The starting line for anything is tough.
Take a look at this image.
The number of people that ever get to the white line separating the green turf (the sidelines), and the clay track (the field) is woefully small.
Now, the easiest conclusion people jump to is ‘the fear of starting.’ However, after 19,870+ hours of one-on-one coaching with top-tier humans, I can say that’s not it.
What is it then?
Well, it’s the fear of the unknown pain lying ahead.
Think about that first dive into the cold pool or your first day at a new job.
“What if it hurts?”
“What if I can’t do it?”
“What if I’m not as good as I thought?”
The ‘what if monster’ scares more good people away from doing good things than anything else.
But not today. You’re getting equipped with the 7th principle of sports performance, which can give a big ol’ middle finger to the ‘What if monster’—Adaptation.
What is the Adaptation Principle?
The repeated application of appropriate stressors over time will cause any system to become accustomed to its current state.
[Insert me with a big grin, and rubbing my hands together like Smithers from The Simpsons because there’s SO much ‘meat on the bone’ in that sentence.]
Adaptation is like a constant software and hardware upgrade to meet the new demands you’re placing on yourself.
However, in the definition I outlined above, the key term I bolded for you is ‘appropriate stressors.’
Remember, Principle Two? Overload.
Overload is about choosing the ‘appropriate stressor’ to initiate growth, without overwhelming it. To bring home my point…
Let’s return to the example of growing your bicep:
First, we Overloaded it by grabbing a difficult but not overwhelming weight to begin lifting.
Second, we followed it up with Restoration, allowing the muscle to grow.
Third, we continued that cycle, which gave us the ability to Progress from a 7.5-pound weight to a 10-pound weight.
Adaptation is the unification of all of these Principles working together AND your efforts becoming unconsciously competent. You simply don’t need to think about it anymore.
“Hmmm…what are some other ways Adaptation helps?”
Well, beyond the fact that as you adapt your way through anything, you:
- Improve your efficiency,
- Increase your endurance, and
- Reduce the effort it takes to complete something.
There are so many other unseen adaptations happening you never expected.
One of them is the impact on Principle Five, Reversibility.
Remember the ‘use it or lose it’ principle.
Well, here’s the thing… if you let a skill slide because you took time off, quit, stopped doing it, or for whatever reason.
If you already had a solid level of competence, the amount of effort it will take to regain it is NOWHERE near the same level it took to achieve it in the first place.
☝️☝️☝️RE-READ THAT AGAIN☝️☝️☝️
This is because of the Adaptive nature of the human system.
Our bodies and brains have a memory you’ll re-activate when you ‘get going’ again because your body already adapted to the skill.
And if today’s email does nothing more than tear down some of the resistance you may have to tackle something again in your world, then fantastic.
You’re not as far away from success as you think.
“This is great…anything else to help me out, Todd?”
At the beginning of this email, I mentioned that it’s not the ‘fear of starting’ that causes people the most trouble. It’s the fear of the unknown.
But when you and I can pull ourselves out of ‘singularity thinking’ (which is the thinking that personalizes all challenges to our unique situations)…
…And we start to live our lives through the lens of these principles—> We can then let go of the mindset blocks weighing us down.
When you truly appreciate that Adaptation has a process:
- It’s supposed to hurt at the start… or
- You’re supposed to suck at the beginning… or
- You’re going to encounter obstacles you didn’t expect.
You’ll end up:
- Embracing the pain as a positive.
- Looking forward to the growth to come. And,
- Attacking the obstacles with creative solutions.
And when you drop those mental dominos, you’ll approach change with a more relaxed mindset. Making the next new thing easier.
I hope you have a great week, and I’ll meet you here next week when we wrap up our sports performance principles with the final one.
Be Bold. Take Action. Leave a Mark.
Todd Herman
P.S. If someone forwarded you this article, you can subscribe to my weekly ‘A Peak Life’ newsletter below. Every week I’ll share one idea, framework, or perspective that will help you lead a life you’re excited for.