I DON'T WANNA!!!

 

I Don’t WANT TO!  I Don’t LIKE TO!!

Yes, I’m calling you out!  But I’d like to add that I’m calling myself out also!

I hear every day of things people dislike doing. 

I don’t like to:

do downdogs, run, stretch, eat healthy, drink water (me), do high intensity intervals, rest in relaxation pose at the end of yoga, do pushups, take the time to foam roll, balance, and the list goes on and on.

And, it is seemingly almost always the case that what we do not like are things that frankly are calling us, SCREAMING FOR OUR ATTENTION! These are the freaking very things we need to do MOST.

To show full disclosure that I am not harping on any of you, here are some of mine:

1.      1. Long tempo run segments.—I can do ½ mile repeats, mile repeats, hill repeats, but ask me to sustain an uncomfortable pace for 4-6 miles, ughhhhh… “I don’t wanna!”  how funny that I NEED THIS MOST.  This is the workout that makes me a better runner if I commit to doing it.

2.       2. I don’t like doing some twisting stretches because my body is like a board that way, and it is so HARD to let myself into a twist and then try to relax.  Clearly this is the THING that I am most benefitted by:  it stretches my hips/low back/all through my deep spinal muscles that are about as rigid as I can be… ugh…. We learn so much from what we resist.

3.     3.  Drinking water.  Many of you know this.  I won’t even write how little I drink per day on days when I don’t force myself to do the right thing.  (although I am currently being very diligent, aware and focused on getting it in because I know my whole life is benefitted by doing this—I won’t be happy if I don’t train well or feel well and hydration is important for both of these!)

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We don’t typically like things we aren’t good at, but that doesn’t mean we cannot benefit from them.  Many times that is the key to the next step- the magic of doing the “small stuff” that in reality is our limiter in life or in fitness/sport.  Even the humbling act of doing something that we don’t excel at teaches us something!  The showing up, the getting out of our comfort zone, letting go of our need for being perfect is what allows us to be fully in our process of work. 

 

If we CHOOSE to be working towards something, no matter how large or small our goal is, there will be things we do not like.  If your goal is worth it, you will do the things that aren’t your favorite.  I challenge you to make a list of 1-3-5 things that “you don’t like.”  Then ask yourself if your goal is worth making the sacrifice to do all the things.. ALL THE THINGS… even the ones you don’t like.  Something in me thinks that this makes the realization of your goal that much sweeter in the end.