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At the end of this month I will achieve one of my life’s true goals.
I’ll put on my boots, take in a deep breath of freshly cut grass and run onto the pitch alongside my Gateshead FC teammates at Wembley Stadium.
It’ll be a surreal moment. No doubt about it. But this is what I’ve been aiming for. I’ve dreamed of this moment. I’ve strived for it. And now I get to live it out.
It’s not just about me though. We all have goals. We all have our own stage. I bet you can imagine yours now.
Whether it’s getting in shape for your wedding, training for an event, recovering from illness or injury or improving your confidence ready for this year’s summer holiday, every goal is important.
These are all legitimate and momentous in their own rights. They’re yours to achieve. And let me tell you now - you can do it!
But how? Here’s my blueprint to make your own goals a reality.
It all starts with your mind.
The true path to any goal, any stage begins here. It’s the philosophy that forms the bedrock of Another Round.
As 5am Club author Robin Sharma says, everything is created twice. First in your mind, then in reality.
From my own experience, this is the key to success.
Conquering the mind and overcoming the silent battles within are often the most significant challenges. More so than the sweat-drenched training sessions themselves.
Sure, you need an effective training programme too.
But without the determination to get up every morning, without the consistency of showing up each day and without the commitment to execute it, your training plan is worth nothing. It’s just words.
What you need to get to your stage is action. This is why your mindset is so important.
To develop a winning mindset, it’s best to break things down into small, achievable targets.
Firstly, they build momentum and reinforce your belief that you can get there. Small habits and small wins build up over time. This is the theory of compounding.
But doing this also allows us to celebrate those small victories. And this is really important.
Alongside our outside actions, there’s more going on behind the scenes. It’s all to do with that molecule of more, dopamine.
Dopamine is an amazing molecule and a key regulator of motivation, but it can be misused with cheap hits.
You’ve experienced these cheap dopamine hits yourself. Everyone has, including me. Scrolling through your phone, eating junk food, playing a video game. These all release a short lived dopamine hit.
The problem is that once they’re over, your body wants to get that feel-good dopamine hit again. The more you give in, the more the bar gets lowered. At the serious end of the scale, it’s how addictions form.
Instead, we need to develop good habits. One of the most important is celebrating the small wins.
Have a good workout? Celebrate with a mental fist pump.
Have a bad workout? Tell yourself well done for showing up.
Choose not to order a takeaway? Salute yourself for making a good decision.
It’s the consistent, positive reinforcement that creates solid, mind-winning habits.
If a winning mindset is the foundation, a comprehensive plan is the steps up to your stage.
A plan doesn’t just come down to a set of exercises or a list of foods to eat. Your plan should be tailored to your individual circumstances - your current fitness levels, how much time you have, as well as your specific goals.
A plan designed specifically for you gives you ownership.
This is where experienced, knowledgeable help becomes invaluable. As a PT, I’m not there just to count your reps or make sure your form is good. I’ll be there at every step of your journey towards your goal.
This includes time away from the gym. As I explain here, mastering your recovery is an essential part of the plan too.
Key to effective recovery are two main aspects:
If you train hard, your body needs time to recuperate, heal and adapt to become stronger. The best way to recover physically is to perform light activities. A walk outside, yoga or a tension-relieving sports massage are some of my favourite methods.
To aid your physical recovery, we need to think about nutrition. After all, food is what fuels our bodies.
A balanced, nutritious (and enjoyable) diet that aligns with your training goals is more than half the battle.
And just like your body, your mind needs time to rest and adapt too. A well-rested mind comes back stronger and hungrier to succeed.
Even with the best laid plans, setbacks happen. This is life.
We miss a workout, we eat a takeaway that wasn’t in the plan, we tell ourselves that our goal can’t be achieved so there’s no point in trying.
This is where the Another Round mindset comes into its own.
Take a step back, reassess, reset and go again. That’s all we can do to keep moving forward towards our stage.
The journey to achieving your goal hinges on two important aspects:
These two pillars have supported me throughout my own journey to Wembley. They can help you too.
It’s fair to say that these two elements don’t exist in isolation though. They join forces with consistency, dedication, hard work, resilience, small wins, support and accountability.
These are the foundations that Another Round thrives on. Our personalised approach, experienced trainers and scientific methods give you the platform to step up onto your stage.
So, why not start your journey today? Your stage is waiting. Join forces with Another Round and let's conquer your goals together.
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