Timelines
How Long Is This Going To Take?
Last time we talked about generating evidence of action. I also mentioned success does not feel the way we expect.
As a young man, a favorite mantra was:
Why wait to be great?
It was a reminder to my younger self… don’t sit around wishing things were different. If you have a passion then make it happen.
I spent most of my 30s seeking athletic greatness. There was always an urgency to this seeking, like I was in a rush to get “there.”
The rushing habit stuck with me.
The Eternal Return
Last month I interviewed, Roger Robinson. Roger is an 84-year-old runner with a long list of accomplishments. Despite dealing with an achilles injury, when we talked, he is one of the most positive people I’ve ever met.
Roger is the living embodiment of what-it-takes, for anything…
There will be interruptions but you will keep coming back.
Roger has had interruptions for knee replacements, lung surgery and injuries.
You and I will have interruptions for illnesses, injuries, health issues and family emergencies.
Not all interruptions are “bad.”
I had a long interruption to raise my kids. By the way, the “problem” of raising kids is a very interesting problem. Time well spent.
External vs Internal Targets
Roger found “it.”
It being, in Roger’s case, a path that leads to world-best running performance at any age.
But it’s not about beating other people.
Sell-By Dates only apply to external performances.
The hurry we feel may come from looking outwards. Our concern for others clouds our judgement and nudges us towards error.
I gave an interview recently and touched on this…
One of the great things about being older is I’m not going to win the overall. So the pressure is reduced.
I’ve come to realize that I’m going to be doing this for a long time and I can afford to do everything right or, at least, to the best of my ability.
When we’re young, we’re drawn to external successes. Many of the paths-of-youth, particularly ambitious athletic goals, have sell-by dates.
Forever Is The Rest Of My Life
Listening to Roger, I realized…
There is no rush, I will be doing “it” forever.
…and that’s something I hope you can see in your life.
If you have a passion… that’s the victory.
Right there…
You’ve won.
It’s not going to feel like that.
Day-to-day there will be setbacks, problems and issues we need to overcome. We may continue to need a game to spur us on.
But, the value is going to come from engagement and being immersed in our passions.
It took Roger two knee replacements to get back to what he loved. As you’ll read this month at Endurance Essentials… he came back with a passion to compete at the highest levels.
In my case, I feel fortunate to have returned to the life I loved.
So if you catch yourself asking, “How long is this going to take?” then consider…
What is the path I was born to follow?
Don’t wait to be great.