Mind Over Matter – Overcoming Mental Obstacles
By Team EtchRock in All,Challenges,EtchRock,Training
“If you think you can, or if you think you can’t, you’re right. Your ATTITUDE determines your results.”
This quote couldn’t be more true when it comes to preparing for a challenge. People tend to seriously underestimate the mental preparation and dedication that is involved in pushing yourself to the limits. Trust me, there are going to be periods in your training when you want to throw in the towel. Hopefully this blog will prepare you for when the going gets tough and help you to soldier on through! Here are four suggestions to keep in mind when preparing for a big challenge.
Goals, Goals and More Goals
“A goal without a plan is just a wish”
The most important process in preparing for a challenging is setting yourself regular goals. Remember GCSE Business Studies? Your objectives have to be SMART. Have both an end goal and regular milestones along the way. As much as we wish we were a supercar and could go from zero to sixty in two seconds, we just can’t. By setting ourselves regular goals, we can track our progress and get a more realistic view of where we are in terms of being prepared for the challenge.
Having Time is a Choice
“The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do”
The most common excuse I hear about people wavering from their training is that ‘I didn’t have time’. Time management is probably the most important factor of training for a challenge. Unless you are getting paid to do your challenge, then you most likely have a full time job and a host of other responsibilities. Don’t worry, so do the rest of us. The trick is to manage your time efficiently, Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance. Do all the supplementary parts of your training before the week starts. Do the little things early, like your meal prep, grocery shopping and getting your gear together so its ready to go. Try not to let your training replace your normal commitments, you will start to develop distaste for it and feel that it is taking over your life. Plan around your normal activities and if you can’t find room for training, make room! Getting up a little earlier never hurt anybody.
No More Excuses
“If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you will find an excuse”
Sometimes there are reasons that you have to skip a training session, it’s simply unavoidable. Others, not so much. I totally get that you may have had a stressful day at work or your day didn’t go as planned, but sometimes you just have to soldier on through. Try and take a step back for a second, remember why you putting yourself through the rigours of training and get back on the horse. Making excuses can become a habit and before you know it you will be having more time off than actually putting the work in. Use your ‘excuse’ as motivation to go out and train harder than you normally would. When you get to the point that your training is actually a stress reliever, nothing will be able to stop you!
Turing Training to a Habit
“Motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going”
This one is all down to perseverance. It is widely considered that it takes 21 days to turn an activity into a habit. Those first 21 days aren’t going to be easy, but make it through them and then you will start to notice that you don’t loathe training! When you start training regularly, it will just become part of your daily routine and you won’t think twice about it.
The key for getting your mind right for a challenge is all about mental preparation. Once you get the mental aspect, everything else will follow. Map out how you want your journey to go and try to follow it like an itinerary. Think Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. As long as you prepare for the worst, you will know how to handle that situation and move on. Happy Challenging People!
What challenge are you currently training for? How long has it taken to turn your regular training in a habit? We would love to hear your story, leave a comment below!
Visit EtchRock.com to get started and find your next challenge!
Team EtchRock