On Fridays I like to share experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
A lesson I’ve gained from my races. I have competed in some intense events over the past decade that have challenged my mental and physical limits. One of the best lessons I have gained during that time is learning to fight through a temporary discomfort, to accomplish a long-term goal. If you get warm after being cold, it becomes harder to keep going when it’s time to move again. It becomes challenging to get back into motion after you stop to rest. When you wake up in the morning and it’s dark and cold, it’s tougher to imagine getting up to workout.
The point is, when you find comfort, it becomes more difficult to face discomfort. It can become daunting, and in these moments your mind will offer you every excuse imaginable to quit (or just not begin). What I have learned, is if you can fight through that feeling for even another thirty seconds or a minute, you will be amazed at what you can achieve. All you need to do when it seems as if you can’t go on anymore, is just get into motion. It does not have to be pretty, just get out of bed, go a few more feet, or hang in for a few more minutes and see what happens. That effort will prove to your mind that you can persevere, and your body will respond, I promise.
Something to understand. I spoke to someone this week that is seeking to accomplish a lofty goal. I was impressed with the objective, but as they talked about trying to achieve it, they complained about everything they needed to make it happen. They had a “poor me” attitude about the entire thing.
I pointed out that every single goal will require sacrifice. That sacrifice can be time, money, exertion, forgoing other opportunities, loss of time with friends or family, or any number of other things. Regardless of what form it takes, you will need to make a sacrifice to achieve any major goal. I believe that sacrifice is the barrier to entry for major accomplishments. If you are willing to pay that price, you can achieve amazing things.
A great question to ask ourselves. Are the decisions you are consistently making today going to put you in a better or worse position five years from now? I think it’s best to consider this in aspects such as financially, physically, mentally, spiritually, as a parent/family member, in business, and more. As an example, if you are eating poorly and not exercising, it is unlikely you will in better shape or overall health five years from now.
Good decisions and habits are the lifeblood of our future. If we repeatedly make solid choices, we put ourselves in the best position to not only thrive now, but years from now as well. In an ever-complicated world, just ask yourself if the decisions you are making now will help you later. If so, keep them going. If not, then consider making changes that will.
Something I encounter often. “I’m getting older”, “I have arthritis”, “I’m so busy”, “I don’t eat well”, “I hate exercise.” I cannot tell you how often I hear things like this from patients and people I meet in my personal life. We all have struggles and what is easy for some is difficult for others, so I don’t judge anyone. However, what I don’t like about this kind of conversation is that people are accepting a poor outcome when they don’t need to. Worse, they are ignoring all options at their disposal to help them in their struggle.
If you have something that you feel is limiting your potential, the correct move is never to accept defeat. Instead, do real work in finding ways to overcome it, work around it, or turn a weakness into a strength. It won’t take long before you realize that what you thought was the end of your potential, was just the beginning. When something gets in your way, don’t stop fighting; start fighting harder.
Some quotes I love.
“Don’t let anyone who hasn’t been in your shoes tell you how to tie your laces.”
“Winners are focused on the race. Losers are focused on the competition. And most are so far behind they think they’re winning.” – Mike Glover
“You don’t know what type of organization, family, or crew you have until you take a loss. That’s when true character, values and intentions are revealed. Thank God for the losses, they show you who deserves to be there when you win.” – Inky Johnson
“Accepting and embracing our own mortality is necessary to be fully alive in the present. The biggest mistake we make is thinking we have time.” – Dr. Jeff Blake
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” – Warren G. Bennis
“Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” – George Halas