Perceptions – real or not real? That is the question! The older I get the better I understand that the most helpful concepts are often counter intuitive. Just think about the last time you were introduced to an idea that was 180-deg opposite of what you initially thought. What did you do? Bury your head in the sand & insist that YOUR idea is the correct one? Or did you get out of your comfort zone by considering different, perhaps bizarre & strange, ways of thinking? Please let your answer be the latter!
Eight Counter Intuitive Concepts
To start things rolling, here are few counter intuitive concepts for you to contemplate (some you may already know…others perhaps not):
- Isolation is the best way to reenergize.
- Failure happens waaaaaaaay more often than success. (For more on this, read “You Can’t Always Get What You Want“.)
- Failure, pain, disagreement & suffering all contribute to growth. Success, comfort, consensus & contentment don’t. (For more on this, read “Just Doing More Just Isn’t Enough“, “Perserverance & Tenacity Are Keys to Success“.)
- Intentionally doing something wrong helps you get it right. (For more on this, read “Making Mistakes Makes Your Better“, “Getting Into Your Exploration Bubble“, “Train Like a Kid“.)
- You can accomplish more when you work less & sleep more. (For more on this, read “Can’t Get to Sleep? Try a Sleep Prep Program“, “I Just Wanna Get a Great Night’s Sleep“.)
- You’ll get fitter, stronger & faster when you take more (not less) rest days. (For more on this, read “How Do I Know When to Skip a Workout?“, “How to Be a Bad-Ass Older Athlete“, “Training Lessons from Gold Medal Olympian, Nils van der Poel“.)
- You can pay more for food now…or pay more in doctor bills later.
- Our perceptions are often VERY different from reality.
Coming back to perception – real or not real. Our own perceptions – we trust them to help us make sense of the world. And yet…our perceptions are often so very different than what is actually happening. What we perceive at any given moment is highly influenced by our personal physical abilities, energy levels, feelings, social identities & cultural norms. Studies have shown that people wearing heavy backpacks see a hill as much steeper than those without backpacks. If you’re tired distances look farther. And we all know what kind of decisions we make when we go to the grocery story hungry!!
I’ll illustrate with a couple of examples:
Example #1 – My Perception
The other day I had a realization: I only work out 3-4 times per week…3 most weeks…4 if I’m lucky. My very next thoughts were: “Oh my goodness…that’s 3-4 days per week when I’m not working out. I’m not working out nearly enough to stay fit! I need to add in a few more workouts!” After mentioning this to my strength trainer, we had the following exchange:
Trainer: Do you feel good? Me: Yes, I feel really good.
Trainer: You realize that you’re lifting PR (personal record) weights, right? Me: Yes, I do feel really strong right now.
Trainer: When was the last time you were sick or injured? Me: So long time ago I can’t even remember!
Trainer: Are you able to do what you want to do in exercise & life? Me: Absolutely!
Trainer: Well then, why do you think you’re unfit? Why do you think you need to add in more workouts? Me: Uhhhhhhh…well…because I used to do 5-7 workouts per week…and 3-4 doesn’t seem like enough…but I used to get injured ALL the time…and ok…no…I really don’t need to work out more!!
Example #2 – Athlete Perception
A triathlete came in for a tune-up swim lesson (tune-up = doing 1 lesson here & there, not regular) the other day. He commented that he was frustrated about not being able to swim faster. He felt like he was fit enough, but he just couldn’t translate that fitness into swimming speed. I had him swim 50yds at his long-distance pace & unbeknownst to him I timed him to get an estimated 100yd pace time. After he was finished, I asked him to rate his effort level: 1 for So Freakin’ Easy – 5 for ALL-OUT! He rated it as a 3.
He knows all of his swim drills…so I asked him to repeat the 50 yds, but make it feel more “drill-y”. I told him the goal was to make that 50yds feel like a 1-2 instead of a 3. He did a GREAT job at both; the 2nd 50yds was much more drill-y & he rated it as a 1.5. Again, without him knowing, I timed him.
After the 2nd 50yd I asked him which of the 2 50’s he thought was faster – #1 which he rated a 3 vs #2 which he rated a 1.5. He said “#1, of course!” Make sense, right? Since he had put more effort into the 1st one, since he had tried harder…it should be faster.
He was SHOCKED when I told him that the estimated 100yd time for #2 was 20 sec…yes, you read that correctly…20 sec…let me repeat…20 sec faster than #1!!! “But it felt so much easier!” he said. Exactly.
To Wrap Up
Perceptions – real or not real? In both of these cases, our perceptions were very skewed from reality. So, here’s the deal, my fellow athletes. Be careful about sticking to your perceptions no matter what. If anything, we all should eat a great big piece of humble pie & remember that our perceptions – real or not real – are only one small fraction of the bigger picture.
Happy Training!
If you’d like to chat more about how these concepts can help you train more effectively, schedule a 30min Free Zoom Consult. For more info on Coaching, click here.