Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Wobble *updated 9/5/7*

A new philosophy.
I often wobble with my personal discipline.

I’ll go for days eating properly, consuming fruits, vegetables, quality proteins and drinking only water, tea and juice. I stretch slowly after every hard workout. I swim religiously, run on dirt trails and bike, feeling like I can go forever. I can stick to my strategic fitness plan for weeks and never miss a planned session unless an emergency arises.

Then mysteriously, I miss a few days, get out of my routine or eat some junk food and before I realize it, I can’t even spell the word “discipline.” I feel lethargic, my motivation wanes and I mentally beat myself up, “I must get back on track! I know how good it feels to eat right and exercise consistently. What happened?” I wonder.

I realized over the years that it’s more important to get back on the road to feeling better as quickly as possible than it is to find out why I took a wrong turn. Why waste time dwelling on the problem when what I need to do is focus on a solution?

The first step has to come from within me. I have to throw away all the external reasons of blaming others for this and that. The old saying, “If it’s going to be it’s up to me” has never been truer. Now how do I make it happen? I have made promises to myself like, “I’ll never eat badly again” or “I’ll exercise six days a week for the rest of the year” only to find that I have failed. What I discovered to be successful is to write a plan for the next three days. I have to keep the time period short and simple so I succeed at my goals. I find magical motivation when I physically take a pen to paper and document what I want to happen and how I will make it happen. The magic occurs when I make a commitment to myself on paper. I’m not sure if it’s looking at what I am writing down and realizing that I am taking control of my actions or if it’s because I am focusing on the action plan and solution. Maybe it is both, however there is no need to waste time analyzing the meaning of the “Why writing down on paper in a journal works.” What I need to do is remain in the moment of taking action, the action of writing down what I am going to do, when I’m going to do it, and where I will do it.

The magic motivation for whatever reason happens when you “write it down!” Put the pen to paper and you’ll see that writing will help with the wobbles.

by Alan Ley, former USAT Coaching Education Manager

© 2007 USA Triathlon. All rights reserved.

I STARTED USING FITDAY TODAY

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I write my workouts on my desk blotter at work and then circle them when I've completed them. When I look down at that big calendar and see lots of circles I'm psyched and it makes me feel like I don't want to have a day without a "circle." Quirky but it keeps me going!

Scottie said...

Thank you Dr. Feelgood ;-)

Actually, we use this in my employee development classes. I have employees write down their personal Vision Statement as well as their goals and post them somewhere in their desk where they can see them every day. Works wonders.

-S

honeykbee said...

Ah, circles. Nothing quite as fulfilling as a year covered in neon dots.

an orange county girl said...

for me, once i get off that routine, it takes a lot of work just to get back on it. so right now, my strategy is to not get off that routine no matter what the cost. this week, the cost is a trip to the therapist. lately, i've been getting more from the gym than her anyways.

 
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