We are now approximately one month out from the annual show. Most of us have come down from the excitement and all of the craziness has settled. Every year, it happens to me at about this time: post-show funk. The dust has settled and after working so hard for something, it’s done and just I feel like I’m missing a purpose for my training now. After experiencing this for so many years now, I’m starting to figure out how to beat it.
The biggest thing I am doing differently this year is goal setting. We all set goals and try to attain them, but currently I’m focusing more on them than I typically do. I am actively writing them down, sharing them with others to help keep me accountable, and focusing my extra energies on working towards them. By doing this, I have rejuvenated my purpose for my personal training to help me avoid my natural funk. I may not be preparing for a big performance, but by having well defined goals, I still have something to work for.
The second big thing I am doing is sticking to a set schedule for my personal training. I teach ~20 hours a week at the studios. I don’t consider those classes MY training (unless they are cardio, man I stink at cardio). When I’m teaching, I’m not working on my tricks or my goals, I’m helping others focus on THEIR goals and achieving their tricks. Finding, or rather making the time for my personal training, working on MY trick goals has been super helpful. It is a difficult balancing act at times to put in the extra effort to work on my own stuff, but when I do I always feel rejuvenated afterwards.
The final change I’m focusing on is my self care and rest. If I don’t take the time and effort to properly care for my body, then my training doesn’t go as well. There is a direct correlation between the quality of my rest and the quality of my training. It has taken me longer than I’d like to admit to realize this. It has been small changes accumulating over time, like paying closer attention to what I snack on, drinking enough water, getting enough quality sleep at night, etc., as well as bigger changes like starting to see a chiropractor, and doing manual therapy on my shoulders. All of these things affect the quality of my rest and recovery, so they also then affect my training. By taking the time and effort to pay attention to these details, I’m getting better recovery on my rest days and thus more out of my training on my active days.
As we wave good-bye to the 2020 Aerial Extravaganza and all of it’s glory, don’t loose sight of your training. Fight the funk with me and keep getting after your goals.