I always thought of added weight in terms of military training for the real deal. We trained hard so when it was time to face the real thing, it was easier.
It’s the same with building mental resilience.
You should keep your self fit and ready for when a real problem comes your way.
"Weight management can either lead to burnout or thriving."
Great essay Kyle! 👏 I would add one caveat (which I'm sure you will agree with) that beyond a certain point, more "weight" will cause damage and breakdown, regardless of mindset. In dealing with workplace "burnout" over the past 50 years, leaders and consultants have prescribed "stress management" (mindset) training to help people cope with excessive workloads. The burnout rate has steadily INCREASED over that time. Sometimes the actual weight just has to be DECREASED!
Agreed completely. Have to manage that plate and ensure you’re properly recovering from whatever is on it. As someone who teaches stress management in the workplace for both active duty and civilians in the DoD, all I can do is provide knowledge in my briefings to whoever listens and direct support to whoever asks. As a leader, I can also cultivate a productive and supportive culture/work atmosphere that is mission-focused. Ultimately, however, training doesn’t do anything without individual action. All the knowledge and support in the world won’t change burnout without individual accountability and buy-in. Not any easy task which is probably one of the main reasons it continues to be a problem… appreciate you Baird
I love this metaphor, it’s such an important perspective to have.
Your note on partners and family too - they make you stronger and give meaning, it’s inspiring to someone who looks forward to their own one day and great to hear when the perspective of this sometimes is that they can hold you back.
This is great. Choose our weights wisely and be grateful for them. They keep us grounded and focused. Does it stand to reason that if one is over-weighted and cannot manage their load, it is not a failure but a miscalculation of what they bear at the time? Perhaps they forgot to take into account some of their weights. Yes, they include marriage and children. Good point.
Thank you Judith. Completely agree on your miscalculation point. Continue reflection, reframing, and/or recalibration needed to manage our respective loads.
Love this perspective, Kyle. Managing what kinds of resistance -- and how you go about it -- is a powerful way to grow in life. I've always thought that it's better to struggle in a controlled environment, as it prepares you for the struggle of an uncontrolled one. I realized this is what you mean by putting on weights, physically and mentally.
Great stuff, Kyle! People grow in the gym by adding more and more weight, more volume, more reps. However, they want their lives to change by putting in the same amount of effort and with no friction. Great reminder
Just like taking the weight vest off, we probably need to have little vacations from our other added weights. A weekend with no children for example. A day off from city life to experience some outdoor activities. Then we will be able to pick those weights back up and shoulder on.
Amazing article.
I always thought of added weight in terms of military training for the real deal. We trained hard so when it was time to face the real thing, it was easier.
It’s the same with building mental resilience.
You should keep your self fit and ready for when a real problem comes your way.
Thank you brother 👊🏻
"Weight management can either lead to burnout or thriving."
Great essay Kyle! 👏 I would add one caveat (which I'm sure you will agree with) that beyond a certain point, more "weight" will cause damage and breakdown, regardless of mindset. In dealing with workplace "burnout" over the past 50 years, leaders and consultants have prescribed "stress management" (mindset) training to help people cope with excessive workloads. The burnout rate has steadily INCREASED over that time. Sometimes the actual weight just has to be DECREASED!
Agreed completely. Have to manage that plate and ensure you’re properly recovering from whatever is on it. As someone who teaches stress management in the workplace for both active duty and civilians in the DoD, all I can do is provide knowledge in my briefings to whoever listens and direct support to whoever asks. As a leader, I can also cultivate a productive and supportive culture/work atmosphere that is mission-focused. Ultimately, however, training doesn’t do anything without individual action. All the knowledge and support in the world won’t change burnout without individual accountability and buy-in. Not any easy task which is probably one of the main reasons it continues to be a problem… appreciate you Baird
"As a leader, I can also cultivate a productive and supportive culture/work atmosphere that is mission-focused."
I like the sound of that Kyle!
I love this metaphor, it’s such an important perspective to have.
Your note on partners and family too - they make you stronger and give meaning, it’s inspiring to someone who looks forward to their own one day and great to hear when the perspective of this sometimes is that they can hold you back.
Great read Kyle!
Thank you Kirsten! Appreciate you
Love this reframing. I will be thinking about this and probably using it with my clients moving forward. Thank you!
❤️👊🏻
This is great. Choose our weights wisely and be grateful for them. They keep us grounded and focused. Does it stand to reason that if one is over-weighted and cannot manage their load, it is not a failure but a miscalculation of what they bear at the time? Perhaps they forgot to take into account some of their weights. Yes, they include marriage and children. Good point.
Thank you Judith. Completely agree on your miscalculation point. Continue reflection, reframing, and/or recalibration needed to manage our respective loads.
I've been training martial arts for more than 10 years, lifting heavy weights 9+ years.
I've been using heavy vest for walking, jogging, in addition to lifting weird, difficult, objects in garden.
I have grown 20 kg of muscles in span of 1.5 year.
My mentality changed, I've become far more resilient, I found myself looking for challenges.
My weaknesses got killed, and I fixed things in myself I was stuck on for many years.
In physics, martial arts, weight lifting and mental, it is not weight = burden that is the problem, it is how you carry it.
Is it with smile ? or hating every step of the way.
Osu
❤️👊🏻
Love this perspective, Kyle. Managing what kinds of resistance -- and how you go about it -- is a powerful way to grow in life. I've always thought that it's better to struggle in a controlled environment, as it prepares you for the struggle of an uncontrolled one. I realized this is what you mean by putting on weights, physically and mentally.
All environments are controlled if we are in control of ourselves 👊🏻 (okay most environments… haha) thank you brother
Another one of those quotable lines!! I should really get started on that album of quotes
Might make that one a future note
😂
Great stuff, Kyle! People grow in the gym by adding more and more weight, more volume, more reps. However, they want their lives to change by putting in the same amount of effort and with no friction. Great reminder
Appreciate it brother
Fantastic perspective Kyle!
👊🏻
Just like taking the weight vest off, we probably need to have little vacations from our other added weights. A weekend with no children for example. A day off from city life to experience some outdoor activities. Then we will be able to pick those weights back up and shoulder on.
Whatever recovery protocol works best sustainment, I’m for it 👊🏻
This was a great one, Kyle. Such a good metaphor.
Thank you brother