Lessons from Prep #1: Raise the Stakes
If you’re new here or happened to have missed it, I’m in prep for my first natural Men’s physique show.
I’m down 10 pounds total from Day 1 at the time of writing (4 weeks).
That’s a bit quick, but it’s what needs to be done, considering I only have a 12-week prep (I decided to do the show a day before my 12-week window).
Despite this substantial loss, it’s been pretty easy so far.
I’ve been eating pasta, protein-packed peanut butter cups, sourdough bread, and fish tacos.
I’ve smashed a couple of pints of Halo Top.
Life is good.
Except for this week. I got a taste of the “hard” that is a signature of prep.
Yesterday, in particular.
I didn’t sleep well, and I was tired and hungry.
This is the type of day I’ve struggled with in the past.
This is the type of day where I’d turn to food to make myself feel better…
But I was surprised at how easy it was for me to stay the course yesterday.
I wasn’t even tempted to cheat on my diet.
This is the power of raising the stakes.
I’ve put myself in a situation where I have to stay the course.
And this has made it easy.
Is the answer to everyone’s fat loss goals to sign up for a competition?
No.
This isn’t about the competition.
It’s about raising the stakes.
The competition is the catalyst that has caused me to raise the stakes.
But the choice to do so is mine.
No one is forcing me to take this prep all that seriously. I could bail on this show with only minor embarrassment.
I’m not a pro bodybuilder with sponsorships and endorsements I can’t let down.
I could quietly pull out of this with no repercussions besides a bruised ego.
No one is forcing me to put 100% into this, either.
This isn’t the World Finals or the Arnold Classic - it’s a relatively small local show in a small city in British Columbia, Canada.
The atmosphere (from what I can tell from their social presence and marketing material) is supportive and friendly.
I could treat it as a fun experiment and put 75% effort into it.
The show is clearly an example of external pressure, but most of the pressure I’m putting on myself is internal.
No one is forcing me to raise the stakes.
But raising the stakes for myself has made all the difference.
It’s made sticking to the plan easy.
It’s been an interesting experience that has led me to thinking:
How can people raise the stakes in their lives to achieve the changes they want to see?
I believe that if you can truly raise the stakes, putting in the work becomes easy.
And if it doesn’t feel easy — if you succumb to resistance and temptation — then perhaps you haven’t raised the stakes.
Here are the elements I see in raising the stakes in your life:
Pain
Life is a series of tradeoffs.
One of the most pertinent tradeoffs has to do with the pain of change.
You’ll only be able to summon the energy for a change when the pain of staying where you are has become worse than the pain of changing your life.
When I announced my commitment to the show, I was honest about how I had signed up for a show last year and failed to see it through.
This was a source of embarrassment and pain.
It’s been a big part of the fuel that’s causing me not to see failure as an option this time.
Many positive stories start with an element of pain.
Fitness transformations can start with being dumped.
Entrepreneurial successes can start with being fired.
When the source of pain or discomfort becomes bad enough, you realize that you have to make a change, and your stakes are raised.
Sometimes, life will throw you a curveball that makes the pain inevitable (like being dumped or fired).
But not always.
So how can you reframe your perspective to utilize the pain threshold even though you may not be at rock bottom?
Honesty
The answer is ruthless, brutal, painful honesty.
It’s too easy to shy away from our mediocrity.
It’s easy to hide behind excuses and justifications.
But if you can summon the courage to be completely honest about your shortcomings and weaknesses, you can pave the way for real change.
Be honest about where you are.
If your health has gone to shit, if you’re 40 pounds overweight and hate what you see in the mirror — be honest about it.
Stop hiding.
If you’re broke and spend too much time in front of the TV playing video games — whatever it is — shoot straight with yourself.
Don’t sugarcoat it. Don’t justify it by comparing yourself to someone worse off.
Admit that it’s not where you want to be.
Be honest that it is your fault.
Stop using your inner lawyer to conjure up a boatload of reasons to get you off the hook.
It’s your fault.
Take responsibility for your life and admit to yourself that the gap between where you are and where you would ideally like to be is your fault.
No one is coming to save you; it’s on you.
Be honest about where it’s taking you.
If you don’t fix your health habits now, where will you end up in 2 years?
In 5 years?
If you stay in the job you hate, where will that lead you?
If you’re over 40 and you’re 20+ pounds overweight, it’s not looking good.
You may be coasting for now, but you’re in for a world of problems if you don’t turn things around.
What is it costing you?
It may be costing you everything.
The ability to play with your grandchildren.
The ability to enjoy your golden years. The ability to properly support and provide for your family.
People spend years hiding from this stuff.
You’ll never create the pain required to tip the threshold in your favor if you’re hiding.
Change, whether that means getting lean, excelling in your career, growing your business, or anything else — becomes easy when you need to do it.
You create the mindset of needing to do it by raising the stakes.
You raise the stakes by creating enough pain surrounding your current situation that the pain of working to achieve your goal is less than the pain of failing to do so.
You create this pain by being brutally honest, self-aware, and refusing to hide behind rationalization and lukewarm excuses.
By being honest about where you aren’t living up to your potential, how it is entirely your fault, and what it is costing you.
I believe that when we can reframe our perspective in this way, change does become easy.
If you’re struggling with motivation in any goal, ask yourself:
How can you raise the stakes?