A Time To Plan

“By failing to prepare, you prepare to fail” 
- Benjamin Franklin

“Give me 6 hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first 4 sharpening the axe” 
- Abraham Lincoln

In the fitness, health and performance industry we generally move through the following process. Select a goal we’d like to achieve, we’ll call this Point B. Research how to best travel to Point B (YouTube, Google, Instagram etc). Pick our favourite methods. Plan the next 1-2 weeks. Get acting and chasing that goal. 

What many of us fail to remember is that:

1. Goals are achieved over time
2. Life WILL throw up challenges

Every person will have busy times & quiet times, stressful times & relaxing times, feeling motivated times & sluggish times.

For instance school teachers will have more free time during holidays, work hard & long during term time, be inundated with chocolate & cake around December and may feel more relaxed during the end of the school year.

A salesmen may become very stressed towards months end but may relax once deadlines have passed. Just 2 examples.

To ride these ebbs and flows it’s important to dedicate time upfront to planning your next 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. Know what’s approaching to adjust and plan accordingly.  

Don’t get me wrong we don’t need every little detail, the big things are key, for instance:

• Holidays, trips, festivals, parties, weddings...events!
• Work schedule - predictable patterns of the annual work calendar
• Free time - times you think you’ll be free and relaxed
• Arrivals - babies, pets, family staying
• Write off time - many people write off mid December to early Jan
• Sports - competition, pre-season, off season.

Getting it on paper

Unfortunately planning in your head won’t cut it, we need this in writing (electronic is usually best).

You may be a calendar keeping guru, in that case this will be a doddle. If not this skill may take a touch longer to master.


Notice I called it a ‘Skill’, not a task. Skills help us hit goals and travel to Point B. Skills take practice, time and dedication. Planning ahead is a skill, planning has crossover to other areas of life.

Begin - By thinking, and writing down any events or activities that may challenge your time, effort or energy.

Next - Look for open times where you may be free, relaxed, stress free and open to a training or nutrition boost or challenge.

Consider - when will life run as per usual. FYI this should consist of the majority of your time.

​Record - Get it down in writing. I favor a monthly calendar overview (Google Calendar) others prefer paper based diary. The important thing is you’ve recorded and shared it.

This planning will help us plan your training block number, duration. It’ll also help us determine your training volume and intensity, along with planning in down time and rest weeks.

need planning support?

If you're feeling lost with your planning I will be able to help. Sometimes all you need is someone to talk through it with you. Click the button below and fill out the short form:

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