Managing Expectations During Quarantine

We find ourselves in a difficult predicament. I wrote a few weeks ago about how we should be a little extra grateful for the barbell as we find ourselves having to complete at-home body weight workouts realizing they just aren’t the same.

Today, I wanted to quickly discuss how we should tailor our expectations and our goals during this period.

Most of us find ourselves without access to gyms and to the equipment we most often used to get super-duper strong. We also don’t have the same direct access to coaches and our typical routine that helped us stay accountable. You might find yourself severely lacking motivation and accountability as you navigate these strange times.

Knowing all of this, I think we should all tailor our expectations and our goals. If you have access to the same amount of equipment you may be able to continue on as usual. Most people don’t have that access. Right now, times are super stressful, and our typical routines have been thrown into oblivion. It is my belief that because this very unusual situation was thrust upon us and most of us are finding ourselves operating in a completely different structure, we find it hard to continue to do the things that were so easy for us previously.

This is why we should change our goals and expectations. Trying to keep up with where we were before is unrealistic given the circumstances. Keeping the same goals may seem very daunting as you ask yourself, “why can’t I just keep doing what I was before?” It’s because it’s a completely different environment and stimulus and is too much for your brain to handle. So, what do you do? You sit on the couch because that’s easy for you brain to manage.

So, if we can set our expectations and goals a little bit lower, we can free up some cognitive energy to get up off the couch and start doing a little training. This training could be as simple as a 20-minute walk or a 30-minute body weight workout. The key is to get up and do SOMETHING. Anything.

If we can change our expectations to match our circumstance it can be much easier for our actions to match those expectations. You simply aren’t going to be able to maintain the strength you had with the barbell if you don’t have access to a bar. Fortunately, you will be able to make that strength up when you get back to the bar. This should be no problem. Now can be a time to work on some things that you didn’t take the time to work on before. Work on some conditioning, get creative with training, work on plyometrics, or use this time to focus on a new skill entirely. You don’t HAVE to train like you were before. You might be surprised as to how fresh you feel physically and mentally when you get back.

Being able to adapt to circumstance is a characteristic we need to achieve our goals in the short term and the long term. Being that type of person will set us up for long-term success. That means being able to tailor our expectations in this crazy moment we are in. No matter what you do, DO something. Stay on the path and stay moving forward. Don’t let this be a setback. Let this be a steppingstone to further success when the world gets seemingly back to normal.