Week 20 - To Thine Own Self Be True

Well, I didn't get the 200 grams I was looking for to say that I had lost 1 kilo per week for 20 weeks.  In reality, I put on 400 grams both on weigh in day and in average for the week.  Truthfully, after the start to the week I had in relation to my eating, I will walk away happy.  I found a kilo of weight somewhere mid week and even getting close to last week is somewhat of an achievement of sorts.  I'm back on track for next week and my goals now centre around 500 grams per week if possible.  I know that even that modest goal is going to be very difficult even though the mirror test says I have plenty of spare tyre left, in my heart of hearts, I suspect that my body is what it is and that it just wants to be a little more heavy that what I have in mind.  Sounds defeatist?  Well I am not defeated at all.  Just acknowledging the challenge ahead, whilst smaller in actual numbers, will be harder than what I have done to this point.  Perhaps best indicated by my average weight chart for this week below.

Click to make me bigger

 Can I also say that I had a rather ironic giggle this week at the note on the top of the page on the site I use to generate this particular graph.  It provides a note each day on how you are tracking towards the goal you have set.  When I am moving in the right direction, it throws up a little green box, an example of which you see below, telling me that I'm travelling ok and giving an indicative date of when I am likely to reach that goal.  Mid week where the dots were just starting to go back under the average line I get this message

Oh YAY!! The U.S. style date telling me that I'll be done for Christmas 2016!!  Just in time for a big extra serving of Christmas lunch....Like I said, it did raise just a little more than even the smile I am wearing as I think and type about it now.

I'm going to branch out on a slight tangent this week onto a topic that genuinely interests me deeply.  You'll understand why soon.

In my investigative travels searching for information to sponge up about all things MMA, martial arts and competing in the same, frequently have I come accross the concept that much of the competition takes place in one's mind rather than on the mat.  The battle just to set foot in the arena is one that defeats many.  Hence why I am so fond of the 'Man in the Arena' quote from Theodore Roosevelt that I have written about in an earlier post.  With this in mind, I have made it part of my journey to try and understand the mental aspects involved in training to compete.  Part of that is understanding myself and how I think.

Up until last year, I always knew that I was introverted, but, I have never had a full understanding of what that meant.  I knew that in me it meant that I didn't tend to seek out the company of others.  I don't particularly like parties or social gatherings generally and none of that particularly bothered me.  At least in so much as I still had the relative confidence, not to demand social conformity of myself that might have otherwise resulted in me overtly diving into social situations that I knew would make me uncomfortable.  Certainly there are times when we all need to join in with the social circumstances of a situation, but, that is part of the nature of societies more broadly.  Or at least, that is how I see it anyway.  But, the one thing that I didn't fully understand was that being introverted, didn't and doesn't make me shy or socially awkward.  At least not always....  Everyone has those moments from time to time right??  I have actually conceded that I may even be a people person.....of sorts.  Even if I do often seek to be on my own.

So what does being introverted and/or extroverted actually mean?  Whilst I did learn the definitions more properly last year, never have I seen it put so well as in the video that hit my FaceBook stream this week that I have embedded here.

The basics of it that give me great comfort are that I can be introverted and still be normal.  In fact, I very much like the qualities of an introvert and am happy to be one.  Someone that thinks deeply about things, internalises them and really considers them.  That's not to say that extroverts don't think things through of course.  They just tend to do it on the outside.  They externalise their thinking and processing of information.  The advantage there is collaboration and perhaps more group diagnosis of things.  There are qualities and drawbacks of both styles.  Watch the video!  It really nails the definitions, characteristics as well as the science behind it all.  What's going on in the brain!!

What's the relevance?  Well, indirectly, understanding this concept is a real benefit in communicating with other people.  If you can understand how they work in terms of whether they are introverted or extroverted, it is at least easier to tailor your communication style to be as effective as possible.  That might mean talking things through with an extrovert and giving an introvert the time to think things through themselves, before diving into a conversation about the topic with them.

Direct relevance for me in terms of both my training and my general efforts to be healthy is to understand what works for me, how I think, learn and recharge my batteries best.  All very important things to know when trying to maximise the return of the investment of time, effort and energy into the goals I have set myself.  Also in terms of winning the battle of the mind that it will take if I am ever to step into the arena of competition.  I like to think of it as being part of an holistic approach to what I am trying to achieve.  There is more to understanding the aspects of the mind involved, but, I think this is definitely part of the puzzle.