ROLLING UP THE SLEEVES

By Herman Garcia
2 July 2010

As mentioned in the article “Body Revolution”, many may have ambitions which are never realized, goals which are never reached, aspirations for usefulness which are never fulfilled, and visions which never materialize. While failure may, at times, be due to limited ability, too often the deficiency is not in native endowment, but in character. Yep. That combination of qualities and features that distinguishes some from others. Two of those qualities I’ll talk about are drive and discipline and how the capacity for grueling application is lacking.

There may be a promising start, but not the discipline required to carry through to the very end. Even if by good fortune or “politicos”, the undisciplined person should reach the position of power, they cannot maintain it, for they are not inwardly prepared. Believe me; they will eventually collapse under the weight of responsibility, and the pressure and complexity of detail. Now into my third career—I’ve witnessed it too many times. New lieutenants out of school, college students still fresh in the work field, and people wanting to get their bodies fit, yet only wanting the bottom line to get there—the shortest route possible. It’s only a matter of time before these aspiring people fizzle out through ineffectiveness.

Why? Is it because they lack the strength of leadership, the fullness of knowledge, and the soundness of judgment? Yes those are contributing factors, but these can be built up over time, via discipline and drive—bit by bit, through painstaking toil. Unfortunately, the shortcuts in life are far and few. Those sleeves need to be rolled up and we’ve got to get our feet into the mud—so to speak.

For the record, so there’s no doubt where I stand, I believe character is developed, verses being innate. Definitely, some are naturally gifted. However, for the vast majority; it’s only developed through self-control, restraint, and discipline.

The true motive may often be camouflaged by a hundred excuses. Behind the flimsy front is the hardcore aversion to control and drive. The kind of discipline needed is far deeper than the rule of alarm clocks and time sheets; it embraces self-restraint, courage, perseverance, and resiliency as the inner panoply of the soul. It’s no surprise the Bible attests to the need of self-discipline and describes the Spirit and Soul as the most important to an individual.

The term discipline carries a variety of meanings. To the child it means being compelled to do something undesirable and being punished if he rebels. To children, discipline means compulsion, pain, and authority.

To the Marine, discipline means conformity to regulations, instant obedience to orders, i.e., K.P. duty or reveille on cold mornings. To the student it means the course of instruction he is undertaking, with the specific requirements, rules, and examinations. And to the aspiring fitness person—adhering to some sort of routine on a consistent basis.

Yeah, yeah, we all understand that. But how do we begin to apply this to our aspirations, not to mention our emotions, moods, speech and priorities? It’s easier than you think. It comes by giving first place to your dreams and aspirations in practical daily living. That is, you have to value it enough to make time for that goal. Whether it’s running a marathon or perhaps something as simple as losing ten pounds—the desire and/or drive has to stay alive. Oscillating on a solution are success or failure, and improvement or degeneration. 

In Northern Africa, hunters wanting to capture monkeys carve out the inside of a tree trunk. Then they fill the trunk with bananas and cover it with a lid. Finally, they drill two small holes on the side of the trunk; just large enough for the monkey to put its hands and arms through.

Eventually, the monkey is enticed, sticking his arms in, and grabbing a hand full of bananas. You guessed it. Since the hands now have excess baggage, and since the monkey will not let go of his prize . . . he’s trapped. The hunters then come out of hiding and easily capture the little creature.

We too, are like that monkey. We mentally prepare ourselves for an activity, jump into the attire, but on the way out we open the refrigerator, flick the remote control, etc. Simply put, we have been distracted, our appetite has been stimulated, and our hands will not let go of the prize. Hence, the trap has confined the undisciplined.

We can very easily turn our head from the distractions, but in most cases–won’t. So, we succumb. The end result, the task never gets accomplished or is done half-hearted.

Don’t enter into “the land of mañana”; if an exercise activity is planned . . . DO IT. If you set a goal of becoming an instructor, running a 10K, melting some butter off the gluteus—don’t put it on hold. Do not allow friends, impulse, and the convenience of the moment dictate priorities, while weakly drifting with the tide of daily circumstance. That only leads to being shabby, mediocre, and ineffective at your goal.

So, like the term discipline implies, the first word of our acronym (FIT) is fast—that is to stand fast on your aspirations, dreams, and goals. If you want to run a marathon in 4 months then make the decision, affirm it on paper, and sign it. If you want a little extra support, have a witness (friend, family) sign it as well.

From there you simply start small; set your goal for the week. I use an acronym pronounced MICROO to assist me. Mileage, Intensity, Consistency, Recovery/Rest, and Overcoming Obstacles. For my mileage, I want to do well in competition, so I established 50 miles for the week. Each run is a bit different but I always add some intensity whether it’s an interval or just finishing faster. Consistency cannot be overstated. If I take a break one day, then the next day is going to be easier to take another break. For any activity you must have rest and recovery. Finally, nothing ever goes perfect. Life happens, right? Well, I got injured—non-running accident. So what? I find an alternative till I’m back on the saddle.

Additionally, I have a running partner I keep accountability with. Although we don’t run together because of geographical distances, we check in with each other. Checks and balances.

Our second word is Intensity, or better known as “passion”. In other words, a compelling emotion, a strong fondness, or desire for something. Passion is that little, extra part of the blanket that hangs over the bed and keeps you warm.

It’s the little extra that turns water into steam. At 211 degrees water is hot enough for you to use to shave or to make a cup of coffee. Add one more degree and that hot water changes into steam which will power a locomotive around this country, or propel a steamship around the world. That little extra is what will send you to the top of the ladder.

Finally, the last word of our acronym is Time. We’ve been conditioned since birth—we cry, a bottle is shoved in our mouth. We’re in a fast era. If we’re waiting in line at a fast food joint for more than a couple of minutes, we start yelling and hitting the steering wheel. Folk’s, things don’t occur overnight; at least in 99 percent of the cases they don’t. All good things take time, whether it’s baking a pie or something more long range, like overcoming smoking.

Consider the oyster that picked up a grain of sand. This little particle irritated that oyster every day but the oyster endured. In time that oyster became a beautiful pearl. Moreover, it’s the trees that have sustained the inclement weather that are used for axe handles and bats.

We always have time; we just need to value that aspiration enough to make the time for it. From there, if we stand fast and apply intensity (drive), our goals will materialize in time.

It’s believable, attainable, and desirable if you want it bad enough.

Advertisement