As many of you know, I recently competed at the Ontario Weightlifting Championships for the first time. If you read my past article (that you can read by clicking HERE) about how my son’s hockey team helped me make the decision to lift at this particular meet, you would also know that as a result of being a beginner in the sport (a 39 year old beginner at that), I just barely made the qualifying standard and was therefore competing against men in a class far and above my own.

I must admit that up until the morning of the competition I was still having feelings of trepidation. ‘Will I make a fool of myself? What will people think? Do I even belong here?’ You know what I mean!

After the fact I can say that I am thrilled that I took the plunge and participated. In fact, I learned and reinforced some valuable life lessons that are about so much more than weightlifting. I would like to share some of these life lessons with you.

The first lesson I learned is that commitment leads to progress. After lots of deliberation I COMMITTED to competing and all of the preparation that goes into it. Not only did I send my cheque and my registration, I wrote an article that I posted on the internet about it! There was absolutely NO WAY I could back out.

This commitment forced me to focus my training in a way I just would not have otherwise. After a long day of meetings, and entraining, and child rearing, and I did not want to drag my butt to the gym, guess what? I had visions of standing in front of hundreds of people in a singlet and you bet I ended up training. The result is that I lifted 12 kilograms more than my previous competition. My commitment led to my progress.

The next lesson I learned is that competing against people better than you is invaluable. By hanging out with, warming up with and stepping on the platform with lifters better, stronger and more experienced, I instantly became better. In essence, I upgraded my peer group.

Why are these lifters better? They speak differently, focus differently, act differently, warm-up differently and use their energy differently than others. The only way for me to understand this was to BE one of them. As a result, I was able to make a lift that according to my previous training should have been impossible.

Last but not least, I learned that stretching beyond you comfort zone is incredibly rewarding. Was this competition a comfy, relaxing, and smooth experience? Hell, no! But let me tell you how fulfilling it is to have done it. Regardless of what I do in this sport THAT competition is a memory I will always remember. And it was also a lot of fun.

These lessons are not specific to weightlifting or even sports. They are about life and we all need to be reminded sometimes. If you are struggling with your health, or any other aspect of your life or are just looking to step up to the next level, consider these lessons.

How can you commit even more to health and life? Where can you stop ‘trying’ and start DOING. Who can you surround yourself with that is already getting the results you desire? If you want glowing health yet hang out at Tim Horton’s, your chances of success are NOT good. Finally, how can you embrace discomfort to not only get better results, but have a lot more fun doing it? A wise man once said, “You can either be comfortable or happy, not both.” Which will you choose?

I challenge you to apply these lessons in one area of your life starting today. This is a muscle that will grow with use so that one day you will be ‘lifting’ with the big boys and girls too.

If you would like to watch the Ontario Championships, click HERE for the link. My weight class was in Session 4.

We are all successful at some things in life. If you can’t think of anything – think a little harder. Everyone has at least something they have created or accomplished that they can be proud of. On the other side of the coin, we all have things we have failed at or at least not had success in. I know that in my case, my failures far outnumber my successes, which is why I feel qualified to write about this topic.

In order to be truly successful at anything, you have to follow through. I believe that there are NO exceptions to this. NO short-cuts. If you want success as an athlete, a business person, in your health or as a parent, YOU MUST FOLLOW THROUGH.

What does following through mean? First, it means being committed to an outcome. Like almost all parents I am fully committed to providing my children with unconditional love, high quality food to eat, and a safe, stimulating home to live in. Guess what? That is exactly what they have. We succeed as parents because the moment our children arrive in our lives something magical happens that make us fully committed.

Being fully committed also means staying committed even when it is hard, not so much fun, and even a bit painful. If you ask any uber successful business person what makes them great, most will tell stories about sticking it out when things were at their worst. This is when our commitment is most tested, yet also most rewarded.

The other aspect of following through is having a plan or strategy. Without a strategy we have no direction. Without a direction we have no progress, and without progress success can only be fleeting at best. Success requires we have a plan and stick to it.

Obviously, I have a huge interest in the field of health. Without a doubt, the people (regardless of their history) who  are to committed to a plan and follow through are the healthiest people I interact with. Those who don’t…not so much.

A common issue is that many ARE committed to their health, yet their plan (or the plan they have been given) focuses only on secondary conditions such as pain, muscle spasms, inflammation, high blood pressure and many others. While there is nothing wrong with this, it usually only leads to short lived change without a significant increase in overall health.

Truly healthy people know they have to dig a bit deeper. In our office, we focus on Spinal Restructuring with the goal of detecting and correcting Neural Resistance, which is basically like having the strings of your piano strung too tight. With a nervous system wound too tight, this can lead to a variety of secondary conditions such as back and neck pain, poor posture, headaches, anxiety and even cause your internal organs to act as if your were being attacked by a bear.

This approach is not for everyone because we do not focus on the secondary conditions, we focus on what is behind them. Taking care of Neural Resistance requires follow through and the rewards are sustainable, overall health.

We have already followed through with travel, training, and an office equipped to deliver services that address Neural Resistance. Question is, do you want it?

Most people truly want health. If you are one of them, commit to a plan and follow through. You are worth it.

Our next complimentary Introductory workshop will be held on Tues. Dec. 4^th at 7pm. Phone the office to reserve a seat.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a couple of great achievements by Gault Family Chiropractic practice members. First, Marcel Leroux recently published another novel. I cannot give it a review because it is written in French. If you would like to purchase a copy, let Adele know and we will obtain one for you.

Next, Renate True and Joseph Ianni, recently had incredible performances with the Chorus Novus presentation of In Flanders Fields. I did get to experience this first hand and it was an amazing show, with Joseph sharing the solos with 2 professional singers.

After 12 years as a chiropractor and having worked with thousands of different people, I have found only a few factors that are great predictors of a person’s success in care. By far the most valuable is simply the individual’s commitment to what they are doing. People who make a decision, commit, and follow through get results. Those who don’t…are a crap-shoot.

Why We (I) Fail

I have both succeeded and failed (and observed others do the same) enough to recognize that this applies to every area of all of our lives. The reason that so many people struggle, fail and become frustrated with their health, fitness, finances, relationships and careers is that they never fully commit to anything. They are dabblers and dabbling will never create success.

Training With a Bulgarian Master

One of the things I appreciate about my friend, coach and business partner, Tyler Touchette of Caveman Strong, is that he is definitely not a dabbler. When he decided to start an Olympic weightlifting club in Cornwall, he committed to doing it well. As a result, a small group of us had the opportunity to be coached and spend some time with world record holder, world champion and Olympic bronze medallist, Alex Varbanov who travelled from Toronto with his family to train us.

Focus

Mr. Varbanov knows what it takes to be successful and dabbling is definitely not a part of it. He gives and expects full focus at all times – even when lifting what he calls a “small bar.” There is no music playing. After each set you sit quietly focusing on your next lift. As we started to approach our maximum lifts EVERYONE was expected to stop talking, stop moving and stop making noise.

Details, Details, Details

Attention to detail is also an important part of commitment. Following a specific training schedule. Eating the right stuff at the right time. Resting appropriately. Constant assessment and reassessment based on outcomes. Everything is taken into consideration.

It was an absolute blessing to be able to observe how someone who has reached the pinnacle of their discipline thinks and acts. Yes, this story is about weightlifting, but it is really about so much more than that. This is about your life.

What do YOU Want?

Do you want to be vibrantly healthy? Don’t dabble…do! Do you want to be financially wealthy? Don’t dabble…do! How about a relationship they will write poems about? You have to jump in with both feet.

Everyone (almost!) I meet with in my office wants some result that has been eluding them. They want to be free to do the activities they are unable to, or work to support their family. They want greater awareness, or mental and emotional well-being. They want strategies to facilitate their own growth, evolution and inevitably their greater contribution to the world.

Many achieve this, but there are always some who think they can take a short cut. They miss visits, they make excuses and they don’t follow through. They skip the workshops and don’t do their exercises at home.The result is frustration and disappointment.

The great thing is that it is never too late to turn it around. Really decide what you really want in your life and commit to making it happen. Don’t be a dabbler! Act now!

Thorin Gault, D.C.

« Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. »
Paulo Coelho