The Trophy or The Challenge
What drives you to achieve? Is it the shiny object that you receive that says you’re number one, or is it the challenge to push yourself to the limit just to see what you are made of? For me, it’s a little of both. Never have really cared much for losing, but if the victory isn’t much of a challenge it doesn’t mean much either (the greater the challenge the sweeter the reward). I’m not saying that you should go out and climb Mount Everest on your first climb. The risks you take should be calculated risks in which you have thought about all possible outcomes and have solutions for each. Being prepared and well practiced is part of the greater challenge.
Let’s say I know of an easy competition coming up that, most likely, will not have a lot of big name competitors in it. I train only 3 days a week for it (which would never happen) and I eat fairly well but not real strict. The day of the show I notice that the masters class has only a few people in it and they look worse than me. I enter the masters and win first place. Big deal. What really happened? I cheated myself from the challenge of 16 weeks of hard training and diet. Also, I didn’t compete at the level that I was capable of and robbed myself of a respectable finish. Don’t get me wrong; there are many masters competitions in which the competitors look better than the guys in the open class. I ‘m just saying don’t take the easy way out because you wont be happy with the results.
Now, lets talk about the other end of the spectrum. Lets talk about the guy who wants to climb Mount Everest on his first climb. I really admire this guy for his guts but I question his judgment. I was this guy once (ONCE!!). My first show, I had no idea of the level of competition that I was getting in and placed 16th out of 16. I don’t recommend that for anyone, but it did light a fire in me. After that, I started training with someone who had competed before and learned how to compete at the previous contest level and beyond. Don’t learn the way I did. It was a hard, hard lesson. A trophy without a challenge is bad enough but jumping in over your head can be demoralizing and fatal to your competitive spirit.
So, what is a competitive natured person suppose to do? First, I say not to take the easy way, then I say don’t jump in over your head. How are you to know what level to compete on? That is the greatest challenge of all. You have to get to know yourself and what you are capable of achieving. If you want to compete in bodybuilding, go to a show first to see the level of competition. Maybe your first challenge will be to prepare for a show at a later date when you are ready. Then again, if you have already won Mister Proctorville County, maybe you should stop looking for the easy wins and move up with the big boys. When we challenge ourselves, it makes us stronger for the challenges life throws at us. What’s your next challenge?
Filed under: Motivation | Tagged: Motivation
