Your body is like one of three ocean vessels.
What kind of vessel are you sailing with?
2 hours. That’s how long your metabolism jumps after a run.
2 days. That’s how long your metabolism jumps after lifting weights. Little weights count, too, ladies.
No, running doesn’t slow it down. It just doesn’t speed it up like weights (or body weight resistance). So if you like running, you don’t need to give it up. Just add some sprints, or pushups or squats to your run.
American Big Food makes life a challenge. And you gotta eat. But you still have a choice.
Two hours or two days.
I asked you to introduce yourself to me and the rest of my readers. Even if you’re one of my good friends, I’d love if you left a note. (All I want for X-mas…)
Also yesterday, I said I was taking a break. But I’m struggling. I can’t step away.
So who benefits when you don’t take a break?
Moral of the story? Take a break.
Building your day is like building a house. Make a plan and build it around the foundation.
There are two options for the type of foundation which you’ll build your day around:
The foundation comes first. And it determines whether or not your house collapses.
What’s in your foundation?
Meetings all day? Hopefully one of those is for you and some dumbbells.
Not too busy? What time are you scheduled for the gym?
All clear? Except for your workout, right?
Shouldn’t scheduling exercise be the easy part?
It’s the easy stuff. The stuff within reach. The stuff that takes minimal effort, but gets you started. More than what you got, picking the low-hanging fruit gets you momentum.
Picking the low-hanging fruit gets you first 25%. Then, the next lowest hanging fruit gets you half way there. The next 25% is easy since you’ve already done twice that much. Finally the last 25% takes some strategy, but is why you started.
There are so many opportunities to use the low-hanging fruit principle. Start with the easy stuff and ride the momentum. Here are some real-life examples.
Grabbing the low-hanging fruit will get you started. And it will get you the momentum you need. Soon, all that’s left will be the fruit at the top.
But, just because picking the low-hanging fruit is good, doesn’t mean it’s all you should do. Because if you go from tree to tree without finishing, you’ll be left with a bunch of trees with a little fruit on top. And that’s not why you started.
Read more about getting the low-hanging fruit by reading “Switch”, one of my favorite resources.
Tons of fruit to pick. It was a massive undertaking. But, by getting momentum with the low-hanging fruit and then next lowest we were 50% done. Then, we brought the project to life by getting to 75% complete. Finally, the top of the tree was all that remained. And it needs to be picked.
The student’s paper is nothing without diction, voice and tone. The traveler’s suitcase is worthless without her toiletries. The weight-loss seeker’s Vitamix is just an expensive decoration if it sits idle.
It’s easy to forget the reason you started. And it’s easy to be satisfied with simply having started. Or being almost done. That’s sort of reverse-low hanging fruit. And now your brain is really messing with you.
Remember, it often takes the most strategy to finish the job.
And, the fruit at the top is high. You really have to push. But getting it all is the reason you started.
When the low-hanging fruit is gone, what’s left? You’re 50% done, so doing another 25% should seem easy. It’s only half of what you’ve already done. And, it will get you to 75% complete.
The student fills in the outline with sentences. The traveler chooses outfits. The weight loss-seeker goes to the grocery store.
When the low-hanging fruit is gone, and the relatively low-hanging fruit is gone, the next step is bring the project to life. It’s sometimes the toughest step. But, knowing that afterwards you’ll be 75% finished makes it easier. And seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (or in this case, the fruit on top of the tree) makes it worth it.
So you picked the low-hanging fruit. What’s next? Get some more.
The student can hand-write an outline for their paper. Travelers can pull shirts they may want to wear. Weight loss seekers can print a smoothie recipe.
You might have to reach a little higher. But it’s still low-hanging fruit. The lowest, anyway. And once you’ve picked it, you’re 50% done with the tree.
Everyone loves to pick low-hanging fruit. The student who begin the page setup. The traveler who begins with packing socks. The weight loss seeker who begins by buying a Vitamix.
Fortunately, picking the low hanging fruit is valuable. It gets you one step closer to writing that paper, packing that suitcase, or feeling more fit.
All the fruit needs to be picked at some point. Might as well start with the easy stuff.