney, my almost 12 year old basset hound. The other day he randomly stood in the middle of the kitchen, barking at nothing for five minutes.

For context, Rooney has never been a barker. He’s a literal hush puppie. Occasionally he barks for food, sometimes when he plays, but mostly he is a very quiet dog.

But lately, it’s almost like he’s discovering his own voice.

Like he’s sitting in the middle of the kitchen, looking at me, going:

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! I’m talking! I’m talking! Hey! Hey!

I know I’m anthropomorphizing my dog, but I swear he almost looks surprised and delighted at this new found sound that he can make.

So I’ll leave you with a few parting questions:

If you weren’t afraid to use your voice, what might you say? To whom might you say it? What would it look like to take up more space with your voice, and in turn, your presence?

How would you use your voice if you perceived it as having value?

Amplify your voice. Learn to use it and love it.

Even if you start by standing in your kitchen and yelling randomly at your partner:

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

I'm Not A Basketball Fan

I’m a people fan.

There are certain people that stand out, that make a difference, that leave the world better than they found it, celebrity or not.

I’m not a basketball fan, but the tragic news of Kobe Bryant passing away yesterday hit me right in the feels.

I remember growing up almost every kid had a Kobe Bryant jersey.

I remember him and Shaq playing together.

I remember watching the kids on the streets of Haverhill, Massachusetts yelling “KOBE!” as they took a jump shot.

These kids had never met Kobe, yet he changed their life.

He gave them hope.

These were kids that grew up with nothing (myself included), and while their parents were working (or dealing drugs), they were on the basketball court after school, or at the Boys and Girls Club, idolizing a man.

I know he was a celebrity, but even if you’re not a basketball fan, you have to admire the difference he made.

He also popularized work ethic in sport.

He was often quoted saying “I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance.”

He was notorious for spending all day on his craft, for outworking the other players, for working hard when no one was watching.

He was a celebrity, but he made a difference, he changed lives, and he left the world a better place.

Something I hope to say one day.

But that’s Kobe as a basketball player.

What about Kobe as a dad, a husband, a person?

Scrolling through social media I stumbled across a 30-second YouTube clip of the helicopter spinning out of control, spiraling to the ground before blowing up in flames.

Imagine the terror going through their minds.

We all need moments in our lives that stop us in our tracks, that humble us, that remind us that we’re mortal, and that remind us that life is precious.

Sure, we all agree with that, we all nod our heads, but then the clock keeps ticking, the busy days go by.

Unfortunately, having lost both my parents at a young age, and having worked in nursing homes and hospitals before opening the gym, I’ve had more traumatic experiences than I care to admit.

Although sad, I’m reminded daily about how short life is, and it’s the underlying reason why I’m so driven and work so hard to make a difference, never just punching the clock, because if I go tomorrow, I want my family to know, my community to know, that I made a difference.

As a parent there is nothing more you want than for your kids to be healthy, happy, and safe.

If those three things exist, you’re happy.

I can’t imagine the moment Kobe knew he was going down and he looked over to see his daughter, and he knew she was going to die too, and there is nothing, literally nothing, he could do about it.

Imagine that feeling.

I remember when Ellie was born and we were dealing with her health complications.

I can’t control the outcome, but I could control everything else.

The best doctors, the best treatments, whatever it takes for Ellie to be healthy.

That’s all we want as a parent.

What was apparently a routine trip to a basketball game (a lot of you reading this will be driving your kids to a game tonight) turned tragic, it made the world stop, and last night people went to bed without their loved ones they ate breakfast with that morning.

I don’t write all of this to be morbid.

I write it as a continual reminder for me, for you, for all of us, that life is short.

The petty things we argue about, the fear that stop us from doing things, the grudges we hold, none of it matters.

We’re here for a short time and a good time, control the controllable, move fast but enjoy the moments, be healthy, be happy, and try to leave the world a better place than you found it.

I know Kobe did.

1% Better.

Dedicated To Your Success,

Doug Spurling

The First Draft Will Be Terrible...

Your first blog post will be awful.

Your first presentation will be awful.

Your first video will be awful.

Your first [fill in the blank] will be awful.

However, you can’t make your 50th without making your first.

I read that yesterday and thought, boom, that has to be Friday’s e-mail.

By far one of the biggest ways you can “win” is to out implement, to outpace, and to just do.

These e-mails…

I know they have grammar issues, I know they’re not perfect, but you know what…

You get one from me every day at noontime.

I don’t let the overthinking, the fear of rejection, any of it, slow me down from shipping the thing.

(By the way, “shipping” is a term for publishing or putting your work out to the world.)

Hopefully, every time I write it gets better, but without writing and sending every single day I would just be one of those spinning wheels on a computer.

Now, of course, we want our stuff to be good, I want these e-mails to be solid, but I’m not going to let perfect be the enemy of procrastination.

The first time you workout is going to be scary and intimidating.

But they don’t become less scary and less intimidating until you actually do the first one, then the second one, followed by just showing up and getting better.

There is certainly merit in making sure what you do, what you “ship” is quality, in any area of life.

However, what I often find is a lot of dreaming, a lot of wanting, but often not backed up with action.

That’s typically backed by a few things (lack of discipline to stick with it), but more often than not it’s fear.

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about fitness, in your career, or in your personal life.

Putting ourselves out there is tough, it’s a vulnerable position to be in.

However, please know that what you’re looking for is your “50th draft” and you can’t get to that until you do your first.

As we continue to move forward into 2020 just keep in mind one of your most competitive advantages with yourself is to understand that the first of anything will be terrible, but you don’t get to the 50th without doing the first.

Also, you can really “win”, you can really have a leg up, by just out doing, outpacing, and out implementing.

You just have to have pig-headed discipline and squash that fear.

I know, easy, right?

Reply and let me know if we can help…

1% Better.

Dedicated to Your Success,

Doug Spurling