Blog — focus

There's a part of me that always had that mindset - in sports, in my working career, and even when I found CrossFit. I was ok going into a "dark hole" mentally if it meant I had a better chance to win. No one was keeping score in those daily workouts but me, but in my head, everyone was.

As I've gotten older, I've started to realize how much I'd missed the mark when it comes to evaluating competition. It's so easy today to spend time and energy obsessing over what everyone else is doing. We scroll social media and feel convicted that we aren't training on a scheduled rest day because we see someone else online posting video from their finished workout. We battle anxiety because "so in so" just posted a picture of a big achievement. We compare ourselves and all of our struggles to that one picture, and most times, we feel so much less than we actually are.

We exhaust ourselves trying to run other people's races, constantly looking at their lanes instead of focusing on our own.

You see, when I take a "it's always me vs you" mindset, I waste all of my energy focusing on (dare I say, obsessing over) what's out of my control - which is you. I don't control you - I have no influence on the abilities you're born with, the contacts you've created, or the work you choose to do. I only control me. And you only control you.

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Currently I feel anxious, excited, terrified, curious, emotional, humbled, and a little bit hungry. Why? Because I haven’t eaten much this morning and I don’t know what’s about to happen next. I’ve been working towards this day for over two years and I have no idea how it’s going to play out. I’ve fantasized over the possibility of great success. I’ve been terrified of the idea of success. I’ve winced at the idea of failure. And I’ve attempted to prepare myself for any possibility in between.

The unknown is ever-present and stressful. We dive into projects, jobs, relationships, and other commitments without knowing what will come of them. We take tiny leaps everyday and occasionally we take really, really big leaps. We leap for progress. We leap for passion. We leap for that tiny kick (or big kick) of endorphins that hit us as the adrenaline rushes in mid-jump.

There are two modes of living that we choose between every day. Attempting-to-move-forward mode and complacency mode. One is scary and the other is flat out dangerous. Complacency is dangerous. Complacency is a lack of fire, a lack of purpose. It’s like wading in a vast ocean for only one reason— to keep your head above water. Without passion, purpose, and progress (plug Compete Every Day shirt design), life is much harder.

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