Coach Caleb’s Corner – A Good Plan Beats a “Perfect” Plan
Coach Caleb’s Corner
A Good Plan Beats a “Perfect” Plan
A good plan implemented beats the perfect plan unused.
We’ve all done it; tried to make a positive change in our lives but ended up wasting a lot of time thinking, researching and even dabbling with different ideas and not ever actually starting something new. The current global health crisis has made it even worse. Somehow at a time when we are literally fighting for our survival, with our mental and physical health exposed to unprecedented dangers, the prevalent messaging we receive prioritizes self isolation and “waiting it out” more than taking action to improve ourselves.
Waiting and worrying without a lot of action can feel very unproductive and even make it harder to start taking the positive steps we want to take in a new direction. When it comes to self-improvement, a less cerebral and more workmanlike approach (usually with the help of a coach or guide and a clear roadmap to follow) can change everything. But somehow we are often paralyzed by doubt and are unable to act, waiting for the “perfect” time instead of just getting started.
Have you ever had conversations with yourself that sound like this?
“When is the best time to do a good thing for myself?”
“Maybe now?”
“But what if I wait for a bit, see how things go, do some googling, and then I find something better to do later on at a better time?”
“Better to just start taking action and do the good thing now!”
“Hmmm… I’ll think about it.”
So when is the best time to start working on achieving your next big health or fitness goal? Is it the new year? When the COVID case numbers go down a bit more? We are obsessed with finding “the best” thing; the best way to do something, or the best time to do something. You might find yourself scrolling endlessly on your phone seeking “the best taco near me,” when you’re already so hungry that any taco would taste like the best one if it was ready to eat right now. A decent plan implemented is much better than a perfect plan that arrives too late or that nobody uses at all.
When it comes to physical improvement and making positive changes for our continued good health, the formula is usually pretty simple: unless taking action right now would in some way be harmful, then right now is “the best” time to act!
It’s incredible to see our members at the gym and on zoom bringing their best every session, setting new goals, training to peak their skills in new areas, working toward a better tomorrow – and we need that fire of positivity to spread! This month at Breakthrough, our inaugural Breakthrough Strength Challenge team began training for a new event, and the positive energy and renewed sense of purpose is palpable. We feel it at the gym every day now and it’s something undeniably good. It is our mission to continue to share this powerful force for good with as many people as we can.
There will always be plenty of reasons not to take action right away, but when we’re being honest with ourselves, those are usually just excuses. If we want to effect a positive change, then we have to do something differently. “Do what you’ve always done and you’ll get what you’ve always got.” Sometimes we talk ourselves out of making a change simply because we’re convinced that we already know what to do, but we just “haven’t had time to do it.” I’ve had too many conversations with the non-starters who tell me they “really don’t need to change anything,” they just need to somehow do more of “X”. “X” being the thing that hasn’t been working so far in small doses, so more of it certainly won’t do the trick! It’s kind of funny when you spell it out like that, but more of the same is only going to deliver more of the same results.
If you or someone close to you feels stuck and unable to start taking steps to improve, we must crush this hesitation now! Whether its a paralysis provoked by the current prohibitions related to the pandemic which might have caused a plateau in strength training, frustrations over body composition, or other general health related concerns, the “best” way to get past it is to take action now. Our good health and physical preparedness has never been so obviously linked to our survival, and fighting back against the virus with something other than isolation and waiting for a vaccine feels a lot more productive. A combination of proven programming, nutritional guidance, coaching and a peer group full of encouragement and support can work exceedingly well to effect positive changes. With consistency, results become obvious sooner than we usually expect.
Too much of our lives have been forced into a holding pattern lately. Let’s fight back! Why wait to start building a better tomorrow? Act now, and let’s get there sooner together!
Caleb