That Joe Wicks – he’s a bit of an all-round wonderful bloke, isn’t he? Not content with being the nation’s PE teacher of choice throughout Covid, he’s cementing his ‘legend’ status by providing a huge amount of free workouts (check out his YouTube channel if you haven’t already – it’s great), free recipes (check out his website if you haven’t already – it’s great), and a great podcast.
He’s also something of a motivational speaker, without veering off too much into the cheesy, over-the-top style which puts off so many people. My favourite quote of his is simple yet so ridiculously true:
Stop telling yourself reasons not to exercise and remind yourself how good you’ll feel afterwards and how much energy you’ll have.
Really difficult to argue with that, isn’t it? One simple sentence which could make a fundamental difference to all our lives.
Additionally, I recently stumbled upon a blog post on his website, titled “Focus on the little wins”. I’ve also heard him refer to this as doing ‘a little every day’. The post is succinct, so I’ve copied it here:
If you are really overweight or unfit, the thought of trying to lose it all and get back into shape can feel really overwhelming. Your goals can start to feel so far away and unobtainable that it can stop you from actually starting your journey.
But try to just focus on today. Can you be more active today? Can you move your body for just 20 minutes? Can you make one healthy meal? Can you swap one fizzy drink or beer for a glass of water instead? Can you get to bed an hour, or even 30 minutes earlier?
When you start to focus on the present day and you win some of these small decisions, it all starts to feel much more manageable. These little wins all add up. When you go to bed knowing you’ve had a few little wins, you’ll feel proud and more motivated to have another positive day tomorrow.
All big journeys start with small steps.
You’ve got this.
Love Joe. X
Is it just me or is that fantastic? Simply, yes, but fantastic all the same. It doesn’t just apply to fitness either. It can apply to any element of your life which you want to spend more time on and improve. It certainly applies to creative pursuit such as writing, painting, writing music, gardening, drawing and suchlike. It applies to hobbies such as reading. It applies to spending more time with family members and/or friends. It applies to contacting someone you haven’t been in touch with for a while. Basically, it applies to anything where you claim you simply don’t have time to address it. Let’s be honest – most of the time, that is a complete load of bull.
This is my first YYCDI blog post since the 9th July. During that period, I’ve been telling myself that I haven’t had time. That the day-job has been too busy. That I’ve had many other things on my plate. That’s all a sack of crap and I know it. The truth is, I’ve been tired and my heart hasn’t been in writing the blog posts. They typically take me an hour to write. I could easily have found 10 minutes every night to work on these and continue posting on a weekly basis. The reasons I told myself were poor excuses not to write. They were lies I was spinning to myself.
I also haven’t done any other writing over the same period (and longer, to be honest). I haven’t devoted enough time to improving as a guitar player (other than the absolute necessary time for a recent wedding). I haven’t been working out or devoted to attempting to lose weight. I’ve used the same bulls**t excuses I mention above. No time. The day-job is too busy. Too tired. Yet, if I’d tried to carve out just 10 minutes each day to address each of these, I could have done so with ease and made significant progress. Because that is the key here. 10 minutes each day may not sound much but when addressed with consistency over a period of time, the results can be game-changing. It equates to 70 minutes per week and 300 minutes (or 5 hours per month). That in itself is enough to make a change but the beauty of this approach is that you won’t always limit yourself to 10 minutes. If you devote that time and find you’re knee-deep in something you actually enjoy doing, you may extend it to 15, 20 or 30 minutes per day, quite possibly without even realising it. And that’s when the results really do come quickly.
All this reminds me of another favourite quote of mine. I believe it’s from James Clear (the author of the multi-million selling book ‘Atomic Habits’):
What can you do with 5 good minutes?
5 good minutes of:
– push-ups is a solid workout
– sprints will leave you winded
– writing can deliver 1 good page
– reading can finish an insightful article
– meditation can reset your mood
You don’t need more time – just a little focused action.
Again, it’s difficult to argue with that, isn’t it?! What can you find 5 minutes to work on today (and tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that)? Give it a try…
Finally, here’s the link to the Joe Wicks website. There’s so much ridiculously good and beneficial (and free) content on there.
Say hello to a real game changer / The Body Coach
As always, thanks for reading and take care.
Best wishes.
Mick
