21 Tidbits From 2021

21 tidbits from 2021 is a catchy title don’t you think?

Because if you like it, please read on and if you don’t, well you are dead to me. 😊

When people write self-reflective articles about what they have learned or know they tend to be mostly about them. There’s nothing wrong with that as you get to peak in the author’s dirty laundry. Bit graphic for you? How about a shopping basket.

To the best of my ability, this will hopefully contain tidbits that you can apply in your own life to make it simpler, easier, or better. And maybe you’ll smell some of my dirty laundry if you’re lucky. Let’s tidbits (jump) in.

21 Tidbits From 21

1.    The ability to hold two different points of view in one’s head is a skill worth having. We are living in a world of extremes where people take polar opposite views and scream it from the rooftops, and neither will listen to each other. Instead, take what you need from both sides and try to find some middle ground.

2.    Believe it or not I don’t know it all. I have listened and collaborated with excellent coaches and trainers in the fitness industry such as Dr. Allan Bacon, Chris Kershaw, Andrew Coates Menachem Brodie, Chris Cooper, Shane Trotter, Bo Banenko, Kevin Mullins, Jason Leenaarts Tony Gentilcore, and Dan John to name a few. It always helps to seek someone smarter than you when you need to learn things.

3.    Coaching is a two-way street. If the coach doesn’t have the ear of the client/athlete and doesn’t pay attention to the fact that they are human, the coach is in trouble. It doesn’t matter how good the coach is if nobody listens to him/her.  

4.    Being a born-again Christian, 2020 has challenged my faith more than any other year. But welcoming challenges and overcoming challenges build strength physically and mentally. Don’t shy away from every challenge, instead embrace it.

5.    Micromanaging and trying to control people and situations can lead you down a road of heartache. It lead me to therapy. Trying to let go not micro-manage stuff will lead to a clear head and less stress. Yes, it is easier said than done.

6.    COVID hasn’t changed the fabric of personal training and health & fitness, but it has changed the way it is being delivered. Personal training no matter how it’s delivered is about coaching and connecting with people. Online or in-person doesn’t change this fact.

7.    If 2021 and 2020 have taught us anything is a lot of people’s mental, emotional, and physical states are fragile. It pays to be nice, and sometimes it pays to turn the other cheek. You never know what kind of day the other person is having in the era of COVID.

8.    Try listening to another person without forming a response. In this day and age if you want to be heard it pays to listen first. Not many people get smarter by talking all the time. And this is coming from the biggest motormouth of all time. I’m still a work in progress.

9.    Giving a client a choice of exercise, they would like to do gives them ownership of their program and they feel their needs are being met. This can apply to other walks of life too.

10.  Another thing 2021 has taught me is you must do something to clear your head. For me it’s strength training, mediation, playing with my dog, and reading. What is it for you?

11.  Saying “I don’t have enough time for exercise” is not only lame but dangerous. Even a 5–10-minute  walk has great immune system boosting benefits. Because our immune systems need all the help they can get.

12.  Random acts of kindness help lift the spirits of the giver and receiver. Recently I was having a crappy day and I received swag from Jason Leenaarts at Revfit. I called to thank him, and the swag and Jason lifted my spirits. Especially now we could all do will lifting each other up. It beats the alternative.

13.  Now more than ever, people don’t like to be told what to do. But showing them what to do, that’s a different matter. If you wish to help one of your friends or family member, model the behavior you wish to see in them. Hopefully, they pick up the monkey see, monkey do cues.

14.  There is more right with you than is wrong with you. I read this somewhere and it struck a chord. If you’re the type of person who sees your faults clearer than your strengthens, please remember the first sentence. Trust me, it does help.

15.  We go through periods where we think we’re not good enough or procrastinate getting things done. Do you know what beats both? Action, even imperfect action will help you get out of your own head.  

16.  Decision fatigue is a real thing. Minimizing some of the smaller decisions you make daily (like what’s for dinner) will save energy and brainpower for bigger and tougher decisions.

17.  It doesn’t matter where you start, only where you finish. Currently, I’m training two 84-year-old clients who want to get better. If they can do it, so can you and me.

18.  Coaching another human is tough especially with a lot of competing noise coming in from every direction. Your ability to block out the noise and focus on what’s important is a great skill to have for your health and sanity.

19.  If it’s important to you, do it every day.

20.  Strength is an important quality in the gym but showing strength to your friends and loved ones through thought, word, and deed is equally important.

21.  When in the hell is the Top Gun sequel going to come out? The wait during 2021 has been brutal.

Wrapping Up

Congratulations for reading my tidbits to the end and it’s my hope you got something out of this to apply to your own life. Because we all need encouragement to push through what has been an unusual few years.