Monday, February 6, 2012

Motivation 2.6.12

8th athletics combined events meeting Woerden
In any type of sport or exercise, there is a wall; a point in the practice where you are threatened by pain, lack of oxygen, fatigue. Sometimes we allow the discomfort to stop us in our tracks; we give up on the goal because it's too much work.

There are obstacles to productivity, too. They're not as obvious as a shin splint, but they keep us from continuing our work and reaching our goals. Housecleaning, schoolwork, personal growth; you fill in the blank, they all create hang-ups that keep us from getting better.

I have a certain craft project, more like a few projects, that I call my "forever craft," because I don't know how long it will really take to finish. Every month or so, I pull one out and get a few hours worth of progress made. As I sit here and consider these projects, I feel guilty about the fact that they've taken me so long, and I'm nowhere near done. The guilt actually keeps me from pulling them out; it's become an obstacle to my productivity. It just hurts too much to do it anymore.

Anyone who has been involved in sports, or simply working out, has been told to simply push through the pain; to grit your teeth and move forward. It's not complicated, but it's not easy, either. The simple, difficult truth is that growth requires pain, and the only way to become who you want to be, to do what you want to do, is to keep going despite the hurt and discomfort.

I've been jumping some hurdles lately, getting past the doubts that have kept me still so long; it makes a difference, in that painful moment, to trust that I'm growing.Whether or not it is visible to you, I am making progress, and I can still see that finish line.

I'm encouraging you to keep running, to keep going in your personal pursuits. If you can focus on the goal, and work through the pain, you'll find out that it's worth it.

1 comment:

  1. I find it really, really hard to stay motivated sometimes. I've forced myself to take up jogging in the mornings as a way to clear my head and get me started for the day.. so far it seems to be working!

    Lovely post

    ReplyDelete