Every direction is south
Lifting weights, running, and physical activity started off as a means to an end. I wanted to not look and feel like how I did - simple as that. "Not be here" was a good starting goal.
When you are at the North Pole, every direction is south.
That made it simple and easy - anything I did would help me to move in the right direction. Eat one less candy bar a day. Drink one less can of soda pop a day. Eat half a cup of vegetables more per day. Stretch for 15 minutes. Literally, any frickin' thing.
Truth #1: What is required here is to not over-think and just do.
Disneyland
Once I got out of the North Pole (or the bottom, or whatever you wanna term it) I realised that there was a large playground. So many options. But it is akin to going to Disneyland - there are so many rides and you wanna go on them all at once. That it gets confusing and overwhelming.
You do not need to get on all the rides today. You can keep coming back to Disneyland every year.
Truth #2: Pick a ride or two and enjoy them for a bit. Before moving on to the next ride.
The point of the ride
I looked at everything as a means to an end. But that's a side effect. A nice-to-have. When you ride Space Mountain, you are going on an amazing few minutes that leaves you exhilarated. And right back where you started. Filled with joy and wonder.
Truth #3: The point of the ride is the ride. You get joy from the anticipation, and from the ride itself. If you let it, it will leave you changed.
Results
But what about results? You cannot keep going on joyrides all the time. You need to get on a ride that goes from here to there.
Well, do you?
And if so, even on this ride where we go someplace i.e. achieve a goal, we accumulate a lot more along the way.
Truth #4: The results are one part of what you got on the ride. Not the only part.
More than yesterday
There are a lot more truths and learnings that I have not had the discipline or vision to unpack. Even the ones I've unpacked, I still struggle to apply them in my training. Applying those learnings outside the gym is even harder.
Writing has helped. It is a note to self. It is a time to unpack, to reflect. And to feed forward into a tweaked ritual at the gym, and maybe in life.
Truth #5: I know very little. But (I think) I know more than yesterday.
And I could very well be completely wrong about all of this. But for today, they will suffice as a map. And using this map, I can re-draw my next map.