You can accomplish anything with 80% effort
I wanted to get a little vulnerable to hopefully inspire anyone who is struggling with their own journey to better health! I'll go to the start of this story ...
The pandemic erased five years of my efforts in the blink of an eye. My small business went from a successful operation of over 200 clients and dwindled down to about 30. I was very close to shutting down for good, as I felt the hole our inept government dug us was just too damn big.
I lost purpose in my life. I felt completely helpless. None of my efforts to ensure everyone's safety could stop the bleeding. I was in just a why bother frame of mind, ya know? At the time, I felt I was faced with two options: lose myself or lose my business. I ended up choosing the former.
So I pushed forward to get back to a viable operation. I was at my facility by myself doing every job imaginable for 16 hours a day, every day, for an entire year. This afforded me the opportunity to bring Jamie on board, who has been by my side ever since!
By the end of 2022, we finally had a full staff and enough clients to break even. A sigh of relief after more than two years of struggling. I certainly wouldn't have made it without the help and support of others, whom I am so incredibly grateful for. After focusing solely on my business for two years, it was finally time to address my discomfort I felt in my own skin. I knew that I couldn't continue on the way I was living. I felt like an incapable leader because of the way I let myself go.
Who would want to listen to someone who didn't care for their health?
I was chronically stressed. I wasn't working out. I was eating like crap. I wasn't sleeping at all. I was doing the exact opposite of everything I preach to my clients. Sure, I was working really hard and accomplishing what I set out to do.
But if I end up dead in my 30s, what does it really matter?
My 2023 'resolution' was to put myself first and my business second. I set new boundaries and no matter how much I had on my plate, I prioritized myself. It didn't always work out, but 80% of last year I implemented the following:
- Functional strength training 3x per week (the same stuff I program for all my clients)
- Yoga 2x per week
- Power walk 20 minutes per day
- One gallon of water per day
- High protein, low(er) carb intake per day
That's it. Nothing special. Nothing quick. I did exactly what I tell my clients to do 80% of the time and it worked like a charm. A lifetime high of 232 lbs. down to 199 lbs. in just over a year (all of which happened to be fat mass).
The coolest part? I never focused on body composition changes. I only ever focused on being consistent with those above-mentioned efforts. I could have done much better, too. But as long as I never give up on my efforts, just like I never gave up on my business, I'll never fail.
I wrote this to demonstrate that I'm no different than you and everyone else. We all have shit going on in our lives, and it's up to each of us to choose our priorities. If I can do this, you can too!
What could you accomplish with 80% effort? Schedule your free Discovery Session and let's find out!
P.S. I never did cardio, either (the least effective method for fat loss).
