Quite awhile back I met with a prospective client and instinctively blurted out “new normal.”  I am sure I picked this up elsewhere, but it struck me as appropriate verbiage to describe the adaptations a cyclist strives to achieve. 

I began to consider what “new normal” meant  in achieving cycling success after more client meetings, and since hearing this phrase used more often (radar is on!).  In this first article I will talk about new normal from a philosophical standpoint, and in Part 2 I will provide examples of what I am talking about.

What is a new normal?  After Googling this phrase I was hit with endless options (132 million in .34 seconds to be exact), but to me it simply means setting a new standard of living for yourself.  This new standard or habit may take shape in any aspect of your life.  We continually grow and develop into better students, better employees, better husbands and wives, and in our case better cyclists.  Think of it as evolving out of your old less capable self into a more determined and driven self. 

Every year around November I reflect on the season just completed to determine what I feel was a success and also those areas I lacked progress.  I look at the gap between those two and do my best to determine what actions led to success while also pinpointing specific actions or inactions which led to disappointment.  I do this same thing for the athletes I coach and create workouts or have discussions to bring light to the situation.  I go through this process every season, and it has helped me to assess who I am and who I desire to be.  Because of this annual assessment I have developed many new normals over the years; almost all of which I can say impacted my success.

Establishing a new normal is not an easy task.  In most situations we get to choose how and when we change ourselves, but other times life happens and forces us to rise up and meet the challenge.  Whether we are able to choose the change or if it was forced upon us it usually means letting go, and depending upon the specific change it may greatly affect our immediate happiness.  The common denominator when tackling a new normal is we are redefining our priorities.  If a new normal is unable to rise high on your priority list then it will be starved the required attention to be successful.  Likewise, when you are letting go of bad habit it is equally critical to starve it of physical and mental energy. 

When attempting to achieve high goals our daily priorities in life will be a determining factor in hitting our targets.  Becoming your best at anything is not dumb luck or simply being in the right place at the right time.  Hard work and determination will always be two of the most critical components of success.  Not everyone can or has the true ability to win races, but every single one of us has the ability to reach our full potential.  Saying you desire a new normal is the easy part when developing towards your potential, but living it out is difficult and all that really matters in the end.  Intentions get you nowhere without action.

Large ultimate outcome goals are not won by simply doing well in big ticket situations, but rather it is done by regularly achieving victory in the small day-to-day battles.  One should avoid underestimating the intrinsic value of life’s little victories.  The compounding taste of success from many good decisions can act as your personal tsunami against all foes.  I believe it is critical to earn self-confidence through true successful actions, thereby avoiding false self-confidence.  Many small tastes of success will keep your motivation level high and encourage you to push yourself.  Far too many athletes expect to achieve high results without sufficiently hitting enough stepping stone goals to justify the mindset of a champion.  As my college baseball coach loved so say, “If you cannot control yourself then how can you expect to control the competition?” 

After recognizing our desire to achieve a new normal I believe it is important to be realistic with ourselves.  Not in the sense you have limited ability and possibly not see yourself as ever achieving an aspiration, but instead realizing it can be a long journey to your desired destination.  Living out a new normal requires patience, and it’s recommended to avoid setting arbitrary deadlines.  You may not achieve immediate short-term success, but we never know when the tipping point tilts in our favor for the desired new normal.  Every single day is an opportunity to get ourselves over the hump and into the promise land.  Through that journey you will learn a lot about the stretching of your personal boundaries.

New normals come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are small life habits we can easily change while others are bigger and more daunting to tackle.  Regardless of the new challenge we all must see ourselves as agents of change and have a willingness to embrace change.  We are all evolving and renewing ourselves every single day, especially as athletes pushing ourselves to get stronger and faster.  We must first believe we can do it, admit our concerns up front, but avoid the doubtful mindset and its destructiveness to our success. 

I can promise you one thing, the champion on the podium believes he or she can and will beat you.  Therefore, make them earn it.