Making and having a plan is a important part of life. Just as simple as that people make plans because there is something that needs to be done or something that they want to do. An unfortunate reality is that not enough people make plans. They think of things they want to do and ideas to get them done but they lack the final step... Write it down! As my father used to teach me on a regular basis, "A plan not written down, is just a dream." It's a good thing to remember as it has happened to the best of us, when we have all the best intentions to get things done, but because we have no reminder and many other projects in a typical day, we forget or become too busy to follow through.


This also happens when we get into a mind set to workout and get back into shape. We have all the intentions to get up early and go to the gym and workout, but we go with nothing written down to guide our routine, and the "routine" quickly falls into a sporadic sequence of movements that ultimately inhibits our progress and frustrates our determination.  It makes life so much easier and much more efficient when we have a plan written down of the things we want to do every time we step into the gym.  Don't underestimate the power of writing down the things you want to do! 

Making a plan is a good lead in to what I want to talk about today, because the plan is only part of the process. Sometimes when we make our plans and have our routines, we strap on the blinders and turn the music from our cell phones up too loud and we miss the opportunities that present themselves. As you are preparing for certain goals and as you train and make plans, be sure to keep your eyes open to the developments happening around you. The more you improve yourself, the more things around you change, and you never know who is taking notice. Someone takes a quick video of a max attempt, someone snaps a picture of you flexing in the mirror, you give some awesome advice to a person who works in the athletic field, a number of things can happen, and if you closed off to those events, you might miss something. When opportunity knocks, be ready to change and make the most of it. 

I know of some opportunities I've had in my life that came without warning, and even though I was looking for specific things the moment they came, I recognized the potential goodness that these events could bring to my life. 
One in particular happened when I was looking for a job here in South America. I was looking for jobs as a strength and conditioning coach... I was working out hard and putting on a good show to prove that my ideas and philosophies work. I was getting some interest and was brought on for a working interview for an official Nike running club. I was taking the athletes through a training session and one of the other coaches gave me a contact for a potential job as an English teacher... I thought, you know.. it's not quite in the realm of where I want to go, but I went to the interview that was scheduled the next day by the general manager anyway. After a very good conversation with the company and the boss, I recognized that the gains of this particular job would be able to provide a good base for the other goals I have in my life. In fact, this job has taken me to contacts that will help me achieve my own personal goals when the time comes, and not to mention I am quickly becoming able to finance the projects that I want to eventually create. I have imagined what would have happened if I had ignored this opportunity and didn't take it. Even though the method isn't direct, it is taking me closer to where I want to go! 

Something to think about. "We are all just one small adjustment to making our lives work." 

Every Day... A Little Stronger