The Change You See Has Already Happened

Life takes twists and turns, constantly changing. Our lives are always changing, for better or worse. Changes happen big and small.

We hope we drive the important changes in our own lives. In general we do, but not always in ways we expect or in ways we are aware of. A decision or an action taken weeks, months or years ago might have changed your life. But it takes time for that change to become visible. By the time it becomes visible you may no longer remember what brought the change about. Which is why deliberate action and decision is so important.

The birth of your child looks like the moment that changes your life. But you took the action that changes your life nine months prior. The life-changing decision may have happened years before or not at all.

Your overall health is, in most cases, the result of many small decisions made over many, many years. Actively or not. Eating sugary food or not. Exercise or not. These are actions made or not made over and over over your life. The result is how healthy you are today.

Winning a marathon today comes from the deliberate training over many months before reaching the finish line.

Some life changes we have less control over.

What change in your life brought you to the place and time you first met your partner or spouse? Was it taking that job, going to that college, making that trip? Trace it back.

Your life could change forever today and you might not see it. Yet at least.

Default Settings

We each have many default settings. Do yours help or hinder you?

Do you have positive default settings? Such as it’s 7 am and you hear your alarm go off. You get up straight away.

Or do you have negative default settings? Such as it’s 7am and you hear your alarm go off. You turn the alarm off and stay in bed.

Examine your defaults and you’ll find both positive and negative.

When we want to become better we seek to put new habits, new defaults, in place.

This is day two hundred of posting on this blog.

Stop Spinning

You’re told you can be anything. If you can be anything you want to be everything. In wanting to be everything you become nothing. You spin in place.

Round and round you go without ever moving from the spot on which you started. Round and round becoming dizzy and disorientated. More and more confused. “Which way to go? Which way to go?”

Take a step. Any step. In any direction. Now you’re moving. Now you’re working.

Now take a second step. Any step. In any direction but one. Do not step backwards. Do not cover the same ground.

Your path need not be direct. Go straight ahead. Go right or left. Spiral outward. Spiraling outward is not spinning in place. Spiraling outward is you learning in many areas, a generalist. Or take the straight path forward. Or zigzag.

Your path is yours. Unset, but waiting for you to take the journey.

Stop spinning.

Real Athletes

Amazing performances, gold medals, and world records. These are the reasons I enjoy watching the Olympics every four years. I’m not much for watching sports but the Olympics, and indeed the Paralypics, are one of very few exceptions.

But this time around I’ve not enjoyed everything as much as I usually do. This time when there’s a big performance from someone I question it. It’s not a complicated question that I end up asking but it comes to mind more often than not. Especially if a world record gets broken. “Is this person doping?”

Last night I watched South African, Wayde Van Niekerk, win the men’s 400 metres and claim a new world record. It looked really impressive. But that question jumped into my head – “Is he doping?”. Then I hoped he wasn’t.

There is no reason to suggest Wayde Van Niekerk is doping. That the thought formed at all is nothing to do with Van Niekerk himself. Instead it’s entirely to do with the number of others who have been caught.

And not just caught but barely punished and then allowed to return to the sport. Justin Gatlin, won silver in the men’s 100 metres race last night. He has previously served two separate bans for doping violations. That he is ever allowed to compete again following the first violation, without even considering the second, is ridiculous.

I want records to continue to be broken. Legitimately. I want to return to athletes blowing us away with their achievements. For that to happen doping must be dealt with. And not in the half-arsed way it is dealt with today. If you get caught you’re done. We only want real athletes.