The Rule of Thirds – When Chasing A Goal
All of us have goals that we want to achieve. But the mistake many of us make is that we expect the journey to our goals to be relatively straightforward, or at least not as hard as we might have thought. In reality, though, things play out quite differently.
Take losing weight and getting fit, for example. There are days when you feel super driven and motivated. On other days, you might feel a bit indifferent. And there are always those dreadful days when you’re dragging yourself out of bed. According to Alexi Pappas, a filmmaker-writer and Olympic athlete who competed in the Rio 2016 games, it all comes down to The Rule of Thirds.
The Rule of Thirds says that when you’re chasing a dream or doing anything hard, you generally feel:
- Good 1/3rd of the time
- Okay 1/3rd of the time
- Crappy 1/3rd of the time
So if the ratio is roughly in this range for you, then you’re probably heading in the right direction. But if you’re feeling too good or feeling fatigued a lot, you’re either not pushing yourself hard enough or burning yourself out. Neither of which really helps.
As Pappas says, the key to unlocking your goals is being consistent, showing up every day and putting in the work irrespective of how you’re feeling. It means having the patience to see out those difficult days while appreciating the journey for what it is – a lot of ups and downs!
The Rule of Thirds highlights the non-linear nature of progress and development. Even if you’re putting in the effort, it can feel like a whole lot of nothing for long stretches until suddenly, you experience a huge leap forward.
We see this so often at Footie First. There are some periods when children show up consistently to training without us seeing significant improvement. And then BOOM, the penny drops and it’s like we’re seeing a different child altogether. Some kids demonstrate tremendous resilience to go the distance.
As parents and coaches, The Rule of Thirds is a powerful idea that can teach our children to endure difficult days. This is life. This is the nature of progress. It is painful, but the experience of working hard for our goals is always worth it – even if we don’t achieve them. At the same time, the rule serves as a potent reminder to always be patient with our kids when it comes to their development in academics, sport and beyond. With time and consistent effort, nothing can stop our children from shining!🌟
If you’d like your child to learn how to appreciate her/his journey towards chasing goals (and scoring them!), call us on 9819337766 or 9819227766.
