There are a few things that I am obsessed with...triathlons, good food/wine/beer, Scandinavian mystery novels (don't ask), and productivity podcasts. One thing that always strikes me about productivity is that you need two things to succeed: a plan and a reason. It really can be that simple.
Well...I have a dream and I have a coach, so I think I'm pretty much covered on the plan part. (More on the plan another day...)
According to the productivity literature, a plan will get you so far...but if you don't have a reason, no amount of planning will get it done. Doing stuff is hard work. Doing triathlons, for me at least, is really hard work. Doing triathlons while being a full time mom and wife, with a full time job and an idiot dog...well, it's enough to make lots of people ask "How do you do it?" And seriously, I get asked this not infrequently -- from coworkers, from other parents, heck - even from other triathletes who are differently situated. Sometimes it comes out using different words - "I don't know how you do it." or "I'm so amazed that you can do it all." But the gist is the same. HOW?
I think I've figured out, finally, the answer has to boil down to WHY. It isn't easy to do it. I won't lie. I'm busy. And I'm tired. And there are things I'd rather be doing...like eating and drinking and reading about fictional Norwegian serial killers. It also isn't easy to do because I'm not terribly good at it. I'm slow. I'm a lousy swimmer, a mediocre-at-best biker, and a run/walker. It's not like I'm doing it for the recognition or rewards. If I'm lucky, I finish before the pizza is gone. (Don't even get me started about how I feel about races that run out of food & drink before the time cutoffs...no excuse for that BS...but anyway.)
So. Why. Why do I do this?
* So I can enjoy all the good food and drink. I'm prone to sloth, but I know if I keep training, I'll need to keep eating. And the fear of what happens if I don't train keeps me training, which keeps me eating.
* So I can get a medal and a shirt. These are surprisingly strong motivators in my world. I can buy a lot of the things I want in this world...but I can't really buy these things without doing it.
* So I can have a few moments of peace and quiet.
Kidding...not kidding. No seriously. Not kidding.
* So I can be healthier. My dad has heart problems and has been on high blood pressure medicine and cholesterol lowering drugs for ever. I love my dad, but that's not the life I want. I don't want to have a heart attack when my kids are in their late teens or young adults. I don't want to have a heart attack ever, but that's another story. Maybe doing this won't keep me from that fate, but it's working well so far and it certainly isn't hurting my health.
* So I smell like chlorine or sweat, have a wicked awesome tan, and regularly rock some frizzy unmanageable pool-dried hair. No, just kidding. That's not a real reason why.
* So I be a good example to my kids, my friends, and everyone around me. Yeah, I will take on the role model burden. I love that my kids see me working hard for something I want, overcoming failure and obstacles, and pushing myself to be better. I love that I can tell other working moms - hey, you can do this. I love that some of my friends run or tri now...that didn't before. I'm not taking all the credit (or even a lot of the credit), but if I made even a little bit of impact, that's cool.
* So I will be impressed with myself. There is something mindblowing about thinking of yourself as a badass. Seriously. I can do hard things, things a lot of people can't or won't do. I've never been really good at anything (except maybe school, but only if I applied myself, which didn't happen all that often...and besides, being an academic rockstar doesn't carry a lot of punch). But I can wow myself without being really good. I just have to keep at it - and I have. I am a middle-aged, non-athletic, triathlon-finishing badass. That's pretty cool.
I can't narrow this down to one WHY. The most compelling reasons, in my mind, are being a role model to my girls and to myself. But those other reasons get me out of bed in the morning too...those are pretty big WHYs, so the HOW will follow.
Next post...The Family that Tris Together
