I've worked in human performance for 20 years...

I have worked in human performance for 20 years

I’ve worked with professional athletes including pro rugby players, footballers, Medal winning Olympians and golfers.

I’ve worked with 50, 60, and even 70 year olds partners and CEOs who have been working 70 or 80 hour weeks for years.

I’ve worked with multi-millionaires, serial entrepreneurs, investors and start up founders.

I’ve worked with the anxious, stressed and overwhelmed.

I’ve worked with those in Chronic pain, chronic disease, the depressed and the obese.

And I can tell you that right across the board the tendency to is to want to punish, restrict, measure and control through force of will until,

The fat drops away
The mobility of movement increases
Energy increases
Pain goes away
Stress goes away
Happiness appears
Work and life balance
Sleep improves
They know enough
Are good enough
Are productive enough

These approaches aren’t without utility of course. People wouldn’t repeatedly do them if they didn’t have some utility.

But through trial and error on hundreds if not thousands of people I have found that;

Stretching and forcing new range has short term benefit but creates little to no lasting change and almost NEVER results in a habit.

But playing and learning new movement skills result in lasting change in mobility and stability as well as new habits that hold multiple other benefits besides.

I have found that restriction and control of calories and certain foods can create significant short term change and some amazing 30 day before and after pictures but people almost always return to where they were before the 30 days and in most cases return to a worse state than before.

But when they experiment and approach the problem with curiosity and willingness to learn new skills they move away from any sort of yo-yo cycle completely, rather than control it becomes about nourishment and energy.

I have found that those who try to manage their stress often make head way with productivity tools, controlling work hours, sleeping at consist times and generally controlling the structure of their day. But these control structures seem to only work for a short period of time or they collapse as soon as demands change.

But those who approach each feeling of stress and overwhelm with a spirit intrigue and curiosity more readily let go of old behaviours that are no longer useful in the current environment and simply choose other more skilful ones and no longer identify with the idea of stress and overwhelm in the same way.

In fact in every area of life I have found that restriction, control and force is a recipe for short term change and long term struggle.

Where as exploration, curiosity and play are the recipe for adaptation, new habit, fun, freedom and fulfilment.

So if you’re facing a repeated or long term problem, challenge or obstacle in your life it might be worth asking, what would be the most fun way to move forward? What do you have to lose?