A List of a Different Sort
I had my second weightlifting competition ever this past weekend. I snatched 95 kilos and clean and jerked 120. Both large competition personal bests. Any person would say that it was a great day, especially considering I'm in a foreign country with nowhere near as strong of a support system. I didn't.
I said I didn't do a good job, but looking back on things, I definitely did! More importantly, I think this is indicative of how people get stuck in training ruts. Instead of being happy with progress of any kind, you think, "Well if I did X, why didn't I do X+1." Or "I progressed, but I didn't reach my goals as I had laid out." This kind of mindset, while productive at times, can be very detrimental in the long run. It doesn't support a positive mindset, and in a sport like weightlifting where there are only 6 attempts per meet, it is just impossible to hit X+1 sometimes.
Furthermore, hitting a 215 kilo total was a 9 kilo increase in my total! That's awesome! Now I'm not just tooting my own horn here, but sometimes we do really great things and neglect their importance for one reason or another. So here is what I propose: make a list of six accomplishments you've had over the past six months. Not only does this indicate your progress, if you can't think of six things to put down, perhaps it's time for a change somewhere. The list can be made up of anything, as long as it's pertinent to your goals or chosen sport. As an example here is my list:
1. 100kg snatch
2. 125 kg clean and jerk
3. Registered a Total in competition in Australia
4. Won a weightlifting competition in Australia
5. Had someone as me to help them lose weight
6. Done mobility work everyday for the past 6 weeks
Sometimes I think it's easy to forget how far we have come, and I think this list is a great motivational tool to help keep the fire stoked. I don't mean for this to be a consolation prize for someone who didn't work hard and reach there goals; sometimes though, there are factors outside of our control, and this is here to address when the cards don't get dealt in our favor.