Life wisdom is not easy to come by.
So, when I had a chance conversation with a 92-year-old guy on a domestic flight, my ears perked up.
I was flying between cities for work, and he was on the same flight sitting beside me.
We struck up a conversation and I asked if he was out here for business or pleasure. He said work, which I found rather odd.
Now even though I didn’t yet know his age, he didn’t seem like the sort that you would think needed to work.
Puzzled, I asked, “How old are you, Sir?”
“92”.
Incredulous, I continued “Well, are you ever going to retire?”
He looked back at me and said, “Son, when you rest you rust.”
Those words have stuck with me ever since and I believe it’s something that will stay with me till the day I die.
I believe movement is medicine, not just for the body but the mind as well.
Here are the three ways I’ve tried to implement the principle of activity and not staying still in my life.
BJJ
The gentle art, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a great way to train both your mind and body.
I haven’t trained BJJ or grappling in a while so this is definitely a reminder of sorts to get back into it.
That said, there was a period after I retired when I wasn’t grappling as much, and I could feel my body getting stiffer.
BJJ forces your body to move in ways that it normally doesn’t, which is excellent to build your dexterity, hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
It keeps you sharp and mentally alert – things that are useful to slow the onslaught of Alzheimer’s as we age.
BJJ is all about understanding position and leverage.
What’s specific to grappling, wrestling and BJJ is that you’re wisely choosing motion to counteract motion and being judicious in your positioning.
Sometimes staying still is better. Other times, it’s best to roll with your opponent.
These strategies have a place beyond BJJ and as practitioners, we should apply what we’ve learned on the mats to benefit our daily lives.
Routines
As ironic as it may be, I’m routinely talking about routines, whether it’s on my podcast, blog, or Instagram videos.
Without routines, I believe a large part of my existence would wither away. Routines have kept me in the fight against life and whatever it throws at me on a day-to-day basis.
It can be the simple act of making my bed in the morning to ending the day with a prayer.
Individually, we should have routines that give meaning to our daily existence. That even in the presence of chaos and confusion, these routines keep us living in the best way we know.
Routines reinforce the principle of doing. It’s an idea put into action – a powerful metaphor that all procrastinators – even me, ought to heed.
The mental burden that we experience can be overwhelming at times. There’s a plethora of decisions we face, some more urgent and others with huge implications.
Routines free up our mental bandwidth and allow us to focus on tasks that are immediate and important.
Going to the gym and planning your workout on the spot is a recipe for failure, especially if you hope to achieve any of your long-term fitness goals.
Successful routines are planned and executed every day.
Newton’s First Law
Issac Newton’s first law states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless it’s acted upon by a force.
Inertia as we know, can be an obstacle to getting things where we want them to be. Those of us who frequently work out will understand that overcoming that initial inertia is key to moving any sort of weight.
It’s not just the deadlift bar, there are physical and non-physical settings where inertia can be a difficult force to surmount.
Perhaps the most relatable form of inertia is procrastination.
There are different ways to combat procrastination and get things done. Routines are a perfect example.
To be more specific, your routine or actions should incorporate elements that are designed to break procrastination down.
There’s the usual SMART goal planning and deconstructing your routine into a smaller set of actions.
But there’s also added value in creating stakes for yourself and a reward for completing those tasks.
When I was UFC Middleweight Champion, I knew my reign would invite challengers. That constantly forced me to be vigilant.
While I wasn’t the brashest guy on the microphone, I believed the world was watching. I never had to declare my intentions to retain my title because that was a given.
The stakes were high for every opponent – it was the belt I had worked so desperately hard to win.
Fight procrastination with action and heal your body with motion.
Movement is medicine, use it or lose it.