Who Am I? 3/3: Ready For Anything, At A Moment's Notice.

The final part of my three part series on life philosophy is really a culmination of the previous two. To recap part one talked about the importance of taking personal responsibility for your life. This has become my foundational philosophy that guides everything I do. Part two talked about the importance of honesty & why being truly honest with yourself is central to authentic self-expression. Finally, part three, building on the previous, takes a physical angle. While the first two are theoretical in nature, the final part could be understood as the practical outworking of my theory. That is to build a philosophy whereby I am ready for anything, at a moment's notice.

Recap

Much of who we become is influenced by the story we tell ourselves. The theory of internal/external locus of control works only by internal dialogue (see 1/3). In fact much of how we interpret the world, either positive or negatively, is governed by this story. The story is either built on honesty or bull sh*t (see 2/3). Personally, I recognised the importance of my internal story a long time ago, which sprung me out of mediocrity, & on to a path that was directed by who I wanted to become.

1. The Olympic Mindset

Around the time of the Tokyo Olympics I watched a video series of Ross Edgley, of whom undertook a mind blowing challenge to swim the full circumference of Great Britain, taking him 157 days to complete. I realised while watching this, alongside the Olympics, that these elite athletes had a distinctive mindset, that was guided not just by talent, but a consistent decision to keep turning up when nobody was watching. Edgley didn't just get in the water & swim, he had consistently built habits into his life that would prepare him for that challenge. Edgley, talks about the importance of 'building work capacity' to be ready for a variety of challenges as they arise (Blueprint). I had an existential realisation at that time that I had never been 'elite' in my life. I had never really committed to the process of becoming truly exceptional at anything. Moreover, at 31 years old I had never known my physical potential! & time was running out to ever know what that potential was! What I also learned was that, while I would never be 'elite' in the Olympic sense of the word, I could however adopt an Olympic mindset & discover my own physical potential. I began to tell myself a new story! Who could I become if I began to live like an Olympic athlete? What habits would I need to adopt to make that a reality?

The difference I discovered between an elite athlete & someone who decides to take on a goal is the approach. The person who sets out to run a marathon builds a training programme which is usually forgotten after receiving a medal. While the elite athlete adopts of lifestyle that enables them to keep competing year on year. What is the difference? It comes down to this simple question: Do you want to be fit for a couple of months? OR do you still want to be doing it when you're 82? I decided that I wanted the latter. I wanted to be ready for anything, at a moment's notice. Not just for an event!

How often are you presented with an opportunity, but immediately remind yourself of the months of grueling work to get you to that place, only then to persuade yourself out of doing it? But what if when those opportunities arose you were already trained to take it in that moment? This is far more than physical preparedness, it is applicable to every area of our lives. Aldo Kane, the military adventurer, talks about everyday functional fitness to be 'expedition fit'. To be ready for adventure/operations with minimal notice! How do you that? My life is busy & i'm not a professional athlete. I have a job & a family! This was my story until I learned about baselines & rhythms.

2. Building Baselines & Rhythms

Today I am in the best shape of my life. I am physically fit, in that I could comfortably finish a marathon tomorrow if I wished, I am strong with a consistent training ritual; as well as regularly swimming 5km a week in the pool (when i'm not injured with a burst ear drum that is - long story!). I am healthy, in that my diet is nutritious, & have to worry more about putting calories in than taking them out. I have learned how to juggle training with work & family time, while also reading & writing. Do I get it right 100% of the time? NO! But by building baselines in to my life, that can be constantly referred back too, I have learned to harness the natural rhythms of life. Much like an elite athlete. What is a baseline? & what are the rhythms? .

Perfection is impossible, even for elites. However what they possess is a governing principle. In a given week I have a baselined number of activities that I aim to complete that are driven by my philosophy to be 'ready for anything' (~30-40km running, x3 gym sessions, 5km swim). A baseline is 'a minimum or starting point used for comparisons'. The good thing about baselines however is that when opportunities present themselves you can quickly build on it to position yourself to be ready! You can increase the tempo or volume of your current habits, without starting from zero. Ryan Holiday talks about the 'more often than not principle'. Did I achieve what I set out to do more often than not this week? By using this principle I can assess how close to the baseline I have landed on a weekly basis. However, with life comes challenges & constraints, so If I hit 80%+ of my baseline I consider that optimal, a good week. Anything below 60% & I recognise changes are needed to improve the following week. Before long, weeks of consistent focus turn to months, & progress is made!

With every day, weeks, months, even years, there is a set number of time which is unchangeable. However, within each of these there are natural rhythms, which are unique to each person. With our jobs, lifestyles, commitments etc we each follow different rhythms, which is why comparison is often a poor starting point to building routines & habits in to your life. What works for me may not work for someone else! By harnessing my own natural rhythms I have been able to build habits that are aligned with my goal. I watched videos of the ultra-running hunter, Cameron Hanes, who would get up at 3am to run a marathon 'EVERYDAY' before his 9-5 job. This kickstarted me to set my alarm earlier myself! On a five day week I have usually ran between 6-10 miles, or swam a mile before I start work at 8am. On a weekend too I wake up early to go on a long run, to be back in time to take my daughter to gymnastics. Instead of scrolling on my phone before bed or when having my lunch, I read books & take notes for my weekly blog. This works for the rhythms unique to me, but works as an example of how harnessing your own rhythms can have a profound influence on the person you can become. I'm certainly not elite, but by adopting the elite mindset I am certainly now ready for anything, at a moment's notice.

Summary

It all starts with a story. We all have a story whether we are aware of it or not! By paying attention to your story you can begin to retell it in a way that is aligned with who wish to become. This happens consciously or unconscientiously, so you may as well take charge of your story. Guru Sadhguru says 'you can either make a impulsive reaction, or conscious decision'. It is your responsibility to alter that story, & can only do so by cutting away the bull sh*t & being truly honest with yourself! This is my philosophy anyway, & what I remind myself on a regular basis. Moreover, longevity & health are paramount to me so I think it's important to build positive habits to align my internal story to be ready for anything! If you know me personally I hope you can recognise each of these philosophy's manifesting in everything I do. They may not be perfect, but they are certainly moving in the right direction.

Likewise, having a set of guiding philosophies for yourself are important. How often have you thought about what guides your life direction, & the person you are becoming? It's challenging to look closely at your own experience, but necessary if you wish to live a grounded, whole life. Authenticity is birthed out of these internal questions. When you know the underlying principles that drive you, you can better understand what to say yes or no too! Today my story is, I am not the kind of person to make excuses. I am not the kind of person who follows the crowd or is influenced by others. I am not the kind of person who doesn't get out of bed to work for what I believe in, whether its a convenience or not. What's your story going to be? Who is the person you are becoming? With small changes & conscious focus you can become the master of your story!

Much Love,

Ross

I hope you have enjoyed my series. it has been hard but necessary for myself. As always these blog posts are a letter to myself to help me better articulate my ideas. I hope you find them helpful, & would love to hear your thoughts. feel free to share with your community. & thankyou for following along with my journey.