I write this newsletter every Thursday afternoon, ready and scheduled to land in your inbox on a Friday.

I’m currently sat here at my desk typing and I’ve just noticed my fingertips have bike chain grease on them.

I haven’t started a side hustle fixing bikes, but I was cycling back from the gym about an hour ago and my chain decided to snap in half!

Yep, snapped right off and dropped in the middle of the traffic.

I had to pick that bad boy off the floor and find a repair shop nearby.

And do you know what, the chain breaking was all my fault.

Which brings me on perfectly to my first ‘lesson’ today…

What have I got for you today:

• A lesson from my bike - don’t leave problems linger, otherwise shit breaks!

• How environment dictates habits and success

• Using google calendar to schedule all your fitness and health habits

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My coaching program, The Paradigm Project,  helps ambitious entrepreneurs and professionals live a healthier, stronger, and all around better life.

Most importantly, one of the main aims of the program is helping every single client achieve pain-free performance!

If you are an entrepreneur who is in the mood to transform their health & fitness, then life changing results is within your reach.

Click on the link to book in your free coaching call and we can build a plan that changes your life!

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A lesson from my bike - don’t leave problems linger, otherwise sh*t breaks!

So yeah, my bike chain just snapped in half.

And I said, it was ALL my fault.

Long story short, I flew it over here to Spain a few weeks ago after it spent about 10 months in storage.

I assembled it like the pro bike mechanic that I am (1st time I’ve ever done it) and all seemed ok.

A few days into cycling it though I started to notice that it didn’t feel quite as smooth as it normally did, but I didn’t take much notice of it.

A few days later, for the first time since owning the bike, the chain came off the rail.

I popped it back on (again like a pro) and quickly forgot about it.

Then these last few days, the bike started struggling to gear up and down without its usually fluidity.

Now this is not a cheap bike, so it is smooth as butter with its gear changes!

But, once again, I didn’t so much ignore the problem, rather I said I’d wait until the weekend and try and fix it myself (YouTube providing the expert tutorials).

Then that chain snapped like a cracker at Christmas, clean as a whistle!

I wasn’t angry, but I was pissed off at myself for letting it happen.

This is a perfect example of letting a perceived ‘small problem’ fester until it leads to a big problem happening.

I could have avoided it all - yet I stupidly did nothing to stop it.

Now when I go pick up my bike tomorrow, my bill is going to be a LOT higher than it would have been if I just brought it in when I first noticed it was having problems.

Think of the bike as. Your body, and the chain as your nagging injury. Maybe it’s a sore lower back or niggling shoulder injury.

It may not be causing you too much trouble now, and maybe it only flares up every few months and gives you a few weeks of grief.

But, just like the chain on my bike, that injury, if left untreated, more often than not will lead to something much worse happening in the future.

So please don’t ignore pain and think it’ll all just miraculously get better itself, unfortunately that just doesn’t happen very often.

You will pay a much higher price down the line - not just financially, but physically and mentally as well.

How environment dictates habits and success

Now I’ve never worked in an office, but I’ve trained enough people who have.

One of the main complaints I used to hear from clients when they weer venting to me after work, was how crap their office was.

Maybe not all the time, but most of the time they weren’t happy.

As a result, they weren’t as happy, and if you’re are not as happy, you are much less likely to try and work hard.

That’s pretty simple.

Flip it around, and put them in an office that they really enjoy being in instead.

The atmosphere is great, the people are nice, the place looks super inviting.

They are going to be happier and they’ll likely work harder and produce better results.

Now I’m not here to talk about office culture because I’ve got zero knowledge on it,

But this is a perfect example of how your environment dictates your habits and ultimately, your success.

From a health and fitness perspective, your environment plays a MASSIVE role on the level of progress you can make.

If you are in an office where you see the sweet trolly more than your own kids, that’s not a recipe for fat loss success.

If your dog, or cat, sleeps in your bed, I’m afraid to tell you that you are setting yourself up for a sub par nights sleep.

And if your partner is against lifting weights and going to the gym, you are going to find progress harder than most.

I’m not telling you to ditch your partner (although I’ve had at least 3 ladies leave their husband because they didn’t support their new lifestyle), but I am telling you to get your environment in check.

Look around you, is your environment set up for success?

If the answer is no, start making the necessary changes and watch your progress skyrocket.

Using google calendar to schedule all your fitness and health habits

You have probably heard me mention this before, but using a calendar to keep track of your fitness habits is a game changer for busy people.

This is one of the first strategies I suggest to new clients who have previously struggled with consistency.

I have excellent consistency and discipline, yet I still put all my workouts, runs, and even recently my dinners, into my diary.

Not only does it give me a clear view of my day, but it also keeps me accountable to myself.

As silly as that may sound, it’s true, and better yet, it works.

There are days where I don’t feel like running, but if it’s in my diary, you better believe it’s getting done.

Personally I use Google calendar, but use whatever one works for you.

Schedule in your workouts, walks, meal prep, food shop, stretching, runs, put it all in.

If there’s something you struggle to stay consistent with, put it in your diary.

You and me both know that if it’s not in the diary, it ain’t going to happen.

Remove the excuses once and for all and start being accountable to your diary.

A Quote For The Moment

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Your actions today will determine the person you become in the future.

If you decide to hit the gym 3 days per week, your future self will be strong.

If you decide to eat mindfully, your future self will feel happy in a swimsuit.

If you decide to prioritise your sleep, your future self will be healthier and happier.

You can only become the person you aspire to be, if you start performing the habits that they would do.

It really is that simple.

Mark

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here’s a few ways I can help you:

1. Are you an ambitious entrepreneur or professional who wants to get strong, lean, and boost your energy? Then apply for my 1-1 coaching here.

2. Take my free Professionals Health & Fitness Strength test to uncover the areas needed to take your results to the next level. Click here to start.

3. Grab a FREE copy of my Ultimate Health Guide for Entrepreneurs by Clicking here now.