I remember racing up the escalator down in Macy's at the Cape Cod Mall.
My mother, calmly riding the Up escalator like a normal person, would say I was going to hurt myself (possible) or I was making a scene (correct) or stop it the people who were trying to raise them (right too).
Sometimes I would manage to get to the top, tired and out of breath, while my mother would arrive at the same time laughing at how hard I had to work.
Spend enough time in an airport (or traveling with young children), and within minutes you'll see kids trying to run on a People Mover moving in the opposite direction. Listen to them, entertain us.
See where I'm going with this?
My friend Mark Manson posted the following Yeshis newsletterYes this week:
“All the grit, persistence and motivation in the world won't do you any good if you're working on the wrong thing. In fact, he will do otherwise.”
Which brings me to today's question…
Where are you running UP the escalator DOWN?
Earlier this year, I remember having a conversation with Coach Matt from Team NF about it Yestraining clientsYes who succeeds and who struggles.
- Those who are successful: they identify the escalator moving in the right direction, and work hard to get on that one. Each step really increases their efforts.
- Those who struggle: they continue to waste their energy, will, and effort on changes that don't move the needle.
I bet you've had moments where you've wondered if all the effort was really worth it, or why progress seemed harder than usual.
Here are a few examples of trying to run up the escalator down:
- Spending a lot of money on expensive supplements (No prescribed by a medical professional).
- Switching to organic, gluten-free, or low-carb keto-based snacks only on the latest version.
- Trying a complex diet is not really reduce what you eat.
- Doing exercise you hate only for weight loss purposes.
Running (and anything else is considered cardio). great for heart and lung health. But running and cardio Yesmuch more effective for weight lossYes what we think (unless we change our nutrition strategy too).
My guess is that you want to look more “toned,” which means you don't just want to “lose weight,” but rather keep the muscle you have and the fat lost on top of it.
If those are our goals, it's important to focus on the right escalator.
Here are some examples of walking up the escalator:
Show me someone who eats mostly protein, fruits and vegetables, and strength trains (with progressive overload) for 30 minutes several times a week, and I'll show you someone who is moving UP the right escalator .
Here's the thing: Yespeople are not wired to like exerciseYes. We are also not designed to thrive in a world where delicious calorie-dense, nutrient-void food is always available.
That means if we are going to waste valuable brain power and energy on it something, we can also choose the right things to deceive ourselves.
Yes, there is also a “life vs behavior” change part to this (which I covered in a previous newsletter YesPerceptible vs. MeaningfulYes). But deciding “how quickly do I want to implement these meaningful steps” is a better question to ask than “Why am I not making progress despite working so hard?”
Get off the wrong escalator, and get on the right one.
Might as well put that effort to good use!
-Steve
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