I’ve been getting back into a routine in my training this week, but at the start of any new program its often as much mental as physical challenge to get going and keep going and to be consistent.

This was today’s session, and like anything that tinkers on the brink of failure before its even started, I needed to do some mental bartering with myself to ensure I at least began what I intended to do in the session.

The main thing to do is break the problem up, down or apart, depending on your preference when it comes to dissection.

Once its in simple components we can see what we’ve got and how we can reassemble it to look like something we can live with.

So lets take today’s session.

First thing I did was half it. So instead of 2 miles running, lets agree to do one.
Instead of 60 snatches lets do 30 and so forth.

Then I take it apart a bit more.

Instead of 30 snatches lets do 10 snatches and rest. Then instead of doing another set of snatches, mix it up and break the 30 clean and presses up to 10 rep sets and do a set of 10 reps next and rest. Then repeat until 30 of each is done.

So I did the run and completed the broken down half session for time as I mentioned, which was what I agreed with myself was enough for today.

But as it often works and why its good to break things down into mentally manageable chunks, was that once I was done, I continued the bartering game with myself,  because I knew even though I was a bit fatigued, I still had more in the tank.

So what I did next was to change it up a bit more with 5 snatches followed straight away with 5 clean and presses. (As you can see in pink chalk. Another technique is to find a way to record your reps and sets, because when you start getting fatigued its amazing how instead of thinking truthfully that you’ve done 3 sets, somehow you believe you’ve done 5!)

I’m doing the same work but I’m not allowing myself time to think negatively about what I’m doing as I get more a more fatigued. By the time I’m starting to panic about the discomfort of the snatch and if I can do any more or fold under the bar,  I’ve switched and distracted my chimp brain by a new movement of the clean and press, and by the time I’m slipping into my inner primate brain about he clean and press, the sets done.

Then I did the 60 press up in reps of 30 – 15 – 15 with 30 seconds rest in between.

And then, I convinced myself to that the run would be a good warm down to do in the sunshine.

Again once I got running, the warm down went out the window as I naturally zoned in and got a little pace going to finish the session.

This isn’t exclusive to physical training routines either. It is exactly the same thing I do with my clients when it comes to psychological issues, which is simply to break it down, down, down and then deal with each section bit by manageable bit!

And I’m not an advocate for lying to ourselves. I don’t think we can.

I know full well what I’m doing when I barter with myself really.

I know I’m likely to convince myself to finish the job or that the part of me that wont quit will kick in half way through the session and take over, but I’m also giving my worrying, failure averse self permission to get started and say that’s enough for today and not feel bad for doing it should it all go tits up.

By knowing how I think personally, by breaking it down and bartering with landmarks, I’m basically setting myself up for success. The only way I can lose is by not starting.

If something seems to be bothering you, break it down and deal with it each bit at a time.