That's how I try to think about this whole journey we're on.
Laps around a track.
The more laps you can make around the track the more progress you'll make.
Now, your first thought might be why don't I just keep sprinting around the track?
Well, that sounds great in theory, but in reality, can you always be sprinting full speed?
Of course not.
Throughout a year and throughout life you're going to go through ups and downs, times of focus and not focused, and times of motivated and not motivated.
The laps around the track analogy really has four main components with the overall premise or analogy that progress is laps around the track.
Sprint.
Throughout certain times of the year, you can really put your head down and sprint.
You can make some really good progress, you can cover a lot of laps.
This may be what you're doing right now.
Typically we find sprints work well in January and September.
This is a time frame, usually 60-120 days where you're hyper-focused and ultra-disciplined.
You may be working out 3-5 times per week.
You're very consistent.
You're saying no to a lot of things.
You may have a "dry" time where you are not drinking any liquid calories during this sprint.
If you were to rate how focused and disciplined you are on your fitness and nutrition you would rate it a 9 or 10 during this time frame.
This is also the time frame where you try to really accelerate your results.
Then we have the jog.
Now, we can't be sprinting all the time.
One, you'll get burned out.
Two, you won't enjoy the long-term process.
As you jog around the track you're probably rating your fitness and nutrition a 7 or and 8.
You're working out consistently, but you're not perfect.
You're eating clean 80% of the time, but you may say yes to that social on Saturday or have the Pizza on Sunday.
You may get some results, but you certainly can't expect them to be as drastic as during "sprint mode."
Remember that track analogy.
You're jogging so you're getting laps in, not as many as if you were sprinting, but certainly more than if you were walking.
Walking is the third part of this four-part analogy.
Here you're just trying to maintain.
Life may be a little hectic, nutrition is probably a 5 or 6, and you're just trying to stay above water.
You're making progress, you're getting laps in, but you certainly don't have the commitment and drive to jog or sprint, and of course, the results match that.
Finally, the fourth part....
On the sidelines watching.
Here, you're not doing anything.
You're not making any progress around the track because you're not even on it.
You're not getting any results and your nutrition is probably a 2 or 3.
You're frustrated.
Alright...
So that's the four stages.
Sprint.
Jog.
Walk.
Sidelines.
*MOST IMPORTANTLY: You need to have a very clear understanding that throughout this next year you will go through all four stages at some point and that's totally okay.
However, be aware and know that you're goal is get as many laps around the track.
So if you're on the sidelines just watching right now don't get overwhelmed, just start walking.
Literally and figuratively.
Start with something small and easy just to get the motion going.
If you're walking, you're making progress, and sometimes life gets in the way and that's all you can do.
However, if you plan on making any substantial progress in 2018 you need to map out at least two times this year where you're going to put your head down and sprint, and two to three times where you're jogging.
So, if you look at a 12-month calendar I'm probably sprinting for four of them, jogging for five of them, walking for two of them, and on the sidelines for one them, on average.
Make sense?
Let me know if this was helpful.
1% Better.
Dedicated to Your Success,
Doug Spurling