Think Geologically
The Brutal Consistency of Healthy Habits
"Slow water cuts rock." - Zen Adage
Water is the universal solvent. The Colorado River quite literally carved the Grand Canyon out of the -rock-. The magnificent spectacle that so many flock to the western portion of the great North American continent to behold was ever so slowly carved out of the Earth by the most pliable substance on the planet. It wasn't great force that sliced this thing but the brutal consistency of water flowing.
By that same token you can craft your mind and body into a spectacle of performance and longevity not through shear force of will but through the same brutal consistency the shaped that great landscape. To that end many times when people describe to me the limits of their health habits is generally a combination of two primary things. Not enough time and a lack of information. Both which are simply remedied. For the purpose of this article let's talk about time.
Keep On Truckin'
Each November I get invited to an event in rural Tennessee called the S12 Challenge (I’m actually here as I write this). This event is hosted by my good friend Mickey Schuch. Mick is a very well known firearms instructor who works with everyday people to help them develop real skills to as he puts it, "Live a long, full life." The S12 event is about much more than emptying guns over and over again while we high five each other. Highly qualified instructors lead the students through training in basic pistol marksmanship, stop the bleed training, and basic self-defense.
Then there's me. I'm not an expert in any of those things by any stretch of the imagination but I do offer something that contributes to the moniker of "Live a long, full life." That is the offer of a unique perspective on being an effective and capable human being. Aside from all the tools and the training that one can have, if it's not built on a solid foundation of health and fitness everything else is much less effective. "Castles made of sand" and all.
Each morning at the S12 event I provide morning PT to warm the students up for long days on the range as well as teach some stress management techniques. Not only that but I do my best to impart deeper perspective behind how these students can maintain their bodies and minds in a way that supports their desired outcome - to be of service to those around them. An impossible feat if you can't take care of yourself.
One of the cool things about being a repeat instructor at this event is that the students also repeat the event so over the years you develop relationships and see how they change. Enter Todd. Todd, a regular at S12, is an affable character and a thoughtful student. His job requires him to load luxury automobiles into a tractor trailer and then drive those very expensive cars to dealerships. He logs just over 100,000 miles a year in his truck. Most of us use road trips to go camping as an excuse not to take care of ourselves and roll into habits. Not this guy.
Todd has discovered ways to stay more fit and manage his health on the road. He told me not only does he feel better physically, he also feels sharper mentally, and handles stress more effectively. Important for life, yes, but more tangibly it's helped him do his job better. Todd does chair yoga in the cab of his truck, travels with a kettlebell that he uses for swings and squats, and purposefully uses stayovers that have gym equipment so he can do cardiovascular exercise. This small things along with small changes in dietary habits have made for an increase in the quality of his job performance and his life. He experiences less bodily pain and discomfort, sleeps better, and handles stress more effectively. Those are big wins in my book.
Geological Changes
Is Todd and Olympian or a super secret squirrel operator? No. He's an average person doing his best to make his life better. Not one huge change but many small things have aggregated into habits that are sustainable and together, very powerful. Einstein said,"Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn't pays it."
Small choices repeated over time aggregate into major effects in health and in performance. This probably isn't a news flash to anybody reading this but it's a lesson that bears repeating for all of us. It's very easy to fall into the trap of looking for big, fast wins. They feel good. But the real depth of changes comes from small incremental changes over time. You gotta be real lucky to win the lotto, but anybody can save a little money.
Performance longevity requires a geological frame of reference. When looking for lasting changes in performance longevity in my experience be as brutally consistent as a river flowing over a rock face. At first not much seems to be happening but with patience a canyon will appear.
Thanks for reading,
Rob
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Great read/reminders Rob. In my coaching practice working with runners, so a performance-oriented environment, athletes often want to (or feel like they need to) crush every workout. I often use a baseball analogy: we aren’t trying to hit home runs every time we step up to bat; we’re just trying to make solid contact more often than not. Those hits (solid but not spectacular workouts) will add up over time. I think the same mindset applies to so many other areas of life, as you describe here.
It's a great reminder, and I like the canyon reference!