The other day I was listening to Carey Nieuwhof’s interview of Chris McChesney (link below). McChesney was describing why organizations have such a difficult time starting anything new because our regular day-to-day work ends up consuming our focus. He calls this the “whirlwind.” Isn’t the Whirlwind the perfect description of church life? I have worked with a lot of smart, talented people, but most of our good ideas never seem to happen. It’s not a lack of Inspiration. It’s a lack of Execution.
I bought the book…eventually (link below as you want the second edition). A friend of mine, Dennis Shaw, reminded me of it during a conversation. At the same time that I started reading the book, I also committed to getting in better shape and losing some weight. Either subconsciously or accidentally I implemented the Four Disciplines of Execution with great results. I started out at 174.4 lbs., and, over the next four weeks, I’m now down to 166.0 lbs. I feel good and am actually sticking to the plan. I talk more about the plan in the video, but the key is really the disciplines of execution.
- Focus on the Wildly Important: Focus on ONE and only one battle that, if you win, will make a big difference in winning the war. For me, improving my health means more energy, confidence in all other areas of my life. If you win this battle, the whirlwind will be different going forward.
- Act on the Lead Measures: There are Lag measures and lead measures. The lag measure is likely the wildly important. For me, it was bringing my weight from 174.4 to 160.0 by March 31st. The lead measures are those things under your control (influenceable) that would almost certainly lead to success in the lag measure (predictive). If I wanted to lose weight, sleep, diet, and exercise were my lead measures. If I was successful with those, I’d lose weight.
- Keep a Compelling Scoreboard: No change will stick if it doesn’t feel like it’s helping you win. You can’t tell if you’re winning or losing without a scoreboard. You need a visible scoreboard with the lead and lag measures. I show my spreadsheet in the video where I’m tracking my weight as well as my consistency with sleep, diet, and exercise.
- Create a Cadence of Accountability: I’m just starting to read this chapter, but you need to have a check-in (at least weekly) to see how you did since last time and commit to what you will do next. For me, my check-in has been updating the spreadsheet. I also spend time each evening planning and preparing for the next day.
Useful Links
- Carey Nieuwhof Interview: https://careynieuwhof.com/episode444/
- Four Disciplines of Execution Book: https://www.franklincovey.com/4dx-book/
- Four Disciplines of Execution Website: https://www.franklincovey.com/the-4-disciplines/
- Why We Sleep Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1501144316
- Sleeping Tips from M Walker: https://fastlifehacks.com/matthew-walker-12-tips-for-good-sleep/
- Athlean X Beginners Workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixkQaZXVQjs
- Dr. Eric Berg on Intermittent Fasting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rfzjRoalWM
- Cold Exposure & Fat Burning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JEfc0N3jOQ
1 comment for “How I accidentally used 4DX to lose weight”