Ok, so your first competition is in the books (or maybe it was just a hard workout, this exercise works for that too!) You’re tired and still a little excited and generally just have some feelings. Now’s a great time to do a little self-reflection, and use the experience to help you better understand yourself, give yourself some grace, and progress towards your goals. Here’s how:
Think of one thing you could have done differently
This will usually be something small and strategic; “I should have broken the wallballs into two sets” or “I went out too fast on the first run.” By identifying something that’s immediately actionable (in your next workout, competition, etc.) you are immediately making yourself better. Fight the urge to hyperbolize- the answer shouldn’t be “EVERYTHING,” first because it’s probably not true, and second because by being broadly dramatic you will miss the small, easy fixes that competitions will bring to your attention.
think of one thing you’d like to work on in the medium to long term
Competitions often push us out a little past our comfort zones, or force us to test skill and capacity in ways we may normally avoid. Very likely you may have tried something for the first time, or for the first time in a long time. Now that you’ve gotten a little taste, maybe it’s time to do a little specific work towards that goal. If pullups were a drag on your performance, maybe it’s time to commit to a pullup program, or if you felt like a run or row drained you, maybe adding in some longer aerobic work is a good idea. Assess, plan, and get after it!
Think of one thing you are proud of
This is easily the most important of the three. In fact, if you really want, skip the other two and just do this one. The biggest thing here is to think broadly- too often we tie feelings of accomplishment to a metric (the fastest time, 1st place) or something novel (my 1st muscleup), and that can be limiting. Maybe you are proud of your mindset, or sticking to your strategy, or simply for registering for something out of your comfort zone and showing up- those are all incredibly powerful and valid things to be proud of! Whatever it is, hold that in your mind and give yourself some credit for doing something challenging- even if it didn’t go exactly how you wanted, doing something is always better than doing nothing.What are some of the ways you reflect and grow? I’d love to hear them!