The Journal #1
Thoughts. Strength. Threads. Sleep.
01. PSYCHOLOGY
Big Trouble in Little…Thoughts
My biggest support tool for working with execs and successful leaders lately?
Taking time to really understand ‘thoughts’ and how thoughts shape our feelings and behaviours.
Did you know we have up to an average of 60 thousand thoughts per day and around 70/ 80% of them are negative? It’s not as bad as it sounds though.
Known as NATs (Negative automatic thoughts) we have and disregard thoughts in an endless flow throughout the day.
‘Will he just get on with it’ ‘I wonder if there will be traffic on the way home again’ ‘I wasn’t clear in that meeting’ ‘this is so bad’
It’s not the actual thought itself that’s the problem.
It’s actually the weight of belief we assign to each thought that carries impact. The stronger the belief, the stronger the feelings, the stronger the behaviours.
But what if the thought isn’t correct? What if for any number of reasons you are being hard on yourself, thinking the worst or worrying about what hasn’t happened yet? Misguided feelings and misrepresenting behaviours.
But good news. We can manage our thoughts!
Some top tips for this;
Our thoughts are not us. They are separate and can be managed like any information we receive (but sometimes with practice)
Thoughts are not facts. We can choose to consider and disregard thoughts just like we can any information (but sometimes with practice)
It’s easier for some than others but sometimes requires practice! (And for some some coaching and support).
So remember when the next negative thought creeps in. We are not our thoughts, thoughts are not facts and we can choose our path to responding to them.
With this I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite philosophers;
"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself but to your own estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment"
Marcus Aurelius
02. FITNESS
Tut…Tut…Lift
Take your training up a notch with ‘TUT’!
’Time Under Tension’
An absolute must for growing muscle, a great way to break through a plateaux and perfect for progress at any age.
Stop waving weights around from A to B like Mr Tickle at a rave.
Instead, try lowering the weight for 3 seconds (this is the eccentric or lengthening of the muscle), pause for 1 second, before pushing the weight back up swiftly in 1 second (the concentric or shortening of the muscle).
Repeat, until it burns.
Dad strength incoming!
03. LIFESTYLE
Trendsetter
As our wisdom, character and experience develop a deeper and richer tone with age, why shouldn’t our wardrobe?
That means getting rid of the ripped jeans and those skin-tight branded, low cut t-shirts you bought 10 years ago from that well-known department store (tough but you can do it!).
Seeing mid-life as an opportunity to refresh our wardrobe with timeless, understated pieces that compliment the man you are now, not the man who you were is a beautiful journey.
Our advice?
Seek out the craftspeople. Buy local. Wear it with pride.
Invest in the best you can afford. Buy well, buy once. Sales help.
Here are some our top 5 British clothing brands for guys aged 30+
Hiut Denim - Worn by royals and rockstars alike! World-class jeans from west Wales
Sunspel - Creators of the world’s first luxury t-shirt in 1908. This Nottinghamshire based brand have been at it for over 160 years.
Private White VC = Founded by a WWI hero, every garment is still made by hand in their Manchester factory.
Crockett & Jones - Whilst many ‘British made’ shoe brands have shipped manufacturing overseas or sold out to foreign wealthy backers, C&J remain 100% designed and manufactured in the shoe capitol of England, Northampton (that is why Northampton Town FC are nicknamed ‘The Cobblers’).
Percival - Hanging on the back of many an A-list celeb…and Chris Evans! These guys make Gareth Southgate’s trench coat.
04. QUOTE
“If youth knew; if age could.”
Sigmund Freud
05. TIP
Sleep
Adding a few more carbs to your evening meal or supper aids serotonin and melatonin release in the brain and contributes to improved sleep.
Save the salad for lunch.
The Journal by NXT45
