by Gary McKendrick | Nov 21, 2022 | Blog
Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat.
And perhaps you are too?
Or at least a little out of shape, a bit soft around the edges maybe.
Because you took your eye off the ball of what’s truly important in life, your health.
Your health is your real wealth.
Good health is a crown worn by the healthy that only the ill can see
As in, the consequence of taking your health for granted is that you neglect it, you’re not maintaining it, you assume it’ll always be there, until it’s not. When we’re either told by the doctor or we have that shock moment when we see ourselves in the mirror or in a photograph.
Just this morning in the gym, I noticed the number of totally out of shape people and wondered if they were now thinking, ‘I wished I’d started sooner’.
The four most important pillars of a meaningful life are built upon:
- Your Health
- Your Family
- Your Friends
- Your Work
In that order too. You can’t truly be your best in all areas of life unless you feel your best, and that starts with your health & wellbeing.
It’s a balancing act, quite often you’ll not feel like the no1 priority due to life just happening, however if you’re mindful of when the balance is out and you feel a bit neglected, then you quickly reset and restart on you.
by Gary McKendrick | Apr 21, 2022 | Blog
So you work out for 3hrs a week. Every week without fail. Excellent start. A great habit.
But that’s only 1.8% of your week.
That’s not enough to make any impact if the remaining 98.2% is filled with fucking terrible habits and all the wrong things.
Most people fuck it all up by getting the 3 basics consistently wrong which negates the intense effort they make for that 3hrs a week in the gym.
These 3 basics are:
• Sleep
• Nutrition
• Hydration
But I train 5 times a week, or 7 times a week I hear you say. Well, that’s still only 3% or 4.2%. So you’re still fucking it all up with the other +95% however you look at it.
So my point to consider is this:
If you’re unhappy with the results from your fitness efforts, be it your body-shape, composition or weight, despite your intense efforts and the years you’ve been going to the gym,
then fucking THINK about and CHANGE what you’re doing during the other 96-98% of your time.
Less than 5% of your time in the gym CANNOT compensate for a lifestyle of mostly shit food, shit drink and shit sleep.
It took me 10yrs to work that one out.
Over the last 2yrs I’ve stepped it up and take it all very SERIOUSLY. And guess what, my results got serious too.
Huge progress and improvements made.
Something to ponder.
As you were…
by Gary McKendrick | Dec 6, 2021 | Blog
Your current effort is what determines your results. In every area of your life.
What you do very frequently, habitually, consistently, gives you either the results you do want or don’t want.
Consider the current state of:
• your health, fitness, flexibility, strength, and body shape
• your career and prospects,
• your energy and confidence,
• your relationships with your partner, your kids, your family, your friends, your colleagues
• your overall happiness and fulfillment in life
The killer questions are:
1. Are you happy with your current state?
2. Are you making progress, or going backward/getting worse, or simply maintaining a level you’re not happy with.
It’s crucial to be fully aware that only YOU can get the results you want.
For example, joining a gym and working with a PT is all good, the intentions are all there but the PT won’t do the actual exercise for you, and he won’t be there to put you to bed early and get you up on time to get to the gym, he won’t sweat and be in pain for you, he won’t be there at mealtimes to make sure you aren’t eating crap.
And that new job opportunity you took, you promised you’d give it your all, that you’re the right person for the job, that you will exceed all expectations. Your first month goes well, you’re in the honeymoon period, you want to impress but you soon relax a little too much and coast along, the effort dwindles. And you wonder why the prospects dwindle too.
Everything you have in life is in direct correlation to the effort you put in.
You need to put in real effort, consistently. Otherwise, you’ll hide behind excuses and make no progress anymore.
To excel in any area of life takes being consistent. Doing it despite your mood.
Anyone can be intense for a short period of time, such as a 6-week gym program, a 3month fad diet plan, a last-minute surge for a work project, or before you go on holiday. Intensity is a useful tactic but Consistency is Key.
Our habits are a consistent thing. But are our habits slowly killing us or are they slowly creating something to be proud of?
We should live as an example to others, as opposed to a warning to others.
A crucial step is to be aware of the dreaded plateau.
You will naturally hit this. Those new habits, that extra effort, that intensity will at some point become the norm, it will stop acting as a big stressor to your body & mind.
If you stay in the plateau, are you maintaining a good state that you’re happy with, or is it still a state you want to improve on?
How many people have gone to the gym for YEARS, yet don’t look like they do? I always wonder what they’d look like if they didn’t go to the gym. Worse or the same?
How many people have done the same job for 10yrs or longer yet don’t climb the career ladder?
Your efforts should give you a good return on investment.
A stockbroker doesn’t allow a plateau for years or diminishing returns on your investments.
So pay attention.
Recognise the plateaus so you can adapt and keep making progress.
by Gary McKendrick | Sep 28, 2021 | Blog
Your worst supporters are often the people who you’d expect to be your most avid fans of your new chosen ‘thing’.
Your thing could be:
- A new hobby or interest
- A new partner
- A new job
- A new career or business
- A new life decision to lose weight,
- Or to get fitter, leaner, stronger, healthier, and happier
- Or to eat healthier, cut out those takeaways
- Or to stop smoking
- Or stop doing drugs
- Or to drink less, or even become sober
Whatever your thing is, you must be prepared for the peer pressure of those close to you to want you to actually continue to be the old you.
I know, crazy huh? Why aren’t they supporting you? Why would they not want to see you heading in a new direction?
Perhaps they don’t want to feel left behind.
Perhaps they don’t want to feel like they’re inferior because you’re choosing not to behave as they do.
Perhaps they’re scared of seeing you change and they think they might lose you as you drift apart.
Perhaps they don’t want a mirror held up to themselves to see how their own bad habits are negatively affecting their own lives.
Perhaps they too want to change but they lack the discipline to do so.
Perhaps they feel safe in their comfort zone based on ease and convenience.
Whatever the reason, it’s useful for you to know that you may receive criticism rather than applause for your new thing. Then if/when you do, you aren’t surprised or upset and you can try to understand why they may be acting a certain way.
Change is sometimes a lonely place but just silently get on with it.
Have the courage to say NO.
Do not allow their insecurities to drag you back down to a place that you no longer wish to be anymore.
It’s like the bucket of crabs analogy – when one crab finds his way to the top and is about to get out, the other crabs pull him back down into the bucket again, instead of offering a helping hand to get him out.
As The Doors song goes, “People are strange…”
Keep going, have a conversation with them, lay down your new ground rules, and don’t cave in to their peer pressure.
Worst case, you will have to cut some ‘friends’ out of your life, or if it’s family then limit time spent with them.
Don’t allow anyone to derail your efforts.
And should you succumb to temptation, that’s okay, it becomes part of your journey, you only have to get it right once remember.
by Gary McKendrick | Sep 10, 2021 | Blog
Success is easy!!
So it seems success is built upon doing these things every day, all the guru’s, the coaches, the elite, are doing it..
Your success is built upon your morning routine.
So to fast track all your desires and dreams you must do all these things every day:
- Get up at 5am, after having gone to bed at 9pm
- Have a cold shower
- Drink a pint of room temperature filtered water with sliced lemon
- Take your multi-vitamin and supplements
- Meditate for 22mins
- Do Wim Hof breathing for 12mins
- Drink a green sludge smoothie whilst watching the sunrise
- Visualise your goals for 5mins
- Hit the Gym for strength training 22mins
- Then cardio training 22mins
- Then yoga for 22mins
- Have an ice bath
- Then go cold water swimming in the sea or your local lido
- Have a warm shower & dress to impress
- Eat a vegan breakfast
- Declutter your workspace
- Journal about gratitude or something
- Read a book
- Listen to a podcast
- Plan your day
- Get out in nature for a walk
- Pay someone a compliment
Now it’s 3.30pm, you should get to work!!
The secret sauce is there is no secret; it just boils down to knowing what you want then putting in the effort to achieve it, committing to the work and doing it regardless of your mood. And waiting, it takes time.
It MIGHT involve doing SOME of those things listed but it doesnt have to so dont feel like you must.
Find the things that make you have a better day and be more productive and nicer to be around.
Which is really just sticking to the basics of sleeping well, eating well, hydrate, exercise, enjoy some silence, breathe properly, control your emotions and GET TO WORK.
You’re welcome.
by Gary McKendrick | Aug 4, 2021 | Blog
WANT POWER
What exactly do you want? Be very specific. And when do you want it?
WHY POWER
Why do you want it? Who will benefit – just you or others?
Remembering your WHY will help you work for it.
WAY POWER
What is the way forward? Consider all options and then decide on your way – what will you do, what help or training, what habits / behaviours you need to develop. What actions you must take to move closer towards what you want. How will you know you’re on track?
WILL POWER
When you know what you want, and why, and how to get it, you will have fuelled the fire to get started. Use this drive to start work and keep going.
WORK POWER
BUT remember, willpower doesn’t last. It gets you started but doesn’t last. When willpower runs out, all you’re left with is good old-fashioned discipline to WORK. To put in the graft, regardless of how you feel. The work is never easy or convenient. Putting in the work actually re-fuels your willpower so it’s a cycle of Will and Work power to keep you moving.
WAIT POWER
Just have patience. Most people expect results far too quickly. You must be consistent in your efforts, and wait. Your results will come. Don’t quit when it gets harder, keep going.
WHO POWER
Lastly, but most importantly, who do you want to be while you’re applying your powers.
Who do you want to become more of, and less of, in the process?
What type of character and disposition will you adopt?
Operate within your own set of principles, your standards higher than most.
Consider your Values; we make time for what we value – what gets your time & attention?
Be composed, be compassionate, no matter what.
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