Specialist Equipment

OBSESSING OVER STUFF WE DON'T NEED

It seems to be mostly a guy thing, but I'm sure the girls do it too - namely, getting obsessed with the tech. Fixating on equipment add-ons, accessories and gadgets. I have a few mates who are like this.

Tech lovers get most pleasure talking about what the various bits of kit do. Having everything all shiny and clean so they can admire the brilliance of their equipment, also helps them visualise the benefits that these new additions will bring to their performance. Snowboarding, mountain and road biking are especially rife with these tech-nerds. They are usually found fiddling with dials, adjustment knobs and tweaking settings when they should just be riding.

It's the body and the mind that should be focussed on more to get the most out of the equipment we're using, yet these guys are usually lacking in that department and rather than strengthening the body, legs or dropping a few pounds to get more performance, they are relying on the weight gains saved from having the carbon or space-age parts, which they've paid an arm and a leg for instead.

Buying stuff we don't really need is an excuse for covering up our own inadequacies. Compensating with tech, seems to be what this phenomena is all about. If there's a quick fix to be found and providing it's really expensive too, must mean it's gonna work wonders on improving our performance. So why kit the gym?

Bags & Covers
I recently found myself getting a bit caught up in another area of buying stuff we don't really need. I was sucked in to the 'stuff I absolutely must have to complete my already amazing bit of kit' syndrome. 

I needed a way to protect my DJ S2 midi controller for a trip to Spain. I needed a special bag. Did I hell. Because that's when I realised my spending £100+ on a flight case or Traktor branded backpack was crazy. I have little money available to me at the moment and I'm using cash instead of credit cards to try and clear my debt. When you see how much a £20 note can get you if you're being frugal - a couple of alcoholic drinks and decent food for 3-4 days at best, possibly still leaving you with a bit of loose change if you're lucky. So spending over 5 times that amount on a canvas bag, especially when I have some great bags already, where the original packaging for the controller (with polystyrene foam included), fits snugly inside.

I noticed that Traktor also make plastic dust covers which I needed to keep the dust off my amazing kit. But £36 for a bit of plastic. Did I really need it that bad when a light towel did the job just as well? Heck no! So, keeping a reality check on ourselves is needed. Will that £££ spent on kit really make the enjoyment of using it that much better? Probably not. Will it look all shiny and boost confidence initially - probably a bit, but take away that distorted reality field - a piece of moulded plastic costs nothing to produce. And a bag is a bag. It doesn't need a logo on it to justify the price tag.

A Question of Fat Loss

'LOSING' THE FAT

Eating and drinking certain types of foods and beverages will add extra weight and create larger fat stores on the body. Understanding why we have weight gain and what causes it is pretty straight forward. We essentially consume more calories (energy) than the energy we use up. Basically - we take on too much fuel and the excess gets stored around our bodies. Understanding what types of fuel are best for filling us up, keeping us fuller for longer and for building/repairing muscles will help with how we look and feel.

A common mis-understanding about fat is that we gain and lose 'fat' - this isn't strictly true. We all have fat cells. Women tend to have more than men and they are found around organs and under the skin. Fat cells are essentially storage devices for energy. They do not get 'lost' or 'burned' - they expand or contract as the energy contents are used (burned) or stored. Depending on the types of exercise we do and fuel we take in to our bodies, will determine how our bodies perform and how we look or feel. Understanding how fat cells work and why certain diets do not work in the long run will teach us the smartest ways to train our body in order to keep weight down, tone the muscles and decrease fat storage.

Human Guinea Pig

TREATING YOURSELF AS SCIENCE PROJECT

Constantly making personal experiments on oneself - checking results, measuring the successes and making improvements to get the best out of our bodies & minds should be something taken every day. Many people never take a proper look at themselves and wonder why they are in the position they're in later on in life.

James Clear has just written another corker of a blog post on the subject of personal science which has now inspired me to make a daily check list of all the things I need to do. Regular assessments will be made to check if everything has been accomplished and tweaks to the programme will be made where improvements are required.

All of us are a work in progress and it takes constant hard work to ensure we are getting the best out of what we have been given. Without daily tests and evaluations - we can't accurately know how well we're performing or if we're heading on the right path. Keeping a daily diary/journal will be the beat way to keep tabs on all this.

Good Practice

REPITITION

Practice makes perfect so the saying goes. So it figures, that in order to get good at something, we need to repeat the process over and over until we know it off by heart. Intuitively. Practice needs focus to make perfection and this is where the repetition over time will get us desired results. 

In Pursuit Of Perfection

Japanese sushi master Jiro Ono - knew about the quest for perfection in making the best sushi. This film shows how even washing rice can take many years to get right. Another of James clear 's blogs also teaches us about self mastery and how focussed attention is what is required.

Boredom

The difference between a good athlete and a gold medal winning one is down to focussed practice plus an iron resolve to continue those hours of repetition - pushing through when most of us have become bored with the task in hand. I thought about this with my last swim - 60 lengths at pace is not easy to do day after day and unlike, say, running through the park, the repetition of ploughing up and down the same lane of the pool, with just the tiles at the bottom to look at, can be boring. However, it's in this time that I became really switched on. True focus can be found in the pool. Free from distractions, each stroke, each kick and each breath becomes a focus for repeated practice. Checking the reach, pull and exit of every stroke - assessing the body position in the water and timing the kicks became so laser-focussed that I barely noticed counting the laps. The swim, at only 30 minutes long, was completed without being bored at all - in fact, I look forward to the next session already. 

Safe Sanctuary

RETREAT, REGROUP & REWARD

It's been a tough start to the year and it's time to pull back the troops from the front line, dress the wounds, heal and recharge the energy levels. 

Self Assessment

The most important thing I've learned about making life changes since starting on this new lifestyle from 1st Jan this year: Self assessment - ie. taking daily checks on any progress....schedules, goals and energy levels for making these good things happen. Without maintaining good mental & physical health - none of these positive achievements would be possible. Checking the status quo every day means any deviations from sleep/diet can be corrected and the energy levels can be kept in the green/amber rather than red zones. It's amazing how seemingly small things like skipping a meal or having one hour less sleep, can affect our productivity. Without regular assessments, we don't really pay proper attention to these energy dips until they manifest in physical/mental drops in performance - ie. injury & illness. 

Know your limits

When you're young, you have an amazing capacity to heal/recover/adjust to deviations from any sleep and energy changes. Your body's natural ability for healing means even sustained periods of general abuse/mistreatment can be corrected easily. This ability to heal, although still possible over longer time periods is not as easy to do and may not be a full recovery as we get older. 

The painful truth

I can remember feeling invincible at 26. I used to push my physical limits, always working and playing hard. I would always bounce back from overdoing it. From the early to mid 30's, there's been a change in appearance - greying hair, lines around the eyes and ailments popping up 'seemingly from nowhere' but I've been living the same lifestyle in my mid to late 30's that I did in my 20's and still thought I was 'bouncing back'. I've repeatedly dropped my energy levels into the red zone and the last few years have thrown up some clear signals that the body isn't 26 anymore. We don't want to face up to the fact, but once we do accept ageing and hatch a plan to manage damage limitation, we can adjust our levels of input/output and allow ourselves more quality healing time. This is essential if we want to keep doing the things we enjoy and stay looking and feeling vital/younger through to old age. 

This is why - although I have some major responsibilities on at the moment, I'm taking time by myself to visit my safe sanctuary in order to get my energy levels back on track. This will see me return fresh and ready for the next battles ahead. 

Peak Time Performance

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THE RIGHT TIME TO PERFORM

We're on day 23 - just over 3 weeks into the new focus regime for 2015. The discipline has been applied consistently. It's been a steady march on the chosen path. Friday's are always time to reflect on the week, so it's time to evaluate and see if there's been any marked improvements.

Health:

I've been following a fairly low impact exercise routine that includes yoga, pilates and boxing. I cycle to work and back most days a week. I've also introduced a new strength training programme. I can clearly see/feel that the 3-4 times a week yoga & pilates, has improved my movement/flexibility and posture. The cycling, and gym work has helped up my general fitness, strength and stamina levels. In regards to the injuries - my neck has more mobility and my shoulders and right bicep appear to be getting better/stronger. Through diet, I've lost almost a stone in weight! (13lbs or 5.5kilos) and my definition is coming back through. My energy levels are up because I'm sleeping and eating much better and I'm able to cope with stress really well. 

Wealth:

Introducing the dry Jan rule has been an easy way to save money as there's been no money spent on alcohol. The Paleo diet means I've stuck to a very simple diet: eggs, fresh vegetables, lean meat & fish - fairly in-expensive too. Also, having a restrictive diet makes eating out a bit tricky - consequently, there's been little of that either. It's been fresh, home-cooked non-processed simple meals all round. But on the couple of times I have eaten out, the bills have been very low - especially as there's no alcohol in the mix!

I've spent some of my new free time organising my accounts, expenses and tax receipts - which has already saved on accountancy fees. I may also be saving considerably more money with a tax rebate too!

Happiness:

I've found some really great inspiration and info on the Internet - I'm actively learning, improving and creating every day. I feel and look healthier physically and mentally. Creating space for me at the most productive time in the mornings, means I have plenty of time throughout the day to accommodate others' needs. I'm more grateful of what I have and in a better mindset to appreciate the things around me that were taken for granted before. I have a positive outlook every morning and ready for what the day brings. 

Being at your best

Nobody wants to hang around with dull, depressive & negative people. But we do like being around energetic, uplifting, happy and positive people. So, which one are you today? How often are you like this? In your morning 5am comms meetings, take a bit of time to give yourself a daily check - kinda like the pilots do before flying a plane. This is how mine goes:

• How's the body feeling?
• Do I need to stretch?
• Am I rested/do I need more sleep?
• Is my mind clear/focussed?
• What's on the agenda?
• What nutrition do I need?
• Am I ready to take on the day?

According to sleep studies, you're optimum time for being the most productive is from about 7am til about 11am - then it drops to around 3pm when your energy is at it's lowest. So, If you can nap - do it at 3pm but keep it short because your energy goes up again at around 5pm (dropping off at around 9pm). If napping's not an option - this is when we tend to reach for caffeinated drinks and sugar fixes - switch for water and fruit & nuts instead. If you're going to bed earlier, you can change your internal body clock for optimum productive time to start at 5am. This gives you a few hours of quality time on your own to think and create.

I've realised making this extra time has had a massive improvement on my mental wellbeing. I'm one of the uplifting and positive people you'd wanna hang around with again. I believe everyone can benefit from doing this - and particularly introverts (see Meyers Briggs post) and the interesting book Susan Cain has written on the subject of living in a predominantly extroverted world. It can be energy sapping for an introvert if they don't get that time alone. I've found myself hiding from people at work, friends and my beloved girlfriend because I've not had the me-time during the day. If left for longer periods, this has manifested in periods with very low moods and extreme introversion whereby going deep in to my cave for recovery. While looking up the benefits of solitude, I stumbled upon Susan's insightful book which talks about introversion and coping in a predominantly extroverted world. I work in an open-plan office but as we're now able to 'hot-desk', I've managed to move away from distractions and into the designated quiet areas, which has left me in a much better place to produce good work.

I'm sure there's a lot of introverted thinkers out there who, stuck at their desk in an open environment, just don't have the luxury of being able to move to another place to work. Having everyone out in the open is a relatively new phenomenon and something that we need to look at in the workplace if we're going to have a happy, productive team.

For me, working in a creative role, keeping away from distractions and having a place of calm & order is key to ensure I'm at peak performance for longer to produce the best output.