3 Tips For Success In…Well, Anything
This post on the Precision Nutrition blog recently gave me an “AHA moment.” It’s not that I wasn’t aware on some level of the “common threads” of success in virtually all facets of life (I think we all are on some level), it’s just that sometimes hearing (or reading) something you “know” from someone else has a way of hitting you between the eyes.
I’m hoping to have the same effect on you. I encourage you to read Jason Bonn’s post, but if you don’t, here are some of the take-home points. Use these three tips to help you succeed in your diet and fitness goals, as well as anything else you want to achieve:
1. Fix the big things first. If you’re a trainer or regular lifter, you already know it’s pretty hard to correct more than one or two technical issues at a time. This is why coaches follow a hierarchy when correcting technique:
- Things that can cause harm get corrected first;
- Problems that significantly affect performance are addressed next;
- Things that are easy to correct take precedence over more difficult things;
- And issues arising early in a skill take priority because they could be the cause of those occurring in subsequent movement.
To illustrate these points, let’s use an example. A competitive runner who has been trying to increase lower body strength comes in complaining of knee pain with dumbbell lunges. You evaluate his (bodyweight only) lunge pattern and find his torso pitches forward, he shifts his weight onto the toes of his front foot, his front knee caves in and he loses balance in the transition phase.
Then you ask him to simply stand on one leg: EPIC FAIL. What do you think you should focus on first?
You guessed it: Single-leg stance. (For more on the importance of this exercise, check out this post from Chris Johnson, or stop by his sensorimotor training workshop tomorrow night).
If you can’t do a bodyweight lunge properly, you shouldn’t be doing weighted lunges. But if you can’t even balance on one leg, all the other things wrong with that bodyweight lunge don’t matter because you shouldn’t be doing lunges at all, let alone engaging in repetitive single-leg plyometric activity like running.
Improving single-leg stance is the biggest priority because it’s the first part of the lunge (and of running) and likely a contributing factor to the subsequent problems in the lunge pattern. It’s also easier to correct than the other problems, and the inability to stand on one leg will surely affect running performance and, more importantly, could cause harm. It already has in the weighted lunge, and will undoubtedly do the same soon in running. But focusing on fixing the lunge will likely get you nowhere; if you fix the biggest problem (balance), the others will fall into place with more ease and you’ll have much more success with your training.
Same goes for nutrition: You shouldn’t be bogged down with whether you’ll lose more weight by consuming carbs immediately or two hours after exercise if your eating habits consist of skipping breakfast and scarfing down 5,000-calories of fast food at lunch and dinner.
Start by eating breakfast. It’s an easy change to make, and having that first meal could keep you from bingeing later on high-fat, high-sugar foods that are harmful to your health and will negatively affect your performance for sure. By focusing on one primary problem, you ultimately help fix the others, upping your metabolism and decreasing your overall calorie intake – which will have a major impact on your weight loss.
2. Focus on behaviors, not outcomes. Successful achievement of goals depends upon successful implementation of behavior change. I love this quote from Dan John: “Look at your behaviors, then look at your goals. Do your behaviors match your goals?”
The fastest way to get frustrated on the way to a goal is by focusing on the end result. Dwelling on the fact that the number on the scale isn’t budging will likely derail your motivation long before your weight-loss program has had a fair run because ideal weight is an outcome. Not achieving outcomes only makes you more focused on them; you’ll keep trying to cut calories until everything backfires. But if you make your goal to eat protein and vegetables at every meal, this sustainable behavior will likely lead to success on the scale over time.
3. Surround yourself with the right people. If you want to lift more weight, hang out with strong people. If you want to get to the top of your field, go work with someone who’s gotten there and continues to seek self-improvement. If you want to be healthier, don’t keep going out with friends who pressure you to eat buttery popcorn and see Sucker Punch.
That’s not support, and you should question whether those people are actually friends.
I don’t know about the movie, but I think you get the picture. At the end of the day, your environment makes all the difference.
So take these three tips and apply them to whatever area in which you want to succeed. But remember tip #1: Focus on the biggest thing first!
Filed under: goal-setting, workout tips
