Go! Go! Go!
I was dressed in workout clothes with my sneakers double tied and ready to run. It had been my intention to work out. But when I stepped onto the treadmill in my basement I felt completely unmotivated. It was 5pm on Sunday. I was regretting that I didn’t work out first-thing in the morning instead of trying to rally before dinner.
I scrolled through my playlist to find the right song to get me going. I was stalling. I then mindlessly clicked on Facebook and started liking some posts. The minutes were going by and I was standing still on the treadmill scrolling through social media, not even walking!
At that very moment my phone buzzed and a message came through from my friend Jeremy.
“Anybody wanna ride? I’m hopping on now.” It was a text sent to our Peloton group. We have 25 members— all financial advisors and people connected to our industry— and periodically we ride together. But we never ride on a Sunday at 5pm. Jeremy’s text arrived at the ideal time.
My lack of motivation was instantly replaced by the possibility of partnering up with someone else for my workout. I messaged Jeremy back: “I’m in!”
I hopped off the treadmill and hopped onto my Peloton bike instead. No one else had responded to his message, so it was just me and Jeremy in the 30 minute class.
My adrenaline was already flowing. I started warming up and following the guidance of the instructor. Immediately I felt better. Halfway through the ride, I realized that I was actually on pace to tie my best output ever. Seeing this pushed me even further. Within 15 minutes, I went from feeling sluggish to feeling driven. I kept pedaling, and I could tell from the stats next to Jeremy’s name on the Leaderboard that he was having a good ride too.
I had one minute left to tie my own record. Sweat was dripping into my eyes, onto the floor. I kept pedaling.
That’s when I saw a notification on the screen in front of me: “Jeremy wants to join you on video.” Video? Right now? I looked ridiculous, wheezing and trying to finish strong.
For some reason, I pressed “join.” Instantly Jeremy and I were sweating face-to-face on the screen.
Before I could say a word, he started shouting: “Go! Go! Go! GO JAMROG GO! You’re lookin’ great! Go, go, go!” I was cracking up at his enthusiasm, and also trying not to lose my momentum. I stood up from my seat, turned the knob to crank up the resistance, and pedaled as fast as I possibly could. Jeremy yelled one final, “Faster, Jamrog, faster! You got this! Go! Go! Go!” and then he abruptly ended the video to finish his own ride. Although his face disappeared from my screen I watched as my output went up and the timer counted down to zero.
I finished two points ahead of my best workout ever, thanks in large part to Jeremy.
As I cooled down and stretched afterwards, I realized that sometimes we need to ask for help, and sometimes we need to offer help. Either can make a huge difference.
What if you reached out to someone this week to offer—or ask for— some help? What impact could that have on you, as well as the other person?
There are moments when a cheer of support from a buddy is precisely what we need to get kick-started. Jeremy’s text was a gift to me on a sluggish Sunday afternoon. For friends like him, I am grateful.
This Week’s Resources
Just Planting the Seeds
With all the texts and emails we receive throughout the course of the day, it’s a special treat to get an old-fashioned greeting card in the mail. What if that card you received could turn into flowers? Check out Cute Root. They make greetings cards that, after received, can be soaked in water and planted in soil! Their cards are made of paper and filled with tiny seeds that turn into sprouts. What a fun message to send to someone, especially for kids: https://cuteroot.com/
The Best BBQ You’ve Ever Had
When you think about brisket, pulled pork, and other BBQ favorites, where have you had the best smoked meats? You might not have to travel to get your favorite BBQ these days. Check out Goldbelly—an online source for delectable items right from the most popular restaurants, shipped fresh and fast to your home. Whether it’s Dinosaur BBQ in Syracuse, Snow’s BBQ in Texas, or Pulkies Jewish-Style BBQ in Brooklyn NY, Goldbelly will get it to you. https://www.goldbelly.com/foods/bbq
How Not To Handle People’s Money
We all have TV characters we love to hate and hate to love. That’s how I feel about Bobby Axelrod from the Showtime series Billions. There hasn’t been a money manager this evil/intriguing since Wall Street’s Gordon Gekko. If you haven’t seen the show, it’s worth going back to season one and starting from the beginning: https://www.sho.com/billions
Disclosure: Securities and investment advisory services offered through registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC, Member SIPC. The Jamrog Group is not a subsidiary of MML Investors Services, or its affiliated companies. Supervisory Office: 330 Whitney Ave. Suite 600 Holyoke, MA 01040 Telephone: (413) 539-2000.
