This moment is your life as much as any other moment. Spend it in a way that will make you proud.
– James Clear
There is a reason that successful people are where they are. It isn’t about some 1 magic trick that sets them apart, but rather a combination of many different things. On James Clear’s blog, he has a database of hundreds of blog posts that go into some of the different areas where the most successful of us set themselves apart. When I looked at the different areas, a few jumped out as an area where I either care about or see the greatest opportunities for improvement. I sifted through articles on mental toughness, focus, and motivation.
Eventually, I came across an intriguing perspective on grit. It talked about 5 useful reminders to keep yourself going when it seems hard. James Clear used some of his own experiences with writing his biweekly blog posts. One of his points that I found resonated the most with me was that you will never regret good work once it is done. There are not many better feelings in life better than the one after you accomplish something that you know is a positive for you. I have felt the euphoria after a good workout or a productive block of work. Thinking about the good feeling after doing something that may seem unappealing is a creative way to incentivize.
Sometimes, the simple act of showing up and having the courage to do the work, even in an average manner, is a victory worth celebrating.
– James Clear
I have always struggled with the sense that I have to be best at everything I do. Although this is an amazing sentiment if one was able to follow through on it, it is simply not feasible. By understanding that I don’t have to give it 100 percent at every turn it gives me the freedom to give it my best for far longer.
In my quarantine life that means doing 5 workouts a week no matter how I feel. I know that some aren’t going to be as good as others but I am committed to showing up every single day.
As I build the best quarantine me I have required a ton of self-reflection. I am my own accountability in my quarantine life. If I choose to sit and mope about how things could be better I would be only hurting myself. I realized that from the start of quarantine. Since I returned from Hawaii 7 weeks ago, I have only missed 1 workout and it was because of an injury. I am impressed with my ability to stick with it and I have some mindset changes to thank for the successes.
In my life, I have always been told to look up to the legends. As I start to understand the cruel realities of life, I have gained a deeper appreciation for all they have accomplished. Attempting to dissect their greatness has always been a passion of mine. As a competitive golfer, Tiger Woods is my case study.
His story is full of successes; from a young age, his life was well documented and when he made his debut on tour in 1996 he had already become a national name. In his best years, he was the most dominant golfer in history but as he grew older, scandal and injury derailed his dominance. Fast forward 19 years to 2017 and it seemed as if Tiger’s career was over while he was in the midst of his 4th back surgery after 3 failed previous surgeries. His 4th procedure was a spinal fusion surgery which is extremely complex and carries a vigorous rehab. Staring at the horizon of imminent failure, Tiger Woods carried out one of the greatest comeback stories in history. In the past 2 years, he has won 3 tournaments including his 5th Masters victory (the world’s most prestigious golf tournament.)
I could gape at the greatness of Tiger or I could look into what made this unlikely comeback come to fruition. This is when I started to make connections to the James Clear blog post I read earlier.
“It means a lot, it really does. The people who I am really close to saw the struggles and what I was going through”
– Tiger Woods following his first win since 2013
Listening to the above interview he didn’t share as much emotion as you’d expect from someone who made one of the most improbable comebacks in sports history.
If you listen to some of the answers he gives a few stand out to me as moments where he mentions the pain he was in, not being able to sit or lay down without pain. He often alludes to vague hardship he has faced and you have to imagine a lot of those demands he faced were brewed in his own mind. To work every day for 5 years with 1 goal of a comeback must have taken an immense amount of courage and determination. James Clear made a point about the days when you feel like giving up and how to get over them. Tiger Woods would have had to have an immeasurable sense of grit to get through the hardest of days:
The days when he saw no chance at ever returning to the world stage of the game he loved. When he woke up in pain that debilitated his life. When he was embarrassed in front of millions with another failure.
It makes me happy to see that his drive and journey are rewarded with recent emotional victories. It fills me with the hope that I can overcome even the greatest of challenges if I am willing to throw it all on the line.
