The importance of routine and goal setting during times of uncertainty.
These are currently strange times. As an athlete and someone who works in sports and fitness, the uncertainty is a bit overwhelming. Now, with no job to go to, our social structure gone, our daily habits altered and confined to our homes, it’s easy to become stuck in a rut. I had personally gone from being extremely productive and eager to get shit done to being a bit lost and unmotivated. We are all creatures of habit and what struck me was the importance of goal setting and routine, especially during these times.
Being stuck at home, I’ve made a new non-negotiable by swapping my high intensity boxing training to a slow and mindful yoga session.
Your aims and aspirations may still remain but our day to day will have to be altered and adapted to fit the current climate. Finding new ways to reach our goals can be challenging and asks us to be a bit more creative and resourceful. Being an athlete, I’m used to structure, knowing exactly what I’m doing at a particular time and what I’m trying to achieve. Even though I am now more lax in how I schedule my day, I still have routines that are constant and are a non-negotiable. One of them is starting my day with a tall glass of lemon water to hydrate myself for what was normally my regular morning training session. Being stuck at home, I’ve made a new non-negotiable by swapping my high-intensity boxing training to a slow and mindful yoga session. I’ve decided to shift my focus to an area of my training that usually falls by the wayside. Flexibility and strength have always been something I had admired in dancers and gymnasts and even though I had always incorporated a stretch routine post-training, this has become an opportunity to really hone in on this area of athleticism and train my body in a different way.
Rather than thinking that I am now limited or disadvantaged due to the social distancing restrictions, I like to think of them as opportunities to try new things. Taking my already habitual schedule and substituting “sessions” with new and alternative activities has kept me stimulated and on track (so far). My usual gym managerial work has been replaced with website development and writing and my afternoon training has been substituted with a 5pm trail run, which is also non-negotiables. Scheduling these into my day gives me the structure I crave yet still gives me the freedom in between to explore other avenues.
Giving yourself a goal and deadline for completion will motivate you to get the job done but given the climate, give yourself permission to breathe.
Yes, distractions are a high possibility and I’ve caught myself on numerous occasions aimlessly scrolling through Pinterest (and yes, I’m a bit old school). This is where setting mini-goals are necessary. Right now, my goal is to finish this blog post and have it up by tonight. Is it going to be the end of the world if I don’t? Who knows in this climate but most likely, not. If you’re like me, you are always putting yourself under pressure to perform and you thrive on the rush. Giving yourself a goal and deadline for completion will motivate you to get the job done but given the climate, give yourself permission to breathe. There’s time. Review, perfect, analyse, experiment, whatever you never used to have the time to do, do it. Set yourself mini goals, establish a new routine, adapt and keep pursuing.
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