I don’t know where I’d heard this, but it’s so darn true! And most of all it applies to people like who’re obsessive about achieving multiple things all at once.
2019 so far hasn’t been any different from the previous years. We’re at the tail end of April and I’ve already committed to 4 major goals, one of which I’m almost nearing completion. Two of them have been pending for the past 10 months but thankfully I’m almost there… just where I was 8 months back!
Then there was a physical goal I’d set myself — clearing the grueling SFG 1 certification. I didn’t qualify for the snatch tests because a couple of my skills sucked and needed more practice. I decided to do corrective work over the course of two months and take a retest, hoping that I would nail it. But alas, that wasn’t meant to be.
My tricep and elbow (the former for sure, the latter is pretty new actually) tendonitis have resurfaced. Thankfully, my barbell lifts are going well but the kettlebell lifts (particularly the kettlebell cleans, I flunked that) aren’t. And there’s no freaking way I will ever get to SFG 2 (one of my ultimate physical goals) certification.
Situations like these not only test you mentally and emotionally but also force you to take a hard look at your life and ask “why do you do what you do?” For me, the answer was pretty simple — I’m a professional and I put money where my mouth is. I don’t have any business advising young (and old) athletes about the right way to do kettlebells if I don’t have a credential. But then I realized, there’s an entire caliber of people who teach the art and science of strength training without any formal credentials. What’s gotten into me? Perhaps, insecurity. I felt having a certification would be like a milestone or a feather in my cap. And it still is! Just that it’s coming at a massive expense — injuring my arm.
Given the scenario, is it worth it? Absolutely no!
I loved this quote by someone (and I’m probably butchering this) that said, “if you constantly test your limits, you’ll find it.” That hit me like a ton of bricks because guess what? I found my limits.
Would I ever come back to this goal? Hell, yeah! The point isn’t to abandon your goals but to know when to push your limits and when to back off. This is where I back off. For a while, before I come back and conquer it again!