I Suck. Now What?
Injury, age, health concerns, over-training and lack of motivation are instigators of declining athletic performance. For athletes, or just the average joe, few things are more frustrating, maddening and depressing than knowing their potential and failing to reach it.
The past two to three years have been a struggle for me. Between business, personal commitments, growing daughters and a lingering shoulder injury from my high school football days, my training has been less than desirable. Yes, I know, that was a really long time ago!
As a result, competing has been HARD. Its always been hard. I’ve retired, unretired, and I have had to scale my training more times than I would really like to. After each event I walk away thinking the same thing:
I suck. Now what?
How do you overcome the feeling of a lack luster performance or a tough day in the gym? The mental side-affect is often more debilitating then the physical.
Regressing is tough! Trust me, I get it!
Feeling good outside your sport or even outside of your gym is a stepping stone to mental recovery. Try something new, exercise with NO expectations, and focus on what you can control! That is your attitude and your effort! Reassess your goals! Take a step back, stop worrying about what you used to could do. No one cares about what you did in the past, it’s time to focus on the present. Allow yourself to be where you are physically. Once you accept where you are now, you can slowly start to improve. Exercise or competing should be enjoyable, that’s why we started in the first place.
As fitness minded people, we are constantly striving to grow and better ourselves. Sometimes sucking is just another stepping stone in our athletic journey.
Inspiration provided by Joanne Cogle at theaggressivelyaverageathlete.com.
