Too often I hear athletes make excuses. Excuses for everything… Diet, inability to perform, tardiness, missed athletic events, the list goes on. A majority of the time the excuse is a way to place blame elsewhere. “My mom forgot it”, is not a valid reason for forgetting to bring a belt to baseball practice. It is an excuse.
One way to limit these excuses is to create habits. As humans we like routine. We can better ourselves by creating habits that promote a more responsible lifestyle. Let’s say I have a late night binge eating issue, I never eat breakfast, and I am tired during the day. By going to bed earlier I cut back on late night eating. By cutting back on late night eating I wake up hungry and eat breakfast. When I eat breakfast I have more energy through out the day. By creating 1 habit, going to sleep early, I am able to get rid of 3 bad habits.
There is a great book out called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. It discusses the effects habits have on our lives and how we can benefit from controlling them. It is a great read for athletes looking to excel in sport, but also a great read for anyone looking to progress in life.
