Coronavirus
Gee whiz hasn’t this thing taken off. Currently we are gripped in a pandemic taking over the world.
There’s people dying, millions are being quarantined, big events are being cancelled, businesses are going bankrupt, and then there’s others losing their shit and having punch-ons in supermarkets over toilet paper. How ridiculous.
The share market has been smashed too and billions of dollars washed down the drain. I, like many people out there have done my nuts on it. It’s painful to watch your hard earned get washed away especially when there’s nothing you can do about it. The market will recover though. It always does. Once the hysteria dissipates and everyone calms their tits, life will eventually get back to normal.
But just in case it doesn’t and this really is the end of the world like some people have predicted then I just wanna say I love you all!
I’ve already confessed my sins so we’ll see how that plays out and where it takes me. I might soon food out whether I’ll be kicking back on a cloud surrounded by angels and harps or sweating like a pig in an underground cave full of fire with people being in my personal space. Or maybe I’ll just be unconscious and turn into dust. All of that being said if I do manage to see you in the afterlife yes I can still be your personal trainer.
I must admit it’s times like these the media can play a part in building things up a little too much. They are having a field day at the minute. The provocative headlines certainly don’t help to dispel the panic that’s already set in and the mayo being put on their stories can make things a lot worse in my opinion.
But when it’s fact that my beloved sport is actually being affected it starts getting personal.
The world game has been rocked, tennis tournaments have been canned, formula 1 is a no-go, the NBA has shut down, horse racing is being affected and of course our national game of AFL is starting to take it’s whack with the government banning gatherings of 500 people or more at events for the time being.
What am I supposed to watch on tele now? I guess there’s the lifestyle channel. I love a bit of grand designs, selling houses Australia, love it or list it, location location location and escape to the country. I fancy a bit of comedy too so might have a laugh watching ridiculousness to get me by. Yeah that sounds good actually. Now I think about it, I’ll be ok.
Going back to sport. I was watching on tele a professional soccer game in Italy the other morning. This is one of the best leagues in the world by the way. The game was being played as per normal but with one thing missing… the crowd. There was no one. Not even a single person in the stands. It was one of the first attempts by a governing body to quell the Coronavirus by banning mass gatherings and risk further spread of the virus.
It’s an extreme action to take.
It was an eerie site to watch. You could here the players on the pitch calling for the ball, the sounds of their managers barking orders and the atmosphere was non existent. These guys are in a soccer-mad country and normally used to 40-50,000 people cheering them on. Usually the players would barely be able to hear themselves talk to each other as their voices get drowned out by their crazy supporters.
It did get me wondering though…
The players would usually get a massive boost of adrenalin from the crowd and their support. This time however they didn’t have that so they had to draw on their own motivation to get them through.
It would have been a very foreign environment for the players but being the professionals they are they handled it well and the quality of play was still very high.
The psychology is interesting in all of this. It’s easy to draw comparisons to your own training. In a way you have a support network cheering you on. Your wife, husband, mum, dad, kids, friends and fellow gym goers. You also have enemies and haters (well some do) – all of these guys make up your crowd! You have the home crowd supporting you and the haters are like the opposition crowd booing you or trying to put you off, doubting you and telling you you can’t do it.
Whichever way you look at it it’s all external noise and we can often get drawn in by external noise. Sometimes it can be helpful and sometimes it can be a hinderance. It can affect us mentally and easily throw us of course from what we’re trying to achieve.
So just like the soccer players on the pitch it’s super important you have the ability to draw on your own motivation to get you through as the crowd isn’t always going to be there.
When you wake up at 4.30am and head to the gym you’re on your own. It’s quiet. No ones awake. You gotta tap into your own motivation. The only person you gotta deal with is yourself.
Likewise if you workout after work, there’s a job to be done and that’s get to the gym after a long day. You gotta do this on your own accord. No one can help you but you. You’re on your own. Yes there will be elements of a ‘crowd’ supporting you at the gym and from afar but not always. You can’t rely on that every time so it’s important to have your own internal drive to get you by because the crowd won’t always turn up to support you.
Your own internal motivation and drive is the only thing that will keep you consistent and get the results you want. You know why?
It’s because all external motivation is impermanent. It’s fleeting and it’s vulnerable. You can’t rely on it and it’s the downfall of a lot of people’s progress.
There’s not always going to be someone to motivate you, support you or help you. If and when there is then it’s a bonus so take it when you can but I can guarantee there will be a lot of times when you’re on your own. Just you and that voice in your head. If you want something to work you’re gonna have to put in without any support at some stage whether you like it or not.
So what are you gonna do when the crowd doesn’t show up to cheer you on and it’s just you you gotta deal with?
If you have enough internal drive you’ll be fine. If you don’t then you’ll fail.
Ps. Stay hygienic and if anyone has a few spare toilet rolls and cans of tuna please come see me…
‘’If you have a body, we can help you’’
Ben
Infinite Fitness Peninsula