I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty freakin’ fired up for 2022.

It feels like the last two years have overstayed their welcome, so I’m ready to jump into the new year and make some magic happen.

Now I’m not a huge believer in New Year’s Resolutions, especially when the research shows most people lose track of theirs by mid-January.

But I do love this time of year for taking an honest look at where you’re at in life, thinking about where you want to go, and then creating an action plan to get you from A-to-B.

So rather than the typical New Year’s Resolutions, here are a few things I’m striving to achieve in 2022.

I’m going to create high-quality fitness content consistently.

Depending on how long you’ve hung out over here at RTS, may not know it but back in the day, I was kind of a big deal when it came to writing 😉

(I can hardly write that with a straight face, so please understand there’s a lot of sarcasm in that sentence!)

From 2003 to 2015, I pumped out blogs and articles like it was my job.

But for a number of reasons, I basically stopped.

Now part of me knows why…I saw the writing on the wall.

With digital media like podcasts and videos claiming an ever-growing amount of attention, I decided to hedge my bets and put more time and attention there.

But what ended up happening was I stopped writing all together!

So there’s that side of it, but if I’m being brutally honest with myself, part of it is flat-out laziness as well.

Because let’s be honest: It’s not that hard to sit down and record a podcast or video, then send it off to someone else to edit and make pretty. 

But sitting down and taking the time to organize your thoughts? Write a rough draft? Edit that sucker? And then finally publish it?

Well let’s just say that takes considerably more time and effort.

But here’s the thing…that time and effort rewards both you and I.

For one, hopefully I teach you a thing or two about whatever topic I’m writing about.

Or at the very least, it challenges you a little bit and makes you think.

And for me, the time it takes to sit down and organize my thoughts not only helps me better understand concepts and ideas, but forces me to better communicate those thoughts and ideas to you!

So my goal this year is to not only write more articles and newsletters, but also to create more video content as well.

To help me get this done, I’m doing two things:

1. Blocking off the first part of my morning to think, write, and create content. This could come in the form of articles, newsletters, or videos, but my goal is to create something DAILY that makes you a better trainer or coach.I’m also planning on getting back out there to speak at live events, because I feel like that’s one of the best ways to make a big impact (more on this later).
2. I hired someone to help! I’ve been remiss to outsource stuff, because like most entrepreneurs, my mantra always defaults to “I can do this better myself!”Except that’s a false promise, and when things really get busy, important but non-urgent work just doesn’t get done.To remedy this, I’ve brought my guy Paul Routon on to help.

   Paul’s been the man behind my video content for years, and he’s going to help make sure I crank out more materials on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube in 2022.

Now the one exception here is the podcast.

Other than a week or two here and there, I’ve consistently pumped out at least 50 shows for the past 6 years.

And lo-and-behold, that’s the content that gets the most downloads, streams and attention than anything else!

The only issue with the podcast is you don’t always get to hear my thoughts and experiences, which I think can be valuable and instructive.

I’ve had some wins along the way, and trust me, I’ve had more than my fair share of losses as well.

But what’s most important is that I’ve learned from all of them – and I need to do a better job of sharing all of it.

So I’m going to continue rocking the podcast, but be on the lookout for more written and video content from yours truly in the year to come.

I’m going to get into the best shape I’ve been in in the last 10 years.

The fitness space can be funny, especially if you’re putting yourself out there with regards to video content.

If you’re out there demo’ing videos, talking about training, whatever, it’s pretty much free game for people to comment on your physique.

And trust me over the years, I’ve pretty much heard it all.

I was told I was “skinny fat” (when I weighed 205, was sitting at ~12% body fat and was powerlifting regularly).

I was told I was weak (again, when I was squatting and deadlifting over 500 pounds).

I’ve been told I have bad posture.

That my technique sucks.

That I know nothing about lifting.

And trust me, the list goes on and on…

Now I’m a big believer in life that you need to find a balance between being okay with where you’re at, but also wanting to push yourself to achieve more.

It’s damn hard to do, but over the years, I feel like I’ve found that balance.

I have a healthy body that allows me to perform in all aspects of my life – I can workout pain-free, I can play sports and run around with my kids, and all-in-all, I’m a pretty well-functioning human being.

But I’d also like to push myself a little bit this year and see what I can get out of this body of mine, and that’s why I’ve hired a nutrition coach to help me get started on the right foot.

If I’m being honest there’s no doubt I could shave a couple of pounds off, which should help me move, feel and function even better.

As well, working with my guy Mike Camporini last year helped give me some perspective on what I do well from a movement perspective, and what I need to continue to work on and address going forward.

And last but not least, I’m doing a better job of actively planning my recovery.

I’m going to schedule any recovery modalities out 3-4 months in advance, to help make sure I get it done.

Far too often if you’re reactive and only planning a week or two out with this stuff, it might be hard to get on the books.

This way if I’m planning in advance, I’ll make sure I get it done – and take better care of myself in the process.

I’m going to positively impact more athletes and coaches than ever before.

Last but not least, my final goal is to positively impact more athletes and coaches than ever before.

Now I know this sounds like a big goal – and kind of vague to boot – but here’s my thought process here.

I’ve always thought of myself as having two circles of influence:

1. A very small circle of influence with the athletes and coaches I work with on a daily basis. This would be the people I train/coach at IFAST, as well as our staff and interns. The impact here tends to be deeper as I see them regularly, get to interact with them in real life, etc.
2. A much larger circle of influence with the people I interact with via my content, newsletter, etc. In this area I may not have the same degree of impact, but that doesn’t mean I can’t help people get more out of their lives or careers.

A lot of this was brought on after reading Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday. It made me realize that even though I’ve achieved (what I consider to be) a lot in my life, I’ve still been playing small.

I know I can do more.

Help more people.

Play a bigger role in improving our industry.

But if I want to do that, I have to continue to grow and evolve myself.

Summary

Over vacation this past summer I drew this little diagram of concentric circles…

….it started with myself in the middle…

…then the second circle extended out to my family…

…and then the third big circle encompassed the work that I do at RTS and IFAST.

You see, I want to make a massive impact in our industry.

I want to positively influence the next generation of great athletes and coaches.

But perhaps more importantly, I want to be a kick-ass husband and father.

I want to make sure they know that I love them, appreciate them, and care about them with every fiber of my being.

But then I came to this stark realization…

…if I want the circles around me are to grow, I myself have to grow first and foremost!

So that’s my goal for 2022: To push myself to see what I can truly become.

To see what kind of impact I can have on my family, and the industry that I love.

At this stage in life, I think Forrest Gump’s quote rings true:

“Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get.”

But I can tell you this – whatever happens in 2022, I’m going to give everything I got to make it OUR best year ever.

All the best,
MR