Ready. Set……..Wait

Ready. Set…..Wait

The feeling of un-inspriation

Disclosure: This site may contain links to affiliate sites that earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you. Please know that I only recommend products and services that I personally use!

It’s that time of year again. The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over; the decorations are all put away; the days are still short, and I’m trapped in the house with nothing to do but plan……and wait. There’s something about this time of year that always gets to me, probably largely due to all the hype around New Year’s resolutions and setting goals for the year to come. If you know me, then you know my first act of the year was to set forth “Grace’s Agility Plan for 2019” complete with 12 step roadmap and alternate plans A - Z for every eventuality. And while the planning process is super important to overall success and my general well being, there’s an element to it that is probably not so healthy for me; namely this feeling…. the one I have right now….of being uninspired.

Slowly I’m coming to learn that being uninspired is ok. In a world where everyone is “living their best lives”, and posting on social media about their amazing adventures and explorations, I feel like I’ve lost touch with the honest truth that mundane is ok; no wait its normal even. Not every training session will be the most amazing ever, in all likelihood, some will be just meh, if not actively disheartening. After all, I strongly subscribe to the “W” theory of learning, and that in itself means there will be disappointment, frustration, and dare I say it, un-inspiration. But its what we do in those moments that will ultimately lead us to our goals. Sure I can say “Meh I’m not feeling Agility tonight” and stay home watching Netflix in my PJ’s, but I bet you my competitor is out there (you know that nameless person that will one day beat you to the podium) training…in 5 feet of snow, uphill both ways. Don’t like the external competitor thought? That’s fine, I can also think of times this year when I needed a little more mental fortitude. There was the outdoor competition in 80 degree heat where Riley walked into the ring and peed on the in gate. There was the trial where my RV broke down at 2 in the morning and I still had to get up at 5 to compete. There was the national event where I had an entire day off from running to think about everything I would have done differently over the past 2 days, and how I had one shot at redemption on the following day. In all of these instances, I had to put aside my emotions and focus on the task at hand. I didn’t always want to walk into the ring for my next run (you know I’m not a morning person), but I always had that thought “If I can’t walk into this ring in this moment when things are a little uncomfortable, how will I ever walk into Westminster where I know the pressure will be on?”. In some cases I was more successful than others, but in hindsight, these moments have helped to show me the value in just buckling down and getting something done.

So I will create my training schedule, and I will stick to it, even if Netflix and chill sounds way more fun than Agility at 9pm on a Tuesday. But I will also forgive myself for feeling uninspired, and embrace it as part of the process.