What will you be doing with your horse this week? Seem’s like an innocent enough question… ‘Ah, a bit of this and a dash of that’…
And there is the problem. If you committed to actually planning out the answer to this question for the coming 4 weeks in your riding, you can, potentially, change everything.
The Same Thing = The Same Result
So many riders are doing the same thing, day in and day out, and then feeling frustrated by the lack of results.
They go out there, day after day. Clock in their respective rides. For some, it might be 4 a week. Others might be happy with 2 a week. There is a feeling of accomplishment having ‘gotten in’ the two or four rides for that week. But what has really changed? What was intentional? Focused?
And are your results merely reflecting your lack of doing anything different?
Is it possible that you are, in fact, seeing results? You are failing to see them because they are simply the same ones you’ve been seeing for quite a while now… Doing the same thing over and over will achieve one result. The same one! Expecting anything different is wishful thinking!
No Magic Portals
As I write this, close to the end of October 2020, there are no portals that I know of. No quantum leaps or jumps that will take us from where we are to where we want to go. You cannot click your fingers and magically be at a different level in your riding or your abilities as a rider.
The only way to get from Point A to Point B is to create a plan and then take action on that plan.
I think what holds riders back with regards to their plan is the details. We tend to get too caught up in them. This causes two things to happen. 1. We simply stop taking action because it seems too complicated. 2. We put the plan into action because all the details are not yet ironed out.
Creating CheckPoints
This is where I believe checkpoints are important. Points that you know you have to reach in order to get to the bigger goal. How you get to those points is open to suggestions. There are many ways. And you must first make it to one point before really committing to how you’re you going to get to the next.
Have a few key checkpoints identified for you and your horse. Then simply focus on the details regarding getting to the next one.
One Week In Advance
Once you have your loose plan and your identified checkpoints, you can then begin looking at the coming 7 days. Yep, only 7. The coming week. Sit down somewhere at the beginning of your week and plan out the next 7 days in your riding.
Start by identifying what days you can actually work with your horse.
Have a rough idea of how long you will have on each of those days. If there are days where you can only realistically get 45 minutes, begin thinking about what you can do for those 45 minutes to help you reach that next checkpoint.
Your whole plan for the coming 7 days should center around two key elements; having fun and reaching your next checkpoint
That’s it. Nothing fancy and definitely nothing that will only be really useful 4 checkpoints on from now. Keep it all simple and watch how it helps you move forward.
Consistent for 4 Weeks
I suggest an initial 12-week plan to all of my riders. However, if you have not done this before, I am going to ask you to give it a go for 4 weeks. If you are consistently doing things for 4 weeks that are moving you towards one specific checkpoint, you will see results in your riding.
Success is simply doing the right things consistently. The right things are the ‘next steps’ to get you to that very next checkpoint.
If you would like help with this, join Connection for a month. Connection is my online membership for equestrians. In there you will not only get a riding plan for the month but audio training you can use while riding to keep you focused and moving forward.
Happy Riding
Lorna
