elev8 wellness
  • Elev8 Wellness
    • About
    • Meet the team
    • Classes >
      • Women's Wellness Series
      • Elev8 Yoga
      • Elev8 Dance
      • Elev8 Kids Programs >
        • Elev8kids Summer Camp
        • Toddler Classes
    • Our Studios >
      • Rent Our Studio
    • Elev8 Recipes
  • WellBlog
  • Services
  • Virtual Coaching
  • Contact
    • Take a Tour

wellblog

Become An Inventor, of Your Life

8/28/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. - Alan Kay

This works both ways, both from empowerment and disempowerment.

At one location where I worked, there was a guy who, before he even finished new hire orientation, said he was going to set every performance record at that facility. Everyone looked at him like “who does this jerk think he is?” Then he did it, both personally and his recruits/hires created programs which hadn’t even existed there before. The same guy used to say, “I WILL be 260lbs by end of winter,” and then he’d blow up in size and strength precisely as predicted. On the other side of it, he’d say, “I will be 5% bodyfat by end of summer;” and then he would be.

People say, “this work environment is going to destroy me.” Then they’re defeated and exhausted. They say, “with upcoming stress, I won’t be able to __________ .” Then they aren’t. They say, “this system won’t let someone like me get ahead in the world.” And then they don’t.

No magic. Some call it self-fulfilling prophecy. Some call it manifestation. Norman Vincent Peale called it “The Power of Positive Thinking.” Napoleon Hill called it “Think And Grow Rich.” Paulo Coelho called it “The Alchemist.” Rhonda Byrne called it “The Secret.” A scientist like Alan Kay calls it invention, innovation, engineering, creation.

Sure. Life goes sideways. The unexpected perturbs your plans, your desires, your commitment. This is not a new human experience, by the way. Every person you’ve ever looked at in awe or whose achievement you revered had a road with many pot holes. Maybe they didn’t even have a road, when you do. Maybe they didn’t have a scholarship, when you did. Maybe they didn’t have a single helping hand, while you’ve had many.

I used to roll my eyes too. I still do, when someone talks “can do” versus “can’t do” attitudes. But through coaching thousands of hours I’ve found another sneakier “can’t do” attitude. It’s called “try.” Try? You’re going to “try” to make it to your kid’s school performance? You’re going to “try” to make it to work on time? You’re going to “try” to stress less? You’re going to “try” to eat like a grown adult?

I get it. We’ve promised before, only to find something in our way: traffic, road construction, sleep deprivation, overwhelm. We don’t want to break a promise again. So we “try” instead. But the loss of agency is palpable.

I enjoyed Precision Nutrition’s contribution to the coaching community. They put an emphasis on lowering the bar of sequential goals, such that “try” can become a thing of the past. The clients stop saying “I’ll try.” They change the language to “I’m confident I will.” Instead of trying to do anything, it’s a matter of committing to execution. We just lower the ask, so the imposition doesn’t feel too great.

It’s a solid tactic, but insufficient I’ve found. Additionally, there has to be an infectious change in the person’s worldview, a painfully high self-awareness about their self-sabotaging triggers. Then we drive in the opposite direction. This IS life invention.

Put it however you like: you’re the driver, the captain, the pilot. When you drive a car, do you “try” to avoid driving directly into a brick wall? No. You just don’t. Another driver might make it happen, but that’s incredibly unlikely and infrequent. If you’re a captain, do you “try” to avoid sailing through the harbor and running the ship aground? No. You just don’t. A technical malfunction might make it occur, but rarely. When you pilot a plane, do you “try” to not nosedive into a mountain? No. You just don’t. Conditions do make this possible, but seldom.

Even in the very rare circumstances which thwart an otherwise-uneventful drive, cruise, flight, there were MANY events leading up to the crisis. And at each checkpoint, we have the opportunity to lower risk and raise chances of success.
​
Likewise with any endeavor in life, there are inescapable tragedies and some unavoidable disadvantages. That’s doesn’t stop invention. The greater the challenge, the greater the inventor.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Elev8 Wellness
    ​wellblog

    We strive to provide the latest articles and commentary on health, fitness, nutrition and vitality strategy.

    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013

    Categories

    All
    Active Memory
    Age
    Business
    Cancer
    Coaching
    Dementia
    Diet
    Dna
    Elev8 Wellness
    Family
    Fat
    Fish Oil
    Genetics
    Gut Health
    Health
    Jonathan Watters
    Ketosis
    Leadership
    Life
    Memory
    Muscle
    Nutrition
    Optimisim
    Parkinsons
    Pessimism
    Probiotics
    Sales
    Spatial Intelligence
    Strength Training
    Weight Loss
    Weight-loss
    Wellness

    RSS Feed

Picture

LIVE. AWESOME.

We offer the highest quality in personal  fitness, nutrition, and mindset coaching, helping you achieve your fitness, health, wellness and performance goals no matter the obstacle. With virtual online training and private, in-studio training we make it easier to reach your wellness goals safely.

​No more can't. No more not good enough. If you compete in a sport, let your mind no longer hold you back from being the greatest. If you don't, let your mind no longer hold you back from being the best version of you that you can be.

Sign-up for a Tour
Covid Screen Waiver
​Elev8 Waiver
Become an Elev8 Instructor
Space Rental
LOGIN / MEMBER REGISTER

6244 lyndale ave. s., minneapolis, mn 55423
CONTACTUS@ELEV8WELLNESS.COM
612-440-4584

© 2021 Elev8 Wellness LLC.  All Rights Reserved.                                              site map  |  contribute  |                                                           SITE BY  Sproute Creative
Photos used under Creative Commons from benzado, frankieleon, hatcher10027, Sterling College, OakleyOriginals, rawpixel.com, quinn.anya, allispossible.org.uk, wuestenigel, jeffdjevdet, Brian Legate
  • Elev8 Wellness
    • About
    • Meet the team
    • Classes >
      • Women's Wellness Series
      • Elev8 Yoga
      • Elev8 Dance
      • Elev8 Kids Programs >
        • Elev8kids Summer Camp
        • Toddler Classes
    • Our Studios >
      • Rent Our Studio
    • Elev8 Recipes
  • WellBlog
  • Services
  • Virtual Coaching
  • Contact
    • Take a Tour