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Where are you heading?20/10/2020
The first thing I did was create a graph obviously. Scroll down to see which way my belly is heading! And FAR more importantly to start to think about where you are heading? Where's your destination is likely to be? Are you are going to like it or not!???
Heading towards obesity
As I stood on the scales this morning the question that came into my mind was "Am I heading in the right direction?" "Am I going to like the destination?"
Every month Katie and I ask ourselves this question, as part of our monthly reflection, to keep ourselves on track and to make sure we aren't heading in the wrong direction. With the power of technology I was able to instantly bring up a chart showing my average weight for the last 6 months. I looked at the chart, my mind instantly plotted out a trend line into the future and saw that I was headed straight for obesity! 
The chart started at 84 kilos (184.8lbs) and in six short months has risen to 92 kilos (202.4lbs). I am not happy about this! Too much German Sausage, too much late night Baklava & too many breakfasts out!
The question then comes after looking at the data am I happy with where I am heading? Well over the last 5 months I have put on 1 kilo (2.2lbs) a month. Track that out over a year and I would weigh 12 kilos (26.4lbs for the imperial amongst you) more a year! In two years I would be heavier that I have ever been, I would be in the high risk zone for all sorts of nasty diseases and illnesses that I don't want! Charting this out scared me! Do you know which way your health is heading? Do you know which way your finances are heading? How about your business? Do you measure regularly? Do you track and check? Can you tell? Beware false measures
I did a period of consultancy for a large low cost airline in the middle east. Whilst I was there I was working on customer service, training the teams, understanding their measures and helping them to improve service levels.
One of the metrics the management of the company tracked was length of time that it took to deal with a customer call. They wanted to reduce the length of time it took to deal with a customer call so that they could increase the number of calls each team member could handle and they could get through things quicker. They incentivised staff to reduce the amount of time they were on the phone with each customer. What they never thought about was the side effect of this measure. If you are tasked with getting through calls quickly what are you going to do as the customer service operator? I know what I would do. Get them off the phone as quickly as possible. Be short, be concise and get them off the line. If you were the customer at the other end how would you feel? Rushed or listened to? Supported or pushed away? The numbers that you measure and track in business can produce severe side effects. The same is true in health. You may end up with false measures saying you are on the right track. At the start of a fitness programme you might increase weight as you put on muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat. You might think that whilst you are actually getting healthier you think you are on the wrong path. Body fat percentage is a far better number to measure and reduce that weight. In business you might be measuring follower numbers on your social media accounts but the real question is how engaged are they with you? Do they talk to you? Comment? Share? Buy from you? Follower numbers can be gamed and increased without adding any value to your bottom line. Beware false measures! Are you measuring the right number?
I need to look beyond just weight to see if I am on the right track.
Katie and I started a challenge this month to do 1000 burpees. A burpee is where you squat, thrust your legs behind you, do a press up, crunch back up and then jump high into the air. You then repeat! They are one of the quickest ways Katie and I have found to exhaustion! They hurt! The real question is am I putting on muscle? Am I getting fatter? Let's see Body fat percentage to get a better understanding: 
It is fairly easy to see that body fat percentage is going up! I am getting fatter! BOOOO. When I see this chart I feel unhappy and in my core I know I need to change it.
The late night chocolate needs to go, the eating out and the German Sausage needs to go! Boooo! Well reduce at least.......... This chart is an important wake up call for me to show I am clearly heading in the wrong direction. It is something I need to focus on and change quickly! How about muscle mass? 
At least muscle mass is edging up based on the exercise I am doing but not as fast at the body fat percentage graph. The chart line on the body fat percentage has a far greater incline (it is going up faster) than the muscle mass.
This brings me to the classic saying "you can't out train a bad diet!". And I think we have some statistical proof here! I am working hard with burpees and putting on muscle but getting fatter from my diet. Am I heading in the right direction?
Clearly on the health front I am heading in the wrong direction and getting fatter. This has to change and this is the motivation I need to make this happen.
At least I know about it and can do something to change the direction. Most people don't even know they are heading the wrong direction. They slowly get fatter each year until they notice the overhang and it is too late! They spend a little more than they earn each month going slowly into debt until it becomes a huge problem. They drift along in their business not really noticing that the sales aren't coming in until they run out of funds to keep going and it is too late. Most people drift slowly towards disaster without knowing it. Which way are you heading?
I would love you to take a moment right now to check in with yourself on the 8 major areas of life and ask the question "am I heading in the right direction?"
Copy these areas out into a note book or if you are a geek like me OneNote and answer the question for each of them: "Am I heading in the right direction?"
Don't like the answer?
Don't like the answer? I didn't like my answer this morning at all. I am going to end up a fat blob if I continue to eat as I am.
This is your chance to do something about it? These things don't change themselves. You need to do something!!! Don't like where your health is going? Get off your ass and do some exercise, eat more vegetables, cut out sugar Don't like where your finances are heading? Spend less, earn more and come on the next Rebel Finance School Course that Katie and I are running Don't like where your business/ career is heading? Then do something about it! Work on sales, deliver more for your company or create more value in the marketplace. If you want different results do something different. If you want an extraordinary life then do something extraordinary Change something today that will change the course of your future.......... Thank you for reading
Thanks for reading my blog and being part of the gang! The whole purpose of this is to help you and to inspire you. Writing this article has inspired me; I have a fridge full of vegetables and a renewed energy to reduce the belly; but the real reason I am doing this is for you.
Here's some thoughts and ideas about what is coming up on the blog and things you can do:
Thanks for reading, thanks for sharing and leaving comments and good luck creating the future you want to have. |
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