Working from The Pro Player Timeline: Weekly, this individual day post focuses on what a professional player overseas should be outlining each specific day of the week like.
SEE ALSO:
Navigating Sports Abroad blog post.
Play Abroad 101 for the most accurate preparation in print.
The Pro Player Timeline: Daily
& The Pro Player Timeline: Overview.
Obviously, every player's schedule will vary based on practices, matches, and other planned activities; however, it's important for athletes to go into each week with an organized view of how the days within the week will play themselves out.
MONDAY - Food Day
Meal plan for the first half, if not entire, week.
Main grocery shopping trip of the week. Most local supermarkets have their freshest and most plentiful inventory at the start of the week.
Narrow Your Focus...
What will your motto/quote/inspiration for the week be? If it's the same as the previous week, what can you add to it to grow and continue moving forward with your motivation? Write it down and put it somewhere you will regularly see it: mirror, door, above kitchen sink, etc.
Get Ahead...
Writing out your meal plan and grocery list will go a long way in never going hungry! Review your schedule for the week and plan your errands and adventures around it. You can also use your Monday to schedule your social media posts for the whole week and not have to think about it until the next Monday!
Think About...
How you can make this week your very best, feeling strong physically, mentally, and emotionally. What possible obstacles could be in your way this week? What can you do to prepare and overcome these obstacles?
Something New (7 ideas)...
Plan an adventure for your next full free day or weekend, have coffee with the teammate you don't know very well, try a new restaurant for breakfast/lunch/dinner, try cooking a new-to-you local dish, go to a different sporting event, find the highest point in the area you live and enjoy the view, take local transport to a new part of town or a new town.
Finish...
Fold and put away any laundry from the weekend, cook at least two days' worth of meals, and get ahead as much as possible on social media.
As your day-to-day schedule become more routine, you can add more social media presence (i.e., sharing other pro player's match times/highlights, linking to your blog, etc.). The most important baselines for every day are getting enough of the right kind of sleep and eating properly. These actions take intentional planning and purpose. Too many times we have heard stories of athletes finishing practice after 9:00 PM and not having any food left to eat - and all the grocery stores and decent restaurants are closed!
The athletes who make an effort to learn to exist in the schedule of the culture around them are going to be the most successful in the short and long term.
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