I had never been a competitive person. Not only I have zero desire to be the top in —whatever—, I also find competition to be distracting from one’s physical and mental self.
Competing implies that you’re devoting as much self to it as possible. Everything you do is a supplement to that one goal. That’s just too much unnecessary pressure.
I can’t imagine only running or only boxing or only doing yoga or only lifting or only doing pole. I’ve tried and that’s not for me. Several weeks in I start craving something else and feel incomplete.
Today, I’m the happiest when I get in 2-3 lifting sessions a week, 5-7 yoga sessions and maybe a run or two.
A year ago, it was 3-4 boxing classes, 2-3 runs, 1-2 yoga sessions.
Two years ago, it’s was 4-5 boxing classes, 1-2 runs, 1-2 ballet classes.
While the combinations are different, they are still combinations.
Ironically, over the years I’ve found that none of the activities are mutually exclusive and it’s wonderful to see how one influences the other.
Pole helped me develop strength for boxing, boxing helped me develop endurance for running, running helped me develop patience for yoga, yoga helped me develop balance for ballet.
This loop can continue on and on and venture out in all sorts of directions.
There’s comfort and refuge in doing multiple things. It gives me an excuse to have bad days. I might have a terrible yoga practice but “hey at least I’m strong and can lift that much”. Or I can have a slow run but “hey at least I’m super flexible”. While admittedly these thoughts are trivial, superficial, and somewhat cringey, they help me maintain my sense of worthiness.
Maybe, doing a combination of things also gives me an excuse to not be as good as I could have been. I could push myself x5 harder now and have tremendous progress at one thing, but would it come at the cost of time? I would rather take it slow and have slow but steady progress. I would rather be here, doing the same thing 5, 10, 20 years later. I’m here for the long ride.
Competing implies that you’re devoting as much self to it as possible. Everything you do is a supplement to that one goal. That’s just too much unnecessary pressure.
I can’t imagine only running or only boxing or only doing yoga or only lifting or only doing pole. I’ve tried and that’s not for me. Several weeks in I start craving something else and feel incomplete.
Today, I’m the happiest when I get in 2-3 lifting sessions a week, 5-7 yoga sessions and maybe a run or two.
A year ago, it was 3-4 boxing classes, 2-3 runs, 1-2 yoga sessions.
Two years ago, it’s was 4-5 boxing classes, 1-2 runs, 1-2 ballet classes.
While the combinations are different, they are still combinations.
Ironically, over the years I’ve found that none of the activities are mutually exclusive and it’s wonderful to see how one influences the other.
Pole helped me develop strength for boxing, boxing helped me develop endurance for running, running helped me develop patience for yoga, yoga helped me develop balance for ballet.
This loop can continue on and on and venture out in all sorts of directions.
There’s comfort and refuge in doing multiple things. It gives me an excuse to have bad days. I might have a terrible yoga practice but “hey at least I’m strong and can lift that much”. Or I can have a slow run but “hey at least I’m super flexible”. While admittedly these thoughts are trivial, superficial, and somewhat cringey, they help me maintain my sense of worthiness.
Maybe, doing a combination of things also gives me an excuse to not be as good as I could have been. I could push myself x5 harder now and have tremendous progress at one thing, but would it come at the cost of time? I would rather take it slow and have slow but steady progress. I would rather be here, doing the same thing 5, 10, 20 years later. I’m here for the long ride.