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On Mondays, we’ll lock in together: See below for a motivational tidbit to start your week, perspective on movement I’m focusing on, and music I’m enjoying I’d like to share with you 🙂
1/3. Motivation
“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”
This quote from author and philosopher Eric Hoffer was featured in this Sunday’s "Brain Food" newsletter (linked above). I read about it as I was getting ready to go to the gym on Sunday morning, drinking my pre-workout, and texted myself some reflections on it. I thought it would be a good way to kick off our week.
My takeaway was that no matter how ‘learned’ we may be, learners are the ones who thrive. Learners are agile, adaptable, and ready to embrace new opportunities as if they were a gift passed down to them (hence, his use of ‘inherit’). Learners react or let change happen to them; they come into possession of its benefits.
The learned are still intelligent, but can find themselves at a disadvantage if they are not looking to expand their knowledge to meet a changing landscape. If they aren’t forward looking, their expertise can become solely rooted in the past. The learned need to sharpen their tools and fine tunes their mental models for their toolkit to remain relevant. Otherwise, once-effective skills become obsolete in a new environment. To tie back to Hoffer, though their world might be "beautiful," it isn’t current.
My biggest takeaway is that static knowledge can hold less value than the ability to continuously acquire new knowledge and adjust to circumstances. In a very concise way, it further highlighted the importance of a mindset focused on constant learning.
Intention for the Week: Find ways to push yourself to be a learner, even if you are already "learned" in many areas.
2/3. Movement
A Moment For Recovery
I had intended to start a deep dive into the 2nd of the three training splits I plan to cover in the guide to splits, but after coming down with Covid and not being able to lift or go outside for ~5 days, I wanted to take a moment and talk about recovery and rest, both from a mental and physical aspect. It feels well-timed.
For me, having to limit physical activity can be really challenging because I feel it’s how I get to put my mind at ease. It’s truly the only time during the day where I not only get to hear my thoughts, but also process and reset.That’s why I always try to get my movement in 1st thing in the morning. I just think it helps me be a better me. But, if I get sick or my routine is a bit thrown, I have to be comfortable with adjusting. I keep a little toolkit o mantras I bring myself back to so I feel productive in recovery and some physical tasks that I do at home:
Movement Flows
Barefoot Walks on my Walking Pad: I’ll say it again and again, a purchase I made that I may have done when it was ‘trending’ in 2023 but do NOT regret. Especially on days when I’m couped inside, this gets rid of some of that monotonous feeling.
12 Min Reset: Here is my favorite (and honestly) only video I reset with. It’s 12 minutes which isn’t too long. I love that it has limited talking. And, honestly, I love that the space isn’t that aesthetic. Melissa is sitting on her closet floor, makes it more approachable and less staged, in my opinion.
At Home Lymphatic Draining: Here is my favorite YouTube video. I don’t watch this anymore because I’ve memorized it, but I do like the context it provides if you’re starting.
Running Stretches: I started doing this when training for half marathons more frequently, but I think it’s great for everything, to be honest. (link)
Legs On the Wall! Sounds silly, but I do this prob 2-3x a week, and more on weeks I’m feeling eh. (link)
Mantras
"Even micro-doses count." It’s a fact that your body recovers with blood flow. You don't need a full hour of activity. Even 5-10 minutes of light recovery-focused movement improves my mood.
"Recovery isn't passive; it's active rest." This one is self explanatory and one I say to myself frequently.
"Hydration and nutrition are non-negotiable." Water helps with nutrient transport, waste removal, and maintaining cellular function. I went through 5 packs of Airborne tablets this week, lol.
“Make real food.” If I’m in recovery or tired, I get lazy with making a good meal and don’t want to spend $$ on delivery. But I always have something stocked in a fridge or freezer, I just need to apply an extra 2-3 minutes of creativity. Especially if I’m sick and don’t have an appetite, I can easily cruise on granola, yogurt, protein bars, rice cakes, and little treats all day. But that typically makes me feel worse. I made an effort to make salads this whole week even when feeling lethargic, and even got into my canned jalapeno peppers, canned sun-dried tomatoes, and canned corn to add something different each time.
3/3. Music
Just a good listen 🙂 I won’t take credit for this comment, but someone on Instagram did say that the intro sounds like the beginning of a Hollywood movie…and I have to agree.
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