I am currently experiencing a little mental discomfort. I thought I would share it with you to see if there was a message buried in my uneasiness that could benefit your immediate future.
The question is, at age 73, am I physically capable of swimming, biking, and running a total of 70.3 miles in less than 8.5 hours? (An Ironman Triathlon) Perhaps more to the point, do I really want to find out? It is not as if I have never accomplished this feat before. I have. In fact, I covered the full Ironman Triathlon distance of 140.6 miles back in 1997… and lived to talk about it.
The question remains. Do I want to prove to myself that the “old man” is not ready for the rocking chair just yet? As I am typing this the smell of Aleve X ointment on my sore shoulder is just short of bringing my eyes to tears. My back is reminding me to exit my chair very carefully, and my right leg is giving me some sort of warning. There are still 120-days left before race day, if I decide to move forward by accepting the challenge of testing both my mind and my body one more time.
This mental conundrum is hounding me. Yes or no? Do I want to commit to the fact that the next 120 days could become anything but comfortable? Are the demands and stresses required to accomplish a task like this too much to ask of my aging limbs? Am I fooling myself? Should I surrender by realizing that “enough is enough?”
I ask myself what is the upside of committing to a challenge like this? I would definitely maintain a healthy weight for my frame. My heart would supposedly become stronger. My clothes would fit as designed. I would be very pleased knowing I crossed the finish line one last time doing something most men my age find impossible… if not ludicrously stupid.
The downside is spelled “opportunity cost.” What else could I enjoy doing with the 20-plus hours a week that would be designated to training for the next 17 weeks? Golf? Reading? Gardening? Watching TV? Complaining how the world seems to be going downhill faster than
Usain Bolt can run the 100-meter dash?
By now, you are probably beginning to see the problem. Until I make a firm “commitment” to get this job done, 120 days will soon become 90, then 50… then too late. A larger question keeps surfacing. Do I really want to run this race? Do I want to pay the price? Is the juice worth the squeeze?
And I guess, so it is with you and the challenges you are currently facing. Do you want to pay the price over the next three months to make your business more successful? Are you prepared to make your life a bit more uncomfortable for all the right reasons? Or, would you prefer to let time dictate your future come what may?
Believe it or not, we are both experiencing the same mental anguish. Yes, or no? All it will take to put this conundrum behind us is to make a commitment. I think we both know what the logical answer is. But until we make a commitment, we will continue to experience frustration, more sleepless nights, and self-doubt.
Although it may be hard to say and do, commitment is not a four-letter word.
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. mike@mikemarchev.com.
*** You want more to think about? Check out my weekly podcast (Mike’d Up Marchev). Also listed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and iHeartRadio.