Just Do it.
The genius of this simple phrase from Nike. Building on this, one lesson that I try to teach athletes is the fact that Practice Habits Lead to Competition Habits Lead to Competition Results.
“Winning is the science of being totally prepared.” — George Allen
We never rise to the occasion, we either rise or fall to our level of training/preparation for that moment in time. Your level of achievement will always match your level of training and preparation for that moment in time. Training and Preparation are just as much mental as they are physical.
Chopping Wood and Carrying Water are those daily, necessary, executable, sometimes menial, tasks that can be completed every day no matter the weather, your mood, etc. Consistently and progressively repeating these actions over a long period are the building blocks of success. How you do anything is how you do everything. To do well at the big things in life, you have to do well with the complementary little things.
“Luck is the residue of design.” — Branch Rickey
We live in a world where the “secret” to success isn’t a secret- it’s discipline. The cumulative impact of daily action repeated over time is enormous. To do what others can’t, you must consistently and repeatedly do what others don’t. By daily acting exceptionally different than the majority with your habits, you make yourself extra-ordinary. Consistently repeated, this purposeful extra-ordinary behavior creates the habit of excellence. Talent is a gift, Greatness is a choice. Again- Practice Habits lead to Competition Habits lead to Competition Results.
A physical and mental toughening of the organism. Completing workouts and races in less than ideal conditions creates a Callousing Effect. This not only boosts confidence in the moment but this success can be revisited when a confidence boost is needed at a future time. You have done it before, you can do it again mentality.
“You are only as good as you dare to be bad.” — Dave Agosta
The best way to acquire self-confidence is to do exactly what you are afraid to do. Sometimes you act because you are confident. Your confidence fuels your actions. And sometimes you take action and then build your confidence because you have acted. Confidence is built by action. Both of these require action, you taking the first step, to begin the process. Taking action leads to more actions. Opportunities multiply as they are chased.
To achieve anything great in distance running and life, you must be tenaciously persistent. Examine any significant achievement in human history, and you will find people, teams, and organizations who did what was necessary, when it was necessary, for as long as necessary. They endured and overcame adversity along the way.
Belief is the critical factor. The reason why the best athletes are relentless? The reason they never give up? They trust the Process and themselves.
The goal is to build the mindset and operating system of Recognize-Adapt-Overcome. No matter the obstacle, No matter the weather, No matter what- Recognize what you can and can’t change, Adapt to this environment/situation and Overcome the obstacles. Why? Because long after their days as high school athletes, this is what success in life requires: Recognize-Adapt-Overcome.
The more you Don’t Give In at practice, the better you get at it and the better you can apply it on race day. Repeated behavior becomes habit. Inhibiting the response over and over again leads to the automation of this behavior both in training and competition. Practice Habits lead to Competition Habits lead to Competition Results.
And once you have accomplished your desired racing results, the key to continuing on this path of success is to keep Chopping and Carrying. Before success and after success, sticking with the same actions that brought it to you- Chopping and Carrying. The secret is the fact that there is no secret-just consistency.
Practice Habits Lead to Competition Habits Lead to Competition Results.
Just Do It.
