We love these flawed superheroes, because it makes them relatable, vulnerable, and REAL. It gives them an identity; as readers of comics or viewers of a movie, we get to look inside these people and know that they feel real pain too, and we see parts of ourselves in them. … Why, then, don’t we do this with our real-life heroes and ourselves?
~ Steve Kamb from, https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/you-are-flawed-and-so-are-your-heroes/
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Motivation is going to promise you things, and then leave you when you need it most. When you can capitalize on that motivation by lowering the amount of inertia you have to overcome to take action every day, the more likely you’ll be to succeed.
~ Steve Kamb from, https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2016/08/11/motivation-youre-doing-it-wrong/
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For a few weeks, life is grand. Everybody wants to hear how great you are. You start saying things like “I’ve earned this” more and more frequently.
And yet…
Something is missing.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/02/28/dragon-slayer/
This has, in retrospect, been a very important part of my personal journey in recent years. I’ve written a bit about “short term motiviation” and I think this (what Steve has written) is probably a better take on it: The idea that by continuously figuring out what the next “dragon” is, has kept me interested and motivated. One pushup, run one mile, climb a ten-foot wall, etc. …dragon after dragon.
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(Part 46 of 72 in series, My Journey)
Starting today, you are no longer allowed to utter the words: “I don’t have time.” Instead, you will say, “It’s not a priority.”
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/26/priorities/
Years ago, when I discovered the Lehigh Valley Parkour community’s inside jokes, I started avoiding the word “can’t” — if another LVPK member hears you, there’s an immediate 5 pushups penalty. (Very annoying in markets, subways, when driving, you get the idea.) Instead of saying “I can’t do that…” you start to say “I can do that when I am able to [insert something I need to work on].” Changing your words, changes your thoughts, changes your actions, changes your life.
Well, this one is my newest addition. No more “I don’t have time”; It’s all going to be, “It’s not a priority.” Go ahead, try a few of these out loud:
I don’t have time to eat healthy, becomes… Eating healthy isn’t a priority.
I don’t have time to exercise, becomes… Exercise isn’t a priority.
I don’t have time to sleep, becomes… Sleep isn’t a priority.
Oh, well brain, if you’re going to think about it that way… our whole life is going to change.
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I looked at him and smiled and said, “Okay, then don’t exercise. Let’s deal with that a few months from now.” He replied with a face that looked something like this, and asked how I could possibly not recommend he start exercising if he wanted to lose weight.
My reply was simple: “I’m not interested in getting you to lose the most weight as quickly as possible. I’m interested in helping you get healthier, permanently.”
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2015/03/09/why-exercise-is-the-least-important-part-of-the-equation-and-a-camp-nerd-fitness-update/
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It’s a shame that it generally takes a tragedy to remind us how short and unexpected life can be, and that we need to enjoy every day. The stark realization is that inorder to live our lives fully and happily, we have to remember we have no extra lives.
This is it.
Did you enjoy your story?
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2015/02/12/there-are-no-extra-lives-make-this-one-count/
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In each of the situations above, I had sorted myself into a category, or felt like I had been sorted…and then panicked when I didn’t fit or wanted to get out. It turns out, I was the one doing the sorting, not my family or friends. It was pressure I had been putting on myself: I struggled with losing my identity that I THOUGHT I needed to have, that I thought others had of me.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/11/13/ditch-the-sorting-hat-choose-your-own-adventure/
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(Part 20 of 72 in series, My Journey)
Instead of berating yourself when you’re not motivated to exercise, or getting mad at yourself when you struggle with eating unhealthy food, take a step back and look at it from a different angle:
“How can you build the habit of success and put your focus there, instead of chasing the motivation to make it happen?
It’s easy to become ensnared – to chase motivation and fail – or rationalize inaction and never try. Every single one of us has fallen into this trap. I’d love to hear about your experience with this, and how you plan to (or already have) overcome it.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/10/30/is-motivation-useless/
In a vague sort of way, I found this idea in my own training. As usual, Steve Kamb brings clarity to the party. This idea of incremental actions, of habits, and little processes that make success a foregone conclusion is at the core of my Parkour training.
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You laugh, and then you probably think to yourself (like I did), “oh crap…that’s me…many, many times.” Whether it’s a delayed flight, or slow service at a restaurant (where we’ll overeat and then complain about being full) it’s amazing what we can complain about just so we have something to complain about!
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/10/16/does-it-really-matter/
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Along with that, Bruce taught me to strive for reaching my potential. I might never get there, but the mere fact of trying, learning, and failing is what makes life worth it. I truly hope that when the credits roll on my movie (it’s an Adventure Superhero Comedy…a new genre), I can look back and say, “I did the best I could to fulfill my potential.”
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/04/17/boards-dont-hit-back-the-legend-of-bruce-lee/
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Ever since I started running a website about health and fitness, I’ve noticed a key difference between people who find long-term success with getting healthy and those who don’t. When dealing with people who will NOT find success, I feel like a parent on a road trip.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/02/20/are-we-there-yet/
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For some reason, we hold back – almost as if it’s preferred to actually going ALL IN on something. Why? Because if we’ve given our all, and we still fail…what is left? If we go all in and fail, we tell ourselves that we are failures. We aren’t good enough.
In reality, giving our all and then failing is one of the best things that could possibly happen to us. When we give max effort and we fail, we’re only setting ourselves to level up.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/10/09/if-you-start-go-all-the-way/
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Let’s set aside the fact that a guy who gets convicted of a DUI is put in charge of a children’s hockey team, and instead focus on the fact that this bum of a coach managed to change the lives of the Mighty Ducks, and my life as well.
Today we’re going to learn from Coach Gordon Bombay (EMILIO!!) Charlie Conway (spazz!), Adam Banks (cake-eater!), Folton Reed, GOLDBERG!, and the rest of the Mighty Ducks about leveling up ourselves and our lives.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/11/12/how-the-mighty-ducks-will-make-you-a-better-person/
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I challenge you today to accept the fact that the stuff worth doing doesn’t get any easier. Every time you find yourself getting too comfortable, or things are getting too easy, reach for something that produces discomfort.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/08/15/how-comfortable-are-you-with-this-your-success-depends-on-it/
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Now, I am not saying this to downplay their hard work to get to where they are; I don’t want you saying things like, “I don’t have their genetics or resources, so why even bother?”
Instead, I want you to know that there will ALWAYS be somebody leaner, bigger, faster, or stronger than you. There will always be somebody who’s younger, better looking, and had more success than you. Until you learn to accept that, you’ll never be truly happy.
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/04/04/comparison/
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If you are in a crappy situation, struggling with weight loss, or struggling to change your diet, believe that the Hero version of you is waiting to develop. You’re in the ‘challenge’ part of the story right now. Without that, the Hero part will have no meaning.
Who wants to read the story about the awesome guy that got more awesome? Nobody!
~ Steve Kamb from, http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/02/11/path-of-the-hero/
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