1. Get through said workout with as much concentration and focus as you can muster.
2. Record your performance. This will be good later, when you can review it impartially.
3. Eat something (as in, “refuel”, not eat something to make you feel better).
4. Mentally review the circumstances. Were you tired or stressed? Lacking sleep? Did you eat properly?
Note: This differs from excuse-making because you are trying to identify the factor(s) that contributed to the lackluster workout, so that you can circumvent it next time.
5. Review your performance. Did you at least prevent backsliding? Was the workout “par for the course?” Did you at least exercise great form?
6. Plan to exceed your performance for next time by executing as well as possible in all other capacities, i.e. Eat properly, get sufficient rest, take some time (even just a few minutes each day) for yourself, etc.
7. Totally kill it next workout.
Filed under: The Mental Game
