Try Harder.
A coach I work with is starting to train for a competition in the summer.
Earlier this week he told me he needed to drop 10lbs by the summer to get into competition shape. I asked him what his plan was for dropping the weight. He looked at me and said:
“I just need to try harder”.
“Like with your nutrition?”
“Nope. When I train, I just need to try harder. Run faster, lift more. Just try harder”.
“Ok”
His response was so focused, clear and unarguable.
Leonardo DaVinci said “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”
When you consider the amount of information and content we have access to, it can feel like huge effort to strip things down. It takes effort to decide, commit and block out distractions. Here are some focused, clear, unarguable responses to things that can feel daunting.
- Want to feel better and have more energy? Prioritize sleep.
- Want to be a better manager? Provide timely and consistent feedback to your team.
- Want to achieve more at the gym? Try harder when you’re there.
- Want to feel closer to your spouse and kids? Put your phone away.
- Scared of things that could happen? Focus on the things you can control – like sleep, trying hard at the gym, putting your phone away and giving feedback to your team.
Have I made you mad yet? What is it about these types of responses that can feel so… unsatisfying? Annoying? The new and the novel trigger dopamine (remember?). The buckle down and eat your vegetables method requires us to work harder and get dopamine from effort… And, yet when we put in the effort and eat the vegetables, it feels better over the long term (and eventually in the short term too). And then, lo and behold, we get the almighty “GAINZ”.
Is there something going on for you right now where you know the answer, yet keep looking for a different, glitzier, complicated, shinier answer? What would happen if you just buckled down and did it? What if you just “tried harder”? And don’t get mad at me… please 🙂
Remember Atomic Habits – “don’t put up a zero”… 3 minutes of deep breathing or noticing the ground beneath your feet in your driveway at the end of the day can reduce your stress level, calm your nervous system and change your mood. This one is worth a try… It works, really it does. The Headspace app gets you going fast. Reach out to me and I can send you a promotional code.
Do you notice if you add a walk outside the day tends to be better? Or talking to a particular colleague or friend leaves you feeling energized? Try harder to do more of that. Time outside and with friends and loved ones has been shown to increase levels of the happy hormones oxytocin and serotonin. Add in a strenuous workout with a friend to round things out and generate dopamine and endorphins. The perfect happy hormone cocktail.
I went on a podcast fast and now am back! Mindpump is a little different than so many I listen to. Three trainers riffing about life and fitness. They cut through a lot of the noise. The show notes are timestamped so you can skip ahead to the topic you’re interested in. Have fun!
Our next session on May 10th will be virtual. We will continue to go deep on giving and receiving feedback. I’ll see you all back in Brentwood and as always, reach out and let me know how you’re doing. sboyd@noverra.com or shoot me a text at 604 831 1158