Approaching your lifestyle with the idea that it has "gears" is a great way to ensure your actions and behaviors align with your goals. In a previous blog post, I talked about "What sets the top athletes apart?" and emphasized the importance of aligning your level of commitment with your goals in a realistic way. Understanding how to turn up or down your lifestyle commitments can play a crucial role in achieving that balance.

There are five gears we can use to approach our lifestyle. Below is an example of what each gear's actions and behaviors might look like.

Gear 1

• Little to no daily structure around sleep, nutrition, or training.
• Late nights, eating out frequently, and having no boundaries on food quality or quantity — anything goes!
• This gear is often craved by athletes coming out of heavy competition prep or people on a restrictive diet or disciplined training regimen.
• It's not recommended to stay in this gear for more than six weeks, as it can negatively impact long-term progress and health.

Gear 2

• Starting to get back into some training, albeit unstructured.
• There's some conscious thought around sleep and nutrition, but it's not a priority yet.
• This gear is encouraged for athletes coming off a break, allowing them to ease back into a routine without jumping straight into full-on discipline. It's about slowly reintroducing structure while still enjoying a relaxed approach.

Gear 3

• Re-establishing some structure with training while consciously maintaining a good sleep and nutrition routine.
• People can still enjoy a social lifestyle while staying sensible in this gear. This middle ground is perfect for the general population aiming for a healthy, balanced lifestyle without being too extreme.
• For athletes, this gear is typically used during Off-Season training when there's less pressure but enough structure to maintain fitness.

Gear 4

• Sleep, nutrition, and training have all moved up the priority list. Social activities take a back seat, and there are minimal distractions from your routine.
• This gear is about being disciplined and structured, but it's not an intense phase — more about being consistent and intentional.
• Athletes entering a Pre-Season phase should aim to live in this gear, as it sets the foundation for more demanding training phases.

Gear 5

• This is full-on, all-in. 
• It requires a rigid daily structure where training and recovery elements are top priority. Every decision is made with elite performance in mind.
• Typically, professional athletes live in this gear for about eight weeks leading up to their most important competition of the year.
• Staying in this gear too long can lead to burnout — mentally or physically, so it should be used carefully, often with professional support to manage stress and recovery.

Who should apply these gears?

For most people who enjoy training and eating well, you'll find yourself moving between Gears 2 and 4. We naturally shift across those gears daily or weekly, depending on our situation or motivation. But for athletes, this can sometimes be a tricky concept to grasp. The idea of not being "all-in" on Gear 5 every day can fill them with guilt. However, when managed correctly, these shifts can play a huge role in both short-term success and long-term longevity in the sport.

Simply understanding this concept can make a big difference. It allows you to identify how you're currently living and, just as importantly, decide how you WANT to live. 

Setting boundaries on how strict or loose you're willing to go helps keep you in a balanced zone where you're comfortable. This awareness can help you notice when the scales are tipping too far in one direction, allowing you to adjust and return to your ideal range. As a result, you're more likely to stay consistent, whether on a journey to living a healthy, happy life or working toward a specific goal.

Consistency is the key to any form of success

Understanding your lifestyle gears plays a huge role in staying on track. It can also positively affect your mental health by reducing guilt and improving self-awareness. You'll know when it's okay to ease off and when it's time to push harder, all while keeping your goals in focus.

When moving through these gears, it's essential to do so gradually and smoothly (with one exception). Think about it like driving a car. Whether you're driving a manual or automatic, the healthiest way to get up to speed and reach Gear 4, for example, is by moving through the gears progressively. You could go from Gear 1 straight to Gear 3, but we all know how the car reacts when you do that — it doesn't like it. The same goes for dropping multiple gears too quickly; it's uncomfortable and inefficient.

As you work through the gears, spend time in each one. Let the new habits and behaviors settle in and become second nature before progressing. 

This ensures that you're ready for the added intensity and structure when you hit the higher gears. The exception to this rule is athletes who have been living in Gear 5 during competition prep. When they finish their final event, they're not going to ease back down through the gears gradually. There's going to be a party, food they've been craving, and a break from training! And that's okay. But what's important is that their come-up afterwards is done gradually. They should return to a balanced gear and stay there for a while before working their way back up to Gear 4 and 5.

This process ensures that athletes and anyone serious about their goals can enjoy downtime without losing sight of the bigger picture. It's about recognizing the value in different gears and knowing when it's time to shift.