Thoughtful Thursday…how I track my training...

Welcome to Thoughtful Thursday. This GreenNote Fitness newsletter mindfully gathers and distills useful information that is supportive to our journey. It is my mission to educate, inspire, and propel you into action that moves you towards your goals and life of purpose. Take control of your journey today.

Ah, January. That month where we are filled with hope for the new year. Packed with knowledge and wisdom to take hold and improve our health and well-being. There are 365 days in 2018. What we don’t get done today we can always do tomorrow, right? May be so. What if? What if we did just a little bit each day? And what if we tracked it? Didn’t get your training done for the day? No problem. You have done something. Three push-ups in the morning, perhaps. Short walk after lunch. Took some deep breaths. What ever you did; capture it. Write down everything.

We are going to get a close look at how I capture my training every day.

What do I track? Every day I capture exactly what I achieved with my training. For the past six years I have written down what I did that day in terms of my morning routine; training; recovery; hydration; and nutrition. Without taking that much time, I have a history of information that I can reference to help pinpoint what is working or needs adjustment. It also makes me accountable for making progress. How do I track? When I started tracking my training, Evernote was fairly new; an Excel spreadsheet would suffice. Needless to say, I do track training in a spreadsheet. See sample to right. If I were just beginning today, I would use what I’m using right now, which is Evernote. It is a great way to capture, organize, and search. What I capture that is very useful is how I felt on a particular day - I can see if it had to do with my training or something I ate or sleep quality. If I am feeling sluggish and want to increase energy, I have the data to see what may have improved energy levels. Why track? It’s easy to forget day-to-day how much we accomplish and exactly what we did. Tracking it makes it easier and provides momentum to add another workout. As I capture more and more data, I can begin to see patterns or signs that I may need to adjust my hydration, for example. It’s a good way to be aware and accountable. Take Action If you are looking to keep those new year’s resolutions and aren’t yet keeping a journal or record, you may want to give this a try. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know. Enjoy your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness You wouldn’t happen to know just one person that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them! Did you miss last week’s newsletter on one three things I discovered this week...? P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for books, podcasts, and more on body, mind, and spirit.