A note from the Badass CEO: This blog, and my company, is about building up the Badass Army - in numbers, in enthusiasm, in strength. So today, we welcome a guest blogger who is embarking on a 360-day Badass Journey that he wants to last him a lifetime. Chris Turner, a former military man, just got one year closer to 30 and he knows he isn't living as Badass a life as he should be. He is determined, over the next 360 days that lead him to the big 3-0, to reclaim the Badass guy he was at West Point. And he's brave enough to track his journey here on Badass Fitness. Read on, and be inspired to think about where you are - and whether you, too, need to start raising the bar to your full Badass potential.
There comes a time in our lives when we look in the mirror and realize it is time to stop making excuses. A point at which we conclude that we have two choices: Change the way we have been doing things, or continue down that path leading to nothing great. For me, the “fork in the road” came last week. Last Thursday, I hit the big 2-9. One step closer to the big 3-0.
Earlier this year I had been going strong -- getting back to where I wanted to be physically and mentally. But lately I have allowed my “work” and “socializing” to get in the way.
Well, today I am putting it out there, in front of the entire Badass Army: No. More. Excuses.
I have allowed myself to become sedentary. My life is about convenience. When I go out to eat, I enjoy fast food - in large portions. I look for happy hours and drink specials wherever I can. I tend to choose drinks with friends over getting exercise or rest. My DVR was designed to allow me to watch TV at my convenience, but I use it to record one show while watching another. Worse, I will spend an hour flipping through the TV channels until I can find something that I would like to watch – which is typically a movie I have seen so many times, I can recite from memory.
So last week, as my birthday approached, I looked in the mirror and asked myself: Is this what I want to be when I hit 30? The answer: Hell no.
This brings me here, to Badass Fitness as a guest blogger. I am giving myself 360 days to do a “full 360°” with my life. Yes, I understand that a full 360° would only get me back to where I am now, but here’s the thing: I DON’T want to be where I am now.
For me, I want in 360 days to be at 0°. This is the point where you look back and say “That’s where I wish I was back at!” You know this point. It’s when you could run 5 miles without breaking a sweat, or bench twice your body weight, and you looked DAMN GOOD doing it.
Everyone has that point. Maybe it was five years ago before an illness, three years ago before you were married, or two years ago before you started working full time. We all have that “used to be” place where we look at ourselves and say “I want to be there.”
My “used to be” place was in August 2003. I was 21 and had just transferred from West Point to Florida State. I was in the best shape of my life when I arrived in Tallahassee, thanks to the watchful eye of the U.S. Army and some great nutritionists. Being on my own, I got lazy. Didn’t work out as much, ate whatever, and partied… hard.
My goal is to get back to where I was then. Not necessarily the 145 pounds and 5% body fat (although that would be nice), but back to being able to pick up and go run 5 miles when I get bored. I want to get back to focusing on eating healthy instead of eating convenient. I want to think first about going for a walk through the park, or kayaking down the river, instead of sitting on the couch and watching Harry Potter again. I want to stand with the Badass Army and be proud of my accomplishments - knowing this360° is not a temporary thing, but a permanent life change. (And yes, I really want to look good with my shirt off.)
I’m inviting you fellow Badasses to join me on this journey to complete my 360. Think about where you are, and where you want to be. Some of us will look and be at 90°, some will be at 180°. But we all have the same goal; to get back to that point where we are happy with what we see and how we feel. This isn’t a quick fix; this isn’t a “do this for 90 days and you will be good to go.” This isn’t me telling you what to eat, or lecturing you to work out six times a week.
This is about making a commitment to change. 360 days is a full commitment to changing who you are and how you do things. It’s about your health, your fitness; it’s about changing your lifestyle. I will be posting here periodically about my journey, and about this adventure, and I want to hear your feedback.
Thanks to all those who are helping me with these changes: My trainer and motivator the Badass CEO Shannon C.; all the good people at Sweat Therapy Fitness, the great food from Earth Fare, and the support of my beautiful wife Shanell.
Coming next week: A Monday Move you can do without moving, a new playlist, and healthy snacks that easily become calorie, fat and sugar traps
