Success, in both our lives and fitness journey, is never guaranteed – but it can be planned for. And it’s amazing how success comes when you actively plan for and expect it. It’s also strange how many people think success happens entirely by accident. They might not say it out loud, but how many people are living their lives day-to-day without any schedule or objective? Are you?
Why should you change?
There are a lot of variables outside of our control, in both our personal and public lives. Your work situation, your private life, and any other aspect of your being might be restricted in how much can change. But there’s empowerment in fitness and nutrition because you can control that. It’s something that can’t be bought, paid for, borrowed, or stolen. It can’t be lied about or faked. It’s also exhilarating as you see your progress, because the realization that you’re in control comes to light. You get to be in charge.
So how do you get there?
You plan for it. Just like you would develop a plan to pay for college, change jobs, or travel to another state, you write out a plan for how you get from point A to point B, and you make adjustments as you go. The level of detail that goes into your plan is up to you. If you’re a spontaneous person that likes to “wing it”, this might be difficult to nail down concrete aspects of your plan (I can speak from personal experience!). But a barebones plan is better than none at all.
Three things you need to start your plan:
- Notebook – I wasn’t kidding when it comes to actually writing. You can call it whatever you like: journal, handbook, manual, exercise log, etc. You need to write down your sleep patterns, your stress levels, the foods you eat, the exercises you complete (sets, reps, type, etc.), your body measurements, your food intake (macro counting), and any other variables you want to track.
- Accountability Partner – This can be a mentor, coach (shameless plug!), or a friend that happens to be a fitness nerd. It needs to be someone that you view as a more disciplined person than yourself. Keep your ego in check! People that want to improve, or be successful, in any avenue of life tend to socialize with those are already living the life they want. Iron sharpens iron. Find someone that will keep you disciplined to improve.
- A System – This system includes your rituals, exercise regimen, and tools. This is the “nitty gritty” aspect of your routine. Your ritual would be what you do to start your plan on a daily basis. That could include setting your alarm early, having workout clothes laid out for the morning, or taking your workout shake 30 minutes before your scheduled workout. Your exercise regimen is the outline of what you will be doing for that day. Your tools would be things such as your fitness app, your food scale, and your notebook.
Your life shouldn’t be left to chance, and neither should your nutrition, fitness, health, or welfare!
Speaking of Roadmaps…
Plans are made to be flexible so that changes can be applied when needed. One such change is Chris leaving for bigger and better pastures. He has been instrumental in the success of MacroLab and the fitness progress of hundreds of people. I am extremely glad to have gotten to meet and know him during this transition, and I wish him well on his next adventure. He is the type of guy that you can pick up a phone call and get an answer, so I know he will be successful wherever life leads him.
I look forward to picking up where he left off, adding some big changes for the future. Namely, app software, a supplement line, books, and nutrition courses in the future. As an active duty military member, father, and fitness enthusiast, I want this place to be a first stop shop for anyone looking to change their life for the better.
Like Chris, myself, or even MacroLab, always ask: what’s next on your list of success? And better yet, what are you doing to get there?