If you follow sports, you will recognize the idea of the "quarters" of a game. North American football, for example, plays four quarters, with a half-time break after the second quarter. The start of the second quarter represents a check-in point where you can evaluate the situation in real-time. It's one thing to have a single great play, or, for that matter, a terrible play. Those plays do not define the game (usually), or even the quarter, because there is the whole rest of the game to consider.
The start of the second quarter is a brief moment when we typically change our vantage point (change sides) and can reflect briefly on how the first part of the game has gone. How well is our game plan working? Are we executing properly? Are there things we weren't prepared for? Do we need to make adjustments?
The start of the second quarter is not usually the time to panic if things are not going as intended ; it is time for initial judgments on our performance and initial decisions to stick with or change the game plan. At the start of the second quarter, there is time yet to fix things that aren't working as planned.
The start of the second quarter is where we find ourselves today in this year's February challenge. It's our opportunity to look back at week one and make any necessary adjustments. Or, if we're right on track, of course, we keep on charging ahead. At the start of the second quarter, we should expect to consider adjustments are required.
Clearly, though, all of this is simply an analogy. The reality is that we are working our way through a month-long wellness challenge, and that is not is something to be minimized. I'll just lay out my perspective clearly here: the worst-case scenario is one where a person does not engage in the challenge at all. Everything else is at least a small win.
Trying something new to improve your wellness is a WIN. Trying and failing is still a WIN, because you tried. Since we're only at the start of the second quarter here, it's too early to call the game anyway. If you are somehow feeling that you have pooched out or failed already, I'm just going to say that the game isn't over. In fact, the half isn't even over. You have time to make a few changes and try new things, or different things. What I don't want you to do is just sit on the bench and pout if you blew a play or had a mishap in the first quarter.
What I do want you to do is shorten your memory and look forward instead of backward. It's the start of the second quarter. Get out there and do what you have planned and prepared for, as best you can. The best-case scenario is that, when you finally look at the month of February in the rear-view mirror, you will see yourself having tried, and tried, and continued to try. My vision is that you will experience an entire month where you set a challenge before yourself and, on balance, engaged in an effort to complete it.
It's too soon to call the result, because the second quarter is only just starting. But be proud of your effort and keep it up. There are three quarters to go.
Friday, 8 February 2019
Thursday, 7 February 2019
DAY SEVEN: Milestones: Milestone 1
"Are we there yet?"
What parent travelling with kids hasn't heard this before? Repeatedly.
I suggest that this question reflects a key aspect of human nature: we want to know where we are. We innately orient to our environment. We need to know what is happening around us. When we travel from one location to another, we need to know where we are in relation to where we are going. These days, technology takes the guesswork out of this spatial problem. In the old days, however (like the '90s), we used maps when travelling. In the really old days, stones were used to mark distances along travel routes so a traveler could determine their location and gauge their progress. These stones were called as milestones.
Let's draw on that concept of the milestone to illustrate how these progress markers can guide us along our wellness journey. To be effective, we need enough milestones that we don't get lost between them, or simply or abandon the journey altogether. We need short periods when we have left a known position and are navigating on our own - but they need to be relatively short. We need to see the next milestone in the distance, and to experience the reassurance that we are, in fact, on the right path.
When we have learned what to expect along the route, we can be more prepared. Using this travel analogy, we know at which milestone we can get food, lodging, fuel, etc. Alternately, we know at which milestone we need to take another path.
In our wellness journey and, in particular, in a month-long challenge like this one, we need regular milestones to help keep us on course. My suggestion for this year's challenge is that we initialize four Milestones to help us gauge our progress:
Milestone 1 - DAY 7. You have completed a quarter of the challenge
Milestone 2 - DAY 14. The half-way mark!
Milestone 3 - DAY 21. Three-quarters - the finish is in sight
Milestone 4 - DAY 28. DONE! Time to celebrate
Congratulations. You're at Milestone 1. You have made it a quarter of the way. Great work!
What parent travelling with kids hasn't heard this before? Repeatedly.
I suggest that this question reflects a key aspect of human nature: we want to know where we are. We innately orient to our environment. We need to know what is happening around us. When we travel from one location to another, we need to know where we are in relation to where we are going. These days, technology takes the guesswork out of this spatial problem. In the old days, however (like the '90s), we used maps when travelling. In the really old days, stones were used to mark distances along travel routes so a traveler could determine their location and gauge their progress. These stones were called as milestones.
Let's draw on that concept of the milestone to illustrate how these progress markers can guide us along our wellness journey. To be effective, we need enough milestones that we don't get lost between them, or simply or abandon the journey altogether. We need short periods when we have left a known position and are navigating on our own - but they need to be relatively short. We need to see the next milestone in the distance, and to experience the reassurance that we are, in fact, on the right path.
When we have learned what to expect along the route, we can be more prepared. Using this travel analogy, we know at which milestone we can get food, lodging, fuel, etc. Alternately, we know at which milestone we need to take another path.
In our wellness journey and, in particular, in a month-long challenge like this one, we need regular milestones to help keep us on course. My suggestion for this year's challenge is that we initialize four Milestones to help us gauge our progress:
Milestone 1 - DAY 7. You have completed a quarter of the challenge
Milestone 2 - DAY 14. The half-way mark!
Milestone 3 - DAY 21. Three-quarters - the finish is in sight
Milestone 4 - DAY 28. DONE! Time to celebrate
Congratulations. You're at Milestone 1. You have made it a quarter of the way. Great work!
Wednesday, 6 February 2019
DAY SIX: Day of Reckoning
I reckon we need to reckon our performance every so often. That was cheesy, I know, but I like a little word play now and again. And I stand by what I said. Translated, I mean that I think we need to evaluate how we're doing periodically.
Today is as good a day as any to do that. Personally, I have a graph which has two lines. The first line shows a roughly straight line from 0 KB swings on Day 1 to 10,000 KB swings on day 28 (I usually start off with a smaller number of reps, and then build it up). Line One represents my target numbers. Line Two shows my actual daily KB swings as I do them. A quick glance at the graph shows me how I'm doing relative to my goal.
Reckoning. Counting. Calculating. Seeing how we're doing. Without this, we are flying blind in terms of whether or not we are on track to reach our goal. By contrast, I can see immediately from my graph if I'm on-trend, behind, or ahead. I can "reckon" how I'm doing.
You don't have to create some elaborate scheme to do this. If you can operate a pen and paper, you have the basics. The whole point is to be able to "reckon" whether you are where you planned to be (or not) at any given point in time. From there, you can make adjustments as needed. Small, frequent course corrections are easier to manage than large, drastic ones. For example, if I just realized on DAY 21 that I was at 1350 KB swings, it may be too late for me to complete the remaining 8650 KB swings in the remaining nine days to salvage my goal. So, I owe it to myself to know as quickly as possible if I am off my intended track. If you have ever traveled by air, you will appreciate small, frequent (AKA, "smooth") course corrections instead of large, drastic ones.
Typically, the connotation of "a day of reckoning" is bad; we have fallen short of expectations and this will be clearly pointed out, often in public... That is an unfortunate image, and it is a scenario to be avoided if possible. I would argue, though, that a day of reckoning is actually something to be welcomed. In fact, we should probably have more of them, in order to: a) get used to the idea of being evaluated, and b) stay true to our intended plan.
This presupposes that we actually have a plan. If not, we will struggle to know whether we are succeeding or not. I am pretty confident that investing effort into a project without a plan is a waste of effort, yielding only sporadic and non-reproducible success at best.
For now, embrace days of reckoning. Use them to your advantage!
Today is as good a day as any to do that. Personally, I have a graph which has two lines. The first line shows a roughly straight line from 0 KB swings on Day 1 to 10,000 KB swings on day 28 (I usually start off with a smaller number of reps, and then build it up). Line One represents my target numbers. Line Two shows my actual daily KB swings as I do them. A quick glance at the graph shows me how I'm doing relative to my goal.
Reckoning. Counting. Calculating. Seeing how we're doing. Without this, we are flying blind in terms of whether or not we are on track to reach our goal. By contrast, I can see immediately from my graph if I'm on-trend, behind, or ahead. I can "reckon" how I'm doing.
You don't have to create some elaborate scheme to do this. If you can operate a pen and paper, you have the basics. The whole point is to be able to "reckon" whether you are where you planned to be (or not) at any given point in time. From there, you can make adjustments as needed. Small, frequent course corrections are easier to manage than large, drastic ones. For example, if I just realized on DAY 21 that I was at 1350 KB swings, it may be too late for me to complete the remaining 8650 KB swings in the remaining nine days to salvage my goal. So, I owe it to myself to know as quickly as possible if I am off my intended track. If you have ever traveled by air, you will appreciate small, frequent (AKA, "smooth") course corrections instead of large, drastic ones.
Typically, the connotation of "a day of reckoning" is bad; we have fallen short of expectations and this will be clearly pointed out, often in public... That is an unfortunate image, and it is a scenario to be avoided if possible. I would argue, though, that a day of reckoning is actually something to be welcomed. In fact, we should probably have more of them, in order to: a) get used to the idea of being evaluated, and b) stay true to our intended plan.
This presupposes that we actually have a plan. If not, we will struggle to know whether we are succeeding or not. I am pretty confident that investing effort into a project without a plan is a waste of effort, yielding only sporadic and non-reproducible success at best.
For now, embrace days of reckoning. Use them to your advantage!
Tuesday, 5 February 2019
DAY FIVE: Enter The Excuse
[Caution : This post adopts a tougher tone than usual. Read only if you can tolerate being spoken to directly.]
It's DAY FIVE. Have you heard the excuses yet?
"I don't feel like it."
"I'm sick." (well, this one could be legit...)
"I don't have time today."
"My gym clothes are in the wash."
"It's too cold out."
"It's too hot out."
"I have to get groceries."
"I can't find my shoe."
Let's be up-front about it; if you are trying to get more physically fit, or are starting a new wellness habit, you will be your own worst enemy. Yeah - I'm talkin' to YOU! Well, and ME!
YOU, and I, have to find a way to overcome whatever our normal routines and habits are if we are going to make any positive changes. This process will definitely interfere with how we currently do life, and so I'm going to be that guy - that guy that just says, "Deal with it." To quote one of my buddies, "How do you like me so far?"
No apologies for that. Today's blog is about dealing with the reality that we can throw an almost infinite number of smokescreens in the way of our own progress. But how often do we actually admit it? If you're like me, the answer is probably "Not very often." It's easier to let an excuse influence our decision-making, and sway us OUT OF doing our challenge activity. I'm not taking about valid reasons here, such as a legitimate physical illness, condition, or injury. Or an unplanned event which barges into our planned schedule. Those things happen, and I'm not going to be that guy (the other that guy) who exercise-shames. I have no use for that. I applaud anyone who tries to better themselves. Truth be told, I am more interested in the effort a person makes than in their actual results.
What I am trying to put in the cross-hairs today are those excuses which interfere with our intentions. Intentions are great, but they're about as useful as an empty toothpaste tube. [Remember that visual image when you hear an excuse coming out of your mind...]. Unless we find ways to operationalize our intentions - to make them happen - they are just nice thoughts or words. Don't you just love it when you're around people who always make lots of promises that, somehow, just never get fulfilled. And there are probably lots of "reasons" (sarcasm intended) that make it all so unfortunate but understandable...
Classroom teaching sensitized me to excuses, because every time you ask students to do a task, you will hear many excuses for why it didn't happen. I used to roll my eyes and scoff and get all bent out of shape about it, but then I began to notice times when I would make excuses. Not my proudest moment. It's hard to be critical of someone for doing the same thing you do yourself, eh? And at the root of it all, I believe, is the idea that, somehow, if the excuse is good enough, I won't be responsible for my failure to achieve. It won't actually be a "failure".
I am trying to get better at detecting my own excuses, and then not allowing myself to hide behind them. I know people who have pretty good reasons for not doing things they committed to, and yet they still accomplish the task. That is inspiring. I'm not sure specifically why that is, but there is something admirable about a person whose word is solid and reliable.
So don't fall into the habit of making excuses for sub-optimal performance. Make a plan. Give the best effort you can muster. Expect the excuses to flood in as you try to accomplish your February challenge. But now that you know better, don't give in to them. Stay the course!
P.S. If you have (or have heard) a great excuse - email it to me. If I get some good ones, I'll compile a list.
It's DAY FIVE. Have you heard the excuses yet?
"I don't feel like it."
"I'm sick." (well, this one could be legit...)
"I don't have time today."
"My gym clothes are in the wash."
"It's too cold out."
"It's too hot out."
"I have to get groceries."
"I can't find my shoe."
Let's be up-front about it; if you are trying to get more physically fit, or are starting a new wellness habit, you will be your own worst enemy. Yeah - I'm talkin' to YOU! Well, and ME!
YOU, and I, have to find a way to overcome whatever our normal routines and habits are if we are going to make any positive changes. This process will definitely interfere with how we currently do life, and so I'm going to be that guy - that guy that just says, "Deal with it." To quote one of my buddies, "How do you like me so far?"
No apologies for that. Today's blog is about dealing with the reality that we can throw an almost infinite number of smokescreens in the way of our own progress. But how often do we actually admit it? If you're like me, the answer is probably "Not very often." It's easier to let an excuse influence our decision-making, and sway us OUT OF doing our challenge activity. I'm not taking about valid reasons here, such as a legitimate physical illness, condition, or injury. Or an unplanned event which barges into our planned schedule. Those things happen, and I'm not going to be that guy (the other that guy) who exercise-shames. I have no use for that. I applaud anyone who tries to better themselves. Truth be told, I am more interested in the effort a person makes than in their actual results.
What I am trying to put in the cross-hairs today are those excuses which interfere with our intentions. Intentions are great, but they're about as useful as an empty toothpaste tube. [Remember that visual image when you hear an excuse coming out of your mind...]. Unless we find ways to operationalize our intentions - to make them happen - they are just nice thoughts or words. Don't you just love it when you're around people who always make lots of promises that, somehow, just never get fulfilled. And there are probably lots of "reasons" (sarcasm intended) that make it all so unfortunate but understandable...
Classroom teaching sensitized me to excuses, because every time you ask students to do a task, you will hear many excuses for why it didn't happen. I used to roll my eyes and scoff and get all bent out of shape about it, but then I began to notice times when I would make excuses. Not my proudest moment. It's hard to be critical of someone for doing the same thing you do yourself, eh? And at the root of it all, I believe, is the idea that, somehow, if the excuse is good enough, I won't be responsible for my failure to achieve. It won't actually be a "failure".
I am trying to get better at detecting my own excuses, and then not allowing myself to hide behind them. I know people who have pretty good reasons for not doing things they committed to, and yet they still accomplish the task. That is inspiring. I'm not sure specifically why that is, but there is something admirable about a person whose word is solid and reliable.
So don't fall into the habit of making excuses for sub-optimal performance. Make a plan. Give the best effort you can muster. Expect the excuses to flood in as you try to accomplish your February challenge. But now that you know better, don't give in to them. Stay the course!
P.S. If you have (or have heard) a great excuse - email it to me. If I get some good ones, I'll compile a list.
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