For the last 3 years, I’ve done a solo motorcycle ride through Death Valley. I just finished one this past weekend and decided to compare the pictures year-over-year to see how I’m doing. It’s a fair comparison because the circumstances are always the same, I’m not prepping in any way, it’s just naturally what I look like at the time. I’m happy with my accomplishments and it feels good.
I’ve been committed to a fit lifestyle since I was a kid studying martial arts. I’m in the gym 6 days a week doing a combination of weight training, shadow sparring, hitting the heavy bag, some other cardio and stretching. I'm not necessarily looking to get bigger or lift heavier, I'm working to maintain optimal physical condition and health year after year while making improvement every day in some area. It could be cardio conditioning, strength, speed, flexibility, diet, knowledge, etc., I don't really care as long as at the end of every day I’ve bettered myself in some way.
It is so easy to find excuses to justify not going after our goals. I work 60-80 hours a week minimum so it’s easy for me to say I don't have the time. I'm 56 which easily justifies me sitting on the couch complaining all night. But I don't believe in excuses, I look for ways to make shit happen in my life regardless of the obstacles put in front of me. Obstacles are like boulders blocking our path, you can step over them or around them, just don't sit your ass down on them.
Too many people get obsessed with other's accomplishments and let it destroy their confidence. Especially in the gym where there's always someone bigger and stronger than you. I don't compare myself to others because I'm my own person with my own individual goals in life. I go to the gym every day knowing who I am and what I want to accomplish for myself. I put my music on and get in my own world... I’m like a racehorse with blinders, not seeing what’s around me just moving forward.
I surely admire other's accomplishments, but I chase my dreams, not theirs. There are a million people who are more skilled than each of us in a million different ways. You can't be everything to everyone, so don't try to be. Never be discouraged by what others have accomplished, congratulate them, feel good for them. It will make you feel better about yourself. What’s important is that you know who you are and where you want to go in your life. Look in the mirror and remind yourself every morning before you start your day. Then let nothing stop you along the way.
