Not Done Yet

Lip o’ mayo

For seven years I worked with the college ministry at Blackhawk church in Madison, Wisconsin. I was part of the original team that got programing started, which included large group meetings, service projects, small groups, and special trips. On one of the special trips we made a food stop at Subway. I was at a table with my friend Al, a farm kid who one time brought baby goats in for a show-and-tell evening. If you looked at and talked with Al, you’d know you can’t take the farm out of this guy. On this particular lunch break, we were eating sandwiches and as I looked up at Al, I noticed a big glob of mayo on the corner of his lip. Conversation at the table was lively, full of energy but there was moment of silence so as I handed him a napkin I said to Al, “You’ve got mayo…” and I motioned which side it was on. Without stopping his chewing, without cracking a smile, just a quick connection of his eyes to mine, he responded, “I’m not done yet.” It was hilarious! He didn’t take the napkin, he didn’t clear his lip, no one really got the joke because they hadn’t seen the mayo, motioned with the napkin, or were denied the clean-up!

First Draft

Yesterday I was rolling through my Twitter feed and came across a similar comment from Ben Arment:

Finished the first draft of a novel today. It’s not pretty. But I’m not done.

— Ben Arment (@BenArment) February 10, 2015

As I continue to perfect my craft of writing, I greatly appreciated this mindset of an accomplished writer. Not only did Ben demonstrate the process (first draft is necessary, don’t try to get to final draft in one shot), but he also demonstrated the mentality a successful writer must have. Excellent writing is a process; we enter the process, give it our best, edit, try again, and keep working and reworking until we get it right. That’s an exercise of the mind as much as it is the actual act of writing.

Exercise in process

In my world, this mentality is critical for successful athletes. And I’m not just talking about marathoners, Ironmen, or century cyclists. Many of my clients are with me to lose weight. My job is to constantly push them to their best, then challenge them to best their best. They need to have the mentality that “I’m not done yet.” It took them years of practice as they developed a less-than-desirable lifestyle and it may take them years of practice to develop a healthy and active lifestyle.

One thing I know about you

One thing I know about you: you’re not done yet. You have goals, some big and some small, some short term and some long term. Either you’re working on them or your not. Often it is easier to accomplish these goals with a coach. If I can be of service, you know how to get in touch. But you’re not done yet. What’s next?

“This heavyweight bout is scheduled for 12 rounds”

2014 NFL MVP: JJ Watt

Aaron Rodgers has had an MVP season. No one would argue that. And we’d all agree that JJ Watt is the other guy in the discussion. It seems to me that’s exactly how the voters and typical sports fan are viewing the race… Rodgers as the MVP, Watt as the other guy. If I were to start a team today, I’d start with Rodgers. But when I look back on this season, I’ll remember the stats, the plays, the memories, and the hype that came from JJ Watt. Watt’s my MVP.

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Rodgers is fantastic. He’s a leader, he’s a perfectionist, he takes his players from good to great and he’s tough. His hobbling touchdown pass against the Detroit Lions may have solidified his MVP award. He plays the game right and as I said, there’s no other player I’d rather have on my team.

But JJ Watt has had a special season. He’s the first defensive player to record 20+ sacks in a season. He also had an interception, a safety, and two defensive touchdowns. On one of those he went 80 yards! Pretty fantastic for a defensive player. But that isn’t all – he had four (4!) offensive touchdowns! What?!! Six touchdowns for a defensive player is just unreal. You name it, he does it. You game plan against him, he fights through (and wins). My favorite highlight, by far, is at the end of this 5-minute video. The whole thing is fantastic, but if you’re really strapped for time, fast forward to 4:02 and watch to the end.

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Stats are important. But they limit the discussion because we have so many stats and sometimes you just can’t compare. Generations, positions, even different teams mean we’re not comparing apples to apples. Rodgers has the stats. Watt has the stats. This year I cast my vote for MVP based on the following: (a) JJ Watt’s season was more memorable and exciting, and (b) what more can a defensive player do? I’m writing this on Saturday afternoon after weeks and weeks of thought. I found a few stats, a few videos, but I’m up against the clock because family is calling and I think they may announce MVP tonight. The post doesn’t read the same after the fact. I know I’m in the minority, that’s ok. I struggle with MVP talk because stats get us in trouble and make things more difficult. Of course it sounds totally lame to discuss a player’s MVP status because “it’s more memorable” like I stated above. But lately I’ve been a little more subjective when it comes to sports, a little more care free. When the Packers gave away the NFC championship game to the Seahawks two weeks ago, I cringed at the hatred fans and friends had towards the Packers and even the Seahawks. The hatred is taking away from my love of the game. I know it’s a big money thing now. I want to win a Super Bowl as much as the next guy. But I love sports. I love winning. I have to appreciate losing because it’s part of the deal.

Sports, we are told as kids, is not about winning or losing, it’s how you play the game. I believe that. But I also believe the words of Vince Lombardi: If winning doesn’t matter, why do they keep score? Can we cling to both statements? I believe we can. And in this season of my life, I won’t get bent out of shape if my team gives away a trip to the Super Bowl. I won’t give my MVP nod to a quarterback just because quarterbacks always win the awards or even because Rodgers has stats that certainly qualify him for MVP. I’m casting my MVP vote for the guy who will be the unanimous defensive player of the year, the guy who scored multiple times on both sides of the ball, the guy who goes sack-fumble-sideline-recieving TD, the guy who does things no defensive player has ever done, and the number one guy I’d pay to see play on Sundays.

TexansPlayoffs Sure, I pay more attention because we went to the same high school. Sure, he and I are both Badgers. Sure, Rodgers deserves to win. But what player’s performance will remember, and what else does a defensive player have to do?

2014 NFL MVP: JJ Watt

Compare Yourself to No One

As a trainer, you can imagine I work with all kinds of clients. You name it, I’ve probably worked with them. Each client has different history with injury, different goals, different availability to train, and a different drive to compete and succeed. One clients is a 28 year old young professional who hasn’t been physically active since high school and needs to get back into shape. Another client is a year into retirement, has some extra time on her hands and would like to do the activities of daily living with more ease. As a personal trainer, I assess all of this information, compare it with their injuries and goals, and put together a program to help them pursue their health. This is what makes personal training so personal.

One criticism of personal trainers is their cookie-cutter approach to exercise design. Clients see a trainer doing an exercise (or a group of exercises) with multiple clients and think, “well that’s what he has me doing. Why is he doing that workout with him/her also?” The answer is pretty simple. It’s because most people need to be able to do a squat really well. And a chest press and row are excellent exercises, too. And battle ropes challenge your cardiovascular system without the pounding of box jumps or Bosu bunny hops. You see even though clients are doing the same exercises, they probably aren’t doing the same workload (weight, reps, sets).

Think about it this way. When you show up to watch the start of the Madison marathon, you see a lot of runners with a lot of training. On average, they all ran at least three to five times per week runs ranging from three to twenty miles. Many of them followed Hal Higdon’s training program. For argument’s sake, let’s say they all did Hal’s beginner program. Did they all do all the runs? Did they all do the runs at the same pace? Did they any of them add strength training? Did any of them do yoga or Pilates on their off day? It’s easy to see that the answer is obviously “no.” But if every person at the start line did Hal’s running program, the vast majority of their training consisted of running the same miles with very similar days of rest. In the same way if all my clients did squats, chest press, rows, and battle ropes, the only thing we can say about them is that they all have the same needs (namely more strength and cardiovascular training) and now they’ll see similar results.

Persoanl training is a science and an art. It takes me awhile to figure out each clients’ approach to their training. I learn what they’re good at, where they struggle, how they respond to my coaching. As our relationship grows stronger, I can push harder in some areas and change approach in others. And even if the exercises are the same, the individual challenge is always appropriate to each client. I don’t go through the motions with any of my clients. I want the challenge high and the results to be pleasing to everyone involved.

My job as an exercise specialist is to help you pursue your health and fitness. My goal is to get you to look inward at yourself and where you want to go. I’ll bring the tools, you bring the effort, and together we’ll accomplish whatever goals we set.

Fourth Week

Forgive me one last time if I’m a little cynical about new year’s resolutions. That’s why I’m always encouraging clients and friends to establish a SMART goal and use that as your road map. If you haven’t made at least one goal for 2015, there’s still time. In fact, I’m writing this to challenge you (whether your goal is in hand or yet to-be-determined) to examine your approach. Is it working? Is it still a relevant goal? Is it realistic? You’ve had some time to think about it and now is the time for your first gut check. There will probably be more throughout the year, but after the initial buzz to resolve aspect-X of your life is over, today we find ourselves four weeks into the new year and most likely back to our normal routines.

If you played football at Pewaukee for Coach Lecher, you can hear him . “Life is a series of adjustments!” He’s not yelling like he’s mad. But he’s firm because you’ve gone astray, something happened that knocked you off course and you need a redirection. Maybe your goal was too big; you bit off more than you can chew. Maybe your goal was too small; progress is rolling and you need an extra level of challenge. Maybe you need to adjust your schedule because family needs came up and now the workouts need to happen before work. What happened? How’s it going? Can you be honest with this conversation and make your adjustment?

Pursuing our passions and pursuing our health are difficult tasks. Are they worth it? I believe they are. It is the cognitive, thinking, reflective, strategizing person who can look at the last few weeks, make adjustments, and then put a new plan into place to reach those goals.

Is there any way I can help? You can find me on Facebook or Twitter – I’d love to hear from you.

10daysbetterblog 08 Goals

I have had goals for my blog for a long time. I’m willing to bet I’m not alone. But this time I’m working through the same process I take my clients through for their exercise and fitness goals, namely the SMART methodology. My SMART goal is to write one great blog post each week through the month of March. This meets all the criteria for this methodology.

A couple notes. First, I’ve created a calendar item to get this writing done, including time to do any relevant research. Thursday mornings are where I will get this work done. Second, when I get this writing and work done, it will be great. Unlike my NoWriMo project, I won’t settle for posts that just got the thing posted; it needs to be something I’m proud of.

First post goes live tomorrow.

10daysbetterblog 07 Analytics

Gotta know your reader. I know this to be true, but when I look at my analytics I see that I’m telling a different story. It’s a good one. It’s me. But it’s not where I want to go (right now), or at least it’s not the primary shotry I want to tell.

Today’s assignment for #10daysbetterblog is to look at the analytics of our blog and reflect. Here’s a quote from the assignment:

“You see, when you know who your reader is (and what they are interested in) you can begin to tailor content to their specific tastes and needs. You are beginning to create a consistent audience which is a powerful mechanism in today’s digital economy.”

I am humbled by the page views, but there are other posts that I want to rise to the top of this list. I want to talk about goals, fitness, wellness, struggles in the fight to stay fit, and people’s stories of success as they pursue their health. My most popular blog posts have a special place in my heart. I’m using this feeling as motivation to write better in 2015 for the story I want to tell. Quick post today to get this assignment done. It’s late on Friday and I have to get to the family. I’ll have some time this weekend to flesh this out and create a plan.

Analytics: boy, proof in the pudding. Lots of work to do.

10daysbetterblog 06 About Page

Ah yes, the About page. Vitally important yet highly ignored. Day 06 of #10daysbetterblog continues the pruning practice from day 05. This static page on a blog needs to be clear but it also needs to be accurate, up-to-date. When I navigated to my about page, I was pleased to notice mine was fairly current. I don’t like the font size or the size of the pic at the bottom. And I need to add some more of my best writing and some easier calls to action. But this should be kind of fun and easy to do.

When I reflect on my page and compare it to others’, it’s clear to me how important experience is for this page.

What have I done?
* How can I paint a picture of what I do and what I can offer you or your company to pursue your health?
* Am I putting a good (great!) foot forward?
* Am I viewed as an expert?
* Am I perceived as capable of helping you pursue your goals?

As John says, this should be one of your most viewed pages. It deserves frequent time and attention. Updates should be fairly regular, and reinvention should be considered every six to twelve months. And with that, I’m happy with the adjustments I made – font, a better pic, and some links to my favorite articles.

10daysbetterblog 05

Today’s blogging workshop, day five of ten, is directing the participants to shift from the creator (me) to the content (the blog). What do I write about? How does it get organzied on the blog? Specifically, I’m considering adjustments to my strategy. I’m not changing strategies, I’m not starting a new sub-strategy, I’m simply looking at two aspects: categories and tags. Immediately when I read the challenge for the day, I resonated with the concept because I know how many times I write a blog post and then struggle with picking caegories after the fact. I ignore this discontent, but now John’s smacking me right in the face with it. Thanks, brother! My discontent is due to the fact that I’m writing something top of mind, probably (kind of) on topic, but certainly not as intentional as it should be. I kind of “make it fit” into categories when I’m done. John suggests 3-5 cagegories. He’s right. I need to fight the urge to write about all things. Pick my 3-5, assign the category before I write and makes sure it makes sense before I publish. Same thing with tags. When (really) is the last time you clicked a tag on a blog to find more of that topic. Just doesn’t happen. So maybe those should be eliminated all together?

For me this isn’t going to be a project of actually going back to change things. But rather I need to pick my categories and write about only those. I’m really tempted to have a miscellaneous category – some kind of hodge-podge for those blog posts I can’t not write. But we’ll see.

After only four minutes of analysis, I’m pretty frustrated with my lack of focus. I have categories like “grad school”, leadership, blogging. These aren’t the things I blog about. Sure, they’re part of my story, but to be sucessful as a writer, to be seen as an authority, I need to have a lot more to say that what’s represented here. I need to prune these away. I need to make room for what’s really important: exercise research and exercise application. My goal is to bridge the gap between the exercise research lab and the exercising community. I love those other categories, but I have to focus.

Life is a series of adjustments. As I enter the second half of this workshop, I’ve looked deep inside myself and now I’m looking deeper inside my content. I need to adjust. It’s not intimidating at all. We all need to adjust, we all need to stay sharp and focused. This was an essential exercise for me.

10daysbetterblog 04

On day 4 of my blogging workshop, the instructions are simply to reflect. Kind of interesting because as I opened John’s post for the day, I was looking at my Desk app and the three blog posts I logged. They have the same name with different numbers (of course) at the end, so they looked bigger to me. They looked organized, part of a series, a project, a story. I had a feeling of purpose and direction which is a primary motivator for me as I take blogging to the next level. I need this consistency. I need challenge and this confidence.

Then interstingly enough as I sat in my chair for the fourth night in a row to write this blog, I thought about yesterday’s post and the importance of the physical space. I won’t always blog like this, but the idea that “it’s about 8:30pm, work is done and I need to check in with the workshop. I’ve got my glass of water and I’m ready to write…” That was kind of a cool feeling. Great writers show up to write, pretty much on a daily basis. It doens’t mean it will all get published. But the act of writing is a discipline. Boy, is it ever. I haven’t refined my discipline here yet. But that’s why I’m reflecting.

In this short closing reflection, I conclude that no matter what the rest of the workshop topics may be, I will write my tenth post having established a game plan for the year. I will have a direction, storyline, and monthly goals. I have goals for family, fitness, faith. I need to have goals for my writing. Reflection done.

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Hans Schiefelbein

In Pursuit of a Healthy and Disciplined Lifestyle