Aaron Zimmerman

Trying To Navigate The World, Be Healthier & Spend More Time With Family | X Performance Coach In Pro Sport | Dad To 3 Boys 👇Newsletter Below👇

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

It's Hard To Believe It, But I Quit!

I quit the best job I ever had;

I had the best Crew that I've ever worked with, the best Environment I've ever been a part of, by far the best Facility I've ever worked from, and at a time when the club was turning things around on the field. 

And since the Christmas Break of this year, I walked away from it all!

 They say that we will only ever make true change in our lives through two ways;

Crisis or Choice!

Juggling a young family is hard, very hard in fact, it could well be the biggest daily grind we ever face, but when you add a demanding job (like a High Performance Coach in Sport) on top of that;

The long hours,
The weekend work
The constant traveling
The short term contracts
Not being able to control your time; 

Family life can be even harder!

There's a quote around work from the book
'The Psychology Of Money' By @morganhousel
(I highly recommend this book too by the way)
that I always think about;

'Doing something you love on a schedule you can't control, is the same thing as doing something you hate'

And I can 100% relate to this;

I had my dream role, in my best environment, and deep down I knew it wasn't right, I wasn't happy, and here's why; 

We all work from a Value System, whether we know it or not, and our overall happiness and fulfillment is very much tied to how we are living in alignment to these Values.

For me, my Value System is tied around;

Freedom (being able to choose how I spend my 3 most valuable resources, my time, my attention & my $$)
Connection (with family, friends, nature, work & myself)
Health (Mental, Physical & Spiritual)

With the benefit of hindsight, working in Sport only hit 2 parts of my Value System;

It was great for my physical health,
I had connection to my work

But apart from these, this was it, so it was a role that was never going to work for me long term, and it's why I was never truly happy.

  And in Sep last year, this all came to a head, our Crisis some would say!

After our youngest son Jack's Diagnosis, Both Megan & Myself knew instantly that our lives had moved in another direction and that we needed to make some drastic changes, changes that were more in alignment to our Value System and what we wanted/needed as a family;

Since having kids we've been in search of the 4 S's (Stability, Security, Space & Support),

and in a weird turn of events, throughout this year, the 4 S's were beginning to point us back to my home town in NZ;

So we decided to take a leap of faith, make the change and move country;

With no jobs, no income, nothing.....

And It's scary as fuck, probably the scariest, most uncertain thing we've ever done, but I have this deep faith that it was the right thing to do and it's what we needed as a family;

So in that faith, I know we will sort it all out, get through this initial shock, and we all will eventually thrive!

And you know what, after only 2 weeks, it's already proving so!

All I can say to anyone this may hit home for, and questions we asked ourselves while at this junction of life;

Whats the cost to yourself, your family or your loved ones of not making change?
If making change is in alignment to what you truly value, whats the worst that could happen? 

If you can answer these 2 questions truthfully and honestly, you'll know what to do!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

@BGatesIsaPyscho This was mine but read it was an reaction to the nickel in the strap 🤷

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

in 2019, 66.5% percent of all bankruptcies in the US were tied to medical issues

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

We have a unique ability to grossly underestimate how much food we eat, and massively over estimate how much we move!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

THE LEAP #24

To be present in a world full of chaos & stress is a skill set we all should master (me included), when we dwell about our pasts, stress over our futures, we're robbed of all the joy that's right in front of us (like our kids), and we can never know when these joys might leave us or be no more!

Yesterday 1,700 people got to read how our lives were changed from a simple blood test, how we’ve been creating memories with our kids, how we have a unique ability to underestimate just how much we eat and how little we move & how what I found from a full audit of our finances and investment strategy

Miss the newsletter? Check it out below;

https://t.co/EbBAbRTdeu

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

I've really let my routines around health slip these last few months;

I've gone from working in a Pro Sport, world class training center with all the mod cons, training 5-7 times / week, constantly moving, burning a shit tonne of calories and walking close to 20,000 steps a day;

to nothing.......

Absolutely nothing! 

And I feel it,

So, things need to change,

I need to make myself accountable to what I want to achieve.

So I made myself a check list,

What I call the 'Win The Day Checklist'

Why?

Because when I've completed one of these things, I feel like I'm winning in life, I love the feeling of being productive and getting stuff done, and I'm doing things that I truly value.

In other words, as I tick off things, I'm 'winning the day', and we all what that feeling don't we?

So now, I have this sheet printed off on my fridge as we speak, I see it every day, and it's a great feeling to tick things off, it's all about creating momentum!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

Our regrets are always about things NOT done, don't let this be you, make the LEAP!

https://t.co/633Rs8zL08

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

THE PATH NEVER GOES THE WAY YOU INTENT IT TO!

6 months ago, I was at some sort of crossroad; 

Between work, family & my physical/spiritual/mental health,
I felt like I was being pulled in many directions,

I had no idea what this crossroad meant, what my next move was or even when change was going to happen.

All I knew was that;

I desired to spend more time with my wife and kids, have ample space to raise them, be surrounded by nature,

and to have,

more freedom, control and autonomy, over all aspect of my life (time, $ & attention).

And you know what...

After some big decisions over the corresponding few months, listening to our hearts, and makings some Leaps,

Things started to fall into place,

but these changes haven't been easy,

I've had to rethink what I thought my identity to work was and what it will be in the future (this is still a big work in progress), my wife had to go back to work, our kid got a diagnosis of diabetes, and we moved countries, 

Some would say that these changes came at a cost!

But all change comes at a cost, to change we must make decisions, shed old skins and become someone different, 

And that shit is scary, but it's in this space where all the growth happens!

In these scary, unknown and pathless times I always go back to these simple questions I ask myself;

Who am I becoming?
&
What am I trying to create? 

And If I can answer these questions clearly, I know I'm on the right path,

regardless of how scary and unknown it may be!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

If you liked this, Join 1600 people as as we navigate life, health and family each and every week, click on the link to subscribe;

https://t.co/TUM6lxU5w4

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

It's Hard To Believe It, But I Quit!

I quit the best job I ever had;

I had the best Crew that I've ever worked with, the best Environment I've ever been a part of, by far the best Facility I've ever worked from, and at a time when the club was turning things around on the field. 

And since the Christmas Break of this year, I walked away from it all!

 They say that we will only ever make true change in our lives through two ways;

Crisis or Choice!

Juggling a young family is hard, very hard in fact, it could well be the biggest daily grind we ever face, but when you add a demanding job (like a High Performance Coach in Sport) on top of that;

The long hours,
The weekend work
The constant traveling
The short term contracts
Not being able to control your time; 

Family life can be even harder!

There's a quote around work from the book
'The Psychology Of Money' By @morganhousel
(I highly recommend this book too by the way)
that I always think about;

'Doing something you love on a schedule you can't control, is the same thing as doing something you hate'

And I can 100% relate to this;

I had my dream role, in my best environment, and deep down I knew it wasn't right, I wasn't happy, and here's why; 

We all work from a Value System, whether we know it or not, and our overall happiness and fulfillment is very much tied to how we are living in alignment to these Values.

For me, my Value System is tied around;

Freedom (being able to choose how I spend my 3 most valuable resources, my time, my attention & my $$)
Connection (with family, friends, nature, work & myself)
Health (Mental, Physical & Spiritual)

With the benefit of hindsight, working in Sport only hit 2 parts of my Value System;

It was great for my physical health,
I had connection to my work

But apart from these, this was it, so it was a role that was never going to work for me long term, and it's why I was never truly happy.

  And in Sep last year, this all came to a head, our Crisis some would say!

After our youngest son Jack's Diagnosis, Both Megan & Myself knew instantly that our lives had moved in another direction and that we needed to make some drastic changes, changes that were more in alignment to our Value System and what we wanted/needed as a family;

Since having kids we've been in search of the 4 S's (Stability, Security, Space & Support),

and in a weird turn of events, throughout this year, the 4 S's were beginning to point us back to my home town in NZ;

So we decided to take a leap of faith, make the change and move country;

With no jobs, no income, nothing.....

And It's scary as fuck, probably the scariest, most uncertain thing we've ever done, but I have this deep faith that it was the right thing to do and it's what we needed as a family;

So in that faith, I know we will sort it all out, get through this initial shock, and we all will eventually thrive!

And you know what, after only 2 weeks, it's already proving so!

All I can say to anyone this may hit home for, and questions we asked ourselves while at this junction of life;

Whats the cost to yourself, your family or your loved ones of not making change?
If making change is in alignment to what you truly value, whats the worst that could happen? 

If you can answer these 2 questions truthfully and honestly, you'll know what to do!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

At the end of the day, the only thing that truly matters is how you show up to the people that matter most to you!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

Why is it that we always question the way we live and see the world only in times of crisis?

Why can’t we already be living in a way that truly make us happy?

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

4: Set realistic goals: Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable goals. This will help you maintain momentum and prevent you from becoming overwhelmed

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

🏃‍♂️ Breaking Bad Habits: The Key to Reclaiming Your Time

1: Identify time-wasting activities: Take a hard look at your daily routine and identify activities that consume more time than they should. Once you're aware of these time-wasters, you can begin to replace them with more productive habits.

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

3: Create a schedule: Allocate specific time slots for each task in your day, and stick to your schedule as much as possible. This will help you avoid multitasking and keep you focused on the task at hand.

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

Despite having the same 24 hours in a day as everyone else, many of us constantly feel as if we're running out of time.

We all have different responsibilities and tasks, but the key to managing our time effectively is understanding how our habits and behaviours impact our time allocation.

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

If they don't have what you want, then don't listen to what they say!

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

Every time I talk to people about cold exposure, I always get the same response;

'why would I do that? ' 'It sounds like hell'
'I could never do that';

You know what I always respond with?

'The fact that you responded like that, is exactly the reason why you need to try it'

[Aaron Zimmerman @a2z_strength]

How We Spend Our Time Is Everything

By the age of 12, we will have spent 75% of our in person time with our parents or our kids, and by the age of 18, this number increases to 92%!

And for the majority of us, we are oblivious to all of this in so many ways;

Yesterday 1,475 people got to read how our ability to deal with the demands of our everyday stressors and experiences can distract us from some of the most important moments of our lives, and how we can break this cycle;

Miss the newsletter? Check it out below;

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