2020: The Year of Relentless Victories

1 year ago today. Single leg dead w/ 325lbs x 5 (video here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNSDFvsH4-D/). Nowhere to go and no distractions, every week was a nonstop outperformance of the prior. Also hitting lifelong PRs on lifts and Weightloss, my remote clients were running up wins like James Bond at the casino. It was a glorious feel-good time with momentum propelling our business into expansion, adding three more, promoting colleagues in their own startups, and taking our cross-country family RV trip. One of the best years of my life, possibly THE best. I got to school my kids 2 days/week (still going, lol). I spent about 167 dollars on gas for the year.

I realize that for many the circumstances were crushing. I’ve been there. 2008, the credit markets imploded as we launched a business. 2016, my co-venturers backed out while expenses ramped up. When we went through crippling uncertainty, though, there was no stimulus, no unemployment, no help... not even compassion from people whose careers I launched. There was no tax break, no delay in IRS filing, no PPP loans, no economic disaster relief, no grants. Not even a “sorry, man - losing your dream and not knowing if you’ll be able to take care of your family sucks.” Nothing. At. All.

I know what challenge is.

Most curious is how zero commutes and more free time than ever led to dramatic worsening of health in Americans. No judgments. I’m simply pointing out, AGAIN, that the calories-in/calories-out myth was annihilated. Most Americans gained an average of 29lbs, with 10% gaining over 50lbs during the vastest free time period in all of global history.

Zero commutes, more free time, and insecurity (tightening of food purchase) led to a dramatic weight gain. Ok. Where are all the calorie priests? Use only calories to explain this. Only calories to explain how MORE TIME and LESS FOOD equals weight gain.

It’s not about calories. It’s about stress and mindset. For the person confronting uncertainty, calories explain NOTHING. Stress and mindset explain everything. Hell, there was nothing to do but study and exercise. How did people not get smarter and fitter than all of prior human history?

Let us put away the mythologies. Let us let go of the calorie fairytales. Let us acknowledge the centerpiece of stress and mindset. In so doing, may everyone enjoy a year of unrelenting victories.