This is a principle/concept that makes me fear extreme effort! Muhammad Ali was asked once how many crunches he did. He said, “I don’t know. I only start counting after it starts to hurt!” Ouch! Most of us are meticulously attached to counting and recording everything so we can be precise about our workload. I submit that it’s a personal character trait that sets the standard, not the calculator. Oh, it’s good to know what you’ve done because it establishes objectively what we are doing. There’s no moral judgment against doing it this way. What we have to fix in our mind is that connection between our mind and our body so we know intuitively that we are doing enough and exceeding the requirement to grow.
In any case, whatever tool or mindset we use to establish what we have accomplished, we have to construct the next level beyond the best workout. This NETHER LAND is where character and real growth occurs. It’s a world that most mere mortals only talk about as LORE. They have heard about it but they don’t know how to get there and thus have never visited. We crazy bodybuilders are always trying to get to the world beyond basic effort and then linger there. We never want it to end.
For the sake of description, let’s call this world the “LAND OF PERSEVERANCE.” This is a land where a bodybuilder or other mere mortals goes to stretch themselves, pound themselves to be better, to be forged into a champion. So, when you are done training or working and you want to go home, don’t. Get a drink and do more. It’s the PERSEVERANCE that leads to unequaled and sometimes unanticipated success.
Lastly, when you PERSEVERE and you win, nobody can take your self-defined victory away from you. Success has many definitions but PERSEVERANCE is always required to be the best you. Always do more! ….. That’s where the gold is.
“YOU CAN LOOK GOOD AT ANY AGE—BUT YOU GOT TO WANT IT”….Doug Graham, http://www.sixpackandsenior.com
Six Pack and Senior 