I Hate Situps // A Mental Framework to Get More Done, Better

I hate situps.

I just do.

Literally and metaphorically.

I realized recently that physical fitness is actually a decent framework to consider most activities, and it gave me some clarity on the kinds of tasks I am naturally attracted to. Or, more realistically, repelled by.

If you take everything you need to get done, most tasks seem to fit into 4 categories.

Deadlifts

The big, heavy lifts. You do them once or twice and are done. It takes grit and determination to do just a single rep, but it is extremely satisfying to have completed. The actual activity may only take a few minutes, but getting in the right physical and mental space to execute well is vital.

Jogging

The easy but time-consuming tasks. They take little focus but fill a lot of available space. You can probably watch TV or listen to a podcast while you work, and it takes a lot of time to make significant improvements in this space. Form is still important, but the repetitive nature can quickly become rote, and maintaining that form becomes more second nature than active task.

Situps

Situps are about consistency. One situp is easy. 100 is hard. It might take 10,000 cumulative situps to see real change, and, while less time-consuming than jogging, it can be difficult to find the time, space, and energy to get on the floor and get it over with.

Rest

Whitespace. The time between. Rest is just as important a part of any active work as the actual work is. Understanding when and how much rest you should get can massively improve the quality and enjoyment of the other tasks.

So what the heck does this have to do with anything?

I’ve started thinking about the things I do every day in this loose framework, and it has helped me to better predict what tasks I will enjoy when I should do them, and what kind of work is worth delegating.

Here is a short list of my work that fits each category as an example. Except for rest. I think that’s pretty obvious.

Brand Strategy Facilitation - Deadlift

Getting into the suitable mental space to facilitate a leadership team’s brand strategy session is extremely important. Maintaining the form throughout is vital. I might do one in a day and require at least a short cooldown before moving on to another task.

Brand Design - Jogging

I’ve spent so much time working in the environment that best practices have become rote, and I can easily get into a flow state of exploration and iteration that can carry on for hours. I can easily listen to a podcast while working and, though tiring, I usually feel pretty good afterward.

Answering Email - Situps

Working through a deep pile of emails is daunting and, while repetitive, requires a certain focus to do well. I can’t multitask or risk getting distracted from the task at hand, and when I wrap up, I feel drained.

How to use this to your advantage.

I’ve found that understanding how different tasks fall into these categories can help me plan my day better, have more energy, and get more done. All good things. Here are a few ways:

1. Understanding what you prefer.

Some people love situps. They love the repetitive nature of working through a pile of 100 things sounds great. They can track their progress, and no individual task is daunting. This is my wife. This is not me. I prefer deadlifts. One big push, and then it’s done. No slogging through, and a great sense of accomplishment for doing something I wasn’t sure I could.

2. Make sure you stretch

Just like needing to stretch or warm up before a workout, knowing that a few situps or a short jog before a deadlift puts you in the right mindset can be a great practice to make the most of those heavier lifts. If I know I am going into a session, I will often set aside time right before to do a little creative work and warm up my brain, and block some rest time afterward. This brings me to my next point.

3. Rest when you need it.

I am sure this is not true for everyone, but I need short bursts of downtime to recover from deadlifts. Interestingly the point here is not to always rest between activities but to know what kinds of tasks can chain together comfortably. I can easily recover from answering an onslaught of emails by popping in a podcast and doing some design work. No rest needed. Forget going the other way, though. Give me a stack of emails to dig through after a few hours of design work, and I’ll be more likely to stare off into space than check things off the list.

4. Know when to automate, optimize and delegate.

If it isn’t obvious yet, I love deadlifts. I like jogging. I hate situps. I’m just not built for it. So I put time and attention into optimizing and automating as many of these tasks as I can, to reduce their negative impact. For example, I pay for Superhuman, an incredible email client, so I can easily get through that stack of emails every day. If you’re looking to automate or delegate, consider starting with the jogging or situp tasks. It’s hard to delegate the deadlifts. It’s where your unique abilities are usually needed, but the repetitive can be easier documented and handed off.

5. Remember, it’s exercise!

One of the most valuable parts of this re-framing is simply the constant reminder that it’s all just exercise. Nothing is guaranteed results for today, and nothing is for the benefit of today. Everything you do is for the benefit of tomorrow. Try. Practice. Train. Get sore. Get a little better each time.

As Alex Hormozi says, you’ve gotta spend the time under the bar. Go get it.

z

PS

For the sake of example, this writing is jogging for me. I enjoy it, and I’m bopping my head to an old Beirut album while I type. Knowing I’m not going to be in the mental space to do some situps or a big deadlift after this, I’m going to intentionally take a break before re-approaching the to-do list.

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