Developing Discipline: Part 2 | What Should I Practice?
If you missed part 1 last week, you can check it out on our blog here.
Did part 1 entice you to start a routine?
Personally I find "daily" easier to implement than "every other day" because you can really get into the habit and don't have to remember if today's the day or if it's tomorrow.
But, some things you can't do every single day, like stretching for the splits .....
... SO HOW CAN YOU CREATE A DAILY ROUTINE THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO EVERY DAY?
Our sample Practice Pyramid below shows different kinds of things you could work on. So, if you wanted to set a goal of 20 mins of daily practice, you can actually be resting your body and still keep up with your routine.
Integrate the freedom to ask yourself what you want to work on
Create your own routine that integrates a mixture of different things that fit with your schedule, interests, and energy level.
Set a schedule and an amount of time, but then keep it fun and fresh by leaving the specifics of what you do each day up to Future You.
"What do I want to work on today?"
In the beginning, it's actually pretty hard to answer the question "what do I feel like working on today." Because when you're getting started the answer is often "sleep in" or "sit on the couch" or "scroll through social media" or "answer an email" or "I have no idea!"
But, over time, you actually also learn the *skill* of knowing what you feel like working on.
LET'S TAKE MY DAILY ROUTINE OF *SOMETHING* PHYSICAL EVERY MORNING
I wake up and take inventory. How is my energy level? Do I have any pain or soreness? Did I find something yesterday that I was excited to work on?
Here are some examples:
If my left knee is acting up as it's known to, then I take it easy with a slow yoga session or some core work. I also know if I work on my left glute, the knee pain usually subsides, but that's less fun
If my body is sore from the previous day, then sometimes I like to do ballet anyways, so I can feel which muscles are working (because when they hurt, it's easier to feel them). Or sometimes, I'm really REALLY sore and just need to stretch and foam roll and move gently.
But then some days I'm ready to just sweat and go hard-core. And then I put on a HIIT cardio or strength with my favorite motivational instructors (I use the Peleton App). These are actually most often the days when I wake up a little sad, discouraged, or low energy or what have you. I know that an intense workout will always help me find my power and confidence and set the day in an awesome direction.
When in doubt -- Just get started
Did I start with this kind of awareness? Nope. I started having no idea where to start.
What if I don't pick a good workout?
What if I'm too tired today to do it?
What if I waste this precious time on something I don't like?
So I just started randomly. Picked a workout on Peloton, YouTube, or from our Broche On-Demand library (yes I take class from myself 🤣), and just kept going until I started to notice what I liked and what I didn't.
And over time, now I'm able to be discerning about what I want to work on. Little by little, just like everything!
What do you want YOUR Practice Pyramid to look like?
Next week, we'll talk about developing your pyramid and getting started!