Learn-Able:  You have likely heard me discuss the optimal situation for any person on a performance journey -- with support and learning from peers, mentorship, and the chance to lead and guide.  All of us have the ability to adopt this setup, no matter how casual, in our performance journey and within Purple Patch.

The first and most obvious is to really lean into the opportunity to learn more of the ‘why’ behind what you are doing.  If you are coached, then contribute, be open, provide real feedback, and engage with your coach in a collaborative partnership. If you are on the Squad program, then take the time to watch the short integrated videos in the summary of the week, as well as the key sessions, but also aim to either participate in or reviewing some of the office hours video sessions.  Engagement will lead to learning and growth every time.

In addition to this, you can actually contribute and gain so much from participating in the now thriving Purple Patch community. This doesn’t mean you have to just loiter on Facebook, but seek support, provide advice and counsel when asked for, and engage.

We will have two main areas:  1) Coach-led education forums on the Purple Patch Education Hub, a wonderful place to learn, 2) and the host of questions that come in from newer athletes in the Facebook group. Help these newcomers and be lifted yourself. Providing help will help you and provide you with context. Beyond the hard work, these simple actions will make your own journey more powerful, I promise.

Change-Able:  If I have to identify one key characteristic in performance, I would fail, but I could boil it down to two. The first is an eagerness to evolve and learn, but the second is resilience and adaptability. Fasten your seatbelt because sh*t is going to happen this year.  Your performance results rely on how you manage and adapt.  I expect a lot of ongoing change and evolution across your journey in life and sport in 2020, and as long as you are anchored in a clear mission and able to navigate the uncomfortable feelings that happen when you face challenges, you will end up growing.  We cannot predict what it is yet, but let’s unify and commit to group resilience when we are individually faced with unexpected challenges or change.

Account-Able:  Yipee!  You are part of Purple Patch.  You have provided us with your trust to help you drive for success, but I have some news for you.  We are not able to make it happen for you. It is going to be you.  You are going to be your own agent of change and evolution.  You are going to own your journey and excel. Purple Patch, me, and the coaching team? We will absolutely set the framework, educate, provide advice, and help you course-correct if you steer off course, but this is your journey. 

I think it is important to be crystal clear on this, as many make the mistake of believing that hiring a coach is the magic powder to excellence, but that diminishes your role.  Grit, resilience, passion, follow through. Commit with all you have, within the context of broader life, and then I promise that we will be the accelerant to the passion. This means you cannot be passive, shouldn’t expect to simply follow a plan, and won’t see massive gains by simply hanging around waiting to be told what to do.  

Focus:  The Blizzard of Bullshit is building faster than global warming is taking its grip.  Fad diets, voodoo interventions, magic claims from equipment manufacturers... Can we commit to a simple truth that we build the whole Squad's success on:

When an athlete follows a suitable endurance training program, with integrated strength training, including a backbone of simple and yet important nutrition habits, all supported with appropriate recovery -- they accelerate.

With this in mind, some things that won’t work for you in 2020, despite many of these things having their uses in context.  In other words, don’t even think of integrating the below until you have mastered the second list:

• A massive change in approach to diet
• A specific altitude training camp/altitude tent
• A radical shift in equipment choice
• Making decision directly (the only input) off metric-based apps for sleeping or recovery
• Fasted workouts
• Wind Tunnel

The list can go on -- but before I bore you -- let’s get to master the following.  Nail the basics:

• Go really easy on the easy days
• Consistent quality and quantity of sleep
• Fuel following every workout
• Have a good breakfast and sensible eating choices throughout the day (with lots of veggies!)
• Hydrate consistently throughout the day
• Execute the Sunday Special to set up execution mode on Monday

Get these right and you should be good to go!

Cheers,

Matt