“Great post as always, Jeff” was the only thing in an email I got yesterday from one of Crew, Dan, who occasionally reaches out with words of encouragement about my daily-ish emails which I really appreciate.
The topic was how to gain momentum quickly.
Today, we’re going to talk about a tool that would send all of the snowflakes into a safe space (haven’t met one in our Crew yet:)
Which works better to get you off you’re a$$? Is it shame or is it love? Or a combination of the two?
Here’s what I mean: Years ago, we were remodeling our kitchen. I was doing a lot of the work myself at night while my entire family temporarily moved in with my in-laws.
I would head directly from the gym to the house (without a kitchen), which meant I was eating like a garbage can. When buddies and family came over to help, that usually meant a few beers most nights of the week.
After we finished the kitchen six weeks later, I took a look in the mirror and said, “What the F!?”
I was ashamed that during the day I was telling golfers how to get into shape. And at night, I had let myself go.
Don’t know about you, but that’s how it worked for me.
In a conversation with our co-founder Ryan, he told me that, “Shame is my biggest motivator. It’s what drives me to stay in shape and not be “the fat dad”.
Now, I realize that this may seem like a toxic approach to what the “Kumbaya” people have to say. So who’s right and who’s wrong?
That’s something only you can figure out for yourself.
If you look into the mirror at a big ol’ beer belly and say, “I love myself”…if that gets you moving, then that’s great. But, please lemme know how much you’ve improved in six months.
On the other hand, if you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror getting into the shower, and feel a sense of shame, you may want to try something different. Lean into it. Tell yourself, “This is NOT how I am supposed to look.”
Sorry snowflakes, but the chances are, if you really want to make a change for the better, then feeling ashamed will jumpstart your engine…and get you into the best shape of your life (and keep you there).
Anyway, all that is to say, if shame works for you, use it.
It may be the most powerful weapon in your arsenal.
If it doesn’t work for you, avoid it.
Your #1 Fan,
Jeff Pelizzaro
PS – Speaking of, here’s a shameful plug: If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to join us in the 18STRONG Membership where brutal honesty reigns supreme.