I had coffee with a buddy the other day. I spoke of the TYNF project and how soon I hope to launch an online beta version of “Warren’s” i.e. mini networks of people that track each other’s progress for accountability & encouragement. These will be aligned with specific practices/disciplines.
For instance: Music. This year has undoubtedly personally had a physical focus so it makes sense to launch the first based on Sports/Physicality. Next year i’d like to focus on Mental (writing books + articles) and Music (sax, drums, guitar, piano, singing).
Anyway that is by-the-bye, his feedback was interesting regarding his perspective/reasoning behind the value of tracking & measuring the daily grind. On one hand, he didn’t think he’d have the discipline to maintain records (neither did I). In fact, he thought that it would add needless pressure, and stress, whereby the gains in productivity/satisfaction would be quelled by the costs in anxiety.
Caveats: he used to have a stressful job, and moved to a calmer one with less financial upside but better life balance. Also that he has a financial cushion & credentials to secure future employment. That said his point (on the other hand) is an unrecognised truth on my part regarding one of the benefits of TYNF. His countervailing articulation referenced the idea that there are swathes of time that pass by almost imperceptibly. Blink and you miss them. And when we look back on these periods it can often be quite easy to feel bereft of a sense that anything worthwhile came of them.
Sure you slept, ate, spoke, travelled, and undertook myriad multitudes of mundanities. However in contrast to the brief emphatic periods in time where things really happened (usually the birth/death of a relationship and/or child and/or business and/or stage of life) this other time elapses indeterminably.
The vivid, stark & sharp crescendo vs. the languorous diminuendo.
Framed in this way, TYNF acts as an almost daily reminder of specific, valiant, victories; a repository of intra-day performance volatility catalogued such that the long tail isn’t dwarfed (experientially) by the short head. Fascinatingly in financial markets there is oft a derision of short term mentalities, with day trading seen to incur unnecessary transaction costs which constrain long term profits. Yet here the opposite is true: short term focus actually leads to long term success. An odd insight.
Commentary on the five disciplines.
Physical: a great month. Running has seen unbelievable progress in speed & recovery times following the marathon regime. 8:00 minute miles were relatively tricky at the start, now the same level of effort expenditure yields 6:30 minute miles (which is a joke). Cycling has also been phenomenal, losing track of where i’ve been but Bristol (Duncs), Oxford (Peake), Goodnestone/Dover (Plump), Paddock Wood (Webb) and Dorset (Knox) have all featured recently.
Probably circa 1000 miles in 8 weeks.
Muscle up finally accomplished on rings!! Wasn’t sure that’d happen. The handstand is close too. Single leg squat and forearm stand are key focuses going forward.
Musical progress has been OK. Spent a great amount of time practicing scales, and messing about with loops. Emotionally I've been solid: great sleep, diet and nature. My writing has been abysmal (mental), particularly as I do so much for work but don’t count it here - will push this month. Spiritualism was modest really, I believe I'm well centred as a result. Wim Hof is regularly enabling 2 minute breath holds, and meditation has been a great source of attack at the start of the day!
More rest needed as always lol.
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Cycle London to Bristol (130 miles)
Epic Lake Swim In Bristol with Dre, Duncs, Sarah
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Camping in Wales with Briars, Porter, Guth and Baz
Cycle to Horsumden to visit Webb
Crazy run in the rain
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Hanging with the crossgate girls
Cycle to Goodnestone, dinner hosted by Plump + Haines
