Feature: Taylor Scriber
Taylor, my friend who also happens to be my cousin, talks about how he STTP, and what the methodology means to him…
“At first I was an observer. When I moved to Wisconsin and in with Drake in mid July of last year, I saw his routine day after day and like most people watching their roommate make 10 portions of chicken, rice, and broccoli for the second or third time I asked “Don’t you get tired of eating the same thing every day?” to which Drake responded “I switch up breakfast.” At this point I was curious and that’s when Drake told me about the plan.
His face lit up as he began to tell me about “The Plan” an all encompassing way of life that included everything from a diet and exercise regime to financial planning to a daily devotionals. I had to admit it was impressive and I was jealous. At the time I was terribly out of shape, had no financial goals beyond my next indulgent purchase, was faltering in my faith, and most of all I wasn’t happy with myself. Worst of all was that I knew I wasn’t doing anything to make a change. That day I made the decision to adopt the plan. I took everything that Drake was doing and decided to copy and paste it over to my life.
At first it was great. I was STTP 2.0, but it didn’t last. I soon realized that the plan Drake was on wasn’t going to be my plan. We are two different people with different goals and personalities.
I realized that plan isn’t a strict regime that had to be adhered to. The plan is about setting goals for yourself and customizing them to your personality and what you want in life.
So I took time to reevaluate what I wanted.
My version of STTP has some notable inclusions and exclusions from Drake’s. First I want to travel. I plan on taking 2 possibly 3 significant vacations a year because that is one gratification that I won’t delay in life. For summer 2018 I’m backpacking with 2 of my friends to Germany, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, and Serbia with a final leg in Finland to visit another friend of ours. I’m planning a second trip to Iceland and Scotland in the fall. This is where the plan becomes universal. If you read the first article in the series you realize my goals couldn’t be more different than Drake’s. He’d say that all this travel is a waste of money, but this isn’t his plan.
The methodology used to reach our goals is the same. I still need to exercise financial discipline, live beneath my means, own my savings rate, and delay gratification. All of that helps me achieve my other financial goals of building an investment portfolio, saving to build and emergency fund, and hitting my target on 401K contributions. This where holding yourself accountable through visual management and red or green conditions are key.
Regardless of the end goal it comes down to are your current behaviors allowing you to reach that goal.
Yes or No.
If yes continue on. If no it’s time to check and adjust and change your behavior.
My version of STTP has a fitness component. I also attend 5+ CrossFit classes a week and yoga on Saturday mornings. I follow the same meal prep routine with the exception being that I eat all my carbs before noon, because I’m trying to cut weight. I think it goes without saying that a cheat meal or 3 is built into the plan. I do love a good cheeseburger. Another notable exception is I love craft beer and a smooth glass of whiskey. I drink less than I used to by about half but I’m not going give it up completely. For me the fitness component is where routine comes into play. I go to bed at the same time every evening and can wake up without an alarm clock, because I’m the kind of person who needs 9 hours of sleep each night. After work it’s time for CrossFit. The routine and the people are what keep me going. CrossFit has a wonderfully positive, competitive, and supportive culture. The workouts are only an hour long and once you’re done that’s it until tomorrow. Again the plan requires discipline and holding yourself accountable. Did I workout today? Yes or No? Did I follow the nutrition plan or did I go over on my cheat meals this week? Yes or No? Even if you failed today, you always have tomorrow to get it right.
Finally, for me the plan includes some intellectual and spiritual pursuits. I make it a point to read 30 minutes each day and am slowly but surely working my way through the pile of books near my bed. I mark out time each week to study for the GMAT and the LSAT, because postgraduate education is included in my visual management goals for 1 to 3 years from now. Finally, I take time out of my week for daily devotionals, bible study, and worship. The plan has helped me make a habit of all of it.
Simply put the plan is a process for bringing an order and structure to your life that will allow you to meet your goals. It allows for flexibility when needed, because none of us are perfect and we will slip up and splurge on a purchase we want or indulge in one of our favorite cheat meals. However, it also includes hard checks to keep you in line when you get off track. All you have to do is stick to it.”
