Every day is an opportunity

PERSIST AND BE CONSISTENT

I should start by apologising because I missed a blog.  It was a busy week and me and my wife took the opportunity to take our daughter to an open day at Amsterdam University.  This clearly took priority over everything and was a lovely day.  Just had to plan ahead and change the training schedule. Last Saturday became a rest day and I did manage to get a swim in after work in the local leisure centre.  I then went to the hotel at the airport to meet up for a pleasant evening and meal before an early morning to catch the first flight out.

DON’T LET LIFE GET IN THE WAY

We returned late on Sat evening and I did manage to get up and complete the ‘long ride’ and ‘run off the bike’ before starting the week again on Mon.  The lesson for me this week has been persistence.  Life gets in the way and we should embrace that because every experience can be a positive one. That said, if we have our sights set on a goal, the one thing I have learned is not to let events hold you back; just work with them.

SIMON SINEK

I listened to a Simon Sinek video this week, which was passed to me by a friend.  It was a good listen and one of the key messages was that consistency is everything. We often let things get in the way of the decisions we make each day and when this happens it is easy just to let something go.  If we go to the gym or train each day, we rarely see any improvement on that day, and probably not the next or the next.  But if you keep doing what you need to do to reach your goal, then the transformation and change will happen. You just need need to persist and remain consistent daily.

A METAPHOR FOR LIFE

For me the IRONMAN Wales training experience is a 40-week journey and just getting to the start line will be a major success. I can measure my improvement but it takes time and milestones which can often be weeks apart, but I know if I stick to it, I have every chance of succeeding. I have found this to be a great metaphor for life and work.  This week seemed timely to reflect on this, given I am now a third of the way into my training plan and I know that staying consistent matters now more than ever.