Have a Perfect Day, the Best Day of Your Life – a lifestyle strategy to help you with your strength training and other life goals by John Sifferman

Strength training programs, workout routines, and exercise advice is all good information to write about – there is a tremendous need for quality information in our culture these days. However, none of this information is useful unless it is easily applied to our daily lives. This is one of the hallmark traits that I want to infuse into Real World Strength Training – that health-first strength training can be done in the “real world.”

I’ll get right to the point on this post – I have a challenge for you today. If you want to achieve your strength training goals, then you better take me up on it because this will be an opportunity to learn and grow. I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to learn and grow, I want to get stronger!” Trust me, this one activity could mean the difference between enjoying your stronger dream body or not.

Everyone has a dream lifestyle. I was once asked by my friend and training partner, Kyle Battis, what my perfect “average” day would be like. I told him that it would start early in the morning so I could watch the sunrise while exercising. In my mind, I still know what kind of day I would like to have everyday if I could choose – the idea of a “perfect day” is constantly on my mind.

My perfect day would include time spent reading literature and poetry, learning how to improve my business, helping other people somewhere and somehow, spending quality time with my wife and family, getting adequate exercise, spending time in prayer, enjoying the outdoors, making the most of my hours spent working (high efficiency and productivity), and time spent relaxing. It sounds like a lot to fit into one day, but I think I can do it with the right mindset and a little planning.

So, here’s a lifestyle exercise that I want to encourage you to try out tomorrow. I want you to strive towards having a perfect day – a day that is optimized for not only your strength training goals, but for all of your lifestyle goals. Granted, this is probably impossible since there are so many unexpected things that CAN happen to put a wrench in your progress. Regardless, your goal will be to do everything in your power to push towards achieving your daily goals, if only for one day – even if something comes up to put a stop to it from happening.

Here is my idea of a perfect day and what I want to accomplish tomorrow, and everyday:

Be up by 6:00 am

Perform a full body joint mobility routine outside

Enjoy three large, nutrient dense meals, and have at least two snacks

Begin work early, and try to finish main projects by noon

Take 5-10 minutes to brainstorm ways to improve my business

Read my Bible

Read some fictitious literature

Study something that will help me improve my business

Study something regarding strength training, improving health, or increasing athleticism

Spend unhurried time with my wife

Spend time with either friends or family

Spend time in focused exercises that will help me reach my goals

Go for a brisk walk or spend time moving around outdoors (outside being the key)

Take time to “play”

Turn off computer by 6:00 pm – all work must be done by this time

Spend unhurried time in prayer

Brush and floss my teeth twice

Contact an old friend that I haven’t spoken with in awhile

Help someone without having anything to gain from it

Write something, anything – educational article, reflective journal, a letter to someone (e-mail doesn’t count)

Those are just some of my ideas of a perfect day – I’m sure you may have a completely different list. I want you to pick a day this week and come up with a similar list of goals to accomplish that day. It can be as long as you want it to be, longer or shorter than mine. What I want you to do is then plan out in advance everything that you will have to do to make this day perfect. For instance, if you want to cook three nutrient-dense meals tomorrow, you may have to visit the grocery store today and prepare for your meals tomorrow. This way, you’ll be as prepared as you can for the big day.

I realize this is a big assignment, but the truth is that your dream body will not come without persistence and sacrifice. Here are some tips to make this experiment a little easier:

* You may find that you have to cut out some things from your day to fit in your goal activities. For instance, cutting out time spent watching TV could free up plenty of time to go for a walk or spend time with your significant other.

** If you are married, tell your spouse about what you’re doing in advance so that they don’t give you a puzzled look when all of a sudden you’re in “super-mode.” :)

*** Write out your goals on paper, even if you know you can remember everything. This will be your checklist for the day of. Then, the day of your experiement, I want you to write down everything you do – EVERYTHING, with time slots. Every hour of your day must be accounted for in writing so that you can get a very good perspective as to how much time you spend on specific activities.

Now, you’ve got your assignment, and are completely equipped for the challenge. This activity is only valuable if you actively choose to seek improvement in your life – it’s not a secret formula or a quick-fix solution, it’s just an honest way to seek success together. Now go get ’em!

To your health and success,

P.S. I would love to hear about your experiences. Please comment about what you learn!