Sunday Story…Change

 

If you are reading this, you should already be aware of the importance of discipline and commitment. And, hopefully, you have already committed to your fitness journey and are showing up when you say you will (discipline!).

That’s great. Good on you! But there’s more, a lot more. You have begun the fitness part of your journey. The physical part. Perhaps you've already started improving your nutrition. And of course, your sleep. There's also your stress management. How are you managing your stress? Both at home and at work? How is that working for you? Once we get those things in line, we are on our way to an extraordinary journey. But that's not all.

Other things are not so obvious, things that are not so easy to pinpoint and change. The things that may be ingrained in you over years and decades of your life. Some of these aspects also require examination. How are you showing up in the world? How are you with your relationships? How are you showing up in your relationship with the universe? With divine spirit? These things may be as important as your physical journey, if not more important.

I often say that we would like life to be harmonious. By that, I mean we aren't looking for balance. Balance indicates non-movement, stasis. What we want is harmony. I can become obsessed with one thing or another, such as my career, my kids, or something else, but what I really want, even when I'm overly focused on one thing, is to have the rest of my life in harmony. It's just like an orchestra, sometimes the timpani drums are the big mover, and sometimes it's the horn section, the strings, or the woodwinds. It works as a harmonious whole, but the emphasis can be on one part or another. My question to you is, how harmonious is your life?

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Catch some Z's

 

Sleep is the most overlooked component of your fitness journey. I know we've discussed it before and written about it at great length, but as more studies are conducted and research emerges, the importance of this topic becomes increasingly apparent.

When I was a young adult (back in the late 1900s), we were told to sleep less. Well, now here we are all these years later, and we realize 4 hours isn’t enough.

We also need to have high-quality sleep. In other words, we need to pass through all the various components of an evening's sleep: REM sleep, deep sleep, and light sleep. They all help us restore and recover from our daily work. What we often overlook is how many small factors can impact our restorative and rejuvenating sleep.

There are all kinds of things that can affect your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep, and experience an entire night of restorative sleep.

Little things like:

• Changing my pattern of activity before I go to bed
• Having caffeine a little too late in the day
• Being over-stimulated before I went to bed

How can you improve your sleep consistency? Can you go to bed at the same time every night?  I see many of you at five and 5:30 in the morning, so I know you're getting up at the same time, 4-5 days a week. The hard part is getting to bed at the same time every night. Between social and family activities, it can be hard to get into bed.

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Discipline is the glue

We discussed the importance of consistency and the need to show up every day to do the work, but what happens when you're just not feeling it? What happens when you get up and it's, "I don't want to do that today?"

This is where discipline comes in. Discipline is where you do what you're supposed to do because you are supposed to do it. You don't have to like it. You don't have to want to do it. But you are going to do it anyway because it's what you are committed to doing.

There's a vast difference between motivation and discipline. When I am motivated, I want to act. I'm excited about doing it. I'm happy when I'm getting ready to do it. I'm happy while I'm doing it. I'm happy when I'm done doing it.

Discipline, however, is what gets me through the times when motivation isn't there. Discipline is what will keep my consistency going in the face of non-desire. Discipline frees me from the chains of motivation. Discipline and all the surrounding rituals that discipline requires frees me from the shackles of choice.

Discipline is found deep inside of yourself. Discipline arises from the need to do what needs to be done. It's not concerned with external factors such as the time of day, the temperature outside, how you're feeling, how much you slept, or what you've eaten. Discipline is the glue that holds actions together.

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength (and find discipline), sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story... How You do anything?

How you do anything is how you do everything. This saying is one we've heard many times over the years. The idea is to help us maintain high standards and uphold a high level of integrity throughout our lives.

It's a slippery slope when we allow our standards to become compromised. Once we're on that slope, it becomes increasingly easier for those standards to become non-existent. This is why it's so important to know what your standards are and to maintain them. Whether it's in a movement pattern like a squat or a pull-up, or in how you will allow people to talk to you, or how you allow people to talk around you, these standards are in place to help keep you safe and to guide you forward in the direction you want to reach.

Keep in mind that although standards can often be objective, they are often subjective as well. An objective standard is one that we all agree is the same, regardless of who applies it. I must squat below parallel. My chin must go over the bar if I'm doing a pull-up. These are standards we all agree upon.

An objective standard is one that I set and is applicable to me alone. I get to decide what my standards are for the people around me, for my relationships, for my career. Those are the standards that I get to set.  What is a standard for me may not be a standard for somebody else. In terms of subjective standards, it's okay if they don't match up with the people around you, but you are going to experience some cognitive dissonance that you will need to correct. And by that, I mean you will either have to change your standards or change the people around you.

Again, do it correctly. Do it correctly the first time. Do it correctly every time.

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Standards

Standards build trust and consistency. They are the invisible underpinnings of our everyday lives. Usually, we don't really think about it. From the way electrical plugs fit into sockets to measurements like a gallon, a foot, or a yard, they create a system that allows us to all agree on how our world functions.

The reason I bring this up today is that we are seeing standards become eroded. We're seeing a world where something is better than nothing. And although that may be true, that something isn't the standard. That something is something else. It doesn't meet the standard. If you had a socket and a plug that didn't fit into a socket, it wouldn't work. Just like if you do half a pull-up, it's not actually a pull-up; it is something else.

When we have standards that we all agree upon, it's easy to say, "This is what it is, this is what a pull-up looks like, this is what a push-up looks like, this is what a squat looks like. We all agree that's what it is. When it's not that, that isn't what it is. It's simple. We cannot let things pass that do not meet the standard. If you can't meet the standard, you need to go back to work and do your best to meet it. If it is something else, then call it something else, but just don't call it what you are trying to achieve. The standard will not allow it.

Standards are not just picky little details. They are the foundations of trust, collaboration, and progress that we all agree upon to make things work. When I meet this standard, it's the same standard for you, for me, and everybody else doing the same thing. If you don't meet the standard, it's okay, but it's not the thing. Do better and remember: The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. So, if you're not meeting the standard in this piece of your life, where else are you not meeting the standard?

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Health Food?

As you can see from the meme above, if your store has a health food section, it begs the question, "What is in the rest of the store? Is that food not healthy? Is it less than healthy? The answer is yes. By that, I mean your grocery store is full of healthy food options. It's also got a fair amount of unhealthy food: food that is ultra-processed, food that is over-processed, food that has too much sugar, too many additives, and too much crap in it.

The real problem isn't that we have health food and non-health food. The real problem is that we aren't just eating real food. We are putting food in our bodies that does not serve our health and longevity. Maybe it has too many additives. Maybe it has food dyes in it. Maybe there's too much sugar. Maybe there's too much fat. Perhaps the fat that’s there isn't good for you. There are various factors that can make perfectly good food, such as broccoli, less healthy.

So, when we ask the question, "Is this good food or bad food?" It's really not the question you should be asking. The question you should be asking is, "How does this food, how is this serving of this food, move me closer to my health and longevity goals?" And if the answer to that question is "it doesn't" or "I don't know," you need to look at those foods more closely.

So, as we've said before, the bottom line is eat real food but not just eat real food. Eat real food that is prepared with the intention to serve your health and longevity.

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Consistency

Last week, we talked about just getting started. That is step one. Get started. The program, whether it be five by five, progressive overloading, or something else, isn’t essential. You don't need to spend your time worrying about that. Just get started.

Step two is to keep showing up, in other words, be consistent. Consistency is the most critical part of your longevity process. You need to do something every day. Sitting on your rear end watching TV doing nothing is not going to help you live a healthier, longer life, and that is why we are worried about how much exercise we're doing; we're concerned about how much weight we're lifting, and we're worried about how much we can do on any given day.

Just this morning on the radio, once again, it was pointed out that anybody over the age of 65 who falls is at a greater risk of dying. It's that simple. Falling is bad, but when you were 10 years old, falling was just falling; you got up. When you're 65, 70, 75, if you fall, you need to be able to get back up.

Step one: Walk through the door. Step two: Walk through it again and again and again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Keep showing up no matter what.

Once you get started, don't stop. It is easier to stay in shape than it is to get into shape. Once you get into shape, do everything you can to stay that way. What we've been talking about is getting you into shape. But once you start, you are already ahead of 99% of the people. So, once you get started, don't stop. Be consistent!

If you're interested in learning how to build muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412