Athletes are infamous for complaining that they are so busy and wishing they had more time. Many athletes get confused between being strapped for time, and just wasting the time they do have. Here are ten ways athletes waste their own time and derail their quest for greatness.
Everyone gets 24 hours in the day to be great. Whether you are Lebron James, or you play little league baseball, you get the same amount of time. The difference between the greats and ordinary people is how those 24 hours are used. The better you use each minute and hour, the closer you will be to being great.
Wasting time working out
This is one of the worst time wasters of athletes. If you are short on time, try following proper rest times throughout all training sessions. Especially in the weight room, less chatter and more lifting. You will be shocked how much time you spend sitting around doing nothing.
The goal is not to have the most extended workout. It is to get in the work and get your body in the recovery mode so don’t waste that time. You can talk when the workout is over. You can be tired when the workout is over. Get in and handle your business so your body can get ready for the next workout.
Poor use of weekends
Any athlete who does not use the weekend as more of a time to just relax is wasting their weekends. The weekends are full of time for most, and instead of spending it all in your bed and doing nothing it is a great time to get things ready for the week so you can save time when you are busy.
Staying up Late and eating crappy
Here is why this is a waste of time in the end. If you are willing to spend hours a day, every day training your butt off to be successful but are not willing to put in the dedication to go to sleep or eat better than the average Joe. Then you are wasting your time training.
Not handling injuries right away
If you are hurt deal with it as soon as possible. The earlier an injury is taken care of the faster the recovery time will be. Too many athletes get hurt and get frustrated and down and do nothing. Meanwhile, their injury is just getting worse because you did not take the right steps to get better. You can feel sorry for yourself just don’t do it at the expense of being injured longer.
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Adding extra crunches
Not feeling fit? Grab Snickers! I kid you, but really though abs? Here is the problem with adding more abs on than necessary. Most athletes already overwork their abs. The best way to get rock solid abs is not necessarily by doing plenty of crunches. If you are bored and feel the need to do something else after your work out does an exercise that will help you stay healthy.
The problem with being an ab obsessed athlete is that it does not improve your function in your sport. Gold medals and trophies do not go to the athletes with the best abs; they go to winners. Your focus needs to be on being a winner.
Training everything at once
Yea we all know this athlete. The one who tries to train speed, speed endurance, and fitness in one workout. The one who wants to work every single muscle in one weight workout, after throwing the med ball, bounding, and pulling the sled. There are seven days in the week so don’t shy away from spreading it out.
Sleeping in too much
The saying goes “early to bed early to rise make a man healthy wealthy and wise.” It is true. How many times have you slept in and felt like when you got up your day was half done then tried to stay up late to make up for it. It does not work for some reason and throws everything off. Wake up early and see how much more you get done in the day.
Start each day with a focus on the most important things you need to do. Don’t look for shortcuts or ways out. The first thing you need to do each day is get something significant done because it sets the tone for how the rest of the day will go.
Video Games
Yeah yeah, for all you athletes out there who play Call of Duty all Day, you probably should do something more productive with your time. I know e-sports are massive now, but you have to decide if you want to be a thumbstick athlete or a traditional athlete. Video games are great for relaxing and resting, so it is not 100% bad. It is like eating junk food; it needs to be kept in moderation.
Leave a comment and tell us about how being an athlete makes you feel like you have no time. Or if you are seriously guilty of any of these time winners tells about your plan to fix it.
