I attended the New Orleans Saint’s victory over the Atlanta Falcons. I was struck by the preparation that each team goes through before every game. They enter the field without pads almost two hours before the game. They go through mundane stretching exercises. Then, they run patterns or blocking schemes, over and over. I have a picture in my eye of Drew Brees seated on the turf, patiently stretching his hamstrings. My thought at the time was, “This guy is making $20 million a year and he has to stretch like this before every game?! He already knows how to do this!” After stretching and throwing passes, he went into the locker room and emerged with his team in full uniform and warmed up for 45 more minutes! How many passes does a pro like Drew Brees need to throw before he goes out and does what he has done every day for 25 years?!
This experience made me wonder how well the nonathlete prepares for his day. I see women driving along the road in the morning putting mascara on while going 45 miles per hour. I see people grabbing breakfast food on the run and bringing it to the office. I know that others probably don’t even eat breakfast.
How can we adjust our routines so that we are as prepared for the start of our work day as the pro athlete is for the start of a game? Here are a few suggestions:
- Wake up just 45 minutes earlier. (What difference is 45 minutes going to make?)
- Walk, jog, ride a bike, or do yoga for 20 to thirty minutes.
- Take 10 minutes quiet time to settle your thoughts and “set your intentions for the day” as my yoga instructor says.
- Take 15 minutes to eat something nutritious. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Don’t try for a big change. Make some small adjustments and build on them. The results might lead to a “Super Bowl” for you in life!