The Summer Scaries 😱 – How to Avoid Letting Your Entire Autumn Slip Away

Oh, the Summer Scaries? They’re a version of the Sunday Scaries, but on steroids.

And what exactly are the Sunday Scaries?

Where’s that weekly source of discomfort and anxiety come from?

It’s a combination of two things:

1.) “Shit! I didn’t do any of the fun, recreational stuff I wanted to this weekend!”

2.) “Aw crap, I am in NO WAY prepared for this upcoming week. I’m gonna be scrambling the whole time!”

And we then scramble until the following weekend, where as a result of all that scrambling, we’re too exhausted to do anything but “vibe” on the couch and run some basic errands.

Rinse and repeat.

Now, the remedy to this is pretty clear: get intentional, add some structure and clarity to your routine, and presto! Now you’re getting shit done. It’s simple, but Simple ≠ Easy.

Now, this time of year hits different in the Midwest. Summer has ended, and Fall is creeping in.

Some start to feel “The Summer Scaries”

That anxious feeling and recognition that we haven’t done all we wanted this summer, and that we’re in need of some structure to get back to our most productive selves.

We all feel that desire to return to routine.

It’s welcomed after a summer of being spontaneous, getting outside more, staying up late, and enjoying the company of family and loved ones.

As kids return to school, jobs return to stricter hours, and the sun gives us a little less of it’s time, our focus and priorities shift.

And that’s a good thing!

Our lives, our years, need an ebb and flow to them.

The risk – is that when we lock in our routines for this Autumn, if we’re not aware, we end up creating a routine built around comfort.

Because we’re often focused on doing more mental/knowledge work, it’s easy for that focus to demand the time that you might otherwise spend on being active, training, and challenging yourself.

And if we’re not aware of this, we’ll allow it to happen.

And a whole season passes where we don’t truly challenge ourselves.

A whole season passes where we don’t do things that excite us, or make us a little nervous.

Get ambitious. Get clear on what you want for your life.

Schedule THAT stuff in.

Of course, ensure that you get your work done and do your job. But let’s not pretend that leaves you with nothing left.

The rest? That needs to be up to you.

That race you were thinking about doing? Schedule it.

Wanna deadlift double your bodyweight? Call your shot.

That big hike you were considering with friends or family? Hit ‘em up and book it.

10,000 steps a day sound like it’s just on the edge of what you can get in? Track that goal.

Think you can Row 2,000m in under 8 minutes? Set your baseline today.

Wanna see if you can do 100 perfect push-ups unbroken? Better make push-ups a daily practice right now.

The specifics of the challenge don’t matter. You know this.

You just need something that makes your ears perk up.

Something that makes you ask yourself “could I do that?”

Back in early August, I squatted 205 for 50 reps, unbroken. This was the culmination of a dedicated 6-week program. I sincerely did not know if I would be able to do it when I unracked the bar for my attempt. I had done several high-volume sets in preparation, and had not come close.

A few minutes before my attempt, I was already setting up plans to do this program again in the winter, assuming failure was imminent.

But I gave my best effort anyway.

And sure enough, I did all 50 reps unbroken.

I can’t tell you how much that feat intimidated me. How unsure I was of my ability to complete it.

But that’s what made it exciting.

That’s what made it matter.

That’s why I’m actually proud of that accomplishment, without needing an ounce of external validation.

Don’t put the game on “super easy” mode.

Because you won’t care if you win.

Set it to “hard” and if you lose, try again.

And if you win, well damn, now that’s something to be proud of.

That’s something that changes the way you view yourself and what you’re capable of.

That’s something that matters.

So get fired up about something!

Whatever it is, we wanna know about it!

Whether it’s a feat in the gym or outside of it, let us know what excites you right now, so we can craft the perfect program to help you get there!

As always, we’ll “see you at the gym”!