Day 3,049

Growth:

When two people are actively working together in a growth mindset the results are very productive. There is no judgement, no frustration, no ego, or any other types of obstacles. Only possibility, open dialogue, open and constructive conflict, and productive dialogue exist. So much positive progress when the growth mindsets are aligned.

Appreciation:

There’s a balance to be found between play and planning. Over the past 6 weeks or so I’ve been working out in the gym quite often and it’s been a wonderful mix of all types of new exercises. I’ve had the opportunity to focus on lifting for strength, for muscle, and for endurance in an extraordinarily wide array of all kinds of exercises focusing on pretty much all major muscle groups. This was exactly the play I needed to help me see weightlifting as fun again. There’s not really a clear goal other than just getting back into the habit and stoking my passion for fitness again. I’ve already seen some awesome results and have been feeling great! 

Now it is time to focus on my long term goals. I want to be in the type of physical condition so I can be a 94 year old dude hiking and backpacking eight plus miles per day in the mountains. To get there I’ve got to get myself in fantastic backpacking shape now complete with a very solid base of skeletal muscle mass to keep me moving. Now is the time to take what I’ve learned from play, set a clear objective for the short term (3 months) and then set the clear path to get there.

Without play I wouldn’t have been motivated to work on the long term plan and would not have had so many more exercises to choose from. Without the plan all the play is great, but I would likely keep gaining muscle mass in places I don’t need for backpacking and hiking and would have a lot more weight to carry – all of which actively hurts progress towards my goal.

Today is all about balance – play and plan – a dichotomy that leads to success.

Presence:

Lots of road time for Becky and I today! Not only our long car ride, but we also had road time on our morning run. Throw in some trail time we had while we took Leia for a walk and it was a day of many moments shared together. I’m grateful for the extreme moments of presence shared together today – especially when we had exactly two seconds of sunlight peek through as we neared the exit for Lewiston. Even when we are doing some not so exciting adulting we can still be present and enjoy time together – and plan future vacations 😉

Thanks!!!