Well, let’s just say that I am a “creature of habit” and I derive much of my energy and focus from fixating on goals. Sounds like I have a major case of “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder” (OCD) but it’s true. I am a home body and I love it when my wife and I converge on the house in the evening or any other time for that matter. She is the woman I should have married in the first place but, I’ll take what she offers now without so much as a snivel.
As all of you probably know, I push myself hard every morning starting around 04:45 AM when our alarms go off. That is just a warning shot for us to wake up, sit up, stand up, head for the John, weigh myself, set up and take all the supplements prescribed by my coach, get dressed, head down to the kitchen, eat breakfast that my wife cooks (8 eggs, 3 slices of toast with peanut butter, lemonade), then out the door to the gym. Then, the grind begins and it lasts for about 1.5 hours.
I wanted to throw in another component that can and does from time-to-time destroy the spirit of the quest. Let’s just call it, “unresolved conflicts/issues of the heart.” I know this is vague but let me explain a little further so there is no real confusion.
Let’s suppose you and your wife have something between you that has not ever been resolved. Instead you step around it until the bubble bursts. Then, for the next few days or a week the simmering and hurt and all the rest preoccupies you. It’s, in fact, so preoccupying that you cannot apply yourself at the same level or intensity during workouts.
Another example, is when there is a sick child in the home.
Another one is when there is stress on the job and you spend most of your waking hours puzzling over the resolution.
In each example (and there are hundreds of actual ones) the key element is “Distraction.” Your whole soul gets taken away to another place. Our attention on our training or the attainment of our own personal goals is blunted. I think we all can relate to this scenario.
I don’t have a specific answer to each item any of us is wrestling with. I do however, encourage us to resolve what we can as quickly as we can. With my wife, it is easy to sit with some sort of hot drink and pour our hearts out to get back on track. If the problem was a “conflict” then getting back on track can be MAGNIFICENT…..
Sick kids are a different thing altogether.
True Story: I first competed in bodybuilding in 1990. It was great and I was training for another competition when two things occurred that threw me off. First, my wife withdrew her support for me to compete. Second, my 11 year old son Nathan got Leukemia. These two items occupied me 24/7. Knuckling under to not compete was tough, but the possibility of losing my little boy was overwhelming. We went through hell and back. Nate survived and after 5 years was declared cured after being in remission with the very likelihood that the Leukemia could come back at anytime over that 5 year period. I am so happy to have him as my son and best of all “friend.”
No matter what the “Distraction” you need a back up plan to turn to when things are not good. Some “Distractions” are in place for a long time and must be dealt with as such. Resolution is always the bottom line. I say that we will win only if we develop a solid set of skills to blunt the effects of the “Distraction” so you can continue. I believe this is vital to being able to cope better with tough situations that threaten to paralyze us and to cause us to self-eliminate. I don’t have a “Cook Book” set of recipes for you to peruse and select from. Sorry!
Sorry to ramble. I just checked the calendar and my next competition is only 7 months away and I’m already trying to get rid of all “Distractions.” My how time flies. My size is enormous for my height 5’5″ on a good day and I now weigh 194 lbs with a body fat of 6% and lean body mass of 181 lbs. I may even get bigger. I’m out to win and I must stay on track without looking to right or to the left. My poor wife gets the brunt of an absent-minded husband during these ascents to the next stage.
We will win together! This is OUR TIME! Do not let anything get in your way as you push on towards the goal. Next summer I will be in Pittsburgh, PA to put it all out there! Tell me when you will arrive at your destination. We can celebrate together if you’d like.
Just some thoughts for you to consider. Resolution of Distractions is essential to keep climbing at the same rate.
Douglas E. Graham
Six Pack and Senior 