Dan John’s “Secrets” Of Peaking & Achieving Goals:

1.    First, realize that you are powerless NOT to do something stupid. So, accept that. Embrace it. Now, promise yourself the following: The Goal is to Keep the Goal the Goal. Anything you add to your plan that is NOT part of the goal is going to be the problem. Don’t do it.

2.    Pieces of paper are cheaper than surgeries. Write out your goals, a specific date to achieve them, and a general plan from what has worked in the past and what has worked for others. This is 99% of success in planning.

3.    Grab a calendar and make a few big red letter “X’s” on dates where you know things are coming up. Now, don’t be surprised when things come up. Next, take a yellow highlighter and highlight the days with “issues.” It could be something as simple as school finals or appointments for the dog.

4.    Steal other people’s paths. There is a ton of information available for anything you are attempting. Success leaves tracks: follow them.

5.    Assemble the tools, supplies and information needed for correctives. If you are going to use a foam roller in this program, get a foam roller. Allow about ten percent of your training time to restorative work, correctives, mobility, flexibility, sauna, hot tub or any kind of stuff that you think helps.

6.    If you are involved in a sport, 80% of your training time should be doing the activity. For most, ten percent of your time should be on developing strength, another ten on correctives (planned recovery), but the bulk should be on the specific activity.

7.    For most situations, the day before competition should be an 80% day (hard to define, but most people have a feel for that), but TWO days before should be 60%, perhaps just a warm-up. The “Two Day Lag Rule” has survived the test of time. If the event is really important completely rest three days before and perhaps four days before, if possible. Don’t try to stuff weeks, months or years of work in the last week.

8.    The airline industry was made safer because of checklists. Use this simple formula for success: make checklists and follow them. If you need them for your warm-up or mobility work or whatever, make them. I am reminded of the football team that showed up to a game without footballs. I remember this because I was the head coach. Use your lists to free up space in your brain to focus on the work at hand.

9.    Evaluate any program or system every two weeks. Make small course corrections when you are still basically on target.

10. Be sure (!!!) to plan something for the successful completion of the program, season or system. Look “after” the finish line, so to speak. Answer “Now what?” long before you come to that point.