This is part two of the multi-part series on getting you away from mediocrity and closer to being elite. If you need to catch up go check out Part 1: “A Beginners Guide to Not Being a Beginner”
You have stopped getting bad information, you have taken control of your fitness and you have planned out 30 days…What’s next??
Get that athletes name off your back!!
“Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.”
-Oscar Wilde
That’s right!!! I’m saying it with some passion too, if you can’t tell from the exclamation marks. Don’t wear their jersey, their shirt, and under no circumstance should you get another athletes name tattooed on your back.
First, let me clarify. I am not saying don’t buy products. It actually makes sense to buy products an athlete has designed from time to time. What I am saying is more conceptual than it is a rule.
The concept: You wear another athletes’ name on your back… Say what you want, but by doing so you have now put this individual on a shelf. This means, to some degree, you idolize this person. Whether they are your role model or someone who inspires you, what you are saying deep down is that individual is better than you, and that you are incapable of being as good as, if not better than, that person.
You have given up!
Mentally, you have set limits for yourself. You have become that person who “knows” that they could never do something, without ever actually trying.
Get their name off of your back , free your mind and expand your limits!!
Plan, Plan, Plan…
In part one I wanted you to write down 30 days of a rest/work cycle and consider that schedule law. That is tough for a lot of people but honestly that is how serious fitness has to work.
Now we dive a little bit deeper into planning.
By the way, planning where you want to be is not helpful at all if you don’t know where you are going. Set some goals…that’s beginner talk. Some quick reference for you.
Macro Fitness Planning
We are looking at the big picture here. Let’s look at where we want to be in one year. We can use me as an example. I set what seems like a very simple one dimensioned goal, however it is very dynamic and requires a lot of different aspects of training and planning. Read to see my goals:
Micro Fitness Planning
You have now thrown yourself into the jungle, micro fitness planning is figuring out how you are going to cut your way out. This step is not as fun or inspirational as macro fitness planning but it is actually more important. This means you will need tools, plans and determination.
- Tools: You should have your tools from part 1, or your reliable sources of information that you will be referencing for the duration of your journey.
- Plans: In this step you need to set up as many micro-goals as you can/want/need. This step is directly proportionate to the level of laziness you possess, so be honest with yourself.
- Determination: Determination is not something that comes naturally for a lot fo people. If you find yourself in this boat, don’t worry, you won’t sink. But you will need to set up a support group. Some like-minded people who either a.) have the same goals or b.) will call you out when you are not meeting your goals.
Mental Toughness
This is part of the End of Three Fitness Philosophy. (a must read)
How is your mental toughness? Do you know?
You know what I look forward to in my next workout? I want to see where I want to quit. Because there will always be that point where you can’t do another rep, or run any faster…well that’s what your brain would have you believe. After my brain is screaming STOP, it burns, or STOP you can’t breathe. I like to push it further and see where I end up.
Try to stretch your mental toughness everyday. The brain works just like your muscles. Increased load over time, and you will receive a logical response. Your brain will set new benchmarks for itself and will tell you a new place to think about quitting. That place will be further than the last and you will be well on your way of the beginner’s zone.