COMMANDO STANDARD ADHERANCE
STAY ON THE PATH
The Commando Standard is, by its very nature - structure. The specifications are clear cut and laid ahead of you. All candidates should follow the plan to the letter for the best results.
The path ahead is set and that puts you ahead of most people. However - problems can still arise.
Do you struggle to stay on the path?
Perhaps you skip a session and stand still?
Maybe, you swap out an exercise for something else you prefer?
Or do you take a longer rest than you need?
You know that you want to reach the end goal.
Fitter,
Stronger,
Faster.
But tiny deviations in a plan can build up, and easily escalate into you moving further away from what it is that you want.
Adherence is a life skill. A skill that can be learned and applied to make the journey to any fitness goal easier. For those that fall off the path, acquiring this skill is the key to get you back on and moving forward.
IT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE STRUGGLE
For the vast majority of us, life isn’t all about this particular path. There is more to it, and it is constantly throwing distractions, obstacles, and pitfalls that make it longer, narrower and steeper.
Working late,
Responsibilities to others,
Not having the energy.
Unfortunately, there is no quick route to the end. No single step will move you forward. It takes a series of steps over the entire journey.
We know that at times we will stand still, we will go in the wrong direction and we will fall back. In times like these, it's easy to forget about what you want to achieve, let the weight pile on, let the strength fade and fall victim to your situation.
IT IS UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT LIFE TO RUN SMOOTHLY AND FACILITATE YOUR GOAL
Simply put - shit happens!
However, you are responsible to sort it out. We cannot allow ourselves to be the victim.
So what can you do?
SHAPING YOUR PATH
This is the process of not making the road to success harder than it needs to be.
Start by identifying the obstacles - both present and potential.
Then - find reasonable solutions to overcome each obstacle and equip yourself with meaningful action to counter any unwanted inaction!
Prepare for your plan/intentions to fail and have contingencies at the ready.
For Example,
Find yourself dragging your feet before your morning session? Prep your kit the night before so you have nothing to slow you down.
Struggle to find a decent meal at the office and end up skipping eating? Prep food at home to take into work so that you have the calories to nourish your workout.
Both these examples require forward thinking.
Meet any step back with two steps forward. Counter distraction with focus, problems with solutions and excuses with action.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FALL OFF TRACK?
Don't beat yourself up about it. You just need to do one simple thing - own it.
You fell off track because you fell off track. It's a reasonable thing to do, so there is no reason to blame someone else, make an excuse or moan about it.
Why? Because NONE of those elements will get you back on track, and will only serve in shifting the ownership away from you and out of your control.
Instead, you are going to identify the reason you deviated from the plan and highlight it under the perspective that it was entirely your fault, and tougher still - you are going to believe it!
This puts you in an incredibly powerful position. One in which you are in control of the situation and able to find a solution. Own the problem, and you put the remedy in the hands of the only person you can control - you!
So for example. Let's say you work in a job where you often have to work later than anticipated - where it is common to receive an email 5 minutes before you leave that keeps you at your desk for another hour. This happens to people all of the time and can be a real obstacle in getting in that gym session after work.
You can blame someone else as to why you skipped the gym.
"They should do their job better so I shouldn't have to clean up their mess and finish late."
See how fit that gets you.
Or you could own it.
"I missed the gym because I failed to create a contingency plan. I know this can happen, so I should have prepared better."
This is someone we can easily help.
This is someone that is a step closer to finding a solution. Perhaps they train in the morning, or bring their gym kit with them to the office. Either way, they are able to adapt and overcome in a way blaming will never achieve.
IN SUMMARY
Adhering to any fitness plan is essential to achieve fitness goals and overcome the challenges ahead.
Life can be unpredictable, and distractions can derail a fitness plan. To overcome these obstacles, candidates should identify potential obstacles and prepare reasonable solutions to counteract them.
If a candidate falls off track, they should take responsibility for their actions, identify the reason for deviation, and find solutions to get back on track.
Owning the problem puts the remedy in the hands of the candidate and enables them to find solutions rather than making excuses or blaming others.