Are You A Mover?

Sitting at your desk is shortening your life.

Good evening Friends,

What’s new with me:

📺 Have started watching a docuseries called Inspiration4 about 4 regular people who are sent into space for 3 days. Without years long training it is a riveting watch to see how ‘normal’ people react to the demands of space.

📺 I was part of Cohort 2 but Ali Abdaal has opened Cohort 4 for his Part Time YouTube Academy which is highly recommended. He has grown his channel to well over 1 million subscribers and worth joining if you are trying to grow your channel.

📖 My most recent physical book is called The Daily Laws: 366 meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy and Human Nature. Simple daily laws which resonate soo strongly. I don’t want to give too much away but would be well worth having in your book collection.

This weekend seems to be flashing by at an alarming rate.

Saturday was spent catching up with friends, starting with the regular weekend wander with my buddy Ben, meeting the family to whom we’re godparents and then having a family meal.

Sunday seems to be here in no time at all.

When life is busy I do really miss ‘me’ time.

The chance to take a step back and recharge my batteries. My daily life is full of managing people and talking a lot, so at the weekend, I really value my own space.

The chance to collect my thoughts and be on my own.

This isn’t because I don’t like people, far from it. But I know what I need to get back to a more balanced life.

It’s taken years to understand this and has been hard to implement, but is really paying dividends.

We all recharge in different ways: my other half does so by being around people, whereas I’m the opposite.

Whichever way best suits you, make sure you give yourself time to create balance.

If you don’t, you will be playing catch up for the next week at least…

Lightbulb Moment

This week I’ve been thinking more about getting older. I don’t really know what caused it but imagining what life will be like in later life has been playing on my mind.

I’ve always had a fear of being stuck in a chair when I’m older. This I’ve known for a while and is a major motivator for the endurance and adventure challenges I do.

Being able to look back and think, ‘that was cool’ is a motivator when I am less mobile.

Photo by Drew Dizzy Graham on Unsplash

It may also be due to the fact my Nan was chair bound in a nursing home for a number of years. She wasn’t that old but sadly, her body gave out before her mind did.

She was a very bright lady all the way through, as we had great conversations right up until she passed. Her body began to let her down and caused movement to be less, culminating in being based in a chair.

Yes weight was an issue (you would expect it to if you are immobile) but she was also impacted by illness.

Rightly or wrongly, consciously or unconsciously I think her situation has influenced my thinking. Quite frankly, being in the same situation as Nan scares the sh*t out of me.

That’s why I’ve been thinking about my future me.

Not in an egotistical kind of way, rather what can I do now to help my future me be more mobile.

Whilst I don’t know of any ailments which I need to manage, I know that I will struggle with arthritis.

Again, not a medical diagnosis but a sensible assessment from having played a lot of sport (knees, shoulders, lower back) and having a serious neck injury playing rugby (slipped disk & losing feeling in fingers & toes).

So I have started to seriously look at what I should be doing now.

The simple answer is move:

movement is oil for the body.

It helps us in so many ways. Probably more ways than I am fully cognisant of. I am a naturally active chap, heading to the gym 5 times a week to resistance train (pick something heavy up, then put it down again) and participating in sports whenever I can.

But what more should I be doing?

There is probably a long list I could beat myself up about, that I’m not currently doing, but that won’t help.

My initial investigation in trying to answer this question is mobility…the concerted movement of limbs and joints. Not just yoga or pilates (although both seem to be great starting points) but actual consistent mobility exercises.

Wrists, shoulders, back, neck, hips etc. All the areas which generally cause pain to us when we get older.

It isn’t easy and it will be slow progress, but if I don’t start now I know I’m going to be paying for it in the future.

So this week’s lightbulb moment is that if there is anything we can do, moving (and moving well) is at the top of the list.

I’m not here to preach and be holier than thou, as I know how hard it can be.

But I promise to start and try to be better.

Quote Of The Week

“Great things never came from comfort zones” ~ Unknown

Book Of The Week

Have just finished listening to The Storyteller by Dave Grohl and the only response is wow.

What an incredibly funny, engaging and inspiring story read by Mr Grohl himself. His voice is so easy to listen to and by the end of the book it feels as it you know him personally.

Widely regarded as the nicest man in music, the book tells stories through different stages of Dave’s life and it is easy to see why. From picking up drumsticks for the first time (using pillows in his bedroom), to joining Nirvana and meeting his music idols, each story is told with humour and humility.

You may not like Nirvana’s or the Foo Fighters’ music but I defy you not to like this book.

This Week’s YouTube Video

It feels as though meetings are taking over my life at the moment. Back to back meetings from the start of the day to the end of the day, means a meeting like Ground Hog day.

That’s why this week’s video focuses on how we can be more effective in our meetings and thereby try to reduce them wherever possible.

It’s not always easy but being ruthless with our time gives us a fighting chance to do the things we want.

Some of the tips you may know, others you may not. But have a watch and let me know what you think.

Right, time to eat Sunday roast and try not to eat all the Yorkshire puddings!

Enjoy your Sunday my friends.

-Bren