“We’ll be arriving at 1115” said the announcement on the plane.
Hmm… why didn’t he just say 11:15?!
That was last weekend as I took a trip to Dubai to get a brand new wakeboard (these things are expensive, but the thrill, fun…and yep, the workout side-effect… is worth every bit).
Anyway, I hop on a taxi and make my way to the Metropolitan Hotel. I call the guy who’s getting me the wakeboard and it turns out he’ll be late some 40 minutes (ouch, I hate waiting).
So what do I do?
Well, firstly I pretend I’m a regular at the hotel and start strolling around.
I’m hungry. OK let me see, as I entered the small mini-mart, among all the chocolate bars and crisps… where is it?
Where do they keep an acceptable snack?
Ahh… nuts. I pickup a small packet, some apple juice (well, not really fresh but better than Pepsi ‘-)
I’ll tell you what happened to that apple juice and nuts in a moment (plus some photos), but first let me get into a point I skipped…
You see, most of my friends would consider me nuts to just go out and buy a top notch
wakeboard without having a clue where I’m gonna ride it! (mind you I’m hungry, stuck at the airport as I type this. Maybe that’s why I keep repeating ‘nuts’. The packet just finished!)
But you know what, there’s a certain “Jump right into it, ask questions later” mentality that can serve you if used properly. I mean it can improve your workout at times.
Here’s a common example…
Whether you’re just getting into fitness or trying to get back into it after some time off… there’s always a tendency to procrastinate.
“Ah, I don’t have my meals planned yet”… “I didn’t eat healthy today so I’ll just leave it till next week”… “I’m not used to dumbbells” you know these kind of thoughts that just keep you in check.
Instead, you could simply slip into your sports wear and hit the gym (or start some warm-ups in case you workout at home)…. and then figure out how to do the perfect workout, eat healthy, the right amount of nutrients, and so on.
I’m not saying go out and do the wrong kind of workouts cuz you’re not sure, what I mean is “decide… take action asap” just to slip into that mind frame again (taking action) instead of waiting till everything’s perfect.
Ok here’s another example…
(this happens to me almost every month. And if you workout right after work I bet you experienced this at least once)…
I’ll come out of work feeling tired, and sometimes in a low mood… on the way to the gym my mind’s saying “Ahh, wouldn’t be so relaxing to just hit the bed… relax… skip workout for today”.
But I keep driving towards the gym.
I’m thinking, “OK I’ll decide when I park my car by the gym”.
And when I park, I’m thinking “Hmmm I might be tired, but let’s try to do just the first workout… just one set… that isn’t too bad. And if I feel tired afterwards I’ll leave”
What ends up happening is, instead of quitting that days workout too early, I’ll start feeling better after my warm-up… then I feel ok as I approach the weights… and as the blood rushes to my muscles, it’s like my brain’s awake again and ready to hit the next set… the next exercise… and before I know I’ve completed that day’s workout.
“Mind tricks”, this can be fascinating heh?
Everyone’s got a few mind tricks that can turn procrastination into action… what’s yours?
Ok, back to where I left off; the nuts and apples juice (darn I’m stuck waiting for check-in with no restaurant or food around! The place is being refurbished. Ouch I’m hungry, this ain’t good. I should’ve brought more emergency food)
So after I picked up my snacks… a few minutes later I notice the hotel actually has a cinema at the back! Woop, now that’s something. Talk about luxury. Well, maybe another time.
A mere 2 minutes later and “Baang” my apple juice smashes to the ground!
I pick it up and go to toss it in the bin. And just like when they say “everything happens for a reason”, I turn around and notice a small fountain with turtles!
Aha, I through in a few nuts. I guess turtles can have a snack too :-p
But they hardly eat it or give it a second look! (Maybe they just had a turtle protein shake full of greens and fish ‘-)
Well, that’s it for today. Let us know what’s your mental tricks to “Get into action” and have a focused workout.
Have a great workout,
M. Jamal
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