I was right at the peak of my jog, my chest was burning, my knees were wobbly and although I could put in a few more strides, the very loud announcement in my headphones from my running app advising I had reached my pre-set goal convinced me to stop. I took a break merely because I had learnt I had reached my pre-set goal.
Could I have gone on further? Most certainly! Right at this moment, something played on my headphones that immediately filled me with regret. I heard the following message “I do as many pushups as it takes. I do as many reps and sets as it takes. I pay whatever the price! Why? Because if I started counting the cost I might quit! I might surrender! I might give up!”
While jogging I was listening to Peptalk Motivation – a motivational album on Spotify.
We all experience moments of counting the cost to achieve our goals. This happens when you need to study for a test and you decide to stop. Why? Because you have been studying for 4 hours. We count the cost when we are job hunting. We believe because we have already submitted 30 applications, surely one of them will respond and we stop. We counted the cost. We experience moments of counting the cost when we knock on doors, making presentations on the business solutions we provide and when we realise how tough convincing people is, we stop. We counted the cost.
Do not count the cost! We have all heard the famous line, “don’t stop when you are tired. Stop when you are done!”. Keep going. Do not count what it will take to get to where you want to be. Don’t focus on what you have had to sacrifice to get what you want. Don’t focus on how many reps you need to do to achieve your ideal body.
Here’s the thing; deep down you know when you have more to give. You know when you sell yourself short. But that’s not all. You know you can achieve more if you apply yourself even better. Deep down you know you are good enough. You know your insecurities can be overcome.
In the words of John Lesley Brown “if you die today what ideas, what dreams, what abilities, what talents, what gifts, would die with you?”
Regain your focus and give the rest of the year the best you have. You owe yourself that much!
Cheers family <3