I posted an article regarding goals the other day. It was one I had written last year. This is a follow up thought...Last week a client of mine did a pull up...for the first time. She was fired up (and I mean fired up). Everyone in the studio knew she just did her first-ever pull up. I think she might have signed autographs if I had supplied the pen. It was great. Wish you could have seen the smile. She even said, "I'm not a touchy-feely person and I know you're not a touchy-feely person...but if I was and if you were I'd give you a big hug!"
Until that point, it had been a rough day. She wasn't looking forward to working out, she hadn't eaten enough and was low on fuel, etc., etc. Then she comes in and knocks out the pull up. Now mind you, this was a goal we had set a couple months previous. It was something she had always wanted to do but had been informed by previous trainers there was just no way that was happening. So she'd given up on that...until she told me. I figured if she put out the work we'd get there in 2 or 3 months. Got it done in about 2.
What happens next? 30 minutes of jubilation and then the proverbial crash. "What now?" We hit the goal that she had for much of her lifetime. Pretty big deal. Now, it's over. What next.
The next 5 minutes, or so, as we finished up our training session we pondered that thought. On the one hand, since I'm the trainer I'm supposed to do all that "way to go, you're the greatest, you achieved a lifelong goal, I'm so proud of you, let's get started on the next big milestone" stuff, right? Good luck with that. I don't do that stuff. I'll leave that to the cheerleaders. In truth, I was excited for her. Always fun to see people getting better. And yes, we talked about the next goal right then and there.
But the reality of the situation couldn't go without mention. It was just a goal. They're fun. They help us strive and achieve and improve. These are important things. We should be striving to grow and use our time of life wisely. Otherwise, what are we doing?
But goals are not THE most important things.
And the realization of this comes in the jubilation that is ever-so-quickly lost following the attainment of them. There is more to life, more to eternity than a goal. If you haven't figured out what that is, I hope you're looking.
1 comment:
These are tough words to hear, but they are good ones. The goals of life are helpful, but how many of us know that goals unrealized are death, and goals realized are often disappointments. We have to figure out how to live, I mean really live in the moment...Joy in life, not in success.
Having said that, I think you are just frustrated because your client can now do more pull ups than you!
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