Weekly Review 6th – 12th February 2012 [self-expectations]

This picture really doesn’t describe the whole week I’ve been happening, but I thought it would be inspiring to put this up. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is living the dream. He’s a winger, a few weeks younger than me and has already scored in the Barclays Premier League and played against Manchester United, not to mention he could possibly make his England debut against Holland. His standard and quality is what I’m aiming at and I believe it’s possible to reach. Funnily enough, I probably wouldn’t of been saying this earlier today. I had a training session with Woden in the morning and I played with hardly any motivation or confidence, just frustration and something wrong mentally. I felt sickened at myself for not being able to play well, score, assist against players well below my own abilities. So when I came home I felt absolutely ruined. Fast forward to this evening where there was a reserve match with another team, I prepared mentally and put all the shit behind me and played well, scoring and hopefully impressing the first team coach. Most importantly, getting me out of the down in the dumps mood and setting me back on track positively for the week ahead.

Having high self expectations of yourself can sometimes be the worst thing, simply because if you don’t play your best, you feel gutted. The expectations I place on myself for the time being while I’m in Canberra is to be the best mens player in the city. My friends would think that’s farfetched,  but from the level I could of played at in Europe and the goals I have, and the amount I work, it’s the minimum I require.

The level of play here is pretty crap to what I’m used to know, I mean I know it’s pre-season, but people walk on the pitch when the ball is 5m away from them, pace is slow, arrghh terrible,  and I just need to make sure I don’t adapt to the slowness! Just keep thinking like an Premier League player, one-touch, two-touch, quick, fast, boom.

There’s been no updates on trials elsewhere.. but a few more weeks here I need to get my fitness back up and skills, like I said in the last post.

Next Week
I feel if I do 10% less each week, it might add 20-30% in results. I just have two hours more time and this small change could make a bigger change, increase motivation, no over training, etc. I did 18:20 of the 21:20 I was supposed to do this week. So I missed 3 hours, but look, I’m going to not count that and add it on. The most important thing is feel good and feel motivated and focused and I’m afraid if I do 21 hours next week, it’s going to take it’s toll on me. So next week is 18 hours, but with lower hours means giving it my all in training, mentally and physically.