THE FIT FOR PURPOSE WEEKLY
Thursday 20th August, 2026
Your principles provide a framework for acting when the right response is not immediately obvious.
This week, I posted a video asking a simple question:
Who are you when nobody is looking?
It is easy to think about character as something we demonstrate to other people. In reality, much of it is revealed through the decisions we make privately - particularly when things are difficult, uncertain or inconvenient.
Do we act proactively, based on what we believe is right?
Or do we simply react to whatever we happen to be feeling at the time?
The answer depends heavily on whether we understand our principles.
THE BIG IDEA
Principles are our baseline beliefs. They guide how we act in uncertainty and shape our character, actions, relationships and self-perception.
Without them, we are easily driven by emotion, pressure or urgency.
This is especially true in health and fitness.
If you do not know what your health and fitness are for, every decision is made in isolation: train or not, push through or adjust, stay consistent or start over.
Without guiding principles, inconsistency and all-or-nothing thinking become the default.
Your principles give you something steadier to return to.
You might believe fitness should support a better life, not add pressure.
You might believe training should challenge you without harming your health, work or relationships.
You might believe plans should adapt when life changes, not be followed rigidly or abandoned.
These beliefs do not remove difficulty. They shape your response to it.
This is also why being Fit For Purpose is broader than physical fitness alone.
Your physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual fitness all affect how you handle pressure and make decisions. A plan that improves one while harming others is not truly Fit For Purpose.
Your principles are the standard the plan must meet.
TRY THIS WEEK
Write down your answers to:
- What do I believe my health and fitness are for?
- What am I willing to sacrifice for them?
- How do I respond when things go off plan?
Then compare these answers with how you currently train, eat and recover.
The goal is not perfection, but clarity that helps you make better decisions when life gets difficult.
WORTH YOUR TIME
WHO ARE YOU WHEN NOBODY IS LOOKING?
Why principles matter under pressure.
BUILD YOUR FITNESS ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION
Why your plan must match your real life.
CARBOHYDRATES ARE TOOLS
How to use carbohydrates based on need, not rules.
PROOF IN PRACTICE
Thomas came to me before his wedding, unhappy with his weight, getting out of breath during simple tasks and struggling to manage his eating while working long hours on the road.
Through a structured but realistic process built around his busy life, he became stronger, fitter, more confident and far more in control of his health. Most importantly, he fitted his wedding suit perfectly.
As Thomas put it:
“I work best when I have a clear plan, realistic goals, and proper guidance, which Charlie delivered throughout.”
MAKE RUNNING SERVE A PURPOSE THAT MATTERS TO YOU
Running With Purpose is a personalised 12-week coaching package built around what you need running to help you achieve.
We start with your reasons for running, your experience, your fitness, your time and what has held you back.
From there, I build your programme around your real life and help you adapt it as things change.
See how it works and whether it is right for you.
A FINAL QUESTION
What is one principle that guides your health?
GET THE NEXT EDITION BY EMAIL
The Fit For Purpose Weekly delivers one practical idea every Thursday to help you build health and fitness around a life that matters.
Use the form below to join the mailing list and receive the next edition directly.