Important things can't be outsourced
What weightlifting taught me about life
I’ve said it a thousand times:
The gym is an incredible teacher.
Of all the lessons I’ve learned in my years of fitness training, one lesson stands out:
Some things simply cannot be outsourced.
Growing up, I dabbled in sports but never stuck with any. Lacking much natural talent, I shied away from physical pursuits and gravitated to more scholastic endeavors, which I found easier. I happened to be good at math and debate, so I doubled down on what I was good at, and ignored the things I wasn’t.
Fast forward to age 25: Like many of you, I found myself working my first salaried job after getting a university degree. I started to notice the growing hole in my life:
My body was weak and frail.
My fitness was terrible, I was getting sick frequently and had aches and pains from sitting down all day at the office.
But here’s the thing. I already knew exactly what to do about it:
- start lifting weights
- start eating right
- start doing cardio
so it wasn’t a matter of a lack of ‘knowledge.’ But of execution.
Knowledge - Action = No Results
In some sense, I think I implicitly assumed that someone would one day just sort all that stuff out for me. Of course that sounds stupid. It is.
But how else did I expect that my health would just miraculously turn around?
It turns out that many of the most important aspects of our lives cannot be outsourced. They cannot be delegated. They must be seized directly.
With fitness, here are some ways you can get help from others:
- learn from resources (YouTube Tutorials)
- buy a training plan (learn the exact steps to take)
- get a coach (get feedback and encouragement)
That’s basically it. Notice that not one of those options includes having that person lift weights for you. Because that would make them stronger, not you.
That’s why fitness training can be so profound.
Many tasks can be out-sourced
Think about almost every other thing you do in your daily routine. Note how easily you could delegate these actions, or how they could be fulfilled by others.
- brushing your teeth (nurse / home carer)
- making your food (chef / pre-made meals)
- cleaning up (maid)
- driving to work (taxi / chauffeur)
- doing your job (whoever does your job while you’re on holiday)
- spending time with your friends and family (their other friends and other family)
These actions can be completed by other people in a way that still serves their purpose to you. (Primary purpose at least —if you outsource your job and your friendships permanently, you’ll probably lose them).
In fact, as people acquire more money and less time, they tend to do just that.
Tasks of true personal value cannot be outsourced.
Contrast that with this list of health and lifestyle basics:
- Exercise
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Meditation (Structured Thinking)
- Lifestyle Architecture (Creating Your Ideal Life)
None of these can be done by anyone but you. This gives them immense power. It means their benefits are available exclusively to those who choose to make them a priority. By taking them seriously, we give ourselves opportunities which are completely off-limits to those who neglect them for other, outsource-able priorities.
The first 3 are obvious — the benefits of those go directly into the body of the doer. The last two are thought-based. If you outsource your methods of thinking, you won’t really be the owner of your thoughts.
Most people do this:
- They outsource their health to a doctor— then wonder why they aren’t healthy.
- They outsource their nutrition decisions to advertisements on packaging (e.g. ‘heart healthy’ or ‘good source of protein’) — then wonder why they can’t stop snacking.
- They outsource their beliefs to societal institutions — then wonder why they fall victim to societal problems.
- They outsource their life plan to culture (e.g. the American Dream) — then wonder why they haven’t achieved their own dreams
The average person puts faith in government guidelines on nutrition. Then they wonder why they don’t feel energized, and why they get hangry multiple times a day. They feel like they’re making good choices, they trust in the authorities. But they never actually verify the claims and suggestions made by those authorities.
They outsource their thoughts and beliefs to experts and gurus, or politicians, or just commonly memed societal institutions. They then wonder why they struggle to transcend societal problems, have pessimistic outlooks, and feel contradicted in their beliefs. It’s no wonder: their thoughts are not their own.
They outsource their lifestyle architecture and design to society. They follow ‘the American dream’. Get a job, get married, have kids, work hard until retirement.
Yet they feel empty. Because they’ve spent their whole life living someone else’s dream. Not their own.
The Power of Action
The antidote to all this is a bias toward action.
By taking action, we can actually affect our health. Our thoughts. Our day to day experience. Our Lives.
Your doctor can advise on how to be healthy. But it’s up to you to actually build healthy habits.
You can learn about healthy eating — but I wouldn’t try to do it from companies who sell snacks. And it’s up to you to actually eat food that nourishes you.
You can take inspiration from others’ beliefs. But it’s up to you to test them, and choose ones that hold up under your scrutiny.
You can take inspiration from others’ lifestyles. But it’s up to you to choose the one you want, and to pursue it relentlessly.
Unfortunately, all of these are easier said than done. And saying, as we’ve learned, does nothing.
That’s why I recommend people start with fitness. No matter what change you want to see in your life, fitness will teach you lessons to help you get there.
Here’s how:
- Start a weightlifting program.
-
Observe how:
- Completing the workouts gives progress
- Skipping workouts does not.
- Repetition with attention to detail improves performance over time.
- ‘Going through the motions’ does not.
After the first workout, you might feel physically shattered. But you’ll be proud you did it. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment.
The second workout you’ll see some small improvement. A rep here, better form there, a sense of lightness perhaps. You’ll realize that the first workout did this to you.
Each workout you’ll continue to notice improvements. Eventually you’ll see some muscle tone. A movement that felt impossible at first will one day be accomplished with ease. For reps. This is guaranteed. The human body is extremely adaptable. The stimulus for strength, coordination and hypertrophy is extremely simple. You will improve. Everyone does.
You’ll realize directly, through your actual experience, how simple it is to change yourself. You just
- choose a course of action
- consistently do the work
- iterate over time
But until you’ve actually successfully done it in one area of life, it’s very, very hard to imagine it working in other areas.
Why start with fitness?
- Working out is low-risk. There’s no fear of failure. No one will judge you for trying to get fit; it’s so obvious that people overlook it.
- It’s the simplest thing. What’s simpler than lifting weights? Completing 10 reps last time leads you to be able to complete 11 reps this time.
- The results are fast. You’ll improve in performance every single session at first. It’s extremely rewarding, and really ingrains the cause-and-effect nature of habits.
Due to these reasons, it’s the most beginner-friendly lifestyle intervention. It’s actually hard to fail. It serves as a base of experience for more complex endeavors, like improving relationships and building a career.
7 Life Lessons From 30 Days of Weightlifting
The following lessons can be learned in 30 days from a fitness habit. By direct observation. Actual experience. Real Learning that will stick with you.
- Consistency yields results.
- Starting is hard. Continuing is easy.
- 1-5% increases compound very quickly.
- You do have the time & energy for tangible progress.
- The responsibility is 100% yours. Only you can do the work.
- Effort + Rest = Results (growth happens after the workout, not during)
- Long-term habits beat binges (you can’t do a month of workouts in 1 day)
Every time you complete a workout, you manifest your dreams.
You did that. Entirely yourself. Like anything we adapt strategies from others, of course. It’s foolish not to seek help. But 100% of the work. Of what really mattered. That was you.
I know of no better feeling.
Thanks for reading — stay strong out there.
-John
P.S. Need help getting unstuck in your fitness journey?