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The Wonderfulness Newsletter | Strength for Women 40+

The Hardest Part Isn't Finding Good Advice Anymore

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

Hello Reader!

I’ll admit that I watch YouTube almost every day. Sometimes it's for research on exercise and longevity. Sometimes it’s for painting techniques. Lately it's been expats explaining why I should apparently move to Málaga immediately.

(I'm half convinced.)

In other words, I'm very much part of the problem I'm about to describe. Upon logging off YouTube, I rarely think, "I didn’t learn anything." Instead I leave thinking, "Now I have twenty-seven different ways of looking at body recomposition."

And oh my—if only it was just YouTube, but there’s Instagram, podcasts, ChatGPT, books, friends, doctors, wearables. There is advice everywhere. So now I’m wondering: At what point does having more information stop helping me make better decisions?

Perhaps you can relate.

The Hardest Part Isn't Finding Good Advice Anymore

Information used to be scarce and judgment was assumed. Now...information is abundant and judgment is scarce. That's a huge shift. You can easily find ten videos explaining how to squat—and they each make compelling cases for their particular methodologies. Your challenge is in figuring out which information deserves your attention right now.

Should you be lifting heavier? Walking more? Working on balance? What about mobility? Protein? Sleep? Recovery? Managing stress?

Perhaps you can relate.

The honest answer is that they're all important—but they're not all equally important today, which is why I think one of the most valuable parts of coaching is helping someone know what deserves their attention. . After more than twenty years of working with women, I've become less interested in finding the perfect exercise and much more interested in helping women focus on the few things that will make the biggest difference.

That's what The Wonderfulness Community is designed to do. Yes, there are workouts—we have a library of on-demand videos with more on the way. But much more importantly, there's a philosophy behind them. You don't have to wonder whether today's video is the "best" one on the internet, or whether you should start over with someone else's program because a new trend appeared in your feed this morning. Instead, you can spend that energy doing something much more productive: Getting stronger.

We live in a remarkable time. Never before has so much excellent information been available to so many people. I certainly don't plan to stop watching YouTube. (How else will I find out what the next expat hotspot will be once Málaga is overcrowded?) But I'm becoming increasingly convinced that the skill we'll all need in the years ahead isn't learning how to find more information. It's learning how to recognize what deserves our attention—and feeling confident enough to let the rest go.

P.S. Besides joining The Wonderfulness Community, here are other ways I can help you get stronger without all the confusion:

🟡 Download my free 8-Minute Wonderfulness Workout—a quick, approachable way to build strength at home.

🟡 Prefer personalized guidance? Work with me one-on-one to build a plan that fits your life and your goals. [Just hit reply to this email.]

P.P.S. Here's how you can help me. Hit reply and let me know what’s holding you back so I can build a more useful newsletter and supportive community.

Please share this with a like-minded woman over 40!

 

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The Wonderfulness Newsletter | Strength for Women 40+

Marci Bowman | Build Strength. Stay Capable. Refuse Decline.

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