If you know me, you know I'm very competitive. It seems to be a consistent trait of Olympians. Long before you get to compete you have to learn to love the process of improving. Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to get better. You must love the process of preparation before you can compete with the best of the best. That's easier said than done. While it's not all sacrifice and work there are moments where you just get to soak up the moment and appreciate it.
Recently on a run, I had to stop because my lungs were on fire, and I realized I was in worse shape than I thought I was. As I was chastising myself for being out of shape a thought crossed my mind. I reminded myself I had the privilege of running in the beauty of Colorado under the sun in the middle of January. The sky had almost no clouds and there was snow on the ground. I remembered that sometimes I need to stop. Sometimes I need to stop and walk, take a picture, look around look up to the sky and pet my dog.
Life is full of peaks and valleys. Times when you're in shape, and times when you're out of shape. Right now, I'm a bit out of shape but I'm getting better. We all need moments to reflect, to look around and look at the mountains. We don't need to focus on being competitive in those moments. We need to focus on where we are, enjoying the process of getting outside and putting in the work. Pro tip here... it's always helpful to bring a dog along if you're running in the mountains. They tend to drag you up the hill when you're slow and they love you no matter how fast of slow you are.
Whether you want to be the best salesperson, marketer, executive, coach, or parent it's a process. Nobody gets to the best version of themselves without some peaks and some valleys. What gets you through the tough times, what makes you grow is learning to love the process. Taking the tough days and learning something from it that you can use to get better.
Remember if you want to be good, great, or just improve you must learn to love the process. Don't be afraid to stop and look around take inventory of the moment and just enjoy it for what it is ... a process.
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