Morale Monday Edition #10 🔥
"There is nothing more important to true growth than realizing that you are not the voice of the mind - you are the one who hears it." - Michael A. Singer, the untethered soul
What is up everybody! Another Monday has come, and what a great week it is going to be! I hope you’ll enjoy this edition of Morale Monday and get the boost you need if your week is starting out slow! Side note, I am weirdly excited that I made it to double digits on the newsletter, thank you for being here for it!
This Past Week
This past week was solid. A visit from my dad for a day and continually learning and getting better. There weren’t any huge things out of the ordinary week, but that allowed me to try and stay present and engaged into the “normal” happenings of the week.
Training
Within my own training, I am starting to feel better and get back to my normal self. I continued what I had been doing through the past couple weeks and had my best week yet! I still have to finish the last couple days strong before my deload week.
As for something I found interesting and looked into… it was the topic of neurotyping. This is a fairly new (kind of) concept that I really don’t hear many strength coaches or trainers talk about. Basically what it is is an attempt to tailor training to the individual based on some work by Christian Thibaudeau (if you are a S&C professional and don’t know who this is, study some of his work). The tailoring is based off of the type of athlete a person is depending on the levels of certain neurotransmitters the individual has. The levels of these dominant neurotransmitters then determines what types of training and nutrition that the individual will benefit from most.
I don’t want to go to in depth, but there are 5 types as a result (1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3) and it is based off of 5 different neurotransmitters: dopamine, adrenaline, acetylcholine, serotonin, and GABA. If you are serious about your training and want to fully tailor your training to your makeup, this could be a good option to always know how to promote your strengths and optimize performance.
HOWEVER… I do not think that one should just take this test and put him or herself in a box. 1. Once you are adapted to a certain type of training, you need to change to elicit more benefits. 2. Putting yourself in a box automatically places a limitation on yourself as you are only staying in one narrow lane. If you are a general athlete, it is great to practice all different types of training. Use it to really drive performance when needed, but just know that if you aren’t training for something specific, you should keep it more general.
Mindset
Let’s talk about goals. Growing up, competing in sports, and going through school, coaches and parents always say to set a goal. I’m sure everyone reading this has heard of SMART goals and how your goal needs to fit each of those categories to be effective (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely).
I think this acronym sucks. The only one that I really place my seal of approval on is specific. Why you ask? Let me explain AND give you an exercise for your mindset this week.
When you are setting a goal, there are 3 types… A, B, and C. An A-type goal is something you already know how to do. Such as my goal is to buy the new iPhone that comes out this fall (knowing that 2 years ago you have already done the same thing). There is 0 growth with this goal because you are doing more of the same of what you have done in the past.
A B-type goal is something you think you can do. So, this type of goal uses the programming and thinking you already have in your mind to come up with an outcome that you think can happen if you can manipulate all of the variables to produce said outcome. So, this is something you have not yet done, but you know is attainable (like I said, I do not like) because you know what steps to take to get there. This is a better goal than the previous A-type, but it is still not BIG enough to make you grow. You will start but eventually run out of inspiration because the goal isn’t exciting enough.
This leads to the last type… C-type. This is the dream. This is something that you have no clue how to do, and that is okay. The fact that something you dream of and really want to accomplish comes to your head means that it can happen. And since you have no clue how to accomplish this goal, it will most certainly cause growth. It will also be such a big goal that it is exciting to you and actually causes an emotional reaction to think about and place yourself in the situation of already having it. As you develop this goal and visualize it, it will become more and more specific and real (why I like the specificity aspect). As this happens, you will draw it closer to you and the “how” will show up as it needs to.
So, the assignment for the week… set a C-type goal. Daydream a bit; write out a list of all of the things you want. There are no wrong items as this is your goal. Once you have really nailed the goal you will strive for, write it down. Use a notecard or something you can carry with you so you can read it often to remind yourself of the goal. Let me know what you come up with!
Pop Culture
I revisited a feel good sports movie this week on Disney+… The Greatest Game Ever Played. It is a movie about Francis Ouimet, an American golfer that was the first amateur to win the US Open in 1913. It is a great story to watch, and if you have not seen it, go watch it. It is a solid inspiration to chase dreams. Also, it will get you in the golfing mood as we get further into spring and closer to summer.
Here and Now
Take note of the voice in your head. What types of things is it saying as you enter this moment? Are they negative or positive? Is it something that can lift you up and drive you towards your goal?
No matter what it is, you are not the voice in your head. You are the one observing that voice. That voice can take over if you let it, but that is why we are practicing taking notice. Practice it now and acknowledge what it is saying, but don’t put too much worth on it because it is not you thinking that.
Once you can dissociate this inner voice from you and your thoughts, you can handle other more emotional situations better because you have already practiced hearing that voice and dismissing the words that hold no weight or truth.
You are not the voice in your head.
Future
I am looking forward to working with my athletes and working on having them set goals for themselves as well. You can do anything you want with your life… I truly believe that. So, why not set your goals high? I will most certainly have anyone I work with do the same.
I hope this edition has given you some clarity and helped you out as much as these things help me out and boost my morale. If there is anything you need as you work through, please do not hesitate to reach out! I would be more than happy to help and assist.
Also, if you found this helpful/useful, I would ask that you share it with someone that you think could use it. You don’t even have to share the newsletter, just share the info that helped you!
I appreciate you all!
All Love,
Nick