Random Musings on Life (Fitness & Shampoo)
I mainly focus my writing and mind-share around business and entrepreneurship-related topics. However, I try to be similarly thoughtful about other parts of my life. On rare occasions, I think it’s relevant to share these types of thoughts with the people in this community, whether it’s to hold myself accountable or just to show people that I do think about things outside of what appears on my blog.
If you don’t care about these types of things, just skip over these posts. However, there’s a chance they may cause you to reflect on some things in your life.
Quitting Shampoo:
One of my favorite online creators (Nat Eliason) has written extensively about quitting shampoo and I don’t think he’s used shampoo or conditioner in over 4 years. The most impressive part, he claims his hair is healthier than when he was using shampoo.
I stumbled back on one of his articles in late June and said to myself, “Sh*t, why do I need shampoo?” So, I just made the decision to stop using it. No fancy process of weaning myself off of it, I just stopped using it cold turkey. It’s been over two months, and here’s been my experience:
- The first week is tough. I’ve shampoo’d daily for the last 15+ years and it shouldn’t be a surprise that your body takes a bit of time to adjust. My hair was greasy, clumpy and pretty gross. I ended up having to rinse in the shower (or lake) more frequently if I wanted it to look presentable for anything.
- My hair is healthier. After the adjustment period, there is no question that my hair is healthier. It feels better and thicker and has a more natural shine. It looks fresh even if I haven’t showered in a few days. When I need to style it with product, I end up using significantly less than I did before.
- Avoid campfires. When you spend a night around a campfire, it can be hard to get rid of the smell from your clothes. Do you know what’s even harder? Getting it out of your hair without shampoo! Without shampoo, your hair has a natural odorless smell. However, it quickly became clear that the campfire smell was absorbed by my hair. Three days later and there was still a bit of lingering smoky smell. Looking back, I should have rubbed some essential oils around my scalp to bring in a different smell.
It’s likely that I’ll never use shampoo again. More importantly, it’s made me ask the question, what else am I doing that is completely unnecessary?
Training the Mind & Body:
Throughout 2021 and the start of 2022, I’ve invested heavily in my mental health by consistently seeing a therapist and the ROI has been meaningful. At the start of the summer, I decided to take a break for a variety of reasons. However, something I noticed as I returned from Michigan this summer was that my physical health has meaningfully declined. I still look reasonably fit, but I’m weak and my body just seems tighter and stiffer. Is this just my natural body declining in performance as I hit my 30s? Perhaps. But it shouldn’t surprise me since I really don’t “work out.” I’m active on the bike, hiking, and do various water sports, but it’s easy for me to do no physical activity for 2-3 weeks when I’m busy with work or distracted with life.
I finally decided enough was enough. If I didn’t get into better shape, the negative impacts would compound as I get older. If I’m not strong now, it’s going to be harder to prevent injuries in the future. My body is worth it.
I signed up for a personal trainer twice a week and I’ve now had four sessions. After each full-body session, I’m VERY sore. This isn’t good, but it feels right. I’ll keep everyone updated as I see results and can start to understand if the investment is worth it. I’m currently planning 1-2 months with 2 weekly sessions with a trainer and then, going forward, I’ll do 1 session with a trainer and then 1 independently at the gym, once I get the hang of it.
Consistency is crucial here and I think I need the accountability of a trainer as I get started. Once the momentum and actions are in place, I should be able to continue it myself. I’m not sure if I want to set any fitness specific goals. I don’t even know what those goals would be. If you have any ideas, let me know!