If you don't know where you are going, how will you know when you get there? You won't.
Stephen Covey's second habit from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is to "begin with the end in mind."
A simple but effective mental preparation tool that I began using a few years ago to help me with my own triathlon goals is a Vision Sheet - a one page sheet, which summarizes my vision of what I desire to accomplish with my races.
The vision should be aspirational – a pie in the sky, reach for the stars stretch goal beyond anything ever done previously. I also like to add inspirational quotes to remind me that because I'm reaching really high that the path is never easy.
Of course, it's not enough to simply create a Vision Sheet but it must be looked at on a regular basis to be effective. I insert my Vision Sheet into the cover page of my training log notebook, which I write in every day. My client, Bill, posts his Vision Sheet on the mirror in his bathroom.
With the 2009 season winding down, I'll be asking all of my clients to create their own Vision Sheet for 2010.
Here's a sample of a Vision Sheet, which I created for Bill based on his input for goal times for Ironman Germany (goal times for entire race and also each segment) next year and some of my favorite motivational quotes to inspire him:
Bill Beyer
140.6 / 10:2X
2.4 / 0:59
112 / 5:15
26.2 / 3:45
"You are never really playing an opponent. You are playing yourself." – Arthur Ashe
“It's not the will to win, but the will to prepare to win that makes the difference.” – Bear Bryant
"When you cannot make up your mind which of two evenly balanced courses of action you should take – choose the bolder." – Ezra Pound
"It's so physically demanding that ironically it comes down to who's the smartest." – Peter Reid
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.” – Goethe
Live life richly and boldly!
David
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David B. Glover
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine: Fitting Iron Distance Training into Every Day Life
© 2009 David B. Glover
Whether you're training to win a triathlon, training to finish or just need inspiration from my life journey as a cancer survivor, Navy officer and sub-nine hour Ironman triathlete, my book will inspire you to chase your dreams and live life richly and boldly.