“It is a supremely cruel thing to have your mind conjure a desire which it is functionally unable to realize. No one teaches you how to handle the death of a dream.” — Upgrade by Blake Crouch
I’m writing this on the treadmill in the garage now. I’ve had different expectations with fitness and now I think they’ve gotten more realistic. Certainly much more realistic than what I used to think in high school.
My brother and I shared a subscription to Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness. Or he probably paid for it and I just read them when we lived together.
Anyway, they always promise abs in 6 weeks. Get shredded for the summer even if it’s June already.
I had some sense that wasn’t realistic. But I still was way off in my mind. I probably thought it would take 12 weeks (if I just follow things to a T…) to look like the magazine cover. Just a couple layers of fat will reveal an insane six pack.
The reality was I just didn’t (and don’t) really have enough muscle in the first place. I’ve never really set out to bulk and add muscle. I’ve just perpetually thought “first I’ll lose the fat then I can add some steak slabs onto my biceps”.
Now it’s time to start trying to add some strength and muscle. I know it’ll take a long time. Months and years, not weeks. I need to get past this golfer’s elbow and then I need to get back to the barbell.
I also want to get back to the kettlebell certification goal.
And to improve my mile time.
And wanting to do all of those things is the problem. I see it in creative work as well. There are so many different things I want to do that I settle for doing a mediocre job at all of them instead of focusing and doing a good or great job at one of them at a time.
In Nas’s MasterClass (I watched a few modules and still need to finish the whole thing…), he talks about having too many ideas. They’re like plants, each of them is telling him to water them. But you only have so much water. The discipline is being able to water a few consistently and being okay letting the rest wither away.
The mistake is thinking you can’t get things done because you have so many great things to chase. As if the accomplished people don’t have the same distractions. They do. They probably have more good ideas than you do that they don’t pursue. More options for workout goals that they choose not to strive for.
The new dream I have is building a home gym and working out with friends regularly. Unlike the quote at the start of this, I think it’s something I’ll functionally be able to realize.
As long as I don’t get distracted.