How often do we delegate our thinking and decision making to others?
As it turns out, a lot. Just think about the daily questions that you get someone else to answer for you. ‘What do you want for dinner?’ ‘What do you want to do today?’ ‘What time shall we go for a run?’ ‘Where shall we meet?’
The response to these questions is often something along the line of, "I don’t mind,” which then leads to the most frustrating process of two people or a group not wanting to upset or offend each other by expressing what they actually DO want to do. Trust me, as someone who likes to please others, I am very much guilty of doing this, but there comes a point where someone needs to offer an opinion or a solution. Why not you?
I do understand the need to ensure group dynamics and create a benefit for the whole, but when it comes to bigger questions and life direction, delegating your thinking or letting others decide on your behalf can be a recipe for disaster. The problem is that by letting others decide on these bigger issues, we literally hand over responsibility for our progress to someone else.
In running terms, many people interpret that a coach is there to take all the decisions and that as the runner, they simply need to not think, just follow the program and run. Wrong. Sure, a coach makes decisions that influence your training, your daily activities and ultimately your progress and fitness, but these decisions are based on you, your life, your body, your routine, your feedback. I have coached people who delegate their thinking and if they don’t think for themselves or take ownership of their decisions, they will only progress so far. They are also highly likely to blame others (physios, coaches, friends, running shoes, work, family etc) for their lack of progress. The best runners and triathletes I work with are the ones who take responsibility and ownership of their progress (or lack of progress) and make choices such as:
Prioritising which one goal they REALLY want to achieve above all the others.
Taking steps to reduce all the noise around them and shutting out distractions.
Taking the time to plan their days / weeks so that they can act regularly towards their goal.
Seeking help from coaches and asking questions when they don’t know the answers.
Particularly in times of adversity and change, this becomes even more important. For example, it is really easy at the moment to blame Coronavirus for pretty much everything. Don’t. You still have control and can still make progress. It’s just not perhaps the way you thought it was going to be initially.
Don’t place your progress purely in someone or something else’s hands. It is in YOUR hands.
Take control where you can, make decisions, make progress.