get your guide

I'm a do-it-your-selfer. Perhaps it's my Midwestern roots, the fact that my parents were born just after the end of the Great Depression, and/or my professional background. Regardless of why, very often I'll try to figure out how to do something before I hire it out.

We clean our own house (exercise!), I do my own nails (1/4 the cost and 1/2 the time!), we borrow books from the library (less clutter!) & I even got a set of those PT scraping tools to use at home (faster progress!). While these things make me feel good about saving time and money, the more important something is, the more likely I am to hire an expert.

This brings us to our 4th step in this 6-part series on sustainable performance. Here’s a quick recap:

1) Set your sights: get very clear on what you're working for

2) Know your limits: brainstorm all that's between you and your goal

3) Mind the gaps: divide your limits into two categories - those you need to build bridges to overcome and those that you need to consider as no-go boundaries (moats).

Today is about getting a guide. While I'm all for reading a book, YouTubing a how-to video, or Googling a solution when the consequences are low, for things like education, professional training, and health, I go to the experts. Your personal decision between going self-taught and expert-guided to reach your goal is based on many things -  importance, finances, time, confidence, your track record, patience – and there’s often a bit of both in our approaches.  

This map is a great example of the value of this flexible approach. It's a map of our foothills trail system. It was posted outside of a local bike shop - part inspiration, part information, and part marketing of their trailhead transport services.

It’s a really extensive system and it looks overwhelming when seeing it all at once. If I were new to it, I’d possibly contact an expert to help me get familiar and confident with it before I ventured out on my own. Even then, each time out, I’d have a plan and check it often, considering my goals, limits, and boundaries.

Having a guide – whether that’s a plan or an expert - keeps us from winging it and getting distracted or discouraged. It also helps us stay connected to what we’re working towards and why. It helps us break down huge goals into manageable tasks. And – most importantly for sustainable performance – it helps us respect our boundaries so we don’t burn ourselves out.

This week, your challenge is to think about what type of guide will help you best as you work towards your goal. Be honest about the importance of your goal, the distance between you and it, and your ability to stay disciplined about your moats. Then, either reach out to someone about being a guide, or start planning your route.