Two Worlds

Most folks live in two different “worlds”; first there is the one we want to be in and then there is the other, the one we actually live in. The peculiar thing is that we want what we don’t have. Yet to get it we must stop living in the world we are in.

There is the future, where we want to be and the present which is where we are now. How do we successfully bridge the gap between the two? In the world of sports there are usually two main items necessary. First there is the ability to believe that we can achieve that which we want, often called our goal. Secondly, there is the need, the very real existence of real work necessary to make the first one happen.

Without a goal, nothing happens. We live in a random world where everything is happenstance. Imagine going to your car, hoping in, firing the engine up and saying, “Ok, let’s go.” But the car doesn’t move because you said “Let’s go”. It only moves when you start the motor; take it out of “park” and using “reverse” and or “drive” hit the accelerator. Yet that still doesn’t ensure you will go where you want to go. That depends upon you knowing ahead of time what your destination is going to be. Then, what about “roadblocks?” what if you run out of gas, or there is a detour, a storm, a wreck on the road a whatever that derails your intended plan? Do you give up and head home, finding safety in the driveway? Or do you reevaluate and make a new route based upon your contingency plan?

An athlete needs a goal to give purpose to the work required. This provides the motivation…and this is the “bridge” between the world we are in today and the one we wish to inhabit tomorrow.

One of the best things about swimming is that an athlete can make a substantial real world difference in a relatively short period of time. Apply yourself for three weeks and you will notice a very real tangible difference in your level of conditioning. This will give you the lift, impetus or motivation to do another week and then one more. Before you know it, you will be empowered to do things you previously only wished you could do. Once that happens, the sky is the limit.

An athlete with purpose knows no boundaries. An athlete who works hard but has no goal has all kinds of boundaries.

Don’t believe this? Ask yourself if you have ever been frustrated or discouraged. If the answer is yes, our guess is that you have not had a goal you wanted to attain…and then committed yourself to doing the work…WITHOUT REGARD to the immediate results.

Work works; a simple yet very accurate guideline. Have a clear picture of your goal. This will help crystalize the belief. Then go to work. This is a simple yet proven and effective plan.

Rather than drive yourself crazy by living in two worlds, chose to live in one; the one where you believe in where you are going that coincides with the one that you are doing the work to justify living in.