Ideas Worth Stealing: A black belt parable, subtracting to solve problems and increasing your training IQ.
#49: Successful body resources for OMG results.
Welcome to Unrecognizable: Successful Body Habits for OMG Results. The mission is to help you adopt a handful of Essential and Eternal Habits that will have a profound impact on your body and your life.
To fast-track your success, every Sunday I publish 5 ideas (resources) worth stealing.
If you are here for the first time, consider subscribing and sharing!!
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PS. What makes me different? I AM MY CREDENTIALS. I am the proof that my ideas work. And I have accomplished this at an age -55- when people think such things are not possible.
OK! Let’s go make magic happen my friend!
ONE.
The Black Belt: A Parable.
Adapted from the book, "Built to Last."
A martial artist is kneeling before the master sensei in a ceremony to receive a hard-earned blackbelt. After years of relentless training, the student has finally reached the pinnacle of achievement in the discipline.
“Before granting the belt, you must pass one more test,” says the sensei.
“I am ready,” responds the student, expecting perhaps one final round of sparring.
"You must answer the essential question: What is the true meaning of the black belt?"
“The end of my journey,” says the student. ”A well deserved reward for all my hard work.”
The sensei waits for more. Clearly, he is not satisfied. Finally, the sensei speaks. “You are not yet ready for the black belt. Return in one year.”
A year later, the student kneels again in front of the sensei.
“What is the true meaning of the black belt?” asks the sensei.
“A symbol of distinction and the highest achievement in our art,” says the student.
The sensei says nothing for many minutes, waiting. Clearly, he is not satisfied. Finally, he speaks. “You are not ready for the black belt. Return in one year.”
A year later, the student kneels once again in front of the sensei. And again the sensei asks, “What is the true meaning of the black belt?”
"The black belt represents the beginning -- the start of a never-ending journey of discipline, work, and the pursuit of an ever-higher standard," says the student.
"You are now ready to receive the black belt and begin your work."
TWO.
The end of the beginning.
Successful weight loss is the start, NOT the end of your journey.
DO THIS! Re-read the parable again, but replace "Martial artist" with "Weight loss student" and "Black belt" with "Successful weight loss medallion." The wise realize the two journeys are exactly the same. Many think successful weight loss is the end of the journey. IT IS NOT! Sustaining weight loss and achieving mastery of your body is exponentially more difficult. That's why only about 0.1% of people who lose weight actually keep it off for a lifetime. They think weight loss is the end of the journey when it's actually the beginning!
THREE.
New video on Instagram.
In order to keep my training at 10-minutes a day, I have to find innovative ways to get a greater return on my training investments. I share 4 strategies I use to get the biggest bang for my buck. Click here to see the magic.
FOUR.
Original idea from me.
You can't achieve success violating the natural laws of weight loss.
A few things worth noting here. First, most people don't realize there are laws to weight loss success. I shared 5 in last week's newsletter. Second, if you don't know what they are then it's highly probable that a lot of what you are doing is wasted. A great analogy would be that of building an airplane. You could spend millions putting together an architectural masterpiece that took you years to assemble, but if you don't understand Bernoulli's principle then everything you've done was wasted. “Dat plane won’t fly bro.” The bottom line is you have to have an understanding of the principles at play to dramatically skew the odds of success in your favour.
FIVE.
Book I just ordered.
Subtract: The untapped science of less by Leidy Klotz.
Here's a fun behavioural fact. When solving problems, we default to solutions that require us to add something. We seldom, if ever, explore solutions that require us to subtract something. For example, if you want more money, most explore investments in additional income streams. Few start with a subtractive approach of eliminating unnecessary expenses to create greater cash flow. The same thinking exists with weight loss. We default to additive solutions (ie. join a gym) rather than seeking to reduce the number of mistakes we make on a daily basis. The idea of leveraging the power of subtraction to "Be less stupid" on my journey is a very attractive prospect I'm eager to explore.
Newsletter #49 is in the books! Yee haw!
To becoming unrecognizable,
Dean
PS. Want to see the 10 apps I use to manage my body successful?