“SOON is not a time and SOME is not a number.”

James Clear - Entrepreneur, Weightlifter and Travel Photographer

I LOVE this statement. Like, seriously LOVE. All caps, bold and italicized, kind of serious.

James Clear, clearly knows what HE is talking about. He makes a habit of putting out two blog entries a week. Consistently.  He’s done this without fail, since November 2012.  

Bruce Lee once said: “Long term consistency, trumps short term intensity”.  (THIS PRINCIPLE is fleshed out in James’ AWESOME 45 page “Guide To Transforming Your Habits”.  It’s a must read for anyone wanting to make an IMMEDIATE change to their attitude towards building better habits.)

In a few simple sentences, James will quietly yet swiftly urge you to DO SOMETHING.  Not necessarily a GREAT thing, but just something more than before.  This light-bulb- gem on page 29 was key for me:

“It took me awhile to realize it, but it's not about always doing your best work, it's about doing the best you can on a consistent basis. Once I stopped focusing on results and simply held myself to a consistent schedule, my work and my output improved.”

It was the stone between the eyes that I PERSONALLY needed, in order to breathe new life into my comatose blog.  

I needed to STOP making excuses and START writing.  My LACK of output was the problem, not the content!

I faced a similar dilemma towards the end of my preparation for my SFG level 1 Kettlebell instructor certification last year.

6 weeks before the toughest physical challenge of my life, I woke up with the Burmuda triangle of all shoulder injuries/malfunctions.  I went from comfortably pressing 12kg (my test weight for the cert…) to struggling to get 6kg halfway overhead. No clue HOW…NO idea how to fix it.  A mysterious, unsolvable NIGHTMARE, that literally caused shooting, tingling pain to wake me from sleep for 6 days in a row. I was a wreck.

Deep Front Line Fascial frustration? FIONA to the rescue!!

My symptoms suggested everything from subscapularis triggerpoints, to stressed out scalenes and serratus anterior muscles gone M.I.A. Having unsuccessfully attempted a variety of rehab possibilities I realized that time was NOT on my side. A week later still in shock, dealing with my new reality, I receive a call from my Dad. “Your Mother is hospital. She fell down a very steep flight stairs and has a broken collarbone, and 5 fractured ribs.” (My mom is 63.)

I travelled to her home town immediately and later in the week to the referral hospital where she was admitted to High Care for observation. A chest infection was threatening her ability to breathe, and she needed to be kept on oxygen. The disruption in my schedule and emotional strain were beginning to paralyze me, mentally and physically.

I had to DO SOMETHING. But EVERTHING felt pointless, hopeless. 

In desperation, and with barely two weeks to go, I wrote down 3 things that I KNEW I COULD still do, painfree, on a consistent basis without excuse.

1.       CRAWL

2.       SQUAT

3.       CARRY (even overhead, light weight…)

Before I knew it, that list grew from 3 to 10 things.

"The LIST"

I KNEW I had to show up for my clients ANYWAY, so while I was in that studio, I would simply make a DAILY HABIT of attempting to do SOMETHING on that list…

I signed it, like a personal contract to myself, made a crude daily countdown and STARTED right away.

I DID NOT allow myself to wallow in self pity and tell myself that SOON (…not a time) I’d be able to resume my training schedule, but meantime I’ll do SOME (…not a number) other stuff to keep busy.

No. I did what James reminded me of on page 34:

“Your habits need a time and place to live in your life.”

The result? 

I managed to get 7 days of ‘training’ accomplished out of 14 remaining days. 

I managed to get a 50% return on my mental commitment.

I managed to stay POSITIVE despite these massive road blocks.

And ULTIMATELY I managed to survive 3 days of the most intense training, I've ever had the privilege of being part of; (a frillion thanks to my amazing physiotherapist).

and receive PERSONAL instruction from one of the strength industry's most highly respected specialist’s. 

Not to mention the awesome care and example of the tiny Canadian-powerhouse-SFG instructor/assistant, that kept her watchful eye on my every move. 

Alicia, Pavel, Martine and me.
( A Russian, a Canadian and two Africans walked into a gym....."Whats DOWN in Afrikaans?  and thus began the weekend....)

I did not certify on that weekend, but on the 14 February this year I FINALLY did, and can therefore wholeheartedly agree with this statement:

SOON IS NOT A TIME AND SOME IS NOT A NUMBER.

How are YOU going to allow this simple but profound 

statement to affect YOUR attitude towards your current 

personal crisis??

I challenge you to make a contract with yourself this 

week...even right NOW!

·   List 3 things you KNOW you can do. WHATEVER they are... 

1. BODYWEIGHT SQUAT

2. PUSH UP

3. CRAWL (...YES, floating knees PLEASE!)


And get started. Now.