What would you attempt to do, if you knew you could not fail?

I've been thinking a lot lately about the ideal conditions for setting and achieving goals. From having the courage to create a vision that is bold, to working toward it and everything in between. Some visions (like cheesecake) can come to life in as little as 48 hours, while others (like earning a degree) can run a good 4 or 5 year course. I have a pretty modest list of achievements, but I can say with some confidence that with a little help from myself, a lot of guidance from others and all of the reading I can get my hands on, I've finally been able to seal a few theories in to practice in this last week.

Although this is a bit specific to my own experiences in hockey, I believe that most of what follows has some messaging mobility...

1) Self-acceptance is the foundational precondition to achieving anything in life.
You must believe that you truly deserve your successes in order for the conscious and subconscious to work synergistically toward deveping a healthy mental environment. Do your very best to accept every strength and shortcoming, care for your mind and body, use discipline and indulgence with care, and believe in the necessity of dreaming.
"Do not wish to be anything but what you are and try to be that perfectly."
-T. Francis de Sales

2) Input = output
With respect to food, company and fresh air, you often get out what you put in. I can hardly describe the difference between energy levels after 200kcals of ice cream vs. 200kcals of brown rice and chicken. And no, one is not necessarily less sexy than the other if you are willing to get jiggy with the spices. Every opportunity to eat is an opportunity to eat is an opportunity to repair from the last session and prepare for the next. Having said this, it is really important to toss in the occasional treat when training volume is this high. The sports lifestyle is incredibly different than the "fitness" lifestyle. Even some of the nutrient timing principles present some flexibility if you are willing to experiment a little bit.
And of course, it goes without saying that the physical and interpersonal environment can be great enhancers too! Don't discount the positive effects of tossing around the frisbee, walking along the river, or just having a tea with a buddy.
Also remember the important of mentors! Find people who emulate the particular qualities you admire, or possess a good deal of knowledge and seek out some learning.

3) Visual-eyes.
Decide how the field (or scene) will smell and feel. Imagine your every move, the way your body will feel, the relaxation and focus coming together, the synchronicity of thought and action, see your target, commit and act. Whenever possible, go see the field, course, court or exam room (as the case could be) and get comfortable cultivating the scene in your mind over and over, so that when the time comes, it will be a matter of reliving a scene that is already comfortable and familiar.

4) For every extra effort, extra care.
Before you can ask anything exceptional of the mind or body, there must be a prevention/recovery plan in place. Do your homework and find out what extra care you will need to take in order to sustain or even increase your mental/physical output. Start asking the body what it needs and continually check in. The more you demand of your body, the more you must nuture it. Sometimes it takes a lot more discipline to sit waist deep in an ice bath than it does to run a stage 11 beep test. For myself, I realized quite late last week that I was starting to need a CHO:PRO drink after my sessions to shuttle in nutrients ASAP.

5) "When you are content to simply be yourself and don't compare or compete, everyone will respect you."
Whatever it is that you want in this life, want it for yourself and for no one else. Not everyone will support or agree with your vision, but if the path is yours and the path is right, those people will come around and see that the pursuit of your goal is maing you a better person, not taking from who you are. Respect and accept input from others, but ultimately let your own inner voice guide you if ever there is doubt. Some days will be difficult and those who love you will help you find the strength and joy in your days, but in the moments of solitude when you can only look to yourself, breathe deeply and remember the funny tickle in your "I have a funny idea spot" that started it all...

And...
For the lovely lady who asked, this is a rough outline of the kind of nutrition I practiced during the 2x/day sessions. I'm definitely no expert, but I can say that this worked really well for me:

5am ish Pre-workout:
1 slice sprouted grain bread, almond butter (or just plain soaked almonds), a big bowl of banana/berries and a protein shake
(+ fish oil, Glucosamine/Chond, Vitamins)

9:30 AM PWO:
Brown rice, mini crustless quiches + fruit

noonish:
6-bean chili + veggies

4ish Pre-workout again:
sweet potato, chicken/veggie stir fry

7-8 PWO again:
Massive meal of veggies + protein source + olive oil + fruit

Pre-bed:
Cottage cheese + full fat yogurt + flaxseeds shake

Believe it or not, there were days when even this didn't feel enough! I've upped my dose to about 10-12 fish oil caps a day.
My current list of supplements: ZMA, fish oil, vitamins and glucosamine/chondroitin. This list is kept to an absolute minimum as much as possible!

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I'm feeling a few aches this week and trying to keep a close eye on some tenderness in the left IT band and quads, but other than that nothing out of the ordinary (phew!). So the week went as well as I could have hoped for, including a Dan John "Rule of Five" day, when I really had to test my resolve and recover from some mistakes. It was a very complete experience! I will don my darling #13 this year as a Raven and, remember that lofty goal I had mentioned earlier...?

I'm planning on being an Academic All-Canadian this year. I don't want to be the best player on the team, in the OUA or CIS, I just want to be a balanced athlete who sets a positive and REAL example for the younger girls who will carry this team in the years to come.

Now, if I can just take these lessons learned in to the classroom and put it all together...