as mentioned in a recent post on my other blog, i have been left utterly gobsmacked by something completely unexpected; that my health and fitness efforts contain several success strategies and techniques that can be modeled in other areas of my life.
for a while, the most startling thing about this blog, and this health/fitness drive, project or whatever you want to call it, was the fact that i was actually doing it. that has now been surpassed by something even more surreal.
given my long history of being unhealthy, not being overly bothered about weight, healthy eating, being organised and disciplined etc. it was a complete shock to realise that my health and fitness efforts now provide a complete template for success in other areas!
even for a lover of irony such as myself, the amount of irony in this is almost too much to take!
no more mr disorganised guy
i have major issues with things like organisation, focus, finding clarity, seeing things through, time management, procrastination, financial management, processing paperwork, bills etc. etc. in other words, i am a lot like an awful lot of other people.
to tackle these issues once and for all, i have been given some rock solid advice; take the experience and success of “no more mr fat guy”, find the techniques and strategies that enabled that then apply them to everything else.
in a way i shouldn’t be surprised – anyone who has ever watched “biggest loser” on tv will surely have seen how lifestyle changes, weight loss and mindset shifts have massive impact on the lives of contestants. people go on to achieve long term goals in other areas of their lives, change career directions and live the lives they always wanted.
so yeah, maybe i shouldn’t be surprised to find that “no more mr fat guy” is now starting to spread its wings into all the other stuff…
success strategies of a former fat bloke
so what are the strategies and techniques that have worked, and can be duplicated elsewhere? the rest of this article will discuss the ones i have identified so far.
the list itself will undoubtedly grow and change over time, but these provide as good a starting point as any. ultimately it’s vital that you at least start somewhere!
motivation
the genuine will to make the changes must be there to start with – without it, things will fall apart quickly. in the case of nmmfg this boiled down to becoming so badly out of shape that i finally realised i might not be around to see my son reach teenage years.
i haven’t reached such a low point in my broader life, but i have definitely got to a low enough point for me to want to make substantial changes. in some ways there are parallels with nmmfg here because it comes back to my family:
i have become sufficiently unhappy with the state of our finances and the lack of any real prospect for long term change that i am ready to make changes to address that.
support & accountability
just as i was lucky to meet britt and start working with her to get rid of the fat bloke, i have been fortunate to have a similar opportunity with tara martin of red lotus. in a stunning coincidence, i know both ladies through their need for a business web site…
as with nmmfg, having professional and independent input and advice provides a solid foundation to build on, but the building still needs to be done. with my exercise regime i have been lucky to have support & accountability from friends, relatives, work colleagues and complete strangers.
while i know i can count on close friends and family in pretty much anything, one of the key strategies that has given nmmfg a massive boost is this blog, and the associated facebook page. those things have created such a massive dollop of accountability that it has literally kept me on the path at times that i would previously have given up.
so guess what? i’ll be blogging about this new “project” too – not on here as i want to keep this blog focused on health and fitness, but over at “a momentary glimpse of reason” – which is a personal blog that has been seeking a genuine purpose for some time…
walk first, run later
no more mr fat guy started out with a very big, clear goal – to be able to complete a marathon. at the other end of the scale though, working towards this goal started with “got up at 5am, went for a 20 minute walk around the block”.
in a similar vein, sorting out the other stuff has a fairly clear, albeit broader, goals; financial freedom, genuine fulfillment and stability for my family. just like the marathon though, i am a million miles away from that right now, so i need to find the equivalent of going for a short walk, and then build on that.
the line “life is a marathon, not a sprint” seems particularly apt and brings the two projects together very neatly (if not a little chessily lol).
mimic, model and copy
having identified a strategy it is now time to start putting it into action. the first step will be to get a complete overview of the issues, the relative priorities and establish the initial strategies and plans to combat them.
i’ve already identified one simple but effective technique that britt gave me right at the start – add something, give something away and set a goal for the week. i am sure that other aspects of the nmmfg “journey” will also become obvious candidates to be copied in some way.
as i said previously, i really am stunned that no more mr fat guy should take on this broader importance in my life, but at the same time it really is very exciting to think that i do have a heap of experiences of success (completing a 10km fun run comes to mind) under my belt now that can be applied elsewhere.
exciting times… now go add “glimpse of reason” to your bookmarks too 🙂
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