September 5th, 2008
Many studies on human potential have stated that most of us are performing at only a fraction of our true potential. If this is accurate, it means that we all have tremendous opportunity to tap into our potential and enjoy even greater levels of success and achievement. Champions are always seeking to improve themselves: their skills, abilities and overall level of physical and mental conditioning.
There are many ways we can get better. Athletically, we could set a goal to improve our flexibility, strength and cardiovascular conditioning. How do we accomplish this? The possibilities are endless. Bag work, pad work, partner drills, sparring, roadwork, swimming, elliptical, biking and the list goes on and on. Once you’ve set the goal and have clarity, it is easy to find the ways to make it happen. The key for most people, is to maximize the time you are currently dedicating to each area. In essence, work to get more bang-for-your-buck. You don’t always have to put more time in, but most people could put more into their time. Simply by increasing the focus and the intensity, you will find ways to improve without sacrificing time from other areas. As the old saying goes, “It’s not more time but more intensity.”
Now, there certainly are some people that need to do both. They need to dedicate more time and increase the intensity as well. This is true with their athletic development, mental growth, career and financial growth. By learning to better maximize your training time, you will find that it has a positive and powerful impact on other areas as well. Self improvement has a tendency to spread to all areas of progress, growth and change. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. If you begin to go into a downward spiral in one area, it can have a negative impact on other areas as well.
Here are a couple suggestions for ways you can achieve multiple benefits and better maximize the results you achieve:
- First, seek ways to stack benefits. If you are going for a run, try listening to something inspirational at the same time. Or, in my case, often I train with members of a team which allows you to push each other and strengthens the bonds of mutual respect between you.
- Second, pick up the pace. Increase your intensity. Try a little harder, give a better effort. Really work to give your best, so that you can get the best results. This is advice that can be applied to your training and your professional life as well.
When you start to apply the MAXIMIZE principle, you will instantly begin to see ways you can apply it to every area of life. Have fun and enjoy the results you achieve.