Even if you never set foot in a gym your whole life, you owe it to yourself to read "The 80/20 Rule of Lifting" -
The value of the 80/20 rule is that it reminds you to focus on the 20% that matters. You should identify and focus on these things. So in bodybuilding, what are they? I would say that the 20% that matters includes:
Researching & following a good, fundamental, bodybuilding program. (Not a perfect one, it doesn't exist). Putting in hard work in the gym, consistently, over a long period of time. Following the rule of progression, and ensure that over time you are lifting more weight, more reps, or more sets. Having good nutrition. Eating enough good stuff, and not too much bad stuff over the course of a day. Getting adequate recovery. Adjusting your plan periodically, based on your results and your experiences. Which basically means: Train. Eat. Rest. Repeat. Week in and week out. Focusing on the basics will give you 80% of your results.
So if that's the important 20%, what's the 80% that's trivial? Well in my opinion it's details like these:
Should I do 3 sets of 8 reps or 5 sets of 10 reps? What's better, 1.25g protein per pound or 1.37g/lb, or 1.5 g/lb.? I'm doing BB curls, should I be doing DB curls or EZ bar curls instead? What's the best angle for incline barbell presses? If I don't get 30g of protein within half an hour after training, is my session wasted? How much should I be lifting for my height / weight? Are DB flyes better than using the Pec Dec? Etc. Etc. Etc. Honestly, that stuff doesn't make a difference. Or rather, if it does it makes a relatively small difference (20%); or only makes a difference for a relatively small few who are at the limits of their physical development. For most of us average Joes, it just doesn't matter!
People love getting caught up in the details. But the details aren't going to get you here from there. You need to get started. Action.
Lifting:
-Go to the gym
-Complex lifts with good form
-Eat well
-Enough rest
-Everything else is details
Last week, Edan Maor reached out to me and invited me and the SebastianMarshall.com readers to test Chatty.
We tested it out. It still has wrinkles to be ironed out in it, but it's promising. It's a super easy way to get real time, on-site chat on a site.
But there's details to be ironed out. When the Chatty team launched, Facebook Connect was the only way to log in, you couldn't chat without Facebook connect, there was no moderation privileges at all, and there was an annoying issue where Chatty would keep popping up every time you moved to a new page.
But you know what? It doesn't matter, because the Chatty team is further along than 99% of projects ever get.
Building a web app:
-Pick a problem consumers have
-Solve the most basic version of that problem
-Get it in front of people who could use it
-Incorporate their biggest feedback
-Get it in front of more people
-Look to get money somehow
-Everything else is details
Ramit Sethi says about personal finance - "We love to debate minutia."
Most people get caught up in the details and neglect the actually important things about personal finance, saving, investing. It's not that hard.
Personal finance:
-Figure out your expenses.
-Cut places where high spending is producing low quality for you.
-Increase places where more spending would produce huge quality.
-Definitely minimizes expenses, fees, and nonsense that gives you no benefit.
-Lower your tax burden as much as you can
-Build an emergency fund
-Save some of your income each month, ideally in a tax-advantaged account
-Everything else is details
At least once a week, I get someone telling me they'd like to start a blog and asking thoughts. But most of the questions I get asked won't matter at all.
Blogging:
-Get a blog registered on your own domain
-Write and post on a regular schedule, ideally daily
-Keep that schedule sacred
-Get your blog posts in front of as many people as you can that are relevant
-Listen to feedback and adapt so your writing improves
-Keep writing a lot and getting it in front of people
-Everything else is details
There's a time for details.
If you become really passionate about something, maybe you want to become an expert in the field. In your profession, learning all the details can make for highly polished work.
There's plenty of good time for details. But there's one bad time - that's when you're paying attention to details instead of taking the big actions.
Don't let research and details get in the way of taking action. Narrow it down to the bare minimum you need to do to get started. Do that. Now you've started.
Action. Then details. Remember that.
Action first. Then details.
Action.