A few thoughts about preparation and trust in your abilities…
We need to do a better job of putting ourselves on top of our ‘to-do’ list!
Michelle Obama is right – life is busy and our ‘to-do’ lists are as long as our arms. But how can we look after others and run a successful business if we don’t look after ourselves? And the constant pressure of trying to get everything right and be perfect certainly doesn’t help!
A client called me yesterday, he had just returned from his first bike ride in months. He likes cycling a lot but he would never consider himself a particularly good rider.. So for the first ride of the season, he wanted to take it easy and looked at a slightly hilly 20k roundtrip, certainly nothing to boast about.
It went well. Very well. He felt great, rode faster than expected, and extended the trip. In actual fact, he extended it twice because he thought it was too easy. Of course, his legs were tired and some of those ‘slightly hilly’ roads turned out to be quite hard. But in general, he felt a lot better than he thought he would. What happened?
Even though he felt it wouldn’t be a great ride, his preparation paid off. Not yesterday’s foods – ha, certainly not yesterday’s foods: he had guests and enjoyed Enchiladas and a wonderful salted caramel dessert (insert shocked-looking German face here!). Yummy stuff but not what I would call the best foods ahead of a ride.
His preparation over the last three months did the job – healthy, varied foods most of the time, protein, carbs, fats; foods high in B vitamins, Omega 3 and selenium; plus a challenging but achievable exercise regime – gym, walking, running. He makes sure that he gets enough sleep, drinks lots of water, and tries to keep his mind as healthy as his body.
And the ride this morning made it clear yet again, that it’s not a single day that will make or break your regime. It’s what you do most of the time: The old 80/20 rule works here, too.
Trust your preparation and look after yourself. It’s worth it.
#preparation #IDoThisForMe #clientstory
