3 Ways to Feel Better About Your Progress and Stick To Your Training
It is so easy to get lost in the grind of training day to day and not see any results. I often tell refer my athletes and clients back to this quote/analogy: “When it seems nothing is happening I go and look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock — perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow it splits in two, and I know it was not that blow that did it — but all that had gone before.”-Anonymous (Via Teena Murray)
Everyone wants to see the immediate results, the more explosive movements, the quicker sprint time, the harder throw, the faster half marathon, the higher rock climb, the harder hit, or simply the more pronounced muscle definition. This is all great, but understanding that it is a process and a journey is the true beauty of training. By understanding this we can appreciate the daily process and dedication much more. By using the 3 focus points below we can feel more comfortable with the process and trust in it throughout as it will give us little glimmers of hope to keep forging on and evidence that our dedication is paying off, even if we can’t see it.
1- Test and Re-Test
The beauty about this is that is does not have to be a VO2 max test, or a wind-gate or lab test. It could simply be using a heart rate monitor while training and see the improvement on repeat sprint times, or the decrease in recovery time from week to week. By using different technologies to create measurable’s it allows you to obtain immediate feedback as to how you are progressing whether your fitness journey is for yourself for general fitness or whether it is for your job as a professional athlete.
2- Take Pictures
Many people get uncomfortable taking pictures of themselves but guess what…it is a great tool for creating motivation. You see yourself every day. Whether it is getting out of the shower, changing for bed, getting dressed in the morning, or in the locker room. You are always getting a glimpse of yourself. When that happens, since bodily changes dont happen overnight, it is very easy to forget what you looked like a month ago, 6 weeks ago, half a year ago. When you have photos to refer to it makes the past real and gives you a tangible comparison that you can see. The evidence and confidence you will gain from seeing real changes pairs very nicely with the day to day and week to week changes you will see from the technology used in training.
3- Appreciate the Process
The above 2 tips and strategies are great tools but if you still cannot appreciate the process and the journey it is going to burn you out. Being able to come to peace with who you are, where you are at, and where you want to go needs to be at the forefront of any fitness journey. Embracing it and enjoying it, finding fun in the process and the wonder in the fact that you can change and shape your fitness goals is a gift. Allowing yourself to relish in that will make the whole process addicting and something that becomes a lifestyle and not something else that you HAVE to do.
Just like that stone cutter, you are the stone cutter of your fitness life. Have patience, love, understanding and kindness for yourself. Embrace the journey and have passion for what you are doing.
Until next time SHIFT family, stay healthy.
