Strategizing For Better Results
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Loading ...I don’t follow Alwyn Cosgrove’s stuff with any regularity these days, but this post speaks to a simple concept that’s worth applying: strategy trumps will.
I’m not talking about a smart zone D shutting down a squad of fired-up athletes–I’m talking about your day-to-day life.
It’s great to SAY that you want to work hard this summer and get in shape for the club series/next year’s college season, and to some extent that desire can go a long way towards motivating your training; however, willpower is given to waxing and waning. We respect those singular athletes with seemingly endless willpower because they are so rare.
However, if you currently have the willpower to want to work hard, you should have the willpower to sit down and THINK and PLAN what you want to do. AC gives a nice diet-related example:
…I believe it is more important to build in good strategies. For example, if you eat ice cream every night, rather than trying to “be good” and resist it, simply remove it from the house. If you consistently visit the vending machine because you don’t have time to go to lunch, your strategy would be to pack your lunch the night before and bring it with you.
Recognize the limitations of your situation. Is the trip to the gym too far for you to always make it after class/work, when your energy is low? Get a training buddy who will pick you up (and remove your choice in the matter), or find/create a situation where it becomes more convenient (if you have access to multiple gyms, plan on going to one that’s on the way home, near the campus dining hall, etc). Consider going before work/class, when you (might) have more energy. Can’t stop from eating crap at home? Stop bringing crap home and cut it off at the source. Have trouble figuring out what to do while you’re in the gym? Start keeping a training diary, and pencil in your workouts in advance–or get a coach/trainer or somebody you trust and respect to do the planning for you.
Good strategizing means getting to the source of your issues and taking a good look at yourself–if you’re just going through the motions, take a look at why the motions go the way they do, give your body (and mindset) some different inputs, or place it in a different framework, and see if you can’t get better results.
I’ve harped on this plenty before, but to some extent this is all part of good goal setting and planning, especially when we’re talking about fitness.
