For my job, I can work at home occasionally. Today was one of those days. I also get to watch TV when I'm home. Typically, I choose some crappy show that I don't care about to make background noise while I do my work. Today, I had on what I thought was a stand-up act by Kevin Smith, who directed movies such as Jay & Silent Bob, Clerks, etc... It turned out to be more of a Q&A session, with 1 Q and 1 A... but that A took two hours. Really, it was just listening to some funny stories about his life.
One of the stories he told was about a time he was watching a DVD about Wayne Gretzky. For those of you who are not that into sports, Gretzky's one of the best ice hockey players to ever play the game. In this DVD, Gretzky said that the best advice his father ever gave him was "Don't go where the puck is, go where the puck is going to be." Smith made an observation that this can apply to any aspect of your life. For him, it was directing movies. For me, it's a lot more than that. In order to tell you why, I want to give you a visual...
This picture has 3 Scenarios (even though the Gretzky quote only really calls for 2). I'll explain all three, and why that quote by Gretzky's dad makes so much sense and can really put things into perspective.
In the first scenario, Gretzky is going to the puck, but the puck is moving away from where it is. This means that Gretzky's behind the puck and won't get to influence the play, there will be a turn over, or the game will slow down. If you're a hockey fan, you know that speed is an important factor in winning a game.
For me, if I'm going to where the puck is, I'm standing still. I don't want to stand still. I want to work to make myself a better person, physically and emotionally.
In the second scenario, Gretsky's over shot the puck. He's gone too fast and blown the play. This describes the way I used to approach weight loss and fitness. I would go full steam ahead with great aspirations. Usually, I'd drop a lot of weight really fast, then burn out. I was either not eating enough, or working out too much. Going from zero to sixty is no way to change your life.
The third scenario is what Gretzky's dad was talking about. Go to where the puck is going to be. This is where you'll be the most effective. You're going in the right direction, and you're not trying to get there too fast. Think about how this applies to your life. I'm creating relatively short term goals to keep me motivated and I'm working towards those goals. There's no sense in setting a goal to get my weight down to 200lbs when that's not feasible in the short term. I can't set a goal right now to run a marathon either. I'm just not physically fit enough and won't be for at least another six months. Instead, I'm setting shorter term, more attainable goals that I can meet and be proud of. THAT'S what's going to keep you motivated long term.
I'm not saying that setting a goal to be 200 pounds is a bad idea. I have that goal, but it's not my primary goal. Right now, my focus is to lose an average of 2 pounds a week for 90 days. I'm working out a reasonable amount, and I haven't set any goals that I can't accomplish. I like the taste of alcohol, so I didn't make a goal to give up drinking.
When you're losing motivation in a workout or in any of your own personal goals, remember to keep moving, but don't go too fast or you'll blow the play.
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