As many of you know, over the past 2 years, I’ve got relatively fit.
Or said another way, I’ve lost 54kgs.
And while diet has played a huge part to play in this achievement, it’s exercise – specifically walking/running – that’s been the safety net in keeping it off.
I don’t mean that in terms of losing weight – though it has obviously had an impact – I mean it more in being able to consume more calories than my 1675 daily allowance, while still maintaining an overall calorie deficit.
I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that … because whereas the first year saw me being almost pathologically focused on not exceeding my calories, carbs or sugars allowance, now I can be a little looser, safe in the knowledge that exercise will keep things in overall balance, even when I scoff the occasional ‘calorific’ meal.
Anyway, at the beginning of the holidays I saw this thing called The Conqueror being advertised across social media.
Basically you select a virtual route from somewhere around the World and then – once you’ve paid them some cash – you get given a timeframe to complete ‘the walk’.
What makes it work is not just that every step you take in the real world gets translated onto the virtual map on your phone … nor is it that at every ‘checkpoint’, you get a postcard that details the history of wherever you have just reached or walked through … it’s not even that each time you hit a checkpoint, they will plant a real tree in your honour … it’s that once you achieve the route, they send you a real life medal.
And, as you can see from the pic above, they’re impressive.
Full Metal. Very Colorful. Properly Distinctive.
Sure, you’ve paid for them.
In fact, you’ve probably overpaid for them.
But they genuinely make you feel you’ve achieved something worthwhile.
And while I am sure there will be people who say it’s a stupid business – I have a different point of view.
Not just because what were the rules of business, are no longer limited to just those rules – which McKinsey are trying desperately to look like they understand given the incredible rise of companies who, based on the consultant models they’ve been flogging for fortunes for years, simply should not work, let alone thrive – but because The Conquerer has been developed to target how people actually behave, rather than how they’re supposed to.
Or said another way, they address the emotional need, not simply the functional benefits.
I know this sort of thing has been done before – hell, I did something like this for Nike back in 2011 – but apart from the fact the tech just wasn’t there back then, the inclusion of an actual medal that people would actually want to own, is a game changer. So much so that I believe they can truly make someone who doesn’t walk much, to walk more.
Which is fucking impressive when you think how much money sports brands have spent trying to get people to ‘just do it’.
But in my case, I do walk.
A lot.
Which is why – in just over a week of my holiday – I achieved this:
That’s right … while everyone else was scoffing down chocolates and turkey like they were going out of fashion, I was out walking 534.5 kilometers and picking up 4 fancy pants medals.
Which helps explains why I may have won, but I also was a fucking loser – hahaha.
I’m posting this early to distract me from the must-win game Forest are currently playing against Tottenham, in London. I don’t think it’s working, but it’s all I’ve got right now – especially as I have already walked 10km this morning and it’s only 7:20am.
Talking of walking …
18 months ago, I didn’t like walking from the bed to the bathroom.
Now I have walked the equivalent of a marathon.
A fucking marathon!
OK, I didn’t do it in one go and it took me over 6 hours … but it’s still a big thing for me.
Mind you, given the amount of Easter Eggs I scoffed – hey, it’s a once-a-year-deal – it probably still wasn’t enough.
Crap post I know, but the next few days are going to be a real rollercoaster for me, so I just couldn’t be bothered. Not that you’ll be able to tell the difference, hahaha.
Let’s see tomorrow … don’t hold your breath.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Apathy, Attitude & Aptitude, Bonnie, Childhood, Family, Food, Health, Holiday, Mental Health, Rosie, Walking
As many of you know, over the last year, I’ve got healthy.
Through exercise and a very regimented and controlled calorie/sugar/carb diet [except on Christmas and Birthday’s where I eat a whole loaf of Sourdough with salted butter and raspberry jam] I’ve lost over 46kg.
Or said another way, I’ve lost the equivalent of my 10 year old son.
Not only that, but maybe the first time in 40+ years, I am in the healthy BMI range.
Yes, I know the whole BMI system is currently being evaluated because frankly, it’s not fit for purpose, however this is still a huge thing for me.
But not the biggest thing. Oh no …
Because despite now eating well, dressing better and basically being in the best health of my adult life, the biggest difference in me is this:
Yep, that’s my walking chart for January. Or should I say, for most of January.
And full disclosure, of the days shown, 10 were during the festive break and another 10 days were when I was not allowed to drive due to my eye problem.
But, even then, I walked over HALF A MILLION STEPS in 28 days.
HALF A FUCKING MILLION.
That’s 19,000 a day!!!
And you know what, I loved every step of it.
I walk before work.
I walk on client calls.
I walk in the lunch break.
I walk when I get home after dinner.
I’m a fucking walking machine, and yet a little over a year or so ago, I’d have probably driven to the shower if I could.
Of all the things that have happened on my health journey, my love of walking has probably been the most surprising. But what it also has done is reveal how I used to manage stress.
Truth be told, I never thought I suffered with stress.
Sure, there were the odd times it was tough, but generally I thought it was all OK.
However when I decided to sort myself out, I would continually catch myself walking to the fridge. Not because I was hungry, but because I was looking for a distraction or a diversion from something related to work.
I’d deal with my ‘auto-pilot fridge visits’ by forcing myself to go for a walk instead … however over the weeks I realized how often I was out pounding the streets which revealed to me, arguably the first time, how much stress I was probably dealing with throughout my life.
I should point out that when I say ‘stress’, I don’t mean anything like so many people have to deal with.
For me, it was more mundane stuff … like how I was going to write a deck or how was I going to cram all my meetings in.
But here’s the strange thing …
Despite walking so much, I somehow am able to do so much more.
Not because I have more energy – I’m not really sure I do – but because I have more inner calm.
I call it ‘Zen Ferocity’ … which sounds far too new age bollocks, but in essence means by being calmer, I have been able to put more intensity into what matters rather than what distracts.
Of course this shouldn’t be a surprise as there’s so much evidence on how running helps the mind … but when you have gone from walking to the fridge to walking 19,000 steps a day, it’s still a gratefully received fist in the face.
But what this walking has also done is prepare me perfectly for welcoming this into the Campbell home:
Meet Bonnie.
Or to give her, her full name – courtesy of Otis – Bonnie Bourbon Biscuit. [But we’ll just be sticking with Bonnie, hahaha]
She was only 24 days old in that photo and we don’t get her until April … but we have a very excited household.
Even our beloved Rosie may have thought she was cute …
Maybe.
And while I know owning a dog is a very different proposition than owning a cat, I can be sure of one thing.
She’s not going to be wanting for walks.
Filed under: A Bit Of Inspiration, Attitude & Aptitude, Comment, Community, Differentiation, Generosity, Process, Success, Systems, Walking
Oh my god, we’re in Feb already.
Well, of course we are because I didn’t re-start this blog until the middle of Jan, so what the hell do I expect?
Anyway, over the festive break – which feels years ago now – I was on one of my walks when I saw this …
Now I appreciate in the big scheme of things, it’s not much.
Let’s be honest, letting people sit at an outdoor table to eat their lunch is hardly earth-shattering … except it’s becoming that way. I cannot tell you how often I see signs either warning people to stay the fuck away or to only sit down if they have purchased something from whoever owns the table/space in question.
And while it is just a sign, it made me think a lot about generosity.
Because at a time where our industry is so protective and defensive of whatever self-important landfill we churn out [which, hilariously, we often claim as our ‘IP/Proprietary System’ when, at best, it’s often just a new name to an old or established process or viewpoint] … it’s bloody lovely to see someone be open and generous to the community they live in and serve.
Now I know a table to eat your lunch and a process you offer clients are very different things, but it was so refreshing to see behaviour drive differentiation rather than propaganda.
How amazing would it be if we all were a bit more generous rather than thinking success was all about what we can take.
Or claim.
Where so much of the industry blindly follows certain ‘best practice, marketing models’ – which, ironically, ends up making everyone look and act the same – the simple act of generosity can not only help you stand out from the competition, but enable a deeper and more valuable connection with the people you want to engage.
Or said another way, ‘generosity impacts more than media spend’.
And if more proof were needed, let’s not forget this little sign achieved what few ever thought possible: it turned me from the Grinch to Santa?
Not that’s a real Christmas miracle.