Make room for more

 Lock your eyes, lock your body

I’ve had a great month of training, where I finished off my first cycle of the extended Russian peaking program. I hit my original maxes for 2x2 in week 8, and smashed 5-10kg 1rm gains for easy singles in week 9. Overall I found the program relatively easy, and really got to develop speed on the 6x2 days. The 6x5 and 6x6 weeks were the most challenging by far, especially on deadlifts, but the increased volume felt nice.

This month I've started Madcow 5x5, which involves ramping sets of 5’s. This program has strict reps/loads for rowing, which I’ve always done haphazardly. I think this program will be a great opportunity to add some solid loading structure to my rowing. I’m also going to substitute the press for weighted dips, and really push those as hard as possible. I’m excited to see how these two movements develop over the lifetime of the program.

Typically, I’ve always done squats first in every session. During the extended Russian peaking program, I was feeling a bit back-wards and started benching first. There are some studies that hypothesize that you will get the most improvement in whatever exercise you do first. Honestly, I’m a full believer as I feel that this change has made a big impact in my benching skill.

 I need more of this in my routine

I’ve also tried to keep my neck more neutral on the bench, by focusing on a point in the ceiling and following the bar with my peripheral vision. Please note, I’m also a big believer in training away from a mirror. Generally, your head follows your eyes, so if you watch yourself lift in a mirror, your head position will move as your eyes do. Because of this, the rest of your body (torso angle in squats, upper back tightness in bench) can (and often will) move as you perform the lift. Instead, try to focus on a fixed position on the floor, and you’ll find your torso angle will stay more fixed throughout the lift. 

In short, eyes still, head still, body still. Don’t lose your body position, don’t lose strength.

Make room for more

Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin.

This book is all about having enough spiritual and emotional space for yourself by creating more physical space in your life. Removing clutter (to your own tolerance level) allows you to feel more fulfilled and in the moment. This is another book that aims to increase creativity, productivity and promises to leave you healthier, happier and more energised by following a few simple rules. I recommend this book if you have trouble letting go of things, are any type of hoarder (physical or emotional) or want some good tips for making your house a home.

Nobody wants your stuff, not even you

Your childhood books, baby blankets or your tazo collection from when you were a kid are all awesome. They feel hugely important. But just how important? When was the last time you looked at this stuff? Do you need to keep your whole collection, or could you keep one item as a fond reminder of what once was? 

The things we find important change over time. I have started to recently get rid of a lot of books. And when I say a lot, I mean even the public library said they could not take any more. I’ve filled up every neighbourhood street library I could find in a 20km radius. I realised that I’ve always read lots of books, but rarely re-read them. No matter how attached I am to most of these books, why am I holding onto them? I’m never going to re-read Atonement from Grade 10 English. I now feel like I have space for more, which is something that Outer Order, Inner Calm advocates. Create space for your future self and feel liberated in the present. 

This books a huge emphasis on not just throwing things away. Donate, sell and then finally bin them. Don't re-gift and make your problem someone else's.

Put a time limit on things

If you haven’t finished the jigsaw puzzle you started with your family over Christmas then let’s be real… you’re probably never going to finish it. If you bought a guitar online, started learning for a week or two, and it hasn’t been picked up again in the last 5 months, it’s probably time to move it. If you have clothes in your wardrobe that don't fit, or were bought by your parents on a shopping trip. Take some time and put these items away. And if you haven't used them... well you know it's probably time to donate or sell.

This book has a really simple rule, if you don’t love it, need it, or use it, get rid of it. I would also add as a good rule of thumb, 6-12 months without use and it's gone!

Find your clutter tolerance

Not everyone has the same tolerance for pain. The same can be said for tolerance to clutter. There is some unspoken, universal law, that any Mum will be tenfold more annoyed by the pile of dirty laundry, unpacked LEGO and toys stretching across lounge room floors. While a few plates in the sink may go unnoticed to most, to one person it may be the worst cardinal sin. Children literally have no idea what it means to put things away, and nor does it bother them. Instead of being in a constant state of turmoil with others, communicate what you can and can’t handle. Create generic bins in communal areas that you can put people's things in, and at least those things will be one step closer to your version of ‘tidy’.

Too many toy goats for this mum

Everyone is different, and everyone has their own area in the house where they feel responsible. Don't try and be the Atilla the Hun of every room, but make it clear which areas should (and shouldn't) have things left everywhere. Give people ownership over communal spaces, communicate effectively to housemates and you should feel yourself relaxed and free.

 A step in the right direction is better than no step at all

The book suggests that if you cannot always get your stuff into the right place the first time, every time you leave a room, take something from that just one room closer to where it's meant to be. Eventually, you'll find that this process will put things in their place. This method does rely on the fact that everything has a “home”. And not just the ‘home’ you think the object should have. Perhaps if your favourite robe always ends up in your study, invest in a coat rack for that one special object. Oftentimes the place where we think something belongs is not functional enough for how we use that object. If something always ends up in the hallway – maybe you need to rethink how you house that item.

 Morning people

People who wake up early, who are up before the rooster crows. What are they thinking? Why do they do it? Here's a possible explanation.

I believe that morning people have mastered the art of framing their day. There’s a reason cold showers at the start of the day are so beneficial to combat depression, anxiety and procrastination. However you start your day, if you conquer the hardest thing first in the day, everything else is relatively much easier. I believe that because morning people often start their day before everyone else, they get to focus on most of their days work before anyone else is even up. Oftentimes, this will be the most challenging or difficult task of the day that they want to start before they are interrupted by everyone else. Morning people attribute waking up early as what brings them success, but I think that what's more likely is that these people have mastered doing what’s most important in the day, first.

An interesting phenomenon which can help support this argument are studies on the size of skill increase depending on the order of exercises completed when lifting. Studies have shown that whatever lift you perform first in a workout, you have an increased skill gain than later exercises in the workout. I believe that because morning people are often working on their hardest tasks first, they gain the most skill at these tasks. And if you get better at doing the hardest thing you have to do every day, always, then you've got a huge compounding skill gain over your lifetime.

Don't just be a morning person, become Amun Ra the Sun God

The other thing that involves doing the hardest thing of your day first, is knowing the previous day exactly what tasks you have planned for the following day. I’m sure I don’t have to go into the countless studies on goal setting/planning etc. and the correlations between that and being successful at what you do.

So even if you aren’t a morning person, at least adhere to Step 1. Plan. Write down your tasks for tomorrow or the week. You’ll be able to sleep a lot easier knowing you have at least figured out how to start your day. Understand your hardest tasks and do them first. The rest of the day will feel immeasurably easier, and who knows, you may even start waking up earlier too.