Little something that I came across that I saved a while back.  No idea where I got it from so can't give the credit where it is due but worth thinking about for sure.

There is no step up.

“The way you train reflects the way you fight. People say, ‘I’m not going to train too hard, I’m going to do this in training, but when it’s time to fight I’m going to step up.’ There is no step up. You’re just going to do what you did every day.”

This quote is from MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, aka GSP, who held both welterweight and middleweight titles in the UFC. On the surface, I think it could be an easy one to misconstrue, i.e., thinking that you have to go hard all the time, when, in fact, what I think he means is stepping up at the right time(s) in training so that you’re prepared to step up when it’s time to fight (or race, or make a big presentation, or take an exam, whatever it is you’re getting ready for—it’s all the same).

When you’re working toward a performance objective, you have to pick your spots and be intentional with what it is you’re trying to do on a given day. When it’s time to go hard, push yourself close to the edge and see what you can find out; but when it’s time to recover, respect that too, trust and absorb the work you put in, and ready yourself for whatever it is you need to do next. Beyond that, it also means how you’re responding when your best-laid plans get upended, something catches you by surprise, or things just aren’t going your way. Training yourself to navigate these situations is just as important as the intensity of the workouts you do.

How you show up in the arena is never a fluke—it’s a reflection of your preparation: physical, mental, emotional, and otherwise. Be honest with yourself the next time you look in the mirror.