1-2-3 Sundays: Purpose, Direction & You

1 Idea

Purpose and Direction

I took a week off last Sunday.

To be honest, I felt like I would be forcing it had I decided to write a blog post. That's not something I was willing to do.

The feeling had been building up over a couple of weeks. I couldn't quite understand why I didn't want to do it.

It's only now I can reflect on the last couple of weeks and analyse it.

A lack of purpose and direction over what I'm doing with this blog.

For the past few months, I've been viewing this as a task to get done rather than how I can proactively think about the week and how I can use my thoughts to provide value to someone reading this.

I'd become so attached to the process that I was losing vision of the wider purpose.

I enjoy creating these blogs because I enjoy writing about what I'm experiencing. It's the fundamental reason why I started this. To share what I'm going through in the hope that someone else can take some part and apply it to themself.

This mental breakthrough has reminded me of why I sit down to write every weekend.

2 Positive Outcomes

Feeling My Best Physically

For a guy who's only been running for 2 years, I feel fast.

In January I ran a total distance of 167.2km which is comparable to what I ran in March and April last year when I was prepping for Ultra X Scotland (this proves Hyrox is an endurance event).

I'm only lifting weights 2x per week at the moment. The increased amount of zone 2 work has meant I've improved my aerobic base.

This is unknown territory as I feel quicker and fitter than what I did in Barcelona.

4 weeks to go until Hyrox Glasgow.

One of my goals for this year was to be more social.

I don't mean going out to spank 10 pints but meeting up with mates for coffee, a gym session and or a bite to eat.

This is something I value a lot. I also feel refreshed and calm after doing so. It helps soothe my soul.

How much of this do you have in your life?

3 Learnings

Being Dynamic

When we go through periods of frustration it can be easy to want to rip everything up and start again.

I had a conversation with a guy in the gym this week who was telling me he's been stuck at the weight for his bench press for 6 months. He's continued to lift this weight week after week in the hope of progressing but it hasn't moved.

He's seen his problem in a one-dimensional view - "I can't get this past 6 reps".

This focuses on the problem at hand. The weight won't move for 6 reps.

One of the pieces of advice I gave him is that you're stuck at 6 reps in your mind too. You need to get past the psychological barrier.

This forces us to look at problems more holistically rather than being black and white with it.

The weight might be the main source of frustration but there are other contributing factors blocking our way of thinking.

Gladiators

I wasn't even born when the original series aired in the 90s.

After watching Scotland narrowly beat Wales on Saturday night, I saw it advertised on BBC iPlayer and thought "let's give this a watch".

It's not high-value tv by any means but it is oddly entertaining.

Be You

Don't be someone you're not.

There's a reason you got hired to do a job, chosen to be part of something bigger than you or asked to help a friend.

It's because you are you.

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Speak soon!