Category: time management

career goals, exercise, habits, health, High performance, nutrition, Performance goals, sleep, stress, time management

How you can reach your goals

Most people don’t know how to reach their goals or realise their true potential.

They think if they do this, a bit of that, then some more of this that magically whatever they want will fall in their lap.

That’s not how it works!

You see, there’s only one thing that must change (if you want to achieve a predetermined goal that you’ve set for yourself).

Your habits!

Take fitness as an example:

The vast majority of guys who want to get in shape will go the gym.

They go for a while and assume that one day they’ll wake up looking like Arnold in his prime. Or Brad Pitt in Fight Club (whichever floats their boat).

They put no conscious thought into changing their habits.

They won’t adjust their eating habits. And they’ll remain ignorant about their stress levels.

And a short while of after not seeing their desired results they’ll quit.

What I work on with my clients is getting them to focus on their HABITS, not their goals.

Their habits are will get them them to their goal.

I cannot stress enough the importance of your habits and routine.

Do they match your goals?

If someone looked at what you do each day would they be able to accurately guess what you’re trying to achieve?

Andrew

The Fitness Gentleman

P.S. If you feel as though you are ready to move the mental roadblocks stopping you from strengthening your body and your mindset so you can reach your goals. I invite you to a Free Discovery Call here where we can have a chat about your goals and how you can go about achieving them.

confidence, discipline, exercise, health, High performance, Performance goals, time management

You vs The Monkey

Most guys know what to do but aren’t doing it.

This is why your health and fitness isn’t an information problem, it’s an implementation problem.

This means it’s less about the method and more about the mindset.

What you need to realize is, that making a transformation, one that will have you looking and feeling at your best. Is achieved through discipline.

I’m not talking about being perfect 24/7.

I’m saying that the majority of the decisions you make need to be in line with your goal. And the ones that aren’t don’t undo the work you’ve done.

It comes down to an internal battle between you and your monkey brain.

You see the monkey brain wants you to relax and take the easy option.

The monkey brain has a penchant for fornication, debauchery and immediate pleasure.

Do things that will provide it with stimulus and excitement (although they won’t be challenging or uncomfortable). This is why it’s so easy to plicate.

But after a while, of giving in to these cravings they leave you feeling a little hollow and disappointed.

Because once again you’ve been persuaded by the monkey. Who has led you astray.

Yeah, it was fun and you had a good laugh but that monkey has led you so far off course you’re now a bit lost.

You’re stumbling around trying to get back to the correct path. Cursing yourself for giving in to the petulant primate. Who keeps distracting you from not doing what you said you were going to do.

Frustrated you didn’t have the discipline to ignore that wretched beast and his easy enticements.

The thing is when you start out with addressing this the monkey brain, it isn’t a cute little Capuchin. No no no it’s an adult silverback gorilla.

It’s so powerful. You feel almost helpless when it comes to stopping it from doing what it wants.

But when you have a plan and some accountability that sees you build your discipline.

That is when you’ll start to see that monkey shrink. And so to its power over you. All the way until you have only a cute little Pygmy Marmoset to deal with.

It is at this point that you’ll be at your best. You’ll be doing what you should be doing. Not what the monkey wants you to.

Which is how you get you to that place where you have the energy and confidence that you’re after. And built the discipline that will permeate all areas of your life.

Plus the added satisfaction that comes from knowing that you’ve bettered that pesky monkey!

Want to find out more about improving your vitality, confidence and performance?

Click here

career goals, exercise, health, time management

Information overload

When it comes to being at your mental and physical best you don’t need more information.

What you need is implementation!

There is an abundance of information out there but when you have no clue about how you integrate this information into your lifestyle, it then becomes moot.

You might as well have not read the information because…

knowing but not doing is the same as not knowing!

With working from home or hybrid working seemingly becoming the status quo a lot of people’s routines have been disrupted. 

With home and work having no clear delineation managing your time has never been so important!

It’s imperative you organise your day, implementing the actions essential to get you back to your best.

Simple practices you can factor in to ensure you are firing on all cylinders.

For example how about more activity in your day, now that commuting has gone/lessened.

You can do this by introducing something, I call a fauxmute.

You leave your house at the normal that you would have when you were working in the city. You walk for less or up the same time as your commute was. But instead of going to the office, you loop back home.

Only it isn’t home – you are arriving at your place of work.

You arrive prepared physically and mentally. You crack on at your desk in your designated place for work.

Then you do the same fauxmute when you finish your work. Leaving your place of work and returning home.

This will improve your ability to switch off when you arrive ‘home’.

Which leads me to my next implementation tactic.

Compartmentalization.

Ensuring the rooms in your home are designated for designated tasks. 

Bedroom – sleep/sex
Office – work
Kitchen – cooking
etc.

This optimises something is called your orientating perception. (Your brain’s recognition of an environment).

Once you start merging tasks with other rooms you will only add to your stress. You’ll have low concentration and poor output.

When you put in place these simple tactics you’ll be taking steps to liberate yourself from a slump, inject energy into tired days, and even give you the get-up-and-go to power up the career ladder. 

confidence, Dieting, exercise, health, sleep, time management

Immediate gratification

I know the process of exercise doesn’t feel good, in fact, it’s quite the opposite at the time. Being hot, sweaty, uncomfortable it’s quite an ordeal.

The same goes for food choices, it’s effort to cook a meal that will be better for you than a takeaway.

And getting to bed at a reasonable time rather than staying up for some more down time is tough.

Putting time aside to journal or meditate is also a challenge. Because at the back of your mind you know you’ve got a lot on your plate and you could be tackling some of that.

Doing these things gives us a short lived sense of achievement. From knowing that we’ve done something good for our health, but it’s negligible.

Everything else in our lives we get immediate gratification from. A take away meal or fast food gives us a big wave of dopamine. A cigarette gives us a nicotine hit, an alcoholic beverage gives us a buzz. Ordering something online arrives next day (sometimes the same day, thanks Mr Bezos)

It’s hard because we live in a world that caters for immediate gratification. Yet, these acute immediate gratifications are short lived. And some even come with remorse!

They’re very easy to fall into the habit of doing. When you’re busy with work and kids you might not be prepared to eat that well. Also, eating the stuff that’s not so great for you feels good when you’re stressed (thanks alot dopamine).

It’s easy not to go to the gym because ‘you haven’t got time’ or ‘you’re not feeling up for it’

It’s easy to watch another episode and stay up late because your day hasn’t included any time for you. It’s been all work, work, work.

With exercise, sleep, your diet, stress management there isn’t an clear or immediate feel-good association. Only the pat on the back you give yourself.

This immediate gratification is what you are fighting against in order to make a change.

Not giving into the things that feel good now but doing the things that will pay off later. Delayed gratification. The gratification that comes from achieving confidence from looking and feeling good. That feeling of being stronger, healthier, energised takes a bit of time.

But, imagine waking up every day feeling good, happy with what you see in the mirror. Thinking ‘you know what I’m going to change my social media profile pic to not just a headshot’.

‘I’m going to get those jeans from that store’.

This gratification will not be short lived! This will be with you for the foreseeable future, long-term happiness.

Dieting, exercise, health, nutrition, stress, time management, weight loss

The blame game

The big mindset switch for me, the thing that has helped me the most, was from when I was studying psychology.


It was something that resonated with me and has been so important in my perspective of life. Thinking about it today it’s almost like a secret that I’m so glad came to hear about.


This secret, this Bastian of power is taking responsibility. No longer believing that other things were to blame. It was down to me. Thinking this was flipped the narrative and meant I took charge of my life.


I believe that no matter what happens to me I created it on some level. I am responsible for it. It it’s not there because of my physical actions it’s there because of my mental action. Thoughts of things which I’ve attracted.


And here is why you might want to adopt this belief system, because the alternative is scary! Let me explain. If you’re not in control of your life, you’re not responsible. If you blame others or circumstances, you’ve got a big problem! Because you have no power to change it. You are impotent.


But with the belief system I’m proposing to you. the belief that you are not a victim of circumstance. If you believe that whatever has happened is down to you generating it on some level. Then if you don’t like it you can change it!


Do you see where I’m going with this? My point being that I’m not trying to make you feel culpable. But I’m empower you, so if you don’t like how things are going you know you can change them.


In victim mode the following things or circumstances are responsible for your health:


Carbs

Thyroid/slow metabolism

Big bones

Lack of time

Body type


When you take control /responsibility what you’ll see is that your poor health and fitness is down to:


Lack of self control

Unaware of energy balance

Overestimating your calorie expenditure

Rewarding yourself with food

Poor food choices

Poor stress coping mechanisms


Now I know it’s easy to play the blame game. I’ve been there. The universe, him, her, this, that and everything else but myself, was to blame for why I wasn’t where I wanted to be.


But once you take responsibility for everything, good or bad. You can take credit for the wins. But you must also take responsibility when it doesn’t go your way. Knowing that you can change it!


You are 100% in control of your health and fitness!

sleep, stress, time management

Sleep revenge!

You don’t need me to convince you of the benefits of sleep and I’m sure you’ve heard about them:

  • Boosting your immune system.
  • Help prevent weight gain.
  • Sleep can strengthen your heart.
  • Better sleep = better mood.
  • Sleeping can increase productivity.
  • Sleep can increase exercise performance.
  • Sleep improves memory.

But getting the hours of sleep required to see us recover and be at our best can be a challenge. This is because we have various demands that battle for our finite time attention and energy.


And it’s usually a case that choosing one of these commitments will see us miss out on another. And we humans don’t like thought of missing out, so we make decisions to avoid missing out.


For example did you know there is such a thing as revenge bedtime procrastination?! It is the decision to sacrifice sleep for leisure time that is driven by a daily schedule lacking in free time.


When your high-stress job takes up the bulk of your day. Revenge bedtime procrastination is a way to find a few hours of entertainment. It’s very easily done. After all this time is where you have currently assigned time for yourself to wind down. Or it could be time with you spend with your other half.

Even though it results in insufficient sleep, staying up late to do what you want gives you a sense of control that you don’t feel you have during your work or family life. Even if the “revenge” is mostly on oneself.


Although revenge bedtime procrastination can be tempting. late nights followed by early mornings can directly lead to serious sleep deprivation.
Sleep procrastination can take different forms. One involves delaying the act of getting into bed (bedtime procrastination). Another is delaying the time of trying to fall asleep once in bed (while-in-bed procrastination). A person may engage in one or both forms of sleep procrastination, each of which can reduce nightly sleep.

Also with engaging in this bedtime procrastination and knowing/generally wanting to receive enough sleep, but failing to do so creates cognitive dissonance (mental conflict).


There is also the concept of searching for perfect sleep conditions that can cause sleep problems. Take for example if something doesn’t confirm with your idea of the perfect sleep environment. You could then lay there disgruntled and tell yourself.


‘I’m not going to get to sleep now without x’


This is where a night time routine can be helpful. A night-time routine can reduce the impulse to stay up later instead of going to bed.

  • Keeping a consistent bedtime (setting an alarm to start this night time routine) and wake-up time (sleep cycle app), including non-working days.
  • Avoiding alcohol or caffeine late in the afternoon or evening.
  • Stop the use of electronic devices for at least half-an-hour, and longer, before bed.
  • Developing a stable routine to use every night to prepare for bed.

Reading, showering/bathing, meditating, or stretching, can be part of your bedtime routine. Relaxation techniques may also decrease the stress that can drive revenge bedtime procrastination.


Also creating an inviting bedroom environment. One that is dark and quiet, has a comfortable mattress and bedding can also make going to sleep more appealing. And reduce the desire to sacrifice sleep for leisure activities.


Hope this helps.


p.s. Don’t let the bed bugs bite!

confidence, exercise, health, nutrition, stress, time management, weight loss

Small commitments, big results

When addressing health and fitness the common misconception is that it you have to make some dramatic overhaul to your life.


That countless hours will have to spent at the gym on exercises you detest.


Your diet will have to be drastically adjusted and a large chunk of time will be spent with meal prepping.


Sleep, stress and recovery plans will impact your week placing even more time constraints on you.


When the reality is you only need to adjust what you are already doing. No more time required just optmising what you are already doing.


The time you spend exercising will not change only the exercises and how you organise that training. To ensure that you are building muscle and boosting testosterone levels.


The time you assign to your diet will not change only the choices you make with your meal selections. To ensure that you are energised and managing your weight.


Sleep and recovery can be improved so that your performance is better. Because improving your performance is not about how hard you can go at it. It’s about how well you can recover.


Knowing this is important because time is precious and what with juggling other demands. Working long hours. Caring for family. Trying to manage a business. And so on. The last thing you want to feel like is that you have to give more time to something.


With The Limitless Lifestyle Blueprint you have a Health Professional take care of everything for you. All the heavy lifting is done. No more guess work. No more time wasted doing redundant diets. Irrelevant exercise routines, or erroneous sleep and stress regimes. You have a plan to follow and support and accountability along the way.


The only extra time you need to set aside are for our weekly check ins. Where we go over what progress you’ve been making with performance and what, needs adjusting as your body changes and if your lifestyle changes.


Not more time, time better spent.

exercise, health, nutrition, stress, time management, weight loss

How to stay motivated

The most common questions I get asked are revolve around motivation;


‘how do you keep it going’,


‘how do you stay motivated’,


‘how do you get to the gym X amount of times a week’,


‘how are you so consistent with your sleep?’,


‘how do you maintain you physique?’.


The answer is…


…I have a plan! In my diary, everything is in there. My workouts, my meal times and my sleep.


Before I did this everything was so hap hazard and off the cuff. I was finding time instead of making time for the things essential to health and fitness.

That’s where the consistency comes from, having a routine! This structure and organisation omits the reliance on motivation. It’s overridden! My sleep regime, my exercise sessions etc. become a matter of course.


This plan for my lifestyle is one I can stick to and that I enjoy. because I have factored in the salient things and I do them day in day out, excellent health is the outcome.


By making time for the important things it makes motivation redundant. I do them regardless. Sometimes my motivation is high to do these things and sometimes it is low.


Because motivation is fickle, but routine and habit is consistent! And being consistent with your regime is how you achieve optimal health.


Another thing to consider is to make sure that your regime is realistic and enjoyable. Because if it is not, it is going to be difficult to stick to. And then you start bringing motivation into the equation. Motivation is what you don’t want to be reliant on/use.


Don’t get me wrong the times I’m motivated I embrace it and take full advantage of it. I’ll push myself a little harder, be more accurate with tasks and my productivity will be higher! But it’s not the foundation or the deciding factor in my actions.


The most important questions I ask my clients are ‘how often can you assign to this?’ ‘How many times a week can you exercise?’ ‘What’s a realistic bedtime for you?’ ‘What foods do you enjoy eating’ and ‘how many meal times do you prefer in a day?’
Because the best plan for your health and fitness is one that you can stick to! (And obviously one that gets you results).


Yes there are exercises that are going to be optimal for improving body composition. And to ensure that they are getting what their body requires for optimal function. And a few adjustments may have to be made. But you have got to be able to stick to it and enjoy it. And there in lies the secret sauce, adherence! It is the same with diet, if I tell you it’s chicken and broccoli for the rest of your days, you’re going to say ‘Andrew, kindly f*%k off!’.


This is why food plans are stupid. You’ve cultivated your diet over years and you eat at convenient times. To completely overhaul your diet is ludicrous! You won’t last very long before you throw in the towel and you are back with the diet you had before. But a nutrition plan well, that’s your diet tweaked to ensure you are getting the macronutrients inside of the meals you like.


I have had friends tell me that they had done a certain personal trainer’s, (let’s call him Joe) diet plan. And they lasted only a couple of weeks. Because ‘prepping like a boss’ (making meals for the week and putting them in Tupperware). And ‘eating clean’ is miles away from their normal diet. No wonder only 10% of the people that buy his plan complete it!


So when you’re thinking about sleep, stress management tactics, exercise and diet. Think about what you enjoy doing and you won’t need motivation!

exercise, health, stress, time management, weight loss

5 tips to improve your health

Emotional intelligence – just because you feel it doesn’t mean you have to act on it!


Eating/drinking something when influenced by our emotions is a way we can get ourselves into a bit of a pickle! i.e. I’ve had a stressful day at work. A typical response – I’m going to drink alcohol or eat something uber high calorie to make me feel better. If you can recognise the emotion then you can work on controlling the response. Or chose a more positive response; exercise to relieve the stress instead.


Write it down


Whether it be your menu for the week or your gym sessions in the diary. You are much more likely to adhere to it if you write it down! At the start of the week chose a menu of the meals you are going to have. That way you remove the need for last minute convenience food, which are going to derail your efforts.

Planning your gym sessions in your diary is beneficial to you achieving them. This allows you to factor them into your week from a time management perspective. It also puts them in line, importance wise with other things in your calendar i.e work, family time.


Trigger foods


These are the foods that you can’t have one of! The foods/snacks that once you open, the whole pack is gone. You know the stuff; the diary milk bar you keep in the cupboard. The big pack of crisps you open to sit down and watch tv with. Remove them or replace them with a low calorie alternative.


Exercise 


Motivation and confidence are going to be the initial factors to contend with. Start off with going to classes, finding a gym buddy or hiring a coach to keep you motivated and accountable. These things will keep you motivated until a habit forms. Once that is in place you won’t need motivation anymore.


Environment 


Engineer the environment you need to help you succeed. This could be getting involved with people or a group that is into fitness either online or in person. Assimilating with that group/individual will see you making better, healthier lifestyle choices. After all, your environment is the invisible hand that guides you!

career goals, confidence, Dieting, exercise, health, stress, time management, weight loss

Measure your progress

Often when we hear words like tracking or recording we fret and become anxious. We avoid compiling data about ourselves because we are fearful of what the numbers might tell us.

I wanted to tell you that this data/feedback is where you are, not who you are! These numbers should not define you, only bring to your attention that there is still work to be done.

I advocate you measure your progress as the data you gain tells you that you are:

1. actually taking action, not thinking that you are taking action.

2. on the right trajectory towards your goal because you can see a trend.

This in itself is motivating and will aid momentum. Because you can see that what you are doing is working! And that’s the most reassuring and satisfying feeling; knowing that what you are doing is working!

You move out of that limbo. That frustrating zone where you are taking action but you aren’t sure if it’s working or not. It’s a soul-destroying place to be when you are trying your hardest but you don’t see progress. Because you are unsure if your actions are worthwhile.

‘Am I wasting my time? Am I ever going to see results?’

Which is I offer a money-back guarantee on The Limitless Lifestyle Blueprint.

I know that when you follow the steps I’ve outlined you will achieve results, that will have you looking and feeling great. Giving you more energy, productivity, and confidence. Not only from being in great shape but from not wasting mental energy on your health concerns.

So if you are ready to start measuring your progress click here