Letting go of the “perfect” season
They tell you, 'if you want it bad enough it'll happen.' But what if you want it so bad that everything you're doing is actually making it worse? Contrary to popular belief, "wanting it," is not the answer. But I'll tell you what is.
Storytime
My training sessions with Dan that summer felt a bit too easy. I'd hired him as my trainer going into my senior year at Purdue and was beginning to wonder if I'd made a mistake.
I was used to being sore, like that type of sore where you have to drag yourself up to your dorm room after lifting, or you lay in bed for a day because you can't get up from the couch after last night's big game. I was also used to being miserable.
I was none of those things and it made me (oddly enough) feel a bit out of step.
And don't get me wrong, we worked really, really hard, but only to a point.
And little by little I saw my squat numbers go up. My beep test improve. I was running and lifting at an efficiency I'd never known before. Whatever he told me to do, I did it.
That senior year was incredible.
What I remember about that time was the level of detachment I had. It was the opposite of what I experienced in Sweden and what I talk to you about in this week's Dharma Talk.
When you make the decision to go for it, remember to include that part about surrender.
You have to work, really, really, hard, but at a certain point, you have to let go.
In Sweden, I never let go. I kept trying, and forcing, and hoping things would turn around. If I could mark one major difference between the two seasons (my senior year at Purdue and my second season in Sweden) it was my trust in the process, or lack thereof overseas.
The more you cling to your idea of the perfect season, the more you kill your chances of actually having it. Playing free is a delicate balance of work and ease. When it feels like too much, it probably is.
It's not a matter of want. You can want all day long. What really makes the difference is your ability to let go when it counts.
Listen to the rest in this week's episode on letting go of the perfect season by clicking the button above.
Until next time,
A-
This week's yoga schedule at YogaView Willmette
Friday level 2/3 11:00am - 12:00pm (in person)
Saturday All-Levels 8:00 - 9:00am (Virtual or in-person)
