Category: Living Well

Progress During Plateaus

Published on October 8, 2023

One of the most frustrating things about plateaus is the lack of growth… the hair-pulling stagnation… the continued effort minus the measurable results.

And it’s so easy to quit during times of plateau because where you once had progress—one of life’s biggest motivators—you now seem to only have effort. Which, I’ll go ahead and say for the both of us, is a sucky trade.

But, what if I told you you were missing an entire dimension of progress measuring?

See, in today’s society, progress of body and mind are measured almost exclusively.

For body, think: weight lifted, distance travelled, rounds completed, inches around the waist, scales that measure weight, body fat %, BMI charts, and so forth. For mind, think: grades in school, standardized tests, certifications, courses, books read, problems solved, connections made, diplomas earned, and so on.

But, how does one measure the progress of their spirit?

…Not so easily defined, eh?

You might say: ability to meditate or how long a person can endure a cold shower…

But, what about: by measuring how long a person can carry forward when they’ve hit a plateau?

…By doing the work even when it’s hard. By showing up even when the efforts aren’t yielding the same incremental results. By continuing to try their best even when—especially when—it’s easy to quit.

What if effort in spite of progress is precisely how progress is made in the realm of the spirit?

P.s. Looking for a more specific guide on how you can carry forward—even when forward is tough? My NEW guide will help.

Showing Up (Too)

Published on October 8, 2023

At the martial arts conference I’m attending, there was a Tai Chi class being offered for all attendees at 6:30am.

Out of 100+ attendees, only three showed up.

Why? Who knows…

Too early…? Too slow…? Not “sexy” enough…?

That’s all besides the point.

The point is that these sessions are usually PACKED…

I knew it… and the other two people who showed up knew it…

But, the instructor—who had to have known it (being an attendee at the same conference since before I was born)—didn’t miss a single beat.

He didn’t give one care to the audience size. Not one huff and not one puff. Not one feeling of awkwardness, frustration, or upset was expressed or sensed from me as a student.

In fact, it was all the contrary.

He was genuinely happy we—all three of us—were there. He was completely present with us during the entirety of the session. He was interesting, methodical, and deliberate. He was a great story teller. And he was evidently having a ton of fun.

This is all to say, he didn’t show up with expectations; he showed up with love.

And love lights the way for whomever and however many care enough to do their part and show up, too.

Moral Code

Published on October 7, 2023

I’m at a Martial Arts Conference this weekend and one of the presenters said the following:

“When my daughter, 14 years old, starts dating—in 23 years (said only half-jokingly)—the person who takes her out better be able to articulate a moral code. Because if they can’t, that’s because there probably is no code.”

Regardless of whether or not you’re dating, married, single… if I asked you right now to articulate your moral code… could you?

As in, could you articulate to me, right now, what you stand for… what you value… what you believe… what guides you… what keeps your moral compass calibrated… what “forward” on your moral compass looks like…

Because if you can’t articulate it… what you have to ask yourself is—with full honestly—is there one there?

P.s. If you’re looking for help calibrating “forward” on your compass, this guide will help.

The Pulls

Published on October 4, 2023

I aim to upload 2-5ish quotes to MoveMe Quotes (here) every day.

This afternoon, I noticed in myself a real trouble focusing while reading. I felt my mind going a mile-a-minute and felt that modern day pull towards screens and dopamine hits.

I wanted to share posts.

I wanted to check email.

I wanted to refresh and see what I missed.

So, rather than entertain each and every pull, I made a paper and pen list instead.

This strategy has helped me on many occasions by freeing my mind from the “pulling” thought (writing it down means my brain doesn’t have to remember it any longer) and has kept me from rabbit holing—which is precisely what email, social media, and websites are designed to do… keep you there. Even when you only intend to be there for a quick moment.

The next time you’re trying to do screen-free work and you feel a similar type pull, rather than do the digital thing right away, try writing it down with good ol’ fashion pen and paper instead. Create an ongoing list, stay committed to the non-screen task, and finish the written down task(s) later—when it can all be done in one fell swoop.

Non-screen type tasks get increasingly easier the longer you stay away from screens and get increasingly harder the more you give in to the pulls—regardless of how “quick” they end up being.

Push yourself to resist the pulls.

P.s. My website is fixed. My landing page is no longer an incredibly frustrating “404 Error Page.” My apologies to those who landed there.

The Secret To Going Further

Published on October 1, 2023

The secret to going further isn’t to go faster/harder… it’s to go slower/easier.

I learned this when I ran my first ever ultramarathon. “A pinch above walking” was the mantra that kept me moving all the way through and past that seemingly unreachable finish line (that took nearly seven hours to cross).

I learned this when I added a constraint to my daily writing practice at the end of my first 365-ish days. I was writing around 1000-2000 words daily (and hastily)—including weekends—in an effort to try and prove to my audience (and myself) that I could be a decent writer. Until finally, I realized that I was resenting the process, writing in misery, and trying to prove something that didn’t need proving. And making 280 words my daily constraint (about 1 minute worth of reading) not only dissolved the resentment and misery, but added joy and *length* to my process (on upwards of 1250+ days now with little to no feelings of fatigue).

I learned this when I learned that being in a hurry is an excellent sign that you’re not enjoying the process… and not enjoying the process is one of the biggest mistakes we can make when life—our only life—is exactly that: a process. And sometimes we can get so caught up (brainwashed?) into believing that the ends are what’ll bring us enjoyment that we forget about the means. When in reality, the means are everything and the only place enjoyment will ever truly be found.

P.s. I created a NEW guide that details how you can best apply this principle to your life. I hope you’ll check it out ➜

It’s FINALLY Here…!

Published on September 30, 2023

…After close to nine months of deliberate and careful work, my NEW GUIDE is LIVE!!

Introducing (Drumrolllllllll pleaseeeeeee):

The Art of Forward: Consistency > Intensity

Learn How To FINALLY Integrate Self-Improvement Tasks Into Your Life—For Life—Without Needing NAVY SEAL Level Self-Discipline and Grit

The idea: You know what you need to do: exercise, eat healthier, meditate, journal, read more… The question isn’t a matter of what…

…It’s a matter of how you can keep it going without burning out, losing motivation, succumbing to temptation, yo-yo-ing back to old habits, or just plain giving up.

And contrary to what you might be used to hearing from hustle gurus, NAVY Seals, and fitness experts telling you about massive action, putting in 110%, or just being tougher and sucking it up… this guide will show you a better way.

We want you to slow down…

To resist the temptation to give 110% (or 100% for that matter)…

To forget about 21, 30, 60, or 90 days…

And to consciously move forward at a pace that’s instead 100% (or 110% for that matter) focused on the distance of your life.

Because if it’s not focused on your life’s distance… it’s only a matter of time before you’re right back where you started (or worse).

It’s time to put the yo-yo-ing to an end.

What you’ll get is beautifully packaged as:

(30) One Page Meditations
(30) Pace-Conscious Action Steps
(30) Custom Drawn & Downloadable Illustrations

Are you ready to FINALLY build self-improvement tasks into your life that stick?

Get your guide and get started today ➜

Read testimonials, FAQs, and take a look inside here ➜

Make Daily What’s Always A Good Idea

Published on September 25, 2023

I take my dog for a walk every night—regardless of how I’m feeling.

…Even if I’m sick or sore or the weather is crappy.

I walked her when I had COVID, on the days I ran marathons (and the mornings after), and when we’ve had torrential rain.

In fact, over the course of the last five years I’ve had her, we’ve only ever missed when I was traveling or as a result of rare extenuating circumstances (like the Buffalo Blizzard of ’22).

So long as it’s safe—going for a walk outside is almost always a good idea.

…The fresh air; the natural elements; the time apart from screens; the low-impact movement, the neighborly interactions; the time to think and let the mind settle; and so on.

Things like this—the things that are essentially always good ideas—should be kept as top priorities in our lives.

As obvious as this sounds you have to ask yourself how often you do the things you know are good for you… and how often you let yourself talk your own self out of doing those very things.

Daily is the key. Don’t go for occasional or “when you feel like it.”

Make daily what’s always a good idea.

Pro-tip: if following through is hard for you, you could always try getting a dog… once they’re in routine, they’ll keep you accountable better than any app, quote, or coach. Of this, I’m sure.