Persistence

Lifestyle, the continual pursuit of the ideal.

I don’t subscribe to off-seasons. If something is worth doing, it is worth pursuing. Repetition is life’s elixir. The product you are represent the choices you’ve made.

We are persistence, whether chosen and directed, or by comfortable habit.

Difficulty hardens. The hardening creates a new product, ushers in an achievement. To obtain your doctorate you persisted and sacrificed. To finish the ultramarathon you kept taking one more step. To get the job you prepared and cultivated your best self. Yet, without continual persistence all becomes soft again. The feeling you had when the destination was out of reach must be kept alive. This is lifestyle. Your lifestyle is the journey you are on. It is personal. It may not look like anything you’ve seen before, yet it is yours. The task is to look at the person in the mirror each morning and ask him what he’s living for. Then, align actions with that destination. Hell, it may be simply longevity. To do the things you love to do (golf, play music, travel, etc.) with ease and enjoyment until the last of your days. When the mind has a target it carries that target into all actions and activities.

Thus, I keep training. I pivot when necessary, but never leave the purpose behind. When I’m in the gym I’m thinking of the mountain athlete I am building. I see him moving through the terrain and envision the efficiency in which I do it. When I’m on the treadmill I’m focusing on the work, sweat, pumping heart, and satisfaction that comes with completion. When I’m on the bike I focus on the tension in my quads, hamstrings and calves. Strength is strength. The more I build, the more I callous my mind to effort, the closer I get to the capability I desire.

We carry the product of our choices with us, always. This is your first impression.

Define. Decide. Do.