Strongman Training Journal part 1

Every so often the evolving man will reach a season of reflection, assessment and course correction.  This is often a time to restate and adjust VALUES, then recommit to the course that leads to self actualization.

I have always been transparent and honest with you.  You have experienced my success as well as my failures; you have met my wife and children and you’ve partaken of my innermost convictions.

The only way that I know how to SERVE you is through my experiences.  Although I possess advanced degrees, certifications and accreditation… none of this gives me the type of power to inspire and motivate in the manner that making my life “an open book” to you does.

Far from being gifted, I was labeled very early in my life as “a child of below average intelligence”.  Teachers warned my parents about my inability to focus and concentrate.  Medication was given to temper my “Attention Deficit  / Hyperactivity Disorder”.

Today my gifted ADHD is manifest in a rebellious posture towards fraudulent authority and social norms.  I refuse to “get a job”; I abhor the “American Ideal” of overextending finances in an attempt to pacify the conditioned desire to appear consistent with the homogeneous masses; there is but ONE television in my home that ceases operation 5 out of the 7 days per week… my children will be saved from early commercial brainwashing.

I invite you to join me in CHOOSING OUR OWN VALUES.  Not that which your neighbor adheres or the television insidiously demands.

What do you love?  What is TRULY of the utmost importance to you?  What type of life would bring you piece of mind?

Service is the highest station of mankind.  When asked, “What is the purpose of life?”, Albert Einstein answered, “To serve one another, what other purpose could there be?”

As I have been called to serve mankind through my words, information, encouragement, and coaching… I will now share with you my current personal vision, goals and action steps, with 2 purposes in mind… one to aid you and one to motivate me.

1. First, you may be experiencing or have experienced similar challenges or aspirations as the ones I am about to share with you.  If this is the case then perhaps you can glean some insight as to how someone else is navigating the same terrain.

One of my favorite hobbies is to read the Biographies and Autobiographies of men who lived extraordinary lives.  This provides encouragement as well as insight that may support me on my journey.  I, by no means intend to bind my name with that of Abe Lincoln, Ralph Waldo Emerson or Jesus… but as an ordinary 30 year old American Man that yearns to enjoy all that is good in life and expire in due time with confidence and zero regrets, my assumption is that many may be able to relate.

2. As a means to motivate myself through accountability.  If I share my values, goals and intentions with others… I am essentially being put “on the spot”.  The type accountability that is associated with full public divulgence  creates a haunting sense that “I am always being watched.” And with that type of supervision it becomes more difficult to backslide.

Share your goals with those you love most.

Amongst the first steps towards My Ideal Life in 2010 was:

1. To Spend More Time At Home With Colleen & Children: Accomplished! — I go to Strength Camp at 5:45 am to train my Men’s Strength Class and then immediately head home to help Colleen cook breakfast and get the girls off to school.  In the past I would get started with my internet business immediately following the morning class… Now I begin no earlier than 9am.

2. To Take More Time Off And Vacations: Accomplished! — I am a self proclaimed workaholic.  When I moved to Florida from New York I spent the first 9 months working at a gym from 6 am to 9 pm, Monday through Friday and 9 am to 5pm on the weekends.  I never thought twice about spending more time working.  When I opened Strength Camp, I continued with the same pattern.  Now that Colleen and I are going on our 4th child… things have to change.

When I bought my new PlannerPad for 2010, I marked off 8 weeks that I will FORCE myself not to work… at all.  That’s 2 weeks every quarter.  This definitely is “stepping out of my comfort zone”… but wait, I have already decided that I will cut my working hours back even more in 2011 (we’ll talk about it then)!

If you haven’t figured it out yet, my most valued asset is TIME! Not more money, or a newer car (I still drive the 1988 Ford family van my dad gave me 5 years ago), fame, or even to save the world…. I just want more TIME!

The 2 goals above have pretty much been accomplished already or are being fulfilled as we speak… but I am NO WHERE near to coming close to the REAL transformation that I am embarking on for 2010.

As I mentioned in an email earlier this week, there are many holes in my character that need patching.  Truthfully, most of these holes have been created over the past 5 years as I embarked on the responsibilities of manhood.

Many of the positive traits I had begun to express via awareness and practice prior to getting married, having children, creating debt, starting businesses and becoming a Pro Strongman… have been abandoned.  They are now long lost attributes of a once mindful, peaceful and courageous 25 year old boy.

Although I comfort myself with the *excuse* of “battle wounds acquired in my fight for accomplishment”… the truth is that many of these traits were desirable and can be retrained.  It IS possible to regain lost virtues in the same manner that you can regain lost strength or muscle… through exercise!

In future segments of my Strongman Training Journal, I will expose you to my “Restored Power Plan” where you will gain insight into:

1. My Daily Mental Training Regiment For Accelerated Success!

2. The Techniques That I’ll Use To Regain The ‘Dominant, Confidant, Alpha Male‘ Command.

3. How I Will Force My Environment (and the people in it) To Comply With My New Demeanor.

4. The Extremely Demanding Meal Plan That Will Force My Body To Comply With Physical Vision.

5. My Exact Strongman Training Plan That I Will Follow To Bring Me Success In My First Pro Strongman Show.

Plus many more disciplines that will be practiced.

In the meantime, if you are compelled to share Your VALUES or GOALS For 2010 please feel free to comment below.

If you are a man of wisdom and feel moved to share your insights with me or any of our readers please feel free to comment below.

Related posts:

1. Strongman Training, Life, Love and Family
2. Strongman Competition Training
3. Gridiron Strongman for Pro Football Training
4. Secret Strongman Training Method
5. Muscle Mass Training For Strongman