January 3rd, 2021

News and Notes
First off, Happy New Year!

I cannot seem to get accustomed to how fast time moves as we pass through the years. This week I was reminded of this as I have been listening to one of my favorite books, Jurassic Park on audio. The quote is from the great character Ian Malcolm: “And that's how things are. A day is like a whole life. You start out doing one thing, but end up doing something else, plan to run an errand, but never get there. . . . And at the end of your life, your whole existence has the same haphazard quality, too. Your whole life has the same shape as a single day.”

Thinking about this quote, I think about the hope and excitement that surrounds every new year. It is amazing to see the motivation and the drive that people have to make a better life for themselves. Unfortunately, more often than not, this desire sputters out. Do not let that happen to you. Every day that you have is a small sample of your entire life. If you stay on the desired path, your life will be what you want it to be. If you deviate from said path, you will live a life with regret.                              

What I've Been Reading
Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live by Nicholas Christakis
The author of this book is a physician, sociologist, and professor at Yale University. He is an interesting man who understands human behavior very well. If you want to get an introduction to him, his work, and this book, check out his interview on Joe Rogan's podcast.

Anyhow, Apollo’s Arrow provides an account of the origins and the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. He does an amazing job discussing pandemics and plagues of yesteryear with tons of quotations and examples from as far back as the 1400's. The handling of pandemics is nothing new to humans and this book outlines the many ways that people throughout history tried to slow down the spread of viruses. They shutdown schools, stayed home, avoided going to businesses, evacuated cities, and so on. Many of the things we are doing today have a long history not only in this country but in our world! If you are somehow who can ignore the politicization of COVID-19 and read a book to gain some insight on the current issue at hand, this one is perfect!

Lessons From The Forefathers...
Clergymen were telling congregations that if Jefferson became president, they would need to hide their bibles...

As I wrapped up reading Hamilton this week I am again, shaking my head in awe over the parallels to life in the late-1700's/early-1800's to our present day. The election of 1800 saw incumbent John Adams square off against vice President Thomas Jefferson for the right to be our next president. During this time, rumors persisted that Jefferson was an atheist and if elected, "clergymen would need to hide their bibles...". The thought of a presumed atheist president struck concern into the God fearing Christians spread throughout the country. As it turns out, none of the sort would happen. Jefferson beat Adams for the seat in the White House and no bibles needed to be hidden. Turns out, it was only political posturing from the competition for office! This got me thinking... 

As our election just wrapped up, I thought about all the fear mongering that occurs during these pivotal moments in history. If Trump wins, then _____________ is going to happen. If Biden wins, the first thing he is going to do is __________________. Fill in those blanks with whatever story you wish. In the end, most of these things never happen. We spend more time thinking about things and spreading concern over issues that never occur. In my view, that is not a very productive way to live. Lets leave this behavior behind us with 2020 and move on to creating a positive environment for ourselves and those around us!

Fitness Tip of the Week
I just wrapped up reading Lean Made Simple by Slade Jones. This book seems to be a tremendous way to start off the New Year as many Americans are looking to improve on their physical fitness in 2021. This book outlines a four week program. This book is not recommending you do these things for the rest of your life. It is recommending you follow the program for the set amount of time, accomplish some weight loss, and move on to a more sustainable way of living. That being said, here is what Slade Jones recommends with his 4 week program...

1. Strength training. In his mind, making improvements in Pullups, Ab Wheels, Single Arm Overhead Presses and Barbell Hip Thrusts can give you the most bang for buck.
2. Daily walking. This will help you maintain a healthy bodyweight, strengthen bones and muscles, improve mood, help stave off health conditions like high blood pressure and heart disease, as well as improve balance/coordination. His tip is this: set a timer for 10 minutes and each day, try to walk further in those 10 minutes. No jogging or running allowed. After 8-12 days you will realize that you can't go any further. Good. Keep trying for 28 days!
3. Intervals. Perform an activity like rowing, swimming, jumping rope, bike riding, running, etc. for 2 minutes going pretty hard and then rest for 2 minutes. Keep repeating until you reach 30 minutes. This workout should be done on days that you do not lift. 
4. Rest. Sleep 7-9 hours a night. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Have a routine. Remove clocks and other electronics from the bedroom. Avoid naps exceeding 30 minutes.
5. Diet recommendation are as follows: multiply your bodyweight x 12. That is the number of calories to consume in one day. Multiply that by 7 for your weekly calorie total. This is the important one to hit. Measure your waist around the belly button every week and check your weight. If you don't lose a pound per week or a few centimeters on the belly, decrease your daily calories by 200. You should eat two meals a day and fast for about 5 hours upon waking. 

ONE IMPORTANT POINT: THESE GUIDELINES ARE STRICT. THEY ARE TO BE FOLLOWED FOR ONE MONTH ONLY. 

Quote of the Week
"One hour per day of study in your chosen field was all it takes. One hour per day of study will put you at the top of your field within three years. Within five years you'll be a national authority. In seven years, you can be one of the best people in the world at what you do" -- Earl Nightingale

I hope you all have an awesome week!
Chris Fluck