30 Day Micro Mission; Repeat

The commercials started about 30 days ago – gym memberships, fitness equipment and meal planning services. Likely, at the same time, your cortisol levels started to rise, as you began to calculate the future mileage you’d be traveling between family functions, cataloging the lists of gifts and role-playing the hours of conversation with family members about your job, relationship status and politics.

If you’re in sales, it’s the end of the month, quarter and year – genuinely, good luck -> Let’s focus on a strong close; however, would you be willing to considering taking a moment, to plan for progress in 2019?

And to make it manageable, let’s map out micro-missions which last no longer than 30-days (yup, you get a cheat-day, when the month has 31 days in it). Sure, it may take 66 days on average, to generate healthy habits that last most, if not all of the entire year, but where’s the challenge in merely one resolution? Let’s keep it fresh. Keep rewarding yourself. Finding and overcoming challenges. To that point, step one is already ‘done’ for you, below – The Brilliant Idea Brainstorming Phase. One idea per month, already created, with an initial step or two. The end-goal of each month is inherently clear (aka – get to the end of the month), so how you formulate the middle, is up to you. Sell it all in 2018 and enjoy the challenges and rewards of your micro-missions …

January: Yes, you’re going to exercise in January. Several variables here, so permit me a moment to break it down.

1.     Beginners – stand up from your desk every 20 minutes. Stretch your hamstrings, back and shoulders for 3 minutes a day, every day. Walk with a purpose, for 10 minutes (don’t count your steps; instead, focus on the distance over 10 minutes), three times a week.

2.     Currently conditioned (aka, you’re sufficiently motivated to perform resistance exercises 3x per week) – hire a personal trainer for the entire month of January. Simply put, label this trainer “Accountability Manager” in your planner. Pay for the entire month. You likely only need to see them once a week.

NOTE: Personal Trainers are not registered dietitians. You’re paying for movement critique, programming and corrective exercises.

3.     Athlete with an eye on the prize – Identify someone to assist you with achieving a personal record, or participating/placing in a competitive event. Each situation will clearly require specific fitness-related planning – functional exercises, with documentation of progress and an action plan for achieving milestones.

BONUS: For all-around fitness and wellness, there’s no magic routine, machine or philosophy; nevertheless, here are some general tips.

• Frequency – “Exercise today, so that you move better tomorrow.” Pretty reasonable mantra, by which to perform any individual session. Indeed, you can exercise (with appropriate oversight and monitoring) two days in a row. Be that as it may, more isn’t necessarily better and too-much is likely exactly that – too much. 
• Intensity – 90 minutes on a treadmill (sure, if your joints are conditioned for it). Super-sets, drop-sets, AMRAP (of course, if it’s the proper phase training). PS, sweating isn’t nearly the indicator of intensity, as more accurately defined by the simple talk-test, when you can’t calculate your VO2 max or have an EMG for muscle fiber activation.
• Type – variability is likely the best general prescription to create more stability/strength. Think of resistance devices using body-weight, tubing, free weights and cable machines. Mitigate the potential of boredom by knowing how you’ll mix things up, with a plan that still ensures functional progress.

February: Eat right  |  hey, it’s the shortest month, so let’s ‘fast’ (16:8 or 5:2 – which do you want to do), monitor your macros, seek caloric deprivation, get into a ketogenic state (most searched ‘health question of 2018) … what’s your motivation? Get swole, find your 6-pack, look good in a suit? Generally speaking, most people get to their body-composition goals by consuming 20% fewer calories. Generally, people who eat fewer calories, live longer. Generally, I eat dessert every day. Again, what’s your motivation?

NOTE: As mentioned in previous articles, I’m a certified personal trainer, not a nutritionist, nor a Registered Dietitian. If you don’t know the difference, it’s in your best interest to take some time to research it.

March: Sleep, on purpose  |  No screens of any sort, at least 60 minutes before bed. As a certified personal trainer and sales/digital process consultant, I’m not a sleep expert; however, I frame the value of sleep based on the following data points. 

The average person can survive:

• Without food -> for approximately 35-45 days
• Without water -> for ~5-7 days
• Without sleep ----> for ~10 days … WAIT, you mean I can actually die, without enough sleep?! Glad someone told me. Okay, so sleep must be important.

April: Give back  |  The last three months were all about you, so how about thinking of others ?? Write a “long-form” article on LinkedIn. At least 750 words, with at least one strong image and no spelling errors. Sure, you could procrastinate and wait until the last day to write it, but don’t cheat yourself, or followers.  Most of us would agree that motivation beyond 30 minutes (not to mention 30 days) isn’t coming from memes or marketing (alas, Nike’s Just Do It effect peaked years ago), so kindly contribute with long-form content.

May: Pick a fight  |  Oh, we’re not that kind of club; instead, pick up a conversation, with an old friend; someone with whom you haven’t connected in at least six months. Step 1, send a custom connection request on LinkedIn. Step 2, have a reason to connect that isn’t vested. Step 3, plan on reaching out to this individual with observations and/or content that is relevant to them personally and/or professionally (but hey, no “selling pitches” here, please). Step 4, repeat at least weekly, for the month of May. Step 5, if you don’t/didn’t hear back, don’t take it personally, don’t block, unfollow, or create a negative hashtag. Be comfortable with the knowledge of knowing whether the relationship will continue … or not.

June: “Summer of Spanish”  |  It’s time to begin learning another language. To create more brain synapses, increase dendrite activity and simply, because it’s free! Duolingo (developed by students at Carnegie Mellon University), Babbel or maybe even a friend or coworker. Three to 15 minutes a day. So easy it’s silly to not do it. Esta listo? Vamonos!

July: New to you  |  If you’ve never done it, July is the month to try it -> scuba dive, rock-wall boulder, surf (ocean, not internet), kayak (ocean or whitewater). Similarly to hiring a personal trainer for fitness programming, recruit the services of a specialist instructor. Although some activities will be weather-dependent, commit to once-a-week instruction that is activity-specific. And while some people find that including a companion is in their best interest of motivation, participation, etc, there are benefits associated with performing a task without judgement, when you tackle the task on your own (“dance like no one’s watching”).

August: Meditation and vacation  |  It’s time to disconnect. Perhaps it means heading into the “wilds” of Vermont where it’s the literal geography that creates a “commitment device”. Don’t discount the option of getting a “burner phone” for a month, which you don’t connect to email and social media accounts, yet clearly allows you to stay in touch, for emergencies (and directions, aka WAZE). No need to make vacation recommendations here; however, the cherry-on-top is to download a meditation app – Calm, Headspace, Mindfulness. NOTE: While many of the resolutions in the months prior were once-a week, meditation is generally recommended 4 or more times weekly. As one of my coworkers said, “this sounds hippie-dippy”, yet large corporations like PricewaterhouseCoopers, Nike and HBO to increase employee productivity and satisfaction.

September: Read a book  |  As much as I enjoy the Walking Dead, a graphic novel doesn’t count, in this instance. And while it doesn’t have to be about personal or business development, make your first selection an actual book (versus Audible). If you’re already an avid reader, set a new goal – example: read a classic (Tale of Two Cities) or quantity (3 books in a month). REWARD: If you read a book in September, consider signing up for Audible, in order to digest even more content.

October: Multi-media month  |  It’s time to get out of your comfort zone. Find a voice coach, take up guitar lessons (some Music & Arts locations will even let you rent for 30-days), create a podcast. Remember, this isn’t supposed to be easy (or everyone would do it); however, by the end of October, you’ll have a digital recording of your progress and production. Whether you share it online with the rest of us, is certainly up to you.

November: Okay, this is sort of a ‘cheat’, but hear me out  |  For November, your resolution is to eat right, get enough sleep and exercise. Obviously, one may consider that to be three resolutions, but let’s frame it as a single mission to “be healthy”. Your body doesn’t know it’s a holiday month, so calories from pumpkin pie (hmmm!) versus vegetables and meats (without excessive dressings and gravies – hmmm again) can add up quickly, without the benefits of actually fueling your body. 

Food is fuel, for the exercise that builds a ‘supply’ of muscle (versus fat deposits) with the compounding benefits of sleep, that flushes the brain of toxins among other recovery points.

December: You made it  |  Take the month off. EXCEPT, plan for 2020. Exercise your brain, to create resolutions for 2020. Will you do twelve again, or maybe quarterly goals? The puns are sure to abound in 2020, so I’ll be the “first” to document one  ->  Focus your 2020 resolutions with clear goals and rewards with a vision of personal and professional growth. Points for enough puns? Thanks!

On average, we’re more successful attaining goals, when we take time to define the initial steps and the intended results, while allowing the middle to meld-itself to a certain extent. Seek encouragement from like-minded and/or persons who have already succeeded, yet aren’t outliers who didn’t have similar struggles. The body hears what the mouth and brain ‘say’. I say, “Giddy-up.”

The content of the post, do not reflect the opinion and/or position of my current employer and are solely the concepts/actions of my personal endeavors.

Shawn M. Ramsey, Consultant & Trainer, 25ish years automotive & certified group exercise, personal trainer

Many thanks to my fellow LinkedIn users, who have *thumbed-up, commented on and especially shared posts, to assist us all, in personal and professional improvement.