Something Always Beats Nothing
The all or nothing mentality more often than not gets us nothing. Perhaps we should think about a different approach. How about “Always Something”?
There will be times in your life that you canan commit more time and effort to your goal, and there will be times where you feel like you just don’t have time to do anything related to it. But instead of thinking of it as off or on, try thinking of it as volume levels from low to high but never off.
So what does “adjusting the volume” look like when trying to live a healthier life? Let’s look at it from 3 different areas that commonly make up this quest for a healthier life…exercise, nutrition, and overall wellness. Below are some sample scales in each of these 3 segments. Consider the volume dial of 1 to 10, with 1 being the minimum and 10 being the maximum. Remember these are just samples to illustrate the point, not a prescription…but they should get you thinking.
EXERCISE
1. Park farther from the store to walk more
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator
3. 10 minute workout in the morning to start the day
4. Moderately challenging 30 minute workout 3x/week
5. 3 30 minute workouts/week plus a daily 20 minute walk
6. 3 60 minute workouts/week plus a daily walk
7. Gym Routine 4x/week plus weekend hikes
8. 5 60 minute workouts/week plus a daily 60 minute walk
9. Challenging 60-90 minute workout 6x/week
10. Intense daily training for tactical/military job
NUTRITION
1. Have 1 meal of unprocessed foods per day
2. Add a side salad to your lunch each day
3. Try 1 new healthy recipe each week
4. Sit at a table to eat and take your time to focus on food
5. Have protein with each meal
6. Have protein and fruit or vegetable at most meals
7. Prepare food for week in advance
8. Have 6 servings of vegetables each day
9. Have protein, vegetable, and balanced fat at every meal
10. Eat mostly local/organic foods, all meals perfectly balanced and planned ahead
WELLNESS
1. Spend 5 minutes winding down before bed reflecting on the wins of the day
2. Spend five minutes to plan for the next day’s workout and nutrition
3. Take regular 5 minute outdoor breaks during the day
4. Turn off electronics 30 minutes before bed; read a book
5. Take a daily walk outside with a pet, loved one, or friend
6. Get a massage each month
7. Spend 10 minutes meditating each day; get 7+ hours of sleep each night
8. Do something nice for others; partake in an engaging hobby; minimal screen time
9. Fulfilling paid or volunteer work; daily meditation; no social media; more sleep
10. Fill day with joy, play, and fresh air; surround yourself with close relationships; daily quiet contemplation and meditation
I am sure many of you started the New Year with a “New Year, New Me” mentality and you were ready to go all in on making big changes. If your inspiration has started to fade, don’t give up on those changes, remember try to shift the volume down and keep moving forward before you just put things on hold. When you can, turn the volume up. When you have to, turn the volume down. Just don’t ever turn it off. Remember doing nothing leads to achieving nothing. Instead do something…always something. No matter how small that something is, it will still move you closer to your goals than you were yesterday.
Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
If you are struggling with achieving your health and fitness goals, don’t get overwhelmed, try the above approach of adjusting the volume or get some help. Feel free to reach out with questions or comments
– Brian@BetterTogetherFitness.com
