Author Archives: mikegaritty

Weekend Challenge : Get Outdoors!

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One of the best things about living out in California is we can go explore every weekend. I’m lacing up my shoes as I type Here are some tips to be living the weekend to the fullest (especially for those trapped in an office all week)

1. Embrace the child inside you

As kids, we couldn’t wait to get outdoors. Now, as we get older, it becomes less and less frequent. You’ll get more vitamin D and feel much better at work on Mondays. Start small. One walk around the neighborhood or a small hike at your local park. Eventually you can work up to extended hikes and camping trips.

2. Join with a friend or group

There is something to be said about the independence and quietness of nature, but going hiking with a few friends or family makes it that much better. Pick a spot that you would all enjoy, and bring a camera to remember the occasion.

3. Bring your dog, and let them go nuts

Getting to bring Cruz out on the hikes with us is the best. You can tell he truly loves the outdoors. Make sure to test your dog if they haven’t been on a hike before with a few smaller hikes to warm them up. Also, for those of you with puppies, start them early! If you decide to unleash them (which I do) make sure they know to come back whenever you need them. Also, some parks can have different rules about unleashing dogs.

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4. Go off the beaten path

Most trails or parks have a well-traveled path for hikes. However, I’ve found these to be a tad boring. If you see something that interests you, go explore. This goes back to our primal instincts and adventurous natures! Some of the best spots we’ve found have been off the path, secluded from everyone. Of course, be sure to exercise caution and never put yourself in a position where you aren’t safe.

5. Chug, Chug, Chug!

Dehydration can easily affect the length and duration of your hikes. Begin drinking a lot of water the night before, and cut down as you approach your hike. You don’t want to be stuck a few miles into your hike having to go. I usually won’t carry water with me unless the hike is more than 4 miles. Drinking enough water can be the difference in a miserable time or a truly remarkable experience.

There you go. Now I’m all laced up and we are packed up and ready to go. To find trails around you I recommend using AllTrails. I love this app.

“There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness, that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy, and its charm.” – Teddy Roosevelt

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James Clear: It’s Good to Feel Stupid: 5 Thoughts on Overcoming Fear and Self-Doubt

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I was lifting with the owner of my gym. She was doing clean and jerks. I was squatting.

In between sets, I asked if she had ever competed in an Olympic weightlifting meet. “You should do one. They are a lot of fun and you’re definitely built to be a weightlifter.”

“That’s what everyone tells me, but I don’t know,” she responded. “Competitions make me kind of nervous. I just think: what if I miss this lift and all of these people see it?”

Let’s pause for a moment.

Remember, this is someone who OWNS a gym. She misses lifts every single week and sees hundreds of other people do the same. And yet here she is, letting her fear of being judged prevent her from doing something that she’d like to do.

This little conversation reminded me of why I hate “fear–based decision making” and got me thinking about the importance of overcoming fear. Let’s talk about how you can get past fear and self–doubt and do the things that you want to do.

Fear–Based Decision Making

Fear–based decision making is when you let your fears or worries dictate your actions (or, in most cases, your lack of action).

For example…

  • “I’d love to visit Africa, but what if something bad happens while I’m there? I’ll go somewhere else instead.”
  • “I’d love to write a book, but what if people hate it? Maybe I should read more before I start writing.”
  • “I’d love to get in shape, but what if I look stupid at the gym? I need to lose some weight before I go.”

The unfortunate result is that you don’t do the things that you say are important to you.

Just to be clear, I’ve made this mistake many times myself. In fact, for two years I came up with all sorts of reasons for why I shouldn’t start this very website. I’ve also come up with excuses for not building businesses, not starting projects, not applying to schools, not applying to jobs, and on and on.

In other words, this is a mistake that we all make. But, that doesn’t mean it’s alright to continue making it.

5 Thoughts on Overcoming Fear and Self–Doubt

After all of my mistakes, there are a few rules of thumb that I now try to keep in mind…

1. Don’t pick goals where the stakes are low.

When the gym owner chooses to avoid competition and only miss lifts in her home gym, it’s a way of keeping the stakes low. But failing in a safe zone is just a clever way of holding yourself back.

If you fail inside your comfort zone, it’s not really failure, it’s just maintaining the status quo. If you never feel uncomfortable, then you’re never trying anything new.

In other words, feeling stupid is a good thing.

2. Nobody is rooting for you to fail.

Maybe you’ll succeed. Maybe you’ll fail. For the most part, nobody cares one way or the other.

This is a good thing! The world is big and you are small, and that means you can chase your dreams with little worry for what people think.

3. Just because you don’t like where you have to start from doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get started.

I wish I was a better writer when I started writing. I wish I was a smarter entrepreneur when I started building businesses. I wish I was a better photographer when I picked up a camera. But more than anything, I’m glad I chose to start even though I wasn’t very good in the beginning.

Feelings of fear and uncertainty have a way of making you feel unprepared.

  • “I should learn more before I take this test.”
  • “I should practice more before I compete.”
  • “I should get this degree before I start this business.”

Here’s a tough question that forces you to consider the opposite side:How long will you put off what you’re capable of doing just to maintain what you’re currently doing?

4. Stop making uncertain things, certain.

Who says you’re going to fail? Just because someone else got rejected from that job doesn’t mean you will. Maybe the publisher hated your friend’s book, but that doesn’t mean they’ll hate yours. Maybe you tried to lose weight before, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lose it now.

You’re not destined to “miss that lift.” In fact, maybe you’re destined to succeed.

Stop acting like failure is certain. It’s not.

5. The only real failure is not taking any action in the first place.

We all deal with feelings of fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability. And unfortunately, most of us let those feelings dictate our actions. For this reason, the simple decision to act is often enough to separate you from most people. You don’t need to be great at what you do, you just need to be the one person who actually decides to do it.

You can enjoy a lot of success by doing the things that most people make excuses to avoid.

James Clear writes at JamesClear.com, where he shares ideas about using behavior science to improve your performance and master your habits. For fresh ideas on how to live a healthy life — both mentally and physically — join his free newsletter.

Fitness: The Power of Habit and Consistency

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Working out during Movember

Working out during Movember

Since 2010 I have been making personal goals and in three years since I usually hit about 80% of them. Seeing as how this is a new year, I have made some fitness goals for myself.

  • 365 miles run by the end of the year
  • 400 crunches a day
  • At least 4 workouts a week
  • 208 total workouts for the year
  • 1/2 or full-marathon
  • 15 strict pull ups
  • Get down to and maintain 180 lbs

Additionally, both Ashley and I have continued with our healthy eating. Granted, we may slip up from time to time, typically when we are with friends.

Recently I started looking into Jack LaLanne and his fitness abilities. LaLanne worked out for two hours everyday, for his entire life. He was able to accomplish things into his late 70’s and 80’s only we could dream of. The interesting thing about LaLanne was he didn’t have some amazing patented solution. He woke up everyday at 5 am, did strength workouts for 90 minutes, followed by a 30 minute run or swim. He ate healthy, limiting his meat intake to fish and egg-whites. LaLanne lived to 96 years young and was working out until his last days.

What we should take away from LaLanne and his revolution on the fitness world is that fitness is about habit and consistency. We will never get in shape if we keep playing mind games with ourselves. “Well I drank a lot last night, I’ll take today off at the gym.” No doubt I might have said this once or twice in my life. It’s the power of habit that allows for people to reach past the plateaus and accomplish things far greater than we could have imagined.

That’s what I will be focusing on with my fitness goals for 2014, consistency. It’s going to be through consistency and creating a habit that I will stop thinking about my workouts. Also, it’s important to remove the gloating and accomplishment of fitness. I doubt any of us have ever heard someone bragging about how well they brushed their teeth earlier that morning. Well, the same should be said for fitness. Fitness should be something that occurs daily, in whatever capacity, that is as normal as brushing our teeth.

Currently I am maintaining a spreadsheet on my desktop documenting each workout I do. Throughout the year, I will update my progress on these goals. Post any thoughts or wisdom you have when it comes to creating habit in your fitness routine below!

What to expect for Tough Mudder

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So after completing the Georgia 2012 Tough Mudder a month ago, Feb 11 2012, I thought I would provide some insight and wisdom for those thinking about doing a Tough Mudder. Tough Mudder is a hard event, and will definitely challenge your will and abilities. However, with proper training and nutrition, anyone can do it.

Begin Training months before

Do not expect to go into a Tough Mudder event and complete it without months of training. If you are already training more than 3-4 days a week with intense strength and cardio workouts (pull ups, squats, push ups, running) then do not expect this to be something you can walk into and finish. Some tips when training…

  • Use the Tough Mudder workout that is available on the website. This 16 exercise circuit is a great tool for beginners to build up endurance that is essential in completing a TM.
  • Crossfit workouts compliment TM very well. Search Crossfit workouts on Google, most workouts begin with women’s name (ie. Helen, Linda, etc). Best of all, these workouts greatly improve your grip strength, which you will need on several obstacles.
  • Invest in quality workout equipment. This means good running shoes, and shorts and shirts similar to those you plan on wearing for the event day (I would recommend dri-fit)
  • Proper form is key. If you are using incorrect form, this will lead to injury and lower your potential for gains.

Join a team

Convince your friends to sign up with you. By competing together as a team, you share a lot of the pressure of the event. When it comes to working out, you may get bored or frustrated from time to time. This team will hold you accountable during these tough times. Also, the team really helps during the event. There may be times that you think you cannot go on, but having the team there truly helps.

Nutrition is Key

If you are not already watching what you eat, you need to start right now. This can be very hard for people. Advertisements and culture today promote unhealthy lifestyles, with heavy alcohol consumptions, fast food diets, and sugar. This is not the way to live. Sugar will hold you back from experience your potential gains. Period. For reference to proper nutrition, consider the “Slow Carb Diet” from Timothy Ferris, or the “Whole 9 Life” diet. These diets look at the food you are eating, and not necessarily the quantities.

Where nutrition fails is people trying to replace unhealthy foods for similar less unhealthy foods (ex. deep dish pizza vs thin crust whole grain pizza). Solution: Do not eat pizza. The best thing about these diets is you can eat as much as you want, and you will still shed fat and feel healthier than you ever have. Since switching to this diet (at the new year) I have drastically cut my caffeine intake, and I avoid the ups and downs of my blood sugar being affected by carb intake.

This can be the hardest thing for people to change, seriously. Some people are stubborn and think they can achieve physical success while ignoring the importance of nutrition. You are not the exception to the rule, and nutrition is a science. Why put in all the work in the gym and on the trails, if you are damaging your gains in the kitchen and in front of the TV? Start small, and be patient. Once you feel how much better you will feel, and how much longer you last in the gym and on the course, you won’t go back.

On Race Day

I was pretty nervous on race day. Mostly excitement, but being my first TM, I had no idea what to expect. It didn’t help that we had temperatures in the mid 40’s with sustained winds of 20+ mph (gusts were at 40+). I knew cold would be a huge factor.

Get your mind right going into the event, but make sure you have fun and socialize during. Some of the best memories were engaging with fellow TMs and helping them. For example, in the mud pit obstacle (mud you wade through that comes up to your chin) one of the guys next to me started singing “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard.” Several of us joined in and had a nice laugh. This was at mile marker 7, more than 2 hours into the event.

Don’t underestimate how much small events like this can help your morale and energy.

Do’s

  • Do- Wear shoes you are comfortable in. Lace them 2-3 times. Some people used duct tape to keep their shoes on
  • Do- Wear dri-fit. This doesn’t retain water in the obstacles, and was very light throughout the course.
  • Do- Arrive at least 1 1/2 hours early for the event. Allowing time for parking, checking in, and stretching

Don’t

  • Don’t- Wear gloves. I thought this was a good idea, but they were covered in mud I couldn’t get off, and kept my hands cold the entire time.
  • Don’t- Eat a large breakfast. We went with eggs and bacon 5 hours before the event, with a small banana before.
  • Don’t- Scare yourself. Just keep going. The event can be daunting if you count each obstacles or each mile

 

Good luck to everyone signed up and participating in a Tough Mudder. If you have any questions, comment on this post and I’ll try and answer them ASAP.

 

First post!

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After graduating from college in 4 years and being one of the fortunate few of my friends to land a job, I set out for the work force. Since, I have been moving well through my company and recently started grad school getting my MBA. Needless to say, I have been introduced to plenty of wisdom and experience in my every day life events, and I felt obligated to archive these, either for myself or for others.

This site will mostly consist of my thoughts on

  • Things I am learning in graduate school
  • Books I am reading
  • Goals I have, and my steps to achieve those
  • Entrepreneurial thoughts
  • Self-help and motivational techniques
  • Things I have found that lead to success in every day life

All in all, I am excited to start this and begin sharing some of the things I have been exposed to that have led me to succeed in my life thus far, and will propel me to accomplish my future goals.

Note: I will limit the details of my private life and will never discuss any details of my professional life.