One of the many stoic themes is the idea that you should prepare for the worst…
If you set off to work with the expectation that traffic is going to be terrible and every driver is going to cut you up and drive like a lunatic, then you can only be pleasantly surprised when the traffic flows nicely and someone lets you go at a stop sign.
Think of how less frustrated you could be if you had this view. I often marvel at what some people do while they are driving, often leading to my own frustration!
Some may think it is pessimistic to always prepare for the worst. Almost having a tainted view of the world.
I think it depends on how you go about it. Preparing for the worst could also be classed as being realistic. It is realistic to prepare for a tough week or so when you get back in the gym after vacation. This will set you up for success rather than failure.
What will you do when it gets tough? Give up? Of course not. You push through knowing that after a few weeks you will be back to your usual self and making progress again.
Being prepared is half the battle.
I competed in my first triathlon event a few weekends ago. Those who know me, know that I hate swimming. I’ve been practicing but I still need to improve my technique. Anyway, this triathlon was a 750m Swim, 33km Bike & a 7km Run. A sprint distance. I fully prepared for the swim to be a terrible experience. I was expecting to get kicked in the face, googles flying off and I would have to tread water to fix them.
It was not…
I actually loved the swim. I got into a nice rhythm, breathing felt good and I started passing people. I remember laughing thinking what the hell is this! My main goal was to not break my stroke at any point, and I achieved that.
Mentally I had put myself in the right place. I had prepared for a tough time in the water so all my senses were heightened at the start line. I asked 3 different people the route to make sure I had it right in my mind and positioned myself on the beach to have a clear-ish run.
I could only be pleasantly surprised if things went well.
This is a different mindset to telling yourself you bad at something. I wasn’t thinking I was bad at swimming. I know I can swim, I just prepared for a tough time.
I see it all the time when we have burpees in the workout. People tell themselves that they are not good at burpees and they can’t go fast on them. Already beating themselves before they start.
Yes, they will probably be hard. Yes, it may hurt a little bit. It’s ok to acknowledge that, that is your preparation. Don’t turn that into a thought of not being able to do it, use it as fuel to focus and execute!
CrossFit’s own saying is “Prepare for the unknown and unknowable” – Kind of like preparing for the worst really.
Be prepared, always! You never know when that preparation will serve you well.