Ever wondered how a personality impacts your training? Does your personality even play a part in your overall success? What about training to suit your style?
A few weeks ago, I completed a personality test (we’ll get to the results later on) to refocus on what the intentions of my training were and how I could better know and serve those I work alongside.
There are plenty of personality tests out there (I took this one Free Personality Test) that give you some excellent insights into your guiding principles.
And yet, while tools and knowledge can help your understanding, they but a part in taking your training to the next level physically, mentally, and spiritually. Training, especially for sports devoid of trophies and material prizes, is a self-aware practice of physical, psychological, and personal growth.
You need motivation, commitment, and the simple ability to get out the door daily and train, record, reflect on, discuss, and learn from the results. In short, you need to value the entire training process. To love the process, it helps immensely to know why? Why do you row? Why do you ski? Why do you run?
You need to know thyself.
Let’s figure that out.
What Are Your Core Values for Your Sport?
Starting this process is challenging, so like the personality test, you need to start with a list of your sport’s shared values aiming to create a shortlist of 3–6 values that represent your top core values as they relate to your sport.
Note that this list of core values will be different than what you would create for, say, your friendships. For example, many of you will likely choose “determination” as a core value when thinking about your rowing. But few would include the same when thinking about personal relationships. So approach this exercise from the viewpoint of your sport.
Also, note that your core values can and do change over your lifetime. For example, if I went back 15–20 years, my core values would have been: Achievement, Adventure, Reputation, Respect, and Self-Respect.
Fast-forward to 2022, I would identify my core values as Contribution, Creativity, Growth, and Safety. I wasn’t aiming for this change; it simply happened.
What Are Your Goals?
The next step is to think about your goals—whether they are races, events you wish to enter (or even win) or journeys of any other kind.
This year, I’m planning on entering more ruck races for my competitive side. Still, I also want to push the mobility and resilience work I’ve been doing, so I plan to commit to a minimum of weekly sessions that will take me deeper out of my comfort zone and embrace some of the challenges that those aspects of fitness bring.
As Shane reminds me constantly: “Trust the training process and allow yourself not to have to plan everything.” Right in line with my values.
Aligning Your Values with Your Goals
Aligning your values with your goals is your power play; it not only helps to ensure that you’ll get what you want out of the experience but also ensures that your motivation is present each time you train.
Values are intrinsic to you, part of you, at this moment in your life’s journey.
So go ahead and disregard whatever concept you have of your talent.
Then identify your values. And place your goals.
Then reconcile those two things; the goal must be the round peg that fits the round hole of your values. Square goals don’t fit round values no matter how hard you try. And your values, when you look deep inside yourself, are immovable for this moment in time.
Your perception of your natural capacity for your sport must submit to the fact that there is no quick fix, silver-bullet workout, exercise, or diet. Just simple, proven principles built on consistency, gradualness, modulation, and applied intelligence over a long time equal results.
Those goals must fit your values. And values, therefore, lie at the core of what we do as Dark Horses.
P.S. For those wanting to know, I am a “Logistician”; yes, I plan EVERYTHING!
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