Uitwaaien is a Dutch word which means to walk in the wind. Taking a breather in nature to clear your head and lift your spirits.
A walk through the bush is better than the caffeine injection from coffee or the endorphin kick of exercise.
Take a walk in the wind and step into nature, but just remember to leave something behind.
I received a lot of feedback on my 9 exercise, dieting and sanity tips, so I decided to pontificate some more on the topic. I’m planning on turning these daily musings into a book, so this will be in the Mind / Body / Spirit section…which is basically the whole book! 😛
Here goes:
Eat slow cooked oats in the morning – prep them the night before in a slow cooker. The downside is that you have to clean the pot every day, but they are way tastier than instant oats…so you’ll keep doing it. Oats is a blood sugar stabilizing way to start your day and a full portion will see you through to lunch.
Write down positive mantras, be specific and say them out aloud daily. Use the notes app on your phone as a way for easy access. Keep tweaking them – it’s a fun dream boarding exercise and the list will hold you accountable. If you are brave then share them with your close friends and family – they will also hold you accountable.
Unfollow complainers, negative people and cynical people on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Only follow people on Facebook who are proximate. It’s not normal to be reading about someone you went to school with and haven’t talked to in over a decade.
Twitter is like the Ring of Sauron. If you get too close and don’t treat it with respect then it’ll consume you. Twitter is a powerful source of knowledge and wisdom, but it’s also filled with hate and darkness. Handle with care, choose wisely who to follow and mute the negativity. Don’t get sucked into the manufactured outrage and hot takes…Twitter can turn into a Kangaroo court very quickly which is unfair and cruel.
Don’t watch cable news…ever. It’s not news, it’s unhealthy entertainment masquerading as news. Breaking news is commoditized, it’ll find you if it’s important enough. If you have a healthy, hand picked list of people you follow on Twitter then you’ll get the knowledge you need versus the unhealthy news firehose.
Build up a rainy day fund of credibility with people you work with…so when the shit hits the fan or you drop the ball on something – you have a credibility cushion. If you are running hard and moving fast then the shit will hit the fan and you will drop the ball at some point.
Listen more, talk less and pause before you respond to a question.
The Nutribullet is the best and only juice blender you should use. People give up on juicing because the set up and washing up is such a hack. The Nutribullet makes it super easy to throw in some fresh fruit, veggies and water and get it done in under 5 minutes. I drink the juice from the same blending cup and the blades are safe and easy to clean. No fuss, no mess. Set it up at night before you go to bed so the morning is a like a well oiled machine.
Do you ever look in the rear view mirror and re-litigate decisions in your head? The “woulda, coulda, shoulda” shtick. Most of the time it’s not a productive exercise, but it can be enlightening if you use it as a barometer to asses your tolerance for risk and openness to learn.
As you push the envelope you are going to make mistakes. Slip ups are part of being out of your depth and wading into new space. I’d argue that a life of zero defects probably means you aren’t experimenting enough.
Experimenting and trying new things means giving up some of the outcome control, but it also accelerates learning and exercises your risk muscle.
Look back and learn.
Staying in the center is safe. It’s stable and you have your footing. Shuffling out to the edge will get your stomach into knots and make you sweat – even if it’s ice cold. That feeling in your stomach is called risk.
It’s a different view of the world out there but you can only see it on the edge…and that knot in your stomach is why most people don’t venture out. I don’t think that feeling ever goes away – but it’s worth it and there’s no going back.
A couple of years back I was running every morning. I had a set route through San Francisco with a loop through the Presidio and a final climb up the Lyon Street stairs. The stairs connect Green Street to Broadway and are steep and tough on knees. After each run I’d get intermittent knee pain, and over time it got worse and worse. It eventually got to the point where my knee would swell and tighten up after every run. In spite of the discomfort I loved the endorphin kick of the run so I kept doing it anyway. It finally got to the point where I decided to see an doctor. It turned out to be a very quick appointment. Here’s how the conversation went:
Me: My knee hurts.
Doc: When does it hurt?
Me: After I run.
Doc: Where do you run?
Me: Through the Presidio and up some steep stairs.
Doc: Hmmm, does your job require you to run?
Me: No, I do it for my own enjoyment.
Doc: Okay, your knee is fixed. Here’s the deal…stop running up stairs and do some other type of exercise like yoga, or swimming. Your knee will be as good as gold.
Me: ?
Doc: Anything else?
Me: Nope…thanks
My knee has been fine ever since. In today’s age of elective surgery, I’m constantly talking to people who are having shoulder operations, hip surgeries or knee surgeries because they refuse to stop a sport they love even though it’s grinding down their body.
Be flexible and kind to your body. You only get one per lifetime. There are lots of gentler ways to stay fit.
A lot of people skip daily exercise because of unpredictable schedules, family responsibilities or long work hours. The thinking goes if you can’t get in a proper workout then it’s not worth it. I disagree. Try this instead:
If you’re feeling swamped and can see that exercising isn’t going to happen that day then shorten the exercise window and do one piece of exercise really well. Break your routine into parts like Lego blocks and pick one. Maybe it’s one good stretch or a one set of pushups or five sit ups. Just do that one thing, do it slowly and be present and focused.
Being all in on one thing is way more effective than rushing through a half-assed routine. Most of the time that one thing leads to two things which leads to three things that are all done well and not rushed.
Healthy communities hold their citizens accountable. When someone is dishonest or unscrupulous then it’s up to the community to act, remedy and rehabilitate.
Accountability to neighbors, friends, colleagues and family is a powerful force. I think as a community we’ve got into the habit of leaving accountability up to someone or something else like local government, enforcement agencies and paper laws.
It’s up to all of us to insist on integrity and honesty. Stuff like greediness in companies, sleaziness in politics and inequity creeps in when everyone turns a blind eye thinking that someone else will take care of it. To be silent is to be complicit.
Set a high standard, hold yourself and others accountable, and do it with compassion.
Body weight exercises routines can be done anywhere. It could be a combo of stretches, push up or sit ups. And it’s equipment free. So no set up or clunky kit. Maybe it’s at an airport during a layover or in a cramped hotel room to remedy jet lag.
Going for a run is the same thing. All you need is a pair of running shoes and the side walk is your running track. I think the reason soccer is so popular is that all kids need is a ball and friends. Their soccer field can be a parking lot or a patch of dirt.
Ease of exercise is the key. Forget the fancy equipment or the expensive gym membership. It’s low stress on your body, and as your body ages you can adapt.
Get into a routine that’s first thing in the morning, and make it easy to start. Outdoors is always better, so choose an open space or park nearby your home. If that’s not an option then do it at home, but lower the barrier to entry and make it easy to start.
Creativity can’t be contrived. The best ideas come at unexpected moments. Ideas are fleeting, so set up the systems to capture the inspiration when it appears. Get a good note taking app that memorializes ideas so you can dwell and build on them after the moment passes.
The native note taking app on the iphone, Apple Notes, is my app of choice. It’s quick, simple and easy to share the individual notes with friends if I want to collaborate or get feedback (sharing ideas is a great way to keep me accountable and solicit feedback).
Simplify things. This isn’t just about the things you own. It’s about the personal and work commitments as well. Say “no” more often and say “yes” to a simplified life. De-clutter your life. Pick one or two things and do that super well. Don’t be a jack of all trades and a master of none. Go deep, be present and give it 100%
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