Beyond Thinking Big

I wrote in my a recent post about the necessity of thinking big when setting out on a journey of progress and achievement.  But asking someone to Think Big without giving them the tools to follow that lofty pursuit is a bit unrealistic.  The problem is, the pursuit of big goals often seems somewhat daunting and the path somewhat mystical.  I'd always had and followed those big goals, but always in a haphazard way, until I ran across the Circular Strength Training System.  And even then it took me a while to figure out how to fully use it to achieve my goals.

The tool that made the most difference is the Training Hierarchy Pyramid^(tm).  And although it is a tool designed originally for the achievement of physical goals, it can easily be adapted to the pursuit of almost any objective.

The beauty of the THP is that is provides a framework to break almost anything down from something unimaginable to something completely realistic.  For example, I used this road map to take me from a 45 minute Trail by Fire to a sub 25 minute Trial by Fire in the matter of a few months.  The first time I did the TBF, I thought it was going to kill me, but I ended up using the THP model to become the Champion of the RMAX International Internal Power Challenge (a TBF contest)!  And the cool thing is, once I mapped out the process I knew I could do it, despite the overwhelming nature of the challenge.

I'm doing a series of features in Momentum Training News right now covering each of the elements of the THP, but here is a brief rundown.  As you can see from the accompanying graphic, it is made up of 4 layers of progressive preparedness.  Each of these layers builds a foundation for, and blends into, the subsequent layers.  Here are the Cole's Notes..

• General (Physical) Preparedness: This is the first layer of preparation.  And it is important to note that it is only general in the sense that it provides a broad spectrum of preparedness specific to the goal.  So it is not adequate to aimlessly engage in general development.  We must start with a thorough examination of what our goal is, where we are in relation to that goal, and what is missing on a most general level in order to start our journey in "closing the gap."  So, if you want to become a farmer, your GPP, depending on what your starting point is, may be to go to the library and borrow a ton of books on growing, cultivating, etc (and read them...), visit local farmers and talk to them about their operations, research the local economics of farming, etc.
  
• Specific (Physical) Preparedness:  This component of our training involves working in the range and scope of our goal.  Our general preparedness serves as a platform to work at this new level which operates in the same zone as our target goal.  For a physical goal, this would mean strengthening in the specific ranges of motion required and developing the specific energy systems needed.  For a non-physical goal, this may mean engaging in activities that tap into the same characteristics necessary for the ultimate objective.  This stage of our goal to become a farmer might include starting and maintaining a large vegetable garden and raising a few chickens.
• Activity Specific Preparedness:  This stage is all about quality of work rather than quantity of work.  The work capacity has already been laid.  The job of ASP is to tie that capacity in with the performance of the target activity so that all the conditioning we have done up until now is fully available when needed.  This involves integration of the skills and the conditioning.  So a soccer team may begin, at this point, to use skill drills for conditioning purposes.  At this point our future farmer may rent a small parcel of land and farm part-time, on week-ends and mornings/evenings.
• Mental / Emotional Preparedness:  Throughout the process, our aspiring farmer has been exposed to potential for growing mental and emotional preparedness.  During GPP, while talking to farmers, he could have been examining his own capacity to live that life through visualization and deep reflection on values and life objectives.  During SPP he could have been evaluating how much passion the physical act of cultivation generated.  This would also be a first opportunity for self-examination regarding what motivational road blocks may exist (ex. getting up early to water the garden and feed the chickens) and how to overcome them.  During ASP, our future farmer experiences the real test.  With the demands of a full-time job on top of taking care of his parcel of land, what will enable him to nurture his passion for farming.  This entire process will lead to a flow state, where our farmer has worked out the demons and is ready to take the plunge.  Not only has the journey equipped him with the knowledge and physical skills necessary for the endeavor, but it has armed him with the resolve that he is ready.  This is Mental / Emotional Preparedness.

The THP process is much more than four "stages" of training.  It is four interdependent elements of preparedness.  There is a hierarchy in progressing through them, but they are never independent one from the other.  Tendrils of each will reach into and infuse each of the others, making them inseparable.

And using the process laid out by these four elements, we can take any goal and analyze it in a way that turns it into something realistic and achievable.

     “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities,
              in the expert’s mind there are few.”                      
                                 —Shunryu Suzuki

I ran across that quotation on another blog and thought it a perfect conclusion to this post.  Using the lens of the THP, you can look at any goal with the eyes of a beginner.  So don't let common sense get in your way.  Be uncommon and unreasonable whey you set your goals!  They use the THP process to create a landscape of baby steps that will get you to your destination before you know it.