19-day Challenge Overview
I developed this fitness challenge as a means of filling a void in my life, due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines. Pickleball is all about the connections between each of us and improving towards a common goal. We want to spread the sport we love to all the world!
Hopefully this 19-day program will help you become more self-aware, and teach you some new drills and skills to help kick off your 2020 pickleball season on the right foot (once you’re allowed back on the courts!) You can learn more about the foundation of this program(link to original background post.) and how it will help you improve your game, and your LIFE!
1. What are we doing
It is important that you plan out when you are going to accomplish the challenge before you really jump in. If you don’t plan, you will bail before it is over! All I am asking is that you give 19 minutes of your MORNING routine to this challenge. Today you will evaluate what your morning routine is and then decide where the 19 minutes for the challenge will go. Ed Mylett (Ed Mylet Show podcast) discusses that anyone can give up 15 minutes of their sleep in order to accomplish a goal. after 3-4 days you can give up another 15 minutes. Then after a week you give up another 15 minutes. After a few weeks you have gained an extra HOUR in your day! I have tried this and found it to be successful so you can too!
2. Why it works
Your brain is hardwired to function within routine and habits. Usually when we are trying to implement a long-term change we end up choosing BIG changes (which our brain ends up screaming at us because it doesn’t like big changes) or we are inconsistent about the time that we do the activity. Both of these work against what feels natural for our brain. It wants to work within routine and the habit that is already built, not create something completely new. If you change to drastically the brain wants to rebel.
3. How it relates to pickleball
Two ways this relates to pickleball. One is when you are trying to progress in pickleball there are so many things you can work on. What I have done is take one thing and keep that as my focus throughout the entire time I play. For example, if I am working on third shot drops I will not drive it the entire time I play that day, week or month. As I do that I improve on that particular skill.
I have taken this routine, and now habit, by always asking myself what is one thing that I am wanting to improve upon, and then I follow the routine of how to practice.
With many of us being in quarantine and not able to play, let’s practice how to evaluate our habits and routines and begin changing our morning routine to be for the better. Second way is that while we are in quarantine we need to find different ways to stay fit and prepare for the coming day when we get to come back to the courts and play!
4. Outline & Demonstration
Here is an example of how my morning routine typically goes:
Roll over and turn off my alarm clock, put clothes on and go to the bathroom (little variation in this)
Drink some water
Sit down and evaluate how I’m feeling for the day and then journal about my emotions and what I have planned for the day.
I send my journal to accountability partners - this is important. If I am not accountable to anyone I will not continue through the long-term. There will always be the day that It is inconvenient and I won’t do it. Then the habit is broken and I just lost the motivation to do things daily.
Make breakfast (I have the same breakfast everyday…)
Shower, get dressed and do what I need to for the day.
Where I will add my routine is in between step 4 and 4 just before I make breakfast
Questions to ask yourself:
Why am I doing this challenge?
What will this challenge do for me?
How can I help someone else hear about this challenge?
Will I commit to fulfill this challenge to the end?!?
5. Go & Do - Return & Report
After evaluating and writing down what your old routine was and what your new routine is go to the video below to complete today’s fitness challenge! I am so excited to go through this journey with you!
REMEMBER TO SLOW DOWN IF THE SPEED IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU AND DON’T RUN BACKWARDS IF IT IS DANGEROUS FOR YOU!
