When was the last time you tried something new? Be it a new sport, a different training regime, intermittent fasting or embarking on a new business venture, maybe something as simple as introducing a daily walk to your routine? I bet there answer is “not for long time” or “I don’t have time to try something new”.
The reason I ask this question is not only am I a firm believer in variety and constantly challenge yourself and personal development but more so because recently I had no choice but to find something new, a new stimulus that would keep me sane whilst keeping me active. Unfortunately I was hit by a couple of injuries which meant I was unable to participate in my usual training practices. I have an injury to my right shoulder due to years of rugby which I am due an operation on and an anterior pelvic tilt that needs correcting so my regular routine is a no go (for now). I am a strength enthusiast who loves lifting heavy and explosively and I am also a huge fan of kettlebell training. When my injuries struck I felt so down about the fact that I couldn’t do what I loved doing and it was really getting to me, so much so it was effecting my work and also my productivity on other projects which I once felt so excited about. Training is such a huge stimulus for me that just simply makes me feel awesome. It allows me to challenge myself and push boundaries and sends my mood and 
confidence through the roof. Without my usual training techniques I felt somewhat lost. If I am honest, at times I just wanted to cry (see, it was already affecting my testosterone levels 😉 I want to make it clear I am not bed ridden with these injuries nor does it mean I can’t do anything I just wanted to highlight it has stopped me doing the things I love doing and ultimately what I am good at. So what do you do when you temporarily can’t do the things you love? Well, like me I felt sorry for myself for a while and then I grew some nuts and decided to find other things to love. I knew heavy lifts and most kettlebell moves were going to have to go on the back burner for a while until I corrected the imbalances and got my operation out of they way.
I remember feeling really down one day and I was an absolute pain in the arse to be around (more so than normal at least) and Keris my partner in crime and wonderful girlfriend gave me a good telling off and yelled “listen you sexy beast, instead of being miserable about what you can’t do why don’t you find something you can do, try something new”. Ok I made the sexy beast bit up but the rest is true. After sulking for a bit I knew she was right. I had to find a new stimulus. I thought to myself what else did I love doing that gave me a huge buzz? The answer was easy…..working on my business. I decided I was going to throw myself into my business and develop my entrepreneurship skills and take the business to a new level. Getting on top of the spreadsheets, cleaning up the website, marketing and working on other projects that had somewhat been put on hold. I got well and truly stuck in and I felt amazing, the new found productivity felt awesome and I was over the moon. Problem sorted right? Not quite. As great as this was working on Fitter London and taking things to a new level it was not long before the empty space that my training had filled so well came back. I loved how the business was building and projects were progressing everyday but working in front of a laptop all day is not my style it simply just isn’t me at all. I needed a plan. I thought back to what I enjoyed when I was younger, sports I loved to play and things that stimulated me. I 
decided I wanted to re kindle my passion for sports I had not done for years. After doing nothing about it for a while after my bright idea it took watching the Olympics to give me the kick up the arse I needed to get involved again. I wanted to get back into basketball (Hadn’t played for 13 years) and swimming (last swam properly 11 years ago). I got chatting with a few of my pals at the gym and we now play basketball 1-2 times a week for 1.5-2 hours each time and I am absolutely loving it. It curbs the competitor in me and is great for my fitness, although I used to play a lot its like learning a new skill all over again. The best bit is my shoulder feels great and my back is on the mend. Lifting weights and playing rugby were such a huge part of my life and I never thought I would be able to recreate that buzz but I have. I don’t see Miami Heat signing me up any time soon however I will be looking to join a team to take this up competitively. I am loving shooting hoops right now and plan on introducing the swimming next week. I of course will return to the iron game soon enough but in the mean time I am loving my new activities and to be honest I have every intention of keeping them up once my pelvic tilt is corrected and I have recovered from my up coming shoulder operation. I of course will continue to be a business building bad ass and carry on helping as many people as possible along the way 🙂 BOSH
Don’t ever let anything stand in the way of your happiness and progressions, there is always a way you just have to look in the right places.
