What Are You Training For?

July 16, 2012

Recently I’ve started waking up at 5:30am, by choice.

What, on earth, would compel someone like myself to wake up before the sun without having to?

Because I’m in training.

I’m in training to make a difference in the world, be my healthiest self, write (like a writer should), and make massive strides forward in my personal and professional life.

Think about athletes that work to be the best they can be at the sport they’ve chosen. They wake up and train for HOURS, every single day… lifting weights, going through movements, perfecting their technique. They keep their bodies in peak physical shape and they work hard at consistently pushing themselves to the next level.

Now, I’m not an athlete… and there’s a good chance neither are you, at least on the professional level, but ALL of us are in training and creating that mental shift can make a huge difference in your success.

Whether you want to be an Olympic athlete, or you just want to live life to the best of your ability, it’s time to get serious about your own training routine. You can’t be the best you can be, live an amazing life, and leave your mark in the world if you aren’t working at it every single day!

How to train like a pro.

It’s all about conditioning… your mind and your body.

Do you want to start a business, work for yourself and make a positive impact in the world? Maybe you want to be the absolutely BEST mom you can be for your kids. Perhaps you want to write a novel, finish an art collection, or run a marathon. It doesn’t matter.

What matters is that you get serious about it!

1) MAKE the time to train.

There’s never enough time… you don’t have to tell me or anyone else, we all know. Life is busy and things come up on a daily basis. So if you’re serious about doing what you want to do, you need to act like it and MAKE time.

Take a look at your weekly schedule and get honest with yourself. Where are you wasting time? Is it on Facebook or too much time in front of the TV? Do you dilly dally in the morning and then end up rushing to work, only to come home too exhausted to do anything else?

Where are there pockets of time you can utilize? What is the BEST time for YOU to work on what you WANT and need to work on? For me, this means waking up at 5:30 am and MAKING TIME for my morning pages, meditation, a workout and dedicated time for my big goals.

I write for one hour (hello… this blog post wouldn’t have been written otherwise!) and I spend some focused time on one of my big projects that are in the works.

THEN, I begin my day. I do this because I know that if I don’t make time right away, there won’t be any time at all, and I’ll never get anywhere.

2) Have a plan.

Whether your big goal is to start a business, run a marathon or write a novel, KNOW what you need to be doing. Do you need to have a special meals prep day to ensure you’re eating right all week? Have you put together your running schedule? What can you be doing on the off days to work on other areas such as balance and flexibility?

Maybe you need to write three pages a day… or sit at your computer (regardless of whether you write or not, and regardless of whether it’s GOOD or usable) with the intention to write for one hour a day.

Do you need a coach or a mentor? Someone to train you or train with? What about accountability? Who can you share your plans with that will support you? How can you incorporate them into your routine?

3) Dedicate yourself.

Do you want this or not?

If you do, then you’ve got to be dedicated to making it happen. Some mornings, going to the gym may feel like the worst thing in the world! Go anyways. Maybe on this day you just walk on the treadmill listening to some tunes… doesn’t matter. What matters is that you commit and follow through, every. single. day.

Sure, there will be times when you need to just take that day off and listen to your body and soul… but the next day? Get back in there. Be honest with yourself on whether you’re actually in dire need of a day off or if you’re just feeling “meh” about it. Meh = get to it anyway!

A big piece of getting to the place you want to be with this goal is follow through. Even if, for a few days or weeks, you’re literally just going through the motions… sitting down to write, regardless of what you produce. Showing up at the gym, regardless of what you actually do. Working on a business starting task, regardless of how small.

Just move.

And remember…

Practice makes perfect. If you slip up, as you will, don’t beat yourself up! It takes time to form new habits (67 days to be exact) and you’re going to have days where things just don’t go as planned. Stay committed, stay positive and just keep at it!