Our LEVEL UP 2020 program is off to a great start!! Okay so what does LEVEL UP actually mean? Here’s what’s behind our LEVEL UP program at Forge and what it means to me:
At the start of the year especially, we are always bombarded with so many messages about STOPPING / QUITTING / LOSING / DROPPING….. and, along with it, I hear so may people respond with disappointment in themselves or guilt, feeling like they are “not good enough” or “should be better” or “feeling bad that they haven’t….”. And I’ve noticed that this seems to suck the joy out of all of us, and a lot of us decide to skip the whole goal-setting thing entirely.
So instead, let’s switch this around and talk about GAINING / ADDING / REFINING / ADVANCING / pushing forward positively on the things that are important to us / pursuing incremental advances on things that we love and that bring us joy. One urban dictionary defines LEVEL UP as: to advance one’s character to the next level of development (usually in reference to gaming). Synonyms include: add to, amplify, augment, boost, build up, enlarge, escalate, accelerate, increase, pump up, step up…. Now that sounds better, doesn’t it?
Forge is an awesome place for so many reasons, but fundamentally we’re all here for the awesome workouts, right? Our LEVEL UP program offers us a timely opportunity to be extra intentional about our workouts, embracing challenges and pursuing measured progress against a periodized plan. If we are consistent and follow the plan, chances are we are going to see increased 1RMs, faster fitness tests, improved natural movement, etc. And at the same time, we will hopefully also create cleaner, more effective eating habits to improve our body’s fueling, leading to even better fitness results, increased energy, better sleep, and maybe even improved body composition. Planning and execution with a combined focus on fitness AND nutrition? Wahoo! I’m excited to see the results!
ADDING IN GOOD THINGS leaves less room for the bad/unhealthy things (which we don’t need to focus on at all so let’s ignore them, and they’ll fall away). Fill up with good food and lots of veggies. Fill your day with good things. Take more time to eat and enjoy it. Set time aside for the most important people in your life. Define some fitness goals that inspire you and make you FEEL SUCCESSFUL every day. Schedule time to do something FUN every day. Plan your workouts and your meals at the start of the week. Write down your progress daily. We all know these things, but it takes focused effort to actually DO IT consistently, so 16 weeks to BE INTENTIONAL about it and focus on it together as a community is going to be even better!
Sounds good right? Hold on though. Does this mean we should always be pushing ourselves for more? Maybe. But levelling up might also look different for you than you expect. Maybe it means skipping a workout and going for a walk in the Gorge (yes I said walk!!!). Maybe it means having a glass of wine on a Tuesday at lunch time. Maybe it means realizing you are actually happier when you eat some carbs!! Maybe it means taking some time out of your very important and busy day to reconnect with an old friend. Maybe it means taking 15 mins every day to do NOTHING except breathe. Maybe it means deliberately choosing to be kind to yourself and go easy for a day. Maybe…. You tell me?
Maybe it means: levelling up my ability and power to choose what’s best for me, right now.
So what does LEVEL UP mean to YOU for the next 16 weeks?
- What’s your “game”? What are your most important priorities for 2020? What do you want to have fun at this year? What brings you JOY? What makes you feel most like your true self? What do you want MORE OF? What energizes you?
- Now what actions can you take to bring these amazing things to the next level, moving you closer to what’s BEST for YOU?
Are you ready to advance your character to the next level of development?
Life is short make it sweet.