I Design Myself

---

That's a "Matatu". The name means something like, "of three," and refers to the three benches in the back that hold passengers. Matatus are usually made from a Nissan 14-passenger van and they are the most common form of transportation in Mombasa. While not a public utility (they are privately owned), they run predictably on set routes for set rates. There is always a matatu around to get you where you need to go. Matatus are typically decorated with elaborate paint jobs, stickers, and decals. Sometimes the insides are specially upholstered or strung with lights. With thousands of these customized mini-busses around the city, it’s kind of like an episode of Pimp My Ride exploded.

I took a picture of this particular matatu because of what it says on the back window. “I Design Myself.” That resonated with me. I work these days as a fitness coach, selling my services to clients both in my local area (Skagit Valley, Washington) and remotely to folks anywhere in the world. The kind of fitness coaching I offer is known as Individual Design. This is a system in which you design yourself. You decide what your goals and priorities are, and what kind of practices you want to adopt in exercise and nutrition. I help you turn your visions into reality.

"I Design Myself" pretty much summarizes the whole philosophy of someone who practices Individual Design or follows an Individual Design (ID) program from their coach, whether in a gym (usually an OPEX gym or a CrossFit gym) or from their remote coach. It starts with a strong personal understanding of your experiences, values, priorities, and goals. Then there are assessment: tests, measurements, and logs that reveal the truth at this moment in time. This authentic knowledge of where you've been, where you are now, and where you want to go is the starting point for Individual Design. From there, it's all about designing and executing a program that enables you to move in the right direction. In ID, this program is not just about your workouts, but the program includes nourishment and the daily behaviors that constitute your lifestyle. So, an ID program gives you the tools not only to develop strength, mobility, and work capacity through exercise, but also to acquire greater understanding and control over the foods that go into your body, and to take charge of your own daily routines through practices like sleep hygiene, food hygiene, and digital hygiene. An Individual Design coach looks at all of that, helping you to be the healthiest person you can be in a "whole-istic" (holistic) sense.

I work in this manner because I've tried other methods in the past and they've all been insufficient to produce long-term (i.e. permanent) change in individuals. Short-term or temporary isn't good enough. I want to see autonomous humans who know how to manage their own exercise, nourishment, and behaviors for a lifetime. Individual Design is the best way I have found to help people get there.

If you're interested in following an Individual Design program, I'm happy to discuss it with you. Just shoot me a private message on here, or an email at [e-mail]

You can also visit my coaching website www.smartfitandclean.com to read more about my fitness philosophy and my practice of Individual Design.

---