[MT.177] Reid’s steady experiments, the Triple G Journal

Welcome to Matt’s Mix Tape: Taking a steady beats approach to fitness, writing, and mindset at midlife.

Small, steady, and fun experiments fuel an NFL great

If anyone has earned the right to be stodgy, it’s 64-year-old Andy Reid.

Reid coaches the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. He’s won nearly 250 games and a Super Bowl (and reached a couple of others). He’s a hall-of-fame lock.

Given his track record, it would be easy for Reid to lock down what he does. But instead, he runs one of the most creative offenses in the NFL, and comes up with stuff like this.

The Charity Stripe @_CharityStripe_

Innovative yet disrespectful huddle by the Kansas City Chiefs

(By the way, the Chiefs scored on this play, but it was called back by penalty.)

It’s January. Many of us are implementing new year’s resolutions. And some are already struggling under the weight of trying to make giant changes. Discouragement can set in quickly.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not good at wholesale change. But I’m pretty good at smaller changes, executed with consistency. Then I expand ones that work well. For example, moving from two to three strength training sessions this past fall. Or spending a little time in two language apps each day, working on Spanish, which I’m enjoying.

I like Charlotte Grysolle’s idea of a Year of Creative Experiments. Each month, she tried something new, in an easy-to-start manner. No hero lifts. And she had some great results.

So as you contemplate change in 2023, use that Andy Reid energy. Create small, consistent, and fun experiments. Steady beats are more effective than grandiose attempts at change.

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The Triple G journal

Here’s another small idea for 2023, one I started in ‘22:

It’s a Grace, Growth, and Gratitude journal, contained in a pinned Apple Note. I made an entry whenever I:

• Received a compliment from someone

• Stretched myself and got a positive result

• Noticed God showing up in my life—good surprises, a positive twist on a bad situation, or a flash of insight that paid off.

This easy-to-implement journal has compounding effects:

• When taking stock of the year, we tend to be negative as we look for things to change. This journal shows me so much that went well this year.

• Even in tough times, the good in the moment and in other people shown through.

Ultimately, the Triple G journal was an act in 1) noticing, and 2) re-framing. And it left me far more grateful at the end of year. It’s an experiment you might want to try in 2023.

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Thank you for reading.

Let’s keep the steady beats going right through 2023.

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