Many of you are aware that I started my athletic career as both swimmer and wrestler. Sort of an odd combination, don’t you think?
At any rate, one of the things I began doing as a young boy, that I was never formally taught, was a very simple but powerful task that can easily double, if not triple your results.
Here tis: Just before I went to sleep at night, I made a list of the exercises I was going to do the next day and how many I would do of each.
The next day, upon arising, I would glance at my list, then get to work. Oftentimes I began the day with a 2-3 mile run, followed by pushups, situps, pullups, dips, rope skipping – and so on.
After college I dropped the practice of making a list – opting instead to simply ‘remember’ what to do.
Now, I’m not saying I ‘forgot’ what to do when I didn’t have a list. What I am saying is that ‘the list’ represented specific goals I wanted to accomplish in my workout.
And when I referred to making a list – then made a little ‘check’ mark or ‘V’ for Victory next to each task I finished, I found that the practice built confidence, power and a feeling of momentum.
A couple years ago, during one of my frequent visits to my second home on China’s Hainan Island, I went bowling with my brother-in-law. It was the first time I had picked up a bowling ball since 1997.
Anyway, the first day we just bowled – and as I’m not an avid bowler, and not very technical, I was happy to hit a 147 for my high of the day.
Then I got to thinking. The best score I had ever gotten in bowling was 154, and that was back in high school, when we went once a week for a six or eight-week period.
So I looked for and found a slip of paper on the desk, asked myself what score I would like to hit before leaving to come back to the states. My answer was 180. Considering I rarely bowl and have ‘caveman’ technique, this was quite a stretch.
Nevertheless, I folded the paper and put it in my jacket.
Over the course of the next four days, my brother-in-law and I went bowling every day. And my scores were, pretty much, what they had been for 20+ years.
But then, on the last day of my trip, in the third game, I was on fire. Nearly every frame was a strike or a spare. The numbers were adding quickly and I sensed I would meet my goal.
After the final score was tallied by computer, I nearly fell over when I saw I hit 182. What a thrill. I pulled the slip of paper out and showed my brother-in-law. He looked at me, smiled and said, ‘You’re lucky.’
Although I smiled back and said, ‘Yes, I’m very lucky,’ I disagreed. It wasn’t luck. It was mental preparation and the science of achieving predetermined goals. It was taking time to think about what you want ‘in advance’ instead of diving in and accepting whatever is dealt. It was EXPECTING to make good things happen.
I took the folded paper out of my jacket and put a check mark on it. Done. Another VICTORY.
Making a list works. If you’re just starting out and haven’t trained in years, don’t make 2-3 miles and 500 Hindu Squats your goal for today. Start with a goal to do as many pushups or squats as you can. And the honest truth is that for some people, this means 1 or 2 pushups and a few squats.
No matter how far down you are on the chart, there is hope for you. Or, as the saying goes, ‘Falling into the deepest hole is nothing to fear. It simply means you’re now in perfect position to climb the world’s tallest mountain.’
Start making a list before bed each night and I guarantee, within a few months you’ll be amazed at how much better your list becomes. Consult your list before you workout and watch how much you ‘instantly’ improve. If I can do it at the bowling alley, you can do it with your own body – or anything else you want to succeed in.
Rise Up NOW!
Matthew Furey
P.S. What I have described is something I teach in extraordinary detail to those in my Fearless Success Coaching Program. I have three more opening in the program, so if you want to be coached by me – if you want to succeed beyond what you used to think was possible for you – then be sure to investigate.