This post has nothing and everything to do with training. This is about how I finally realized that you have to let some things go in order to achieve focus; and to have that focus where it needs to be. We generally are able to handle a lot (more than we think, most of the time), but we also have to have a sense of when the load is a little too wide for our shoulders.
I'm not sure when I realized it, (probably during one of my extra-packed weeks of this long and taxing summer) but I wear tasks like a badge of honor. I love telling people about the things I'm involved in. I often would think that with each addition to my schedule, I was making myself stronger and a better person. Which it did. But at times it would make me miserable and unable to put effort where it was needed. I realized that the reason I was frustrated with my abilities wasn't because I'm not capable, but rather because I was spreading myself too thin. Until recently, I would see such a revelation as giving up or admitting defeat. True maturity is knowing when and how to pick your battles, and how many to put the armor on for.
You have to treat your focus as a limited and nonrenewable resource, and remind yourself that it is inseparable to time. It is impossible to be engrossed in a task if your mind keeps wandering to some obligation elsewhere. Sometimes you have to take a step back and ask yourself , "Am I spending the majority of my time doing the things I love, or things that take me down the path that leads to what's really important in life?" If the answer is no, then it's time to re-evaluate and think of what it would take to get you there. Usually, it's not to work harder, but rather to have direction. It's kind of like re-orienting the sails of a sailboat. The wind could be perfect, but you still won't go anywhere if you don't have the sail pointed in the right direction. Spend your energy moving the sail, not fighting the wind.
So, where's the tie to training? Like focus, our energy is limited. We can only exert ourselves so much before our bodies break down. A huge part of training is finding out what we can and cannot handle. However, our capacity is viscoelastic. We have the ability to stretch our abilities and cause permanent change, but still have to fight that resistance to return to baseline. For that reason, we have to be focused to cause the change that we want to see...or else we'll end up either injured or disappointed. Having no plan in training is like going on a road trip without a map.
The best part about life is that it will always surprise you. Rarely is it ever what you expect. You never know when something that you've been struggling with will click; change of attitude isn't always as deliberate and laborious as it appears.
I've closed some doors and opened others. I can't wait to see what lies beyond that doorjamb.
