Pick two things that are your biggest weaknesses in an area where you would like to improve. Be honest with what is holding you back and get some feedback from a trusted friend or coach if you need help identifying where exactly you need to improve.
If you focus on improving those two things, you will be more likely to progress faster than you would without that heightened awareness of your inefficiencies. You will be able to make better decisions and making better decisions will lead to better results.
This exercise will be helpful for me and I will test run it to see how well it works then share the results with you. I believe it will be extremely helpful for my goal in the next few days.
I am looking to improve my result in a competition on Saturday (three days from now). I competed yesterday, jumping another 4.25m bar and took shots at my personal best of 4.40m. This is the second meet in a row where I have taken shots at a lifetime best mark, but not been able to successfully get over the bar and leave it up.
My weakness when I get to that height are the following:
Confidence
Comfort zone
Weakness #1. I am confident that I will take good shots at it, but I am held back by the slightest doubt in my mind that some other factor will not allow me to clear the bar - whether it may be the wind, the rhythm in my step, the timing of my pole drop, my positions at take off, etc. This forces me to "try harder" rather than "try smarter". Trying harder only makes me tense and unable to execute the same great jumps I have at earlier heights.
Weakness #2. As I get to this exciting part in the competition, my nerves get the best of me just the slightest and I fall back to what is comfortable. Staying within your comfort zone will only yield the same results and you will be disappointed in the end. Reverting back to old, bad habits in your technique will not give you a better chance at clearing a higher bar. In order to achieve something new that we have never done before, we must do things that we have never done before - that is likely outside your comfort zone. Do what makes you uncomfortable and that will probably be the key to your success.
Do you see how just the slightest inefficiencies are enough to lose you the battle? It is not enough to be less than 100%. If you are only 90% sure you will make the bar, that 10% will cost you. If you only commit to doing things correctly 75% of the time, that 25% time you spend in your comfort zone will cost you.
Here comes the truth. Are you ready to be faced with reality? Here it is.
Until you pick up the slack to where you are 100% on your top two weaknesses, you will remain in the same place you are right now. It may sound daunting, but it can be solved in a split decision to fully commit to getting the results you want. The timeline that it takes to get there is entirely in your hands.
Know that it will be scary and it will be hard, but it will get you there as long as you are 100% confident in your abilities and 100% committed to getting outside your comfort zone 100% of the time.
Let's keep it 100%!
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