You are Always Training for Something!

No matter what you do, you are always training for something!

Take a minute to think about all of the things you have trained for, or are training for, in your life. Depending on how old you are, that can be a pretty long list!

“Training” is basically defined as working to acquire a particular skill, knowledge, or type of behavior.

We go through training for our education, occupation, athletics, personal development, and even our spiritual beliefs. You have, undoubtedly, gone through many and various kinds of training to arrive at this particular point in your life.

As a marathon runner, I understand the importance of and different types of training that are required to perform well in that event. To prepare physically, there are different types of running and exercise routines necessary to build speed and endurance. Also required for the marathon–and I think most importantly–is the mental training that the event requires. The marathon is just as much a mental activity as it is a physical sport, and you must train for both. And, as you know, I believe “life is a marathon, so let’s train for it!”

There is, however, a different aspect to training that most people do not consider.

Training is primarily about decisions. People who intentionally engage in a training activity make a conscious decision to do so because they want to bring into their lives the specific benefits that training will produce. You make the decision to make time in your life to take the classes, go to the gym, or run the miles.

We make decisions just about every minute of our lives. A decision is a choice. When there is a choice, there are two or more options that you can choose. What most people do not consider, however, is that every decision or choice made is a form of training.

Every time you make a choice, you are training your brain to become better at making that same, or a similar, choice the next time you have that option.

Let me stay with the physical training metaphor for a moment…

In order to achieve the results you want, you need to follow the training plan. That plan requires you to go to the gym, get in the pool, or go running several days per week. In the beginning, you are highly motivated and you find it easy to make the decision to do the workouts. However, at some point, the motivation wanes and the decision becomes harder to make. Should I do the workout today, or can I skip it (just this once)?

I would like to point out something you might not have considered. If you make the decision to skip the workout, you did not skip training. You simply engaged in a different type of training. By making the decision to skip it, you engaged in training your brain to get better at making that same decision again.

You can apply this concept to any area of your life.

How many nights do you spend sitting on the couch watching TV instead of reading a book, or writing a book? You’ve trained yourself to watch TV. How many times have you reached for the cookies or bag of chips even though you know it is not good for you and you want to lose weight? You’ve trained yourself to make those decisions.

Training is hard work because it requires us to do something we are not used to doing. It requires us to make a decision to change our lives. Inertia wants us to stay at rest, stay like we are. However, by making the decision to change, to improve who we are–and by making that decision every day–we train our brains to keep making that choice, and the decision gets easier!

So now that you you know we are constantly training for something, what are you training for? Train to win!

~You might also enjoy hearing me talk about this on the “Life Is A Marathon” podcast: You Are Always Training for Something. Is it Success, Mediocrity, or Failure?


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15 thoughts on “You are Always Training for Something!

  1. Shari Risoff

    Poignant line:
    “If you make the decision to skip the workout, you did not skip training. You simply engaged in a different type of training. By making the decision to skip it, you engaged in training your brain to get better at making that same decision again.”

    Thank you – I had never thought of it that way and I will now!

    1. Bruce Post author

      Thank you, Shari! I’m grateful that you took the time to read this and that it helped you see it in a different perspective.

      Peace,
      Bruce

  2. Chandler

    I think this is an incredibly important article. There is a statement in here that makes a point similar to what I write about a lot on my website. It’s about building experience. Life training happens no matter what, I think the key difference between those who would be considered successful and those who aren’t, is the ability to recognize and understand past experience and training.

    You create experiences in your life that will forever be a precedent. Whether you accept and realize that is entirely up to you, but the lessons will be there, unless you chose not to utilize them.

    It’s like the Supreme Court. Each decision they make sets a precedent. They use past precedent to aid in making current decisions. Is this foolproof? No. But it’s better than many systems out there which fail to recognize past experience at all.

    Well put, Bruce. Life is a marathon, and it will never get easy, but understanding how to train for it can at least make it enjoyable. 🙂

    1. Bruce Post author

      Thank you, Chandler! Yes, each day, each decision builds on the previous one and sets a precedent for the next one! Best wishes for your marathon training!

  3. Rick Theule

    “How many nights do you spend sitting on the couch watching TV instead of reading a book, or writing a book? You’ve trained yourself to watch TV.”

    Yes. Yes I have. And I’ve trained my sons to do it with me. They are going to have a huge shock to their system when school begins next week. I think we may need to go cold-turkey all together.

  4. Diane Keiser

    Love, love, love it! You need to repeat this on twitter everyday. Somethings we need to see everyday.

  5. Catherine

    This article is excellent. Means a lot to our daily lives. The fact that we ‘train everyday’ is lead us to making good or bad ‘decisions’. ‘Choices’ that have benefitted/destroyed us or others. Thanks for this article.

  6. Misti

    I feel so much better. Not only did you give a solution to poor decision making you have given me a positive way to correct it.

    I am inspired by your wisdom and words. Please keep sharing!!

    I will definitely will be passing this article to my colleagues.

    Thank you.

  7. Kent Julian

    Training every day to SHOW UP AND SHINE in what is most important in every way. Might sound cheesy, but I want to SHOW UP AND SHINE in my faith, my relationship with Kathy, my relationship with my kids, my relationships with the people who hire me to speak, and my relationships with clients.

    Bottom line, I train to SHOW UP AND SHINE in the most important relationships in my life.

    Great post, my friend!

  8. Susan

    Feeling fantastic traded rum for light cranberry juice! Healthy habits one day at a time! From two packs a day down to two cigs a day! Thanks Bruce! Much love
    Susan

  9. Vada

    Thanks for sharing this post. I never thought about that I’m always in training whether it is positive or negative such as skipping workouts.

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