Going from the bright lights of Florida to being back home sick with one of the worst illnesses I've had in just a few days reiterates how much life can swing between the highs and lows. But n-ow with the goal of being in the best shape for the tournament behind me, when I got back into the gyms here, I asked myself what’s next?
Because showing up to work or the gym just to go through motions without knowing what needs to be done to accomplish the goal is demoralizing or jading.
I was reading Jocko Willink's book on leadership throughout my preparation, and afterwards, therefore, the lessons were at the forefront of my mind. Yes, most people see leadership as the role of one or two people in charge of a team, company, community, or family. The missing lesson for most people is that they don’t lead themselves through life until they are in a position to lead. And that’s great, but if you can’t lead yourself, then chances are you will feel stuck in a leadership position and in life for a while.
As a result, while resting due to the illness, I looked at my goal for the year, which is just one. With the knowledge from Willink's book, I mentally went through a checklist of what needs to happen. One problem presented itself, I was shooting blind, I didn’t know what the task in front of me was until I asked a simple question. “What do you need to see from me to make this happen?” Not only did I get the answer, but it rekindled the hearth to get back in both gyms with an obtainable goal in my sights.
Life will always bring you back to abstruse lessons until they become prehensible. I have previously emphasized the simple lesson of focusing on what you can control, but now there’s an important addition to that. With the ability to look at our lives from an “up and out” perspective and the responsibility to ask the right questions or speak the words that you believe need to be said with intent. The results will surprise you.
Control what you can, speak with your mind and heart, and be sagacious enough to ask the right questions.
Peyton.
