Ax & Whacking

“If you go to a tree with an ax and take 5 whacks at that tree every day, eventually, the tree has to come down” -Jack Canfield

Go to the tree with an ax. If you want to chop down a tree, you don’t go to the tree with a pool noodle, a baseball bat, you go to the tree with something that will actually be effective at helping you get to the end goal.

Sometimes we say we have a goal, “I am to be strong” but instead of lifting weights, we sit in a cold plunge or sauna. Sure, there are health benefits in both of those things, but neither help you with your goal to be stronger.

Take 5 whacks, every day. This is consistency. Th one thing I read over and over again is consistency. Do you want to be internally/cellularly healthier, you have to take your vitamins/supplements every day. Do you want to run the Peachtree, a half/full marathon? You’re going to have to do some consistent training to build muscular, cardiovascular, and mental endurance. Taking vitamins one day a week won’t change your physiology. Running twice a month won’t get your ready to run much of any distance.

An ax and 5 whacks. It doesn’t have to be complicated! A simple ax can indeed take down a tree with consistent “whacking.” Sometimes we get in our head, I need these 10 supplements, this fancy gym membership, these shoes, this specialized recovery gear, etc. Sometimes we may just need to change or do one or two things, be consistent with those. Small doable consistent changes first.

Maybe sometimes we do need a little guidance along the way. It would be helpful if you took the “5 whacks” in the same general area of the tree each day. I would be helpful to work near the base of the tree (maybe) vs whacking at the top. Maybe a little guidance on angle of the whacking would help the tree come down faster.

If you need help choosing the right tool—or learning how to use it—I’m here for that. But the results still depend on one thing: you showing up and doing the work.

The American College of Sports Medicine recently released their position paper on Strength Training. Perhaps the biggest take away…consistency beats complexity.

It’s choosing better—and showing up consistently.