I wake up every morning and think about my goals. I think about standing between the posts, ready to make stops, should a shot come my way. I think about AFL and what I can do that day to further the cause and raise awareness. I think about all of this, I decide what needs to be done that day, and then go about doing it. Yet, one thing I learned right from the get go, even before I guess. I have always been an all or nothing kind of guy. When I trained Jiu Jitsu, I got up to training 3 times a day, 4 days a week and sometimes more. It was kind of crazy to be honest. And the scary thing is that this same mentality follows me everywhere, but that is where today’s important lesson comes into play. That lesson is that in trying to achieve any sort of long term, big goal, you must remember that your journey towards success is a marathon, it is not a sprint. I have made this mistake so many times in so many other areas of my life that you would’ve thought I’d have learned sooner. For example, every time life has gotten busy and kicked my butt into inactivity, every time I try to jump back into the gym, I go in at 150% and end up side lined with injuries and soreness. This happens at least twice a year, if not more. But I was determined not to do this with AFL or goalkeeping, this time I was going to be smart, and I would implore you to also learn from my mistakes and take head to my warning.
This time out on my endeavors, I decided to tackle things a little differently. I used to have an alternate blog site that I would update weekly, however, when I first formed it, I got so excited that I launched it and began marketing right from the get go with a total of 2 articles (maybe 3) and a picture. I was 150% dedicated and stormed the writing, getting my two articles up to roughly ten, and launched them as I wrote them, but soon began to burn out (not only with ability to write, but with what to write about as well). The blog slowly died off into nothingness. So this time around, I decided that wasn’t going to happen. I launched AFL and began my goalkeeping journey at the same time and decided to take the same approach with both. This time around I decided I was going to start slow, and ramp things up in intensity as I could handle it. Sticking with percentages, I’d say I started at 25% of my maximum ability to perform. Since then, in the couple months of conception, I’ve raised that attention and performance bit by bit until I am at the place I am now. It’s a stepwise process, and I must admit, I have skipped the entire burnout phase.
Now that’s not to say it hasn’t been without its difficulties. I think every week since I’ve started I’ve felt like I’m not training enough, or writing enough, and I could be doing so much more. I either have to take a step back, or luckily, have my fiancé calm me and stop me from going off the rails with training and writing. I’d say pacing myself has taken just as much, if not more, effort than actually training and writing. But things are going according to plan. Big things are in the works for AFL, and goalkeeping continues to go well. It’s in examining my current progress that I felt it necessary to share this lesson. Like I said, I’ve spent more time injured or sitting around burnt out than actually doing productive, goal oriented things in the past, and I know just how easy it is to get consumed with it. The single most important aspect to completing a goal is a reasonable timeline. Once you have that timeline, stick to it! There’s only so much you can physically do without setting yourself back. I will give you an example in regards to my goalkeeping.
I had this idea back in November, and have been working towards it ever since. Yet, being in Canada, the cold and winter, not to mention school, has found a way to limit my training capabilities. It’s not unreasonable, but it is frustrating. Yet, I was expecting this and planned accordingly. I attend drop in as much as possible, and I currently play in two leagues (which goes to show how my impatience won over – I had planned to avoid competition until next school year for intramurals). Yet, summer is fast approaching and I’ve been dying to sign up for a league, yet still have not had a full training session in a full sized net. If I listened to my ego, I would sign up anyway, yet this is why my plan is written down. Anytime I get the urge to register for a league, I look at my plan, I see that I am on schedule and that this year is not the year to sign up. This season is the season for me to make up for all my lost time. That is not to say I won’t play full games, but it will not be in a full outdoor league. This summer season is meant to continue playing 5v5 indoor, and get used to movement and reading plays. With this in mind, I can look at the registration page online, and click the “x” at the top of that page. That will only lead to discouragement and hold me back.
Now, what if I didn’t have this plan laid out before me? I can tell you I would be right back to where I was last year; trying to take on everything that caught my attention, overtrained, discouraged, and ready to throw in the towel. So the difference this time? I took the time to plan out my journey, I’ve made it accessible and I can use it to deter me from making silly, avoidable mistakes. I highly advise that the planning stage be the first stage you undertake, no matter where you wish to head. It is better to go in with a plan. That plan may need some adjustment as you go, but a baseline plan is the best thing you can do, trust me I know! Keep an eye out for tips and tricks on plan making and goal setting. These things are the two most important aspect of any journey towards success!
NOTE: Picture taken from google.ca specifically http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/01/06/fia-confirms-new-2016-f1-superlicence-points-system/