Over the past month I have found myself in a bad space sporting wise, but I am slowly but surely pulling myself out of a rut that many of us fall into and which often threatens to derail our best laid plans and goals. The big Quesytion is How?
Dream Big, but focus on winning the daily Battles (journey) and not the War (destination)!
When one sets lofty goals, they often become very daunting and one cannot see the wood for the trees. I have some very ambitious goals, but I, like many of you, have my low points, my doubting moments and when this is coupled with an injury crisis or training partners who are absent it can cause me to lose focus, to become demotivated and to fall into a rut, where the seesaw swings and the wants outweigh the needs.
So here I was on this downward spiral, little or no training being done while I enjoyed the comforts of a warm duvet in the mornings and the comforts of good movies in the late afternnon. To add to my woes I went on a chocolate and carrot cake binge and my midriff started to swell and my clothes were becoming tighter and for a while I could do nothing about it, partly because I was depressed and partly because I was focussing on the ‘war’ which I was busy losing.
At this moment in time it was all too daunting for me, you see I feel the pressures too, the pressure of expectation, the pressure of being a sponsored athlete, the pressure of aspiring for a Podium placing in Kona, the pressure of an unwanted injury and mentally the bricks all came falling down for a few weeks and I felt helpless. But life is sometimes like that, almost like that silly game we played as kids called ‘Snakes and Ladders’, as just when you think you are making it, you land on a ‘snake’ and fall back ten paces. When you are in a good space mentally getting back on the Ladder isn’t too difficult, but life is not always fair and sometimes you find yourself a little weaker mentally.
So that’s where I have been, but last week I decided to revisit a few basics (which I seemed to reteach myself while doing a talk to the Kings Rugby Academy). I decided to stop focussing on the destination (World Champs) and more on the journey, or the day to day challenges or Battles. I set myself a few very small and very achievable goals and focussed upon a very short period, as I needed to swing the momentum, break the bad habits and get back into some better habits.
Most of you may think what is this guy thinking…. a 10 Day Challenge of exercising once/day and not having a chocolate for 10 days, surely anybody can do that?
Well truth be told anybody can do it if that is what you focus upon, but for a couple of weeks I could not because I was focussing on trying to Win the War and as a result I was losing life’s daily challenges or Battles. Strangely enough as soon as I started this little 10 Day Challenge (today is Day 6) and started focussing on winning the daily Battles, I am getting my mojo back and am well on my way to enjoying the journey.
I already feel better when looking in the mirror, not at my waistline (which will trim down in time) but looking into my own eyes and asking myself “Did you achieve your Goals for today? Did you make a forward move or a backward one? Did you win today’s Battles?” When I can also those questions honestly and with a resounding YES, then I know I am back on track and loving it!
If you are thinking of chasing a Dream, setting a Goal beware of focussing upon winning the War, rather focus on trying to win the daily Battles, because if you take it step by step, the Steps become Days, the Days become Weeks, the Weeks become Months then Years and before you know it an extraordinary transormation will have occured and you will have won the War!
For more on achieving your Dreams, see the links below:
http://ironmansa.com/2012/05/01/how-to-achieve-your-dreams/
http://plantoretire.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/habits-the-good-the-bad-and-the-possibilities/
The Riddle of an Ironman's Life 