Fit for Life: What’s Your Problem?

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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A great quote from Craig Ballantyne came to the surface last week while he was presenting to a mastermind group. It went like this…. Don't put level 1 effort into level 10 problems, and stop placing level 10 effort into level 1 issues. 

 

Read that again, let it resonate, and then ask yourself the question… what level of effort do I put into my problems?

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This is a powerful and impactful question when you think about it because it makes us all realize that we either spend too much time trying to fix trivial bullshit and not enough time trying to fix the real, severe problems we face on a daily basis or vice versa.

 

I am a big advocate of seeking solutions over seeking problems; however, when you look at it from this perspective, when it comes time to create a solution, it gives you a caliber of how much effort you should exert on these solutions. 

 

So, what is a level 10 problem? 

 

My biggest and best example of being a health and fitness person is, and always will be your health. 

A healthy person has a million hopes and dreams, but a sick person has only 1, and that's to be healthy again. 

 

Although this is a level 10 problem, many people barely put a level 1 effort into fixing it, and many do nothing at all, which is mind-blowing to me. This should be on the top of everyone's priority list and attacked with a level 10 effort every day!!

 

What would a level 10 effort look like if you decided to focus on your health and fitness? 

 

Now understand, just because I say go all in, that doesn't mean that you need to try doing everything all at once; it just means that mentally, you need to make it your number one priority. Once you flip that mindset switch, it's time to take the step ladder approach and create the small habits that will get you to your goal. 

 

At Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, we have a straightforward process. First, we get your goals on paper and have you write out where you want to go. From there, we give you a step-by-step approach to achieving your goals. 

 

From there, it is up to you to make a level 10 effort to follow the blueprint we created for you. Getting to the gym 3 times per week, eating all your protein, and drinking all your water daily with no exceptions or excuses is how you will put in your level 10 effort.

 

Your finances, or lack thereof, can be considered a level 10 problem that needs level 10 effort. Otherwise, you continue to find yourself in a continuous mess that will lead to uncontrollable anxiety and always being broke. 

 

Going into last December, I was in a heap of credit card debt. I didn't account for a team trip, a members' party, and end-of-year team bonuses, and it put me in a really stressful situation. Therefore, I read Dave Ramsey's book, Total Money Makeover, and followed the steps to get myself out of debt by mid-March. I put in a level 10 effort.

 

Since then, I have budgeted, created spreadsheets to allocate funds, and managed my money more consciously than last year. I am pleased to say I am walking into 2024 with zero debt and a small emergency surplus.  

 

A level 1 problem can be put on the back burner and not made a priority. 

Something like your cable going down, returning an item, running out of an ingredient you like to cook with, etc. 

 

These are things that don't need that much attention to get solved. However, you would be surprised at how people focus on something trivial instead of channeling their energy into something important, like their health and wellness. 

 

It is evident to me that when you see statistics on obesity and the median average household income, as a country, we are focusing on the wrong problems and exerting the wrong amount of effort on them. 

 

A level 10 effort could be made in teaching kids in school how to take care of themselves, live a healthy lifestyle, manage, and make money instead of investing time and energy on things they will never apply in the real world. Let's focus on cleaning up the school lunches and feeding them properly instead of putting them on ADHD medications. 

 

As a whole, if we put level 10 effort into level 10 problems, we would have a society of fit and healthy entrepreneurs instead of a large percentage of sick, overweight people who can't afford to get by and supply their families with the bare essentials needed to live a vital life. 

 

Take the pen back, and write your own story. Don't rely on someone else to come and save you. 

 

Instead, determine your life problems, analyze how significant the problem is for you to fix it, and then start applying the effort it will take to solve the problem at hand. 

 

Committed to your success,

Coach Matt

 

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