Woke up early this morning, couldn’t go back to sleep, so I quietly put on my workout gear so as not to wake my wife, and stepped out into the 4:20am cool, quiet, darkness of the morning.
As I begin to walk, I think about using the G.R.O.W process I learned from Alan Fine the performance coach. It’s a method for clarifying choices and consequences and thinking through what I want to do with this day. It’s really just a simple process of asking questions. Asking ourselves questions is often the best way to go. If we get all tyrannical with ourselves and try to force activity upon ourselves we can get stuck and parts of ourselves will rebel. I am not my own Tyrant here, I am my own coach. It’s best to ask questions and let ourselves, or whoever we are coaching, answer honestly. We are trying to help ourselves here! OK, back to the process, the G is for goal.
Before I began my morning exercise, today is “leg day,” I applied a couple of mental exercises. I chose to prioritize the results I want over my desire to avoid discomfort. I asked myself, “what are the results I want?” Then I wait and listen for an answer, I mentally review these answers. I want to be fit, to keep my commitment to get better at sprinting, I want great feeling of getting these dang things done, and to maintain my commitment and become a 365 Commitment Alumni!
After reviewing my goals , I thought about the consequences of not keeping my commitment to weekly sprints. If I let myself backslide, if I skip my sprints, I would not be able to say that I kept this commitment, I would not get the benefit of strength gained this week, that not something I want to experience. Focus on results, and review consequences I do not want, check! OK, now I am motivated . . .
200 air squats and mile or so of walking later I approached hill I run my sprints on. This month I am doing 7 105 meter sprints in a row, on a weekly basis; next month will be 8. Using a piece of chalk I struck a hash mark on the curb each time I completed a sprint. It’s easy for me to lose count, my mind wanders and I am caught up in the moments of exertion; the chalk on the curb idea fixed that. Really, its just basic measurement and tracking, which helps.
Now I’m back in my home office. Feels good to have my foundational workout for the day complete, now anything else I do for legs is bonus! Time to think about my list for the day.
I think about the R, which is the next letter in the G.R.O.W. process. “R” stand for reality. Now I ask myself questions that help me take stock of my progress. What have I been trying to accomplish? What have the results been so far? What is my sense of obstacles? Are my goals still realistic? These questions help me to keep it real and engage my brain regarding my 365 Commitments.
The 365 Commitment is a framework for growing good habits, character, and personal discipline. This stuff is not easy, thinking through where we are in the process on a regular basis makes epiphanies possible, creativity, and adjustment can happen as well. Rigid adherence to goals can get in the way of growth. So, as I ask the “R” questions, I am trusting myself and the universe to give me good answers. These answers help me make a list of goals and tasks for the day that are a great fit!
Tomorrow, I’ll discuss the “O” and the “W.”
Ben Wagner (141)
Member The 365 Commitment
