Plan Ahead, Bob and Weave, and Learn to Do Hard Things

It’s wedding season for me, and by "wedding season," I mean that it feels like I have a wedding every other weekend throughout 2024. Don’t get me wrong—I love weddings. The feelings of love, joy, community, family, friendship, and the celebration of eternal bliss between the betrothed are all wonderful. However, as selfish as it may sound, committing to weddings or any weekend events can sometimes disrupt my routine and throw me off my groove. Yes, that was an *Emperor’s New Groove* reference.

Now, I could throw some David Goggins motivational quotes your way and say that come hell or high water, you shouldn’t let a single obstacle stand in the way of your training. However, I’ve been feeling that this might come across as disingenuous and take the realism out of our message. Life happens—sometimes, things just don’t go according to plan.

That said, I think it’s important to make a key distinction here. I’m definitely not advocating for skipping workouts or neglecting your diet at the first sign of inconvenience. Instead, the real point I want to emphasize is that sometimes we need to adapt our routines. We need to be flexible and ready to adjust our plans in the heat of the moment.

Better yet, if you know you have a wedding or trip coming up one weekend, plan in advance how to adjust your routine. For example, I left for a wedding this past Friday around noon. I knew I had a tempo run scheduled that day, so I made sure to complete my run early in the morning, giving me the rest of the day to pack and travel to my destination. However, I was supposed to do my 13.1-mile long run on Sunday, but I realized I would be traveling all day and wouldn’t have the opportunity to fit it in before or after my trip. So, I adjusted and moved my long run to Monday.

Is that ideal? No. But was it the end of the world? Absolutely not. I’m at the tail end of my marathon training and had two options: Option A: Skip that run altogether and move on to my next workout later in the week, or Option B: Push the run back a day and still get in the miles I need to prepare for my marathon.

Option B may seem like the obvious choice, but I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves making excuses to skip something we’ve committed to. “I didn’t sleep well,” “my day got busy,” “it’s cold outside,” etc. Didn’t sleep well? Take it easy in the morning and afternoon, then get your workout in during the evening. Your day got busy? Whose day isn’t busy? We’re adults; busy days are the norm. Skip your show that night and prioritize your workout. It’s cold outside? Throw on that favorite hoodie of yours, bundle up, and get those miles in!

When we make excuses and skip what we’ve committed to, who are we really hurting? If your goals are to lose weight, get more toned, train for a race, or something else, skipping a workout only hinders your progress and the vision you have for yourself. Don’t make it a habit to take the easy way out when faced with challenges; that can lead to a slippery slope. The feeling of accomplishing hard things when the going gets tough is worth pursuing. It becomes a character trait that can positively impact all areas of your life.

Recently, I’ve been listening to *Do Hard Things* by Steve Magness, and I can’t recommend it enough. This book provides a 30,000-foot view of what it truly means to tackle challenges. By redefining toughness, teaching you to embrace discomfort, and illustrating how mindset can help you overcome most obstacles, it shifts your perception of what it means to do hard things. I know it may sound cliché, but if you don’t enjoy the journey, the destination will likely feel lackluster and anticlimactic. Would The Lord of the Rings have been as monumental a trilogy if it only lasted five minutes and just showed Gollum falling into Mount Doom with the ring? Probably not! I want to see what the hobbits learned along the way; I want to witness Gimli and Legolas becoming homies; I want to know what the hell Lembas bread is!

Nerd jokes aside, if you have an event or weekend trip planned, take the time to adjust your schedule in advance. It’s okay to deviate from your routine or move a workout, but try not to make it a habit. Learn to do hard things, and remember: never skip to the end of a movie. Always enjoy the journey.

In closing, life is a series of journeys filled with challenges and opportunities for growth. By planning ahead and adjusting your routine when necessary, you can stay committed to your goals without sacrificing enjoyment. Embrace the discomfort that comes with hard work, and appreciate the lessons learned along the way. At GTY Performance, we believe that every step of the journey matters. So, keep pushing forward, savor the process, and remember that the path you take is just as important as the destination. You’ve got this!