[Practical Workshop] How to Build Your Pro Routine, Even if you are a Beginner
Build the routines, rituals, and systems that make showing up inevitable, even when every part of you wants to quit
Earlier this week, we talked about Resistance. That invisible force Steven Pressfield describes in The War of Art as the most toxic force on the planet. It’s the enemy that lives inside your head, whispering “you’re too tired” or “you’ve earned a rest” every time you try to do something that actually matters.
We explored how Resistance never says “don’t train.” It says “train later.” It doesn’t tell you to skip recovery. It tells you you’ve earned a break. It hides behind logic and negotiates with you in ways that sound perfectly reasonable. And the closer you get to real improvement, the louder it gets.
We talked about the difference between amateurs and professionals. How amateurs wait for motivation while professionals build systems. How amateurs work when it’s convenient, but professionals work because it’s who they are. We looked at training as ritual, not punishment. As an act of faith in who you could become.
But here’s the thing. Understanding Resistance is only half the battle.
This workshop is about the other half. Turning that awareness into action. You’re going to build your own system to defeat Resistance before it even speaks.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Spotting where Resistance hides in your day
Designing your own “pro routine”
Turning boring habits into meaningful rituals
Making it easier to show up
Locking it all in with your personal Pro Contract
All you need is honesty, a notebook, and five quiet minutes of intent.
Step 1: Identify Your Resistance Triggers
Resistance never says “don’t train.” It says “train later.”
It doesn’t say “skip recovery.” It says “you’ve earned a break.”
It hides behind logic. That’s what makes it powerful.
Exercise: The Three Faces of Resistance
Write down three moments in the last few weeks when you caved in.
Examples:
When you told yourself you’d stretch “after dinner”
When you found yourself scrolling instead of preparing
When you talked yourself out of an early start
Now, under each one, write the excuse you used. Then write the truth beneath it.
Example:
Resistance: “You trained hard yesterday, take it easy.”
Truth: “Back to back hard sessions are part of my training plan for a reason.”
Labelling Resistance is the first step toward mastering it. Awareness removes its disguise.
Step 2: Build Your “Pro Routine”
Motivation fades. Rhythm endures.
Professionals don’t act when they feel like it. They act because it’s who they are, and it’s what they need to do.
Exercise: The Non-Negotiables List
Write down three simple, repeatable actions that define you as an athlete. They should be so small you can do them even on bad days, but so consistent they start changing how you see yourself.
Examples:
10 minutes of mobility after every session
Complete my warmup routine before every session
5 minutes filling out my training diary every evening
Give your list a title: “My Pro Routine.”
This isn’t a checklist, it’s a foundation to achieving your next level.
Step 3: Turn Routine into Ritual
Amateurs tick boxes. Professionals find meaning.
Routine is what you do. Ritual is what it represents.
Exercise: The Ritual Reframe
Choose one task from your Pro Routine. Maybe stretching, hydration, or journaling.
Now give it a single-sentence purpose statement.
Examples:
“Stretching prepares my body for success in the future.”
“Hydration is my daily act of discipline.”
“Journaling gives me insights to my performance.”
Say it each time you do it.
This small dose of intention turns an action into a ritual. Something that connects you to belief, not obligation.
Step 4: Plan for Ambushes (Make Showing Up Easy)
Resistance strikes when there’s friction. When the gap between thinking and starting is wide enough to hesitate.
Professionals don’t argue with that voice. They close the gap before it opens.
Exercise: The Friction Flip
Find ways to make showing up easier and skipping harder.
Examples:
Sleep in your cycling kit if you’ve got a 4:30am start
Lay out your training clothes the night before
Pack your car with everything you need the day before
Train with a friend (it’s easy to cancel on yourself, it’s a lot harder to let them down)
You’re not relying on motivation. You’re relying on design.
Make it easier for you to take action by designing your environment.
Step 5: Review, Don’t Judge
Even professionals lose small battles. The difference is they don’t spiral. They review.
Once a week, take five minutes to reflect:
When did Resistance show up most strongly?
What excuse did it use?
What helped you act anyway?
This isn’t guilt. It’s data.
Each review sharpens your awareness and weakens Resistance’s predictability.
Even if you failed against Resistance, just observe it, and take note. Don’t be hard on yourself. This is purely objective observation, not judgment on yourself.
Step 6: Sign Your Pro Contract
Here’s where it all becomes real.
Professionals don’t just talk about commitment. They formalize it.
So you’re going to write and sign your own Pro Contract.
At the top of a page, write: My Pro Contract
Then, below it, copy this:
I commit to showing up for myself, not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard.
I will follow my Pro Routine:
[List your 3 non-negotiables here]
I understand that Resistance never disappears and will always be there to prevent me from achieving. My job is to keep moving anyway.
Signed,
[Your Name]
Date: ___________
Now sign it.
Post it somewhere you’ll see it every day.
That signature is your declaration of intent. Your private line in the sand between amateur and professional.
You don’t need applause or validation. Just quiet consistency.
Closing Message
Pressfield wrote: “The professional knows that fear can never be overcome. He just works through it.”
That’s your mission now. Not to eliminate Resistance, but to acknowledge it’s ever present existence, and move through it with discipline and faith.
You’ve identified your triggers, built your routine, reframed it as ritual, engineered your environment, and signed your contract.
Every time you act on it, you’re training your identity, and giving yourself an edge on your competition.