Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Progress, not perfection

That's a phrase often stated in discussions about Crossfit, weight lifting, and other athletic activities. I like it a lot and am usually able to internalize it. For example, yesterday I was finally able to kick up into a handstand against the wall and hold it for about a minute. For months I wasn't kicking hard enough because I was afraid I would hit my head against the wall, afraid my arms would give out and send my head into the floor, etc.
I was ECSTATIC when I finally did it. I didn't mentally kick myself for not being able to do full-on handstand push-ups like most of the other people at the box, or for not "getting" the handstand sooner. I was just happy that I could now do it!
It was the same situation when I finally figured out the movement involved in kipping pull-ups. Again for months I just couldn't seem to get the coordinated movement together to make it happen, and then suddenly bam - I could. Now I can use a lot lighter bands to do my pull-ups.

Okay, so if I'm able to celebrate baby steps in the area of fitness, why am I having so much difficulty extending that toward other areas of my life such as work? Why don't I pat myself on the back when a recheck exam reveals that my diagnosis was correct and the treatments were effective, or when a surgery goes well, or when I research a complicated case and manage to look halfway competent when handling it?
I suppose it is because I've always considered myself good at intellectual pursuits and NOT good at physical ones, and therefore cut myself a lot more slack with sports because I "don't have any natural ability" at them.
At any rate, that attitude shift is definitely something I need to work on or else I will drive myself crazy.

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