POSITIVE AFFIRMATION
"Today I’ll believe I’m capable of being powerful."
“We do not train power enough, one of the things we lose, as we age, as we chill, as we convince ourselves we aren’t athletes anymore.” - David Carson
I love that quote for so many reasons.
He’s right. As we get older, there’s a tendency to not train as hard, especially with strength. According to New Scientist, it’s a myth that as we get older that we can’t still build muscle mass. In fact, it’s even more critical to have muscle going into old age as it only gets harder to retain late in life.
He’s also right in that we convince ourselves that we aren’t athletes anymore. Like, when was the last time we ran so fast that it felt like we were losing control? But an injury here and there, and now we think we can’t do that anymore or else we’d hurt ourselves.
When did we lose our power?
The other day I was having lunch with a friend, and she told me that their boss was a micro-manager and was stifling decision velocity because the boss wanted to make all the decisions. She was being hampered and losing motivation. I suggested, what happens if you just go around the boss? In other words, don’t ask for permission and see what happens.
That’s because power is an illusion.
A study by Gallup found that managers have greater influence over employee well-being and burnout than working hours. With 76% of employees burning out at some point, this means that as a leader, it’s essential to use your power wisely. Otherwise, you will drive employee disengagement and make your team less productive and more likely to quit.
- Erin Eatough, PhD, BetterUp
Quick recap. As we get older, we convince ourselves that we’re not athletes and we don’t train power enough. As we climb the career ladder, we don’t take as many risks since we have more to lose.
Let’s look to someone who seems to have yielded tremendous amounts of both, physical power and leadership power, getting better with age - Arnold Schwarzenegger.
On motivation: "I find my energy by doing things I love and that brings me closer to my vision.”
On strength training: “You don’t need a gym to be fit. I’ve written a program for all of you. You can do it every other day and it will cover all of your muscle groups.”
On personal power: “Schwarzenegger’s most publicized accomplishments as governor have involved the environment. Schwarzenegger’s leadership in addressing climate change is particularly noteworthy and forms the centerpiece of his environmental legacy.”
On routines: “I get out of bed, have my coffee, and read the newspaper, then I immediately go on a bike ride to Gold’s Gym, have my workout, and then ride my bike to get some breakfast. At that point, my mind is clear, the hard part is over, and I can focus on work for the rest of the day.”
Physical power and leadership power deserve the same attention - train hard and believe in yourself.
YOUR TAKEAWAY
I’ve covered previously why having a good workout routine promotes better work-life qualities. Now I’m doubling down on the interconnectedness of the two. (That word has 18 letters!)
For max effectiveness at work & home, build a physically strong body.
For max exercising and strength building, build a mindset that breaks barriers.
We started with a quote from David Carson, so let’s end with one.
“Remember, you are the President of everything you.” - David Carson
PREP FOR THE WEEK
➕ Nike Training Club App. Seriously, just download it and do some of their FREE classes. They’re really solid with great instructors. The class that inspired this is the 10-Min HIT: Power-Training Blast.
➕ As if I was sponsored by Nike (I wish!), I was sporting some yoga shorts, a Dri-FIT running shirt, and some stylish Metcon cross-training shoes.
➕ Only thing missing from my setup is a fitness watch. I got my eye on an Apple Watch Ultra, which can estimate your max VO2, apparently one of the best ways to measure your fitness and predictor of longevity.
(shows that will make you want to workout)
➩ Rocky Balboa training scenes
➩ Million Dollar Baby movie
➩ That one scene from Fight Club of Brad Pitt