Fit for Life: What Do You Know?

Saturday, March 05, 2022

Matthew Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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PHOTO: file

Remember Donald Rumsfeld, The Chief of Defense under George W Bush?

Probably not, however, he once quoted a great statement that was repeated during a play at Trinity Rep. and it resonated with me enough to write this article because it applies to all of us.

It states there are known knowns; there are things we know we know.

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We also know there are known unknowns; we know there are some things we do not know.

But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know.

We all have known knowns, like exercise and working out are good for us, reading will make you smarter, working will make you money and eating crappy foods full of sugar and chemicals is bad for us.

Everyone knows this, and if you don’t, you have been living under a rock, because not only is it common sense, but the information is also everywhere you look. So, the question is why don’t we take the knowledge we know and apply it to ourselves for a more positive outcome with our fitness and finances?

It’s because we also know it’s difficult to stay disciplined and stick to a consistent routine. Our instincts are to seek comfort and take the easy route unless we are either in pain or backed into a corner. Then we instinctively try to fight our way out, because as human animals we tend to be reactive as opposed to proactive.

Another reason it’s difficult to stick to a routine is because it is monotonous and boring when we don’t achieve instant gratification.

 

Remember the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray?

He wakes up and every day is the same predictable routine, and he can’t break the cycle, however, that’s what we need to do to achieve success…repeat the same positive action daily.

It’s known known that to achieve your fitness goals you need to work out, eat clean food, drink your required water, get your required sleep, and exercise daily, but it’s a challenge that many aren’t willing to accept.

Think of yourself as the last automobile you will ever own. You would need to do regular maintenance like oil changes, fueling up with quality gas, and changing the tires regularly for it to last, so think of your body the same way, because it truly is the last vehicle you will ever own.

The same goes with running a business. Very few are overnight successes.

You need to wake up ready for battle every day by promoting your product, taking care of your existing customers, and developing your team to perform at the highest level. Another task that few are willing to take on and be consistent.

 

The known known with all of this is that we know if we don’t put in the hard work and reps, we won’t be successful with anything we do.

It all starts with our morning routine, and that starts the night before. Be it fitness or finances, the two most important components are preparation and consistency.

The night before has a tremendous impact on your morning routine, and your morning routine dictates your day.

If you make your to do list the night before, pack your food and gym bag, and get to bed 8 hours before your wake up time, I can guarantee that your day will be more productive than if you stay up late, make your to do list in the morning, and scramble stressfully to get out of the house in the morning. That’s a known known.

So now that we know what we know, let’s talk about some of the things we know we do not know.

We know we have an expiration date, yet we don’t know when that day will come. We also know that if we don’t take care of ourselves, we will get sick and live a less productive and vital life. We know this, we just don’t know when it will happen.

We also know life is never easy, and there is adversity around every corner, we just don’t know when it will happen.

We don’t know when another pandemic, terrorist attack, war, housing, or stock market crash will happen, but it’s a known unknown because we know someday it will happen again, we just don’t know when.

So, what’s the point? Should we live in fear and always be thinking negative worst-case scenarios. Absolutely not, however, we need to stay proactive and be prepared for anything that comes our way.

I am not saying to play defense every day of our lives, but we can do the things that will prepare us for the known unknowns.

Things like taking care of ourselves, staying fit and healthy, keeping your foot on the accelerator and keep making money so when the rainy days, or losing seasons hit us, we are ready to pivot instead of becoming reactive and becoming victims of circumstance.

It takes putting in the reps, doing the hard work, and staying consistent every day. Waking up ready for battle and staying focused during both good and bad times.

Then there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don't know we don't know.

Things like how dehydration and lack of sleep are detrimental to our health. Most people don’t know these things and don’t think about them let alone keep them front of mind. If most people knew, they would make these simple tasks non-negotiable habits that need to be incorporated in their everyday lives.

Another saying I heard this week was….” It’s better to be a Warrior in the garden, then to be a gardener in a war”

Stay strong, stay focused, and be ready for the rainy days because they will come. That’s a known known.

 

Committed to your success,

Coach Matt

 

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