Growing up I idolized Peyton Manning, one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. Everything he did from his signal calling to his throwing motion, I emulated. But one thing I learned the most from him was preparation. He was a master at practice. First one there, last one to leave type of mentality. He worked endlessly at perfecting every inch of his game so that when the game was on the line, he was at his best. So much so that he was nicknamed “The General” because of how he managed and controlled the offense. He was a creature of habit and the muscle memory he built showed up Sunday after Sunday to now put him on the rare list of first-ballot Hall of Fame members.
I’ll never forget my first quarterback meeting in college where my idol was used as a demonstration by my quarterback coach. He had taken a mantra of Manning’s quarterback coach to impart onto us as one of the most important pieces of the playing the position. Consistency. Just as Manning’s coach had preached to him, I was getting the same lecture… consistency is key.
Practice makes perfect; all across football and sports in general, we hear this preached to us. Practice is the repetitious act of doing something over and over again which is building muscle memory. Anyone who has played sports or worked out regularly understands how important muscle memory is to the growth and development of skills. Practice enough times, it becomes perfect. Do something enough times and it becomes a habit. How do you build a habit? Consistency. Research shows that it takes 21 days for something to become a habit. This may seem like a long time at the moment, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s a very short period of time.
This is where I believe we find ourselves at a critical junction more often than not. Do a good thing for 21 days, it becomes a habit, do a bad thing for 21 days… well, you get it. Consistency creates habits. As John Maxwell says, “If your habits don’t line up with your dream, then you need to either change your habits or change your dream.” What does this mean? To achieve the goals we set and reach the full potential of our dreams, we must build habits that lead to the achievement of those goals. I believe that we as people don’t set negative dreams and goals, so when I read that quote, Maxwell seems to be indicating that really, we must change our habits. Our dreams are what they are, a goal we are trying to reach. We aren’t going to change our dreams because that would be lowering the bar for ourselves, so that leaves only one option. Build better habits.
We have to do some self-analysis. Reflect and analyze the current trajectory we are on. Ask ourselves, “Am I working towards my goal?” or “Are my habits good habits helping me to grow, or do I have bad habits, hindering me from my potential?” We have to be vulnerable and real with ourselves. We need to create and practice good habits that help align our ship in the direction we want to go. The Bible says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, please, and perfect will.”
Every day we are surrounded by influences in our environment, good and bad. We must build habits based on the good influences surrounding us, which in turn creates habits that help us steer our ship away from the bad. We must focus on what we are called to do and who we are called to be. In a world full of societal norms and Hollywood expectations, we have to remain consistent in our dedication to be our best selves. Consistent in building good healthy habits, and consistent in the pursuit of our dreams.
Our dreams are what they are for a reason. Be encouraged that with good habits and consistent practice we can achieve the goals we set. Just as Peyton Manning would practice perfection, we must do the same in our own life. Strive for perfection, build healthy habits and pursue your dreams.
WORKOUT
Creating habits requires consistency. So, to build good workout habits we need to remain consistent in our health and fitness. We are going to continue the HIIT trend of Tabata-style workouts.
For this workout use the WOD app or a stopwatch. We are going to perform 40sec work and 20 sec of rest. Take a minute break after each block is complete.
Block 1:
1. Air Squats
2. Lunges (alternating leg each time)
3. Squat Hold
Block 2:
1. Push-Ups
2. Alternating Plank Get-Ups
3. Inchworm
Block 3:
1. Glute Bridge
2. Mountain Climbers
3. Beast Walk (forward and back the length of mat)
Block 4:
1. Crunches
2. Lying Side Bends (lay on your back and bend side to side – reaching hand to heel)
3. Leg Raise Hold
Hammer and Anvil 