To Be Fit Is To Be Mindful

Theory is much easier than practice.

Unfortunately, though, theory doesn’t lead to change.

The only way to change is through consistent and deliberate practice.

Want to get in shape and feel fit?

It’s pretty easy…in theory.

If you want to get in shape, it’s not difficult.
Spend an hour a day running or at the gym.
Do that for six months or a year.
Done.
That’s not the difficult part.
The difficult part is becoming the kind of person who goes to the gym every day.
-Seth Godin

What Kind Of Person Are You?

Are you a theory person? A thinker? A persistent planner?

It’s easy to fall into this category. As Godin suggests above, we can come up with an idea, noodle over it a bit, and then put together a pretty simple plan. And, usually, it sounds great. We can tell others about it. They’ll likely applaud us for the change we’re about to make: “Good for you!” It's motivating to put ideas to paper and create a fantasy world of where we want to go.

If only getting to that fantasy world was as easy as coming up with a plan. Ah, as the proverb tells us, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

A theory without action leads to disappointment.

A great idea without implementation leads to shame.

A plan without practice leads to feelings of failure.

Disappointment + Shame + Failure = Not an enjoyable place to live. Hell, dare I say?

You: This year, I’m going to get fit. For the next 12 months, I’m going to spend an hour a day either running or going to the gym.

Your friend/parent/sibling/colleague: Wow…good for you.

A month later, your friend/parent/sibling/colleague asks: How’s your fitness plan coming?

You: Oh, yeah, I’m not doing that anymore.

Disappointment. Shame. Failure.

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Or, are you a practice person? A doer? A persistent action taker?

It’s the harder of the two, that’s for sure. But, in some ways, it’s also the easier of the two because we avoid the disappointment. We don’t have to feel the shame. And, while we may fail in an attempted action, we don’t have to see ourselves as a failure. While taking action is hard, it’s so much easier because we avoid that personal hell that results from the disappointment, the shame, and the failure.

But, don’t get me wrong: Being a practice person is hard.

It’s hard because it requires dedication to the daily grind.

It’s hard because it requires consistent engagement in repeated tasks.

It’s hard because it’s not flashy and can get monotonous.

It’s hard because the work that we need to do, to achieve the change that we want, goes against the grain of engaging in a world of busyness and distractions.

And, it’s hard because we will be tired. It’s hard because we will be sore. It’s hard because we will lack motivation. It’s hard because we won’t see drastic changes. No matter where we are within the change process—just starting off on a new training plan or fitness regimen, or chugging through month six of an established program—doing the work on a daily basis is hard because, simply put, change is hard.

But, maybe, the grind, the repetition, and the monotony are exactly what we need to put theory into action.

Want To Become a Practice Person? Be Mindful.

In Seth Godin’s latest book, The Practice, he tells us that, “[t]he hallmark of the unmindful is to react, to lash out, to spend time with no purpose or measure.” I like to think of this as the “weekend warrior”—the person that tries to go all-in on fitness one or two days a week and then finds excuses for why fitness, exercise, and routine can’t happen during the week. They “react” by creating a massive plan for a Saturday and Sunday workout extravaganza. They “lash out” by destroying themselves with way too much exercise consumption in 48 hours. And, they “spend time with no purpose or measure” by doing anything and everything to quickly get in shape.

Rinse and repeat.

Week after week after week.

And, on the other end of this extreme is the theory-driven thinker who is constantly planning the next way to get in shape. They react. They lash out. And they spend time with no purpose or measure. It may look different, but like the weekend warrior, they repeatedly stay in fantasy land.

Change is possible, though.

Being a practice person—a doer—is possible.

We just have to be mindful.

“Mindfulness is healthy, it’s professional, and it allows us to be our best self." But, Godin continues, “[i]t is also maddeningly difficult, particularly in a culture that prizes busyness over just about everything else. But mindful isn’t the opposite of busy.” No, mindful is about having a singular plan. A plan of who you want to be and being dedicated to the routine—the monotonous—on a daily basis.

Godin instructs us that we must deeply know our intention to avoid the distractions, to quit looking for the quick fixes, and to avoid the shiny objects. “Mindfulness demands intention. Mindfulness is the practice of simply doing the work. Without commentary, without chatter, without fear. To simply do our work. The easiest way to achieve this is to be clear about the purpose of the work.”

So, how clear is your fitness plan?

How clear is your purpose?

Know that, and then engage in the process.

Change awaits in the practice.