Are You Going It Alone?

At times we may feel like we’re doing things alone. Yes, we may have had plenty of help and support over the years in varying degrees, but ultimately we are pulling the trigger and setting things in motion. Whether it’s hashing out the minute details or deciding on the big decisions that could potentially shift our entire path, we have to be the proactive arbiters of our vessel.

This mindset often reminds me of a poem by English poet William Ernest Henley. At age 12 Henley was diagnosed with tubercular arthritis. Ultimately he underwent an amputation of his left leg and it was then during his time of healing, that he began to write poems. One, in particular, was Invictus.

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Out of the night that covers me,
      Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
      For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
      I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
      My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
      Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
      Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
      How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
      I am the captain of my soul.

Invictus 
By William Ernest Henley

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It is always the best scenario when we have help and support–when we can lean on others for advice, counsel, and comfort. But sometimes we have to go it alone. We have to let go of the raft and make our own way to shore. We have to be our own captains.

But this can come with its own set of challenges. Not only are we stripped of possible trusted advisement and encouragement, we can easily find ourselves in a vast ocean of choice, noise, and overconsumption of information, input, and gurus.

Too much noise

Our brains are designed to problem solve. It’s like a sponge ready to soak up any and all pieces of information that have even the slightest attraction to how we can improve our situation. It’s as if we become hunters for solutions and we will not rest until we chase, catch, and conquer.

For most of mankind, this has served us well. We take in information, process, then decide and act. Unfortunately, it’s been the last decade or two that we have been exposed to a deluge of information via the advances of technology. Our supply of solutions is literally endless.

This does a few things to our brains:

• We activate the ole analysis paralysis. We keep collecting information in hopes of finding the absolute perfect answer. Never finding said perfect answer leads us to never take action.
• We hunt around for a solution and then try it. A few days later we go on the hunt again and try something new. This cycle continues and we are left with always starting over.
• We simply feel overwhelmed and never even start. We bury our heads in the sand and blame the world for all of our woes.

We expose ourselves to too many options, too much content, and too many opinions. You’d think with a wealth of information at our fingertips, finding the right way to go would be easy. Our brains aren’t designed to successfully process the entire internet.

Reduce and reboot

I love this quote by ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius:

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

Let that sink in for a moment.

That one sentence says volumes. I bet after thinking about that quote you’re brain is pinging around all the times you complicated things in the past only to come out with the simplest solutions. All those times you overthought, overanalyzed, and over-corrected. Hindsight truly is 20/20.

This blog is mainly about improving ourselves for the better, focusing on health, building muscle and strength, and sound nutrition. So it goes without saying that in the world of fitness, there is no shortage of information. From websites and podcasts to social media and influencers, there are as many opinions, methods, and programs as bacteria are floating in the oceans.

So what do we do? How do we sift, screen, and vet this monumental amount of information and come out with sound, logical advice to put into practice?

Here are a few steps you can take:

1. Go legit. Read and listen to only reputable, researched sources. This excludes influencers, YouTube “stars,” and your local gym meathead. What do you look at? A few research articles (from peer-reviewed journals), articles that cite said research, and legitimate sources that aren’t out to sell you their programs, supplements, or books.
2. Minimize. Drastically reduce the amount of sources you view/listen to. Choose one or two resources you trust and stick with them exclusively. You may ask, “But what if those sources are wrong or not optimal?” It doesn’t matter. The important thing is to stick with something for a significant amount of time and truly figure out what will work and what to throw out. This will train you to better evaluate your specific process.
3. Abstain. Lastly, and my favorite, is completely cutting off all outside noise and trusting yourself. Make a plan, put it into action for four to six weeks, then reevaluate your progress or lack of. This strategy is the most effective for getting in touch with what uniquely works for your specific body type. It also prevents you from program hopping.

Breathe in simplicity

There’s a ton of content out there in every form of media, so it can be overwhelming to put into practice the right plan that will work for you much less start one to begin with. The overall point is to drastically reduce or eliminate all the noise. Choose a plan, stick with it long enough to see changes, then modify one thing at a time. Consistency is your best tool for the long haul.

Happy lifting!