Fit for Life: Are You a Victim of Circumstances?

Fit for Life: Are You a Victim of Circumstances?

I just started reading a great book about leadership, entitled “Straight-Line Leadership: Tools for Living with Velocity and Power in Turbulent Times” by Dusan Djuukich. One chapter captured my interest, and resonated with me enough that I felt the need to write on the topic.

The chapter is titled….A created world vs. A reported on world.

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It starts by mentioning The Carthaginian general Hannibal, often regarded as the greatest military tactician and strategist in history and how he marched an army that included war elephants from Iberia over the Pyrenees and the Alps into Northern Italy.

His motto was pure and straight, “We will either find a way, or make one.” He created the world he lived in. He did not allow circumstances to create his world.

I have a similar saying that goes, “Either you will find a way, or make up an excuse.”

Many people today let circumstances and opinions control their destiny.

They create excuses based on the majority and let those excuses hold them back from the results they set to achieve.

 

This is the consequence of living in a reported on world, and if you let this control you, you become a victim of circumstances.

You hear it all the time. People let their past dictate their current and future lives, and use outside factors as an excuse when they don’t get the results they envisioned for themselves.

My parents are overweight, therefore, I have bad genes, and I am destined to be fat, is a common example of living in the reported world. Some things like heart disease are hereditary, but being overweight is not. Unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles and not paying attention to your diet and nutrition are usually the factors, not genetics, but it’s easier to point out, blame, and label yourself a victim than it is to get to the gym and show restraint when eating.

 

The economy is bad, that’s why I don’t have any money. News flash… the money in the country doesn’t disappear when times are bad, it just changes hands. There is always opportunity if you look hard enough, and success is reserved for the resourceful and people willing to hustle.

A lot of gyms shut down during the pandemic, but a lot survived. It would have been easy to close down and live in the reported world, but some of us created our own world and economy, got resourceful and made it through.

We needed to make BIG choices, and leverage the opportunities presented, or closing down was inevitable.

Did I like the idea of applying to the government for help? Hell no, but when you are faced with 2 options, you go with the one that will create the desired outcome, and that was to re-open and thrive.

 

I have an addictive personality, therefore, there is no hope for me. Let me give full disclosure. I grew up in the poorest city in RI, have a history of addiction in my family, and was on the wrong path early on in life.

I ended up in prison in my early twenties, so statistically speaking, I should’ve been a repeat offender, stuck in the revolving door we call a justice system.

I could easily use my past as an excuse, however, I use it as fuel to overcome the statistics, not as a means to settle for life in the reported world. We need to look in the mirror and ask what we can do to change our circumstances, as opposed to looking out the window finger pointing, crying victim and playing the blame game.

My parents gave me a good work ethic, so I hardwired that practice to overcome whatever obstacles could hold me back.

 

The key takeaway from this chapter is:

Identify a result, then create behaviors, habits and actions to bring that result to reality.

Create your own economy: Remember, opportunities are there. The money didn’t disappear, it just changed hands. Why not yours? What can you do to capitalize on a bad situation? November and December are bad times for a gym, according to the reported world. I can either subscribe to that theory, or amp up my marketing and pre-enroll people for next year. The choice is obvious.

Create your own level of health and fitness: Don’t let bad genetics dictate your health. Take control and be the first to break the cycle. Intergenerational trauma and patterns can stop with you starting a new precedent.

Create the circle that adds value to your life: You can choose your friends, and network of people you surround yourself with. If you surround yourself with losers, you will likely follow suit. Surround yourself with winners, and you will also follow suit. I travel all over the country to be with people that make me better, so choose a good network and let it work for you.

Control the thoughts that enter your head: You can spin a negative problematic thought into a positive solution just by identifying that there are toxic thoughts running through your head. When I am faced with problems, I try not to let negative thoughts about what “could happen” consume me. Instead, I try to think of a solution and resolve using the best / worst / average case scenarios. Most times, things work out.

 

Create high standards. You get what you tolerate: I constantly tell my team that there is a fine line between great and world-class. We always shoot for world-class whenever possible, because we have created high standards to operate by. We compare ourselves to the best gyms in the world and raise the bar to emulate the best as opposed to settling for mediocrity.

 

Create good help. How many business owners have you heard complain that they can’t “find” good help? Well, I didn’t find good help either. I created a team of rockstar players by investing in their learning and self-development, and set high standards together. If I tolerated laziness, tardiness, and poor performance, that’s what I would get. Yes, you need someone with good work ethic, and a desire to learn and grow, however constant leadership and training is essential for continued growth.

Create your schedule / Prioritize on the most important tasks that will move you forward. If you don’t have the time, it isn’t a priority. If it’s a priority, you will make the time by scheduling it in your calendar. Have you ever missed a doctor’s appointment for no reason? Then why miss a workout, or fail to shop for healthy food. Your health should be your #1 priority, regardless of who you are. You have the time, but you need to make the time. You will never find it, because it won’t magically appear.

 

He who has a why to live, can bear almost any how - Friedrich Nietzsche

You can keep reporting on what’s happening out there in your world.

Or you can create the world you want to live in.

 

The choice is always yours.

 

Coach Matt