Action This Day

Make things happen.

I like things to happen, and if they don't happen I like to make them happen.

- Winston Churchill

Reflecting

Where have you wasted the most time?  For me it has probably been politics – squabbling with people least likely to agree on topics where my influence can be rounded down to zero.  I struggle to remember why I ever cared so much.  I still have views and would share them with anyone who cares.

However, I would trade all the time I spent advocating for them for a dollar or a pound on my back squat or a minute on my ultra marathon personal record.  It feels complete and responsible to share your thoughts on the topic of the day, but it is pointless.  People are too different.  Arguing with a big gap in goals isn’t productive or fun. 

You are far better off cutting off the bottom 70-80% of topics and people completely.  Just extract yourself entirely and reallocate to the best ones.  Life is hard.  It will still be hard but will be somewhat less hard in a small, aligned tribe.  Ignore strangers and their opinions.  Refocus on building a stronger marriage, family, business, portfolio, and body. 

Give to strangers your good example.  Deny them your time.  Generosity should be limited to your outputs only – give away your money and your ideas if you want.  Be selfish with your inputs.  It is a bad idea to spread your time, energy, and focus amongst strangers.  It is a worse one to share them with assholes. 

The most important thing to know is what actually matters and what doesn’t.  In World War II, Alan Turing and his team sent the PM a note on the priority of their codebreaking effort at Bletchley Park.  In supporting them, Churchill demanded “action this day” and affixed stickers with the phrase to his instructions to cut through bureaucracy. 

If you ever find yourself arguing with assholes on something you can’t control, don’t struggle to make a better point.  Extract yourself utterly from said topic and said asshole.  Ask yourself what matters most that you can do something about now.  Free your time, energy, and focus for your top priority.  Take action this day.

Training

This morning’s white board –

AMRAP 15

Buy In: 50 Cal Ski

1-2-3-4-5….

• Snatch 135 lbs.

• Strict Pull-up

Next run:

Fueling

Heartstone Farm is my favorite meat source in Maine.  They sell excellent organ meat as well as traditional cuts of grass fed beef, chicken, and pork.  I most recently bought their filet mignons which are particularly good.  Use this link for $25 off your first order. 

Supplementing

Getting enough highly bioavailable protein from meat solves many of your supplementing needs. I take some creatine to top it off, but am probably getting an adequate amount in my diet.

Measuring

I do a lot of bloodwork, so love the comfort and convenience of Tasso – painless, quick, and easily done at home.  One today; will share stats when I get them.   

Recovering

Two recovery hits and two misses –

Hits:

• Graston scraping at CrossFit Norwalk was a serious help to my recovery effort following a fun but brutal week of jiu jitsu camp.  She’s able to loosen up all of the connective tissue in a way that relieves my knees and elbows. 

• The twice a week sauna in a sweatsuit helps, too.  My positive experience aligns with the evidence.

Misses:

• Acupuncture: meh.  It didn’t hurt and wasn’t uncomfortable but didn’t seem to serve my current health/fitness goals in any discernable way.  Not going to be a part of my strategy.

• Cupping: meh again.  Also not a bad experience.  But I pay with my time and money and didn’t see the value. 

Also, jiu jitsu players have a lot of good recovery tricks.  One I learned this past week: instead of emptying five big bags of ice into my tub for a ten minute cold plunge, just put the sealed ice bags themselves into the tub for the plunge.  After, simply refreeze the bags.

Closing

It is great to be back in boxing.  I love jiu jitsu but find it mentally taxing.  Boxing is less so.  If you have a fight in a year, just concentrate on BJJ.  If you have a fight in a week, just focus on striking.