The Bobby Rock Newsletter #28 (10-6-2021) - The "Fuck Yes!" Philosophy
The Bobby Rock Newsletter #28 (10-6-2021) - The "Fuck Yes!" Philosophy
Hello Friends -
It’s 2:30 AM on a Tuesday night and I find myself off-the-road and home in LA. Earlier this evening, I was training with my LA running group in preparation for two different 10K races I will be doing: one on 11-20, the other on 12-11. (These are shorter, 6-mile runs: trying to work on my speed!)
In looking to find the upside of a more scattershot touring schedule this fall, the prospects of training for a race or two gets a resounding “Fuck Yes!” from me—and ties in nicely with two intertwining themes in this week’s Newsletter offering.
In this Issue:
- Hold out for the “Fuck Yes!” opportunity—as opposed to settling for the uninspired “affirmative" that may eventually become the unwelcomed obligation.
- Calendar Power: Inking something in stone on your calendar is a great way to either jumpstart or uplevel your workout, nutrition, and recovery regimen.
- Seen and Heard: Thrilled to participate in Eric Carr’s recent Metal Hall of Fame induction; Special “anniversary” podcast timing re: the Vinnie Vincent Invasion audition.
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The “Fuck Yes!” Philosophy:
Exploring the wisdom of the emphatic. whole-body YES!
Here’s a concept I’ve heard entrepreneur/author Derek Sivers talk about that we would all do well to embrace. When considering a new opportunity or activity that will be occupying future space on our already jammed-up calendars, our decision shouldn’t be a matter of simply yes or no. It should be a “Fuck Yes!” or “no." If it’s “no,” fair enough. You’ve saved yourself a lot of potential agony in the future regretting why you ever said yes! But if it’s yes, it should be an undeniable “Fuck Yes,” as opposed to the lukewarm “yes" that many of us talk ourselves into because something looks good on paper at first glance.
Here’s why:
It’s About Time: Time is among our most valuable commodities. Everything we say “yes" to invariably takes way more time than we anticipated. So if you’re gonna be adding something, make it a “Fuck Yes!” addition that will bring you joy… or say “No” so that you’ll have the extra space available later to say “Fuck Yes!” when the joyous option inevitably presents itself.
Experience vs. Execution: When we’re younger, “yes” is one of our most important words because getting better at things requires experience, and experience requires the investment of time… which means we have to say “yes” to almost anything that gives us experience. (Every pro musician will reflect fondly on this idea!) But as we get older, “no” becomes one of our most important words because, now that we’ve paid the piper for all of this valuable experience, we’re also dealing with a more finite amount of time, so we must be more selective about how we spend it… as in, what we say “yes" to. Therefore, I say, every “yes“ must be unequivocal.
Variations and Exceptions: A few things to consider along the way…
A) Sometimes we make gut decisions about things that don’t necessarily bring us a lot of foot-stomping joy, but they are the right thing to do, so we do them. This is part of life… and yet another reason not to waste valuable time giving a tentative "yes" to some bullshit.
B) Other times, we are reinventing ourselves—or expanding our talents and abilities—so we may need more experience, which means saying “yes” to opportunities solely for that reason. This is fine… so long as this reinvention or expansion is a “Fuck Yes!”
C) Still other times, we may give a weary yes to an activity that we’re not crazy about, BUT—the net effect of our doing so results in a “Fuck Yes!” (Ex: Going to the gym or opting for the healthier meal won’t always inspire a “Fuck Yes,” but the short and long-term results will!).
D) And, of course, sometimes we agree to things that will give a friend, loved one, or family member a “Fuck Yes!” BUT, we have to manage and prioritize wisely, lest we burn ourselves out.
And Finally...
Getting feedback about new opportunities from those in your inner circle is fine. But remember, everyone tends to bring their own biased filters to every such conversation and, therefore, everyone will have their own idea about what constitutes a “Fuck Yes!” according to them. In the end, only you will know if something is truly a “Fuck Yes!” for you.
Choose accordingly.
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Calendar It Now!
Creating Extra Motivation with a Healthy Lifestyle Jump-Start
Pic by KCdoodleart
Between all we have to do every day, and all that’s out there to distract us, it’s too easy to watch our most hopeful aspirations or projects free-fall into a fuzzy future. This is certainly true for many indie artists or writers who have a “new" project in the works. If a due date is not locked in stone on the calendar at some point, it almost certainly won’t get finished. This I can tell you first-hand!
It turns out the same can be said in many other instances, particularly as it relates to health and wellness. Many people are interested in enjoying more vibrant health, there’s no question. And many can string together a few days or even a few weeks of healthier eating or maybe some consistent exercise. Invariably, though, that initial aspiration will often lose steam if we don’t frontload the venture with a more compelling “why.”
We may need some stakes, something to shoot for, a deeper reason to stick with the program early on… at least for the first 30 to 60 days, which is usually enough time for us to habituate some new practices.
So what do we do? Put something on the calendar to prepare for.
- For runners or cyclists, this could be a race
- For walkers or hikers, this could be a more “formal," challenging hike that you train for, and maybe even travel to, x-number of weeks down the road
- For weekend warrior-types who like to play softball, basketball, or touch football in a league of some sort, it could entail formalizing your preparation for the new season with “opening day” occupying a target date on the calendar
- For others, it could be a weight-loss or “get ripped” goal that coincides with a particular social event, performance or professional appearance where you want to look your best
You could also consider some of the many online "community challenge” type of events that offer decent engagement and accountability elements. And speaking of accountability, there are many options these days for “putting it out there” by announcing the goal and then documenting your progress (social media, email updates, etc). Hey, if it helps you stay on track, do it.
These are all legit ideas for jumpstarting a program—you just have to find the one that gets you saying, “Fuck Yes!” :-)
Upleveling Your Current Program
Now, if you are already pretty consistent with your exercise program, consider adding a date on the calendar as a way of upleveling your training. This is what I like to do from time to time. I love it when there’s a race in my future. The running world offers plenty of these each year (under normal circumstances), and I’ll tell ya: just knowing there’s a solid date that I have to prep for on the short-term provides even more structure to my daily regimen.
Of course, for most of us in the running game, we’re not actually competing with anyone else, but I’ve always found the challenge of the almighty PR (personal record) to be a pretty decent carrot. More importantly, though, I think it’s all about the adventure: the camaraderie of group training (usually twice a week), the structure of the program, the logging of the workout particulars (and the improved numbers) and, of course, the exhilaration of the race day experience.
But that’s just me.
Find your jam, then mark that date!
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Seen and Heard
Here are a couple recent vids that might be of interest:
Eric Carr's induction into the Metal Hall of Fame
I was thrilled to be a part of Eric Carr’s recent induction. (Thanks, Carrie!) Had a chance to say a few words about Eric’s indelible impact on arena rock drumming, and his “legacy of kindness” regarding how he treated folks. Can’t believe it’s been 30 years since he transitioned. Eric is still loved and missed by so many...
Full in Bloom Podcast Interview Excerpt
Someone sent me this LINK last week on the actual anniversary of my fateful VVI audition (Oct 1, 1985). That whole experience has been well-documented by now, but this excerpt features a detailed retelling of the audition and many of the circumstances leading up to it. Always great to talk to Adam at Full in Bloom.
Click HERE for the entire Part 3 episode.
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