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Sometimes I get up at six in the morning, run before class, and eat a balanced breakfast of oatmeal and protein powder. Other mornings I brush my teeth in the shower and eat a pop-tart as I run out the door. Sometimes my planner shows clean rows of deadlines and due dates, all crossed off in a timely fashion. More often than not, however, the pages are a jumbled mass of scribblings and highlights, all vying for my attention, demanding later bedtimes and promised stress. Sometimes I unwind with quiet time and movie sound tracks; sometimes I unwind in the three seconds between when my head hits the pillow and when I lose consciousness.
The common misconception I have is that the days I eat protein oatmeal, accomplish tasks, and do things are the days that are successful. When exhaustion and business determines a pop-tart and scribbling day, I assume that I failed somewhere. Through self-help books and check-out register magazines, I am told that successful people keep schedules, meditate, volunteer with rescue animals, and only buy organic produce. Sometimes perceived goals of success are achievable. Sometimes I fix my hair, drink my coffee black and choose to skip desert. Sometimes it seems more reasonable to arm wrestle a rattlesnake then choose a salad over a grilled cheese sandwich.
Grilled cheese isn’t bad. Neither are pop-tarts. Neither is brushing your teeth in the shower. Over time, I have learned the importance of balance. Being an achiever takes time, focus, and ambition. It requires eliminating excess distractions, which are oftentimes needless paraphernalia that need removed. Unfortunately, sometimes these distractions come in the form of people, relationships and experiences.
When I was seventeen years old, I was offered the opportunity to run as a collegiate athlete for my university. Presented with athletic scholarships and the potential to travel the nation competing in my favorite sport, I agreed. Running Cross Country and Track has required enormous sacrifice, however. Every day, weekends included, I would log extensive mileage. In the months between November and April, I bundled up and faced the frigid brutality of a Midwest winter to run. Injuries tore at my body, ate away at my joints, and caused residual damage. This experience also gave me an instant group of friends that I learned to value immensely. My coach pushed me to pursue excellence, and I saw my athletic abilities transcend what I previously perceived as possible. All through college I went to bed early on Friday nights, yet I traveled the country, made many good friends, experienced success, and gained confidence in myself.
Just like my time running, life is about trade-offs and balance. Sometimes I am able to get in a run before I leave in the morning, other times I sacrifice so I can call my fiancé. Although I value time for relaxation in the evening, I often forgo solitude to invest in my relationships with my housemates. In my life, I have discovered that more important than accomplishing tasks, is finding balance. As I learn to evaluate the things that I deem important, I have discovered that success is subjective. So whether I choose to start my day with “good” choices or not, I can still achieve great things.
Sometimes I get up at six in the morning, run before class, and eat a balanced breakfast of oatmeal and protein powder. Other mornings I brush my teeth in the shower and eat a pop-tart as I run out the door. Sometimes my planner shows clean rows of deadlines and due dates, all crossed off in a timely fashion. More often than not, however, the pages are a jumbled mass of scribblings and highlights, all vying for my attention, demanding later bedtimes and promised stress. Sometimes I unwind with quiet time and movie sound tracks; sometimes I unwind in the three seconds between when my head hits the pillow and when I lose consciousness.
The common misconception I have is that the days I eat protein oatmeal, accomplish tasks, and do things are the days that are successful. When exhaustion and business determines a pop-tart and scribbling day, I assume that I failed somewhere. Through self-help books and check-out register magazines, I am told that successful people keep schedules, meditate, volunteer with rescue animals, and only buy organic produce. Sometimes perceived goals of success are achievable. Sometimes I fix my hair, drink my coffee black and choose to skip desert. Sometimes it seems more reasonable to arm wrestle a rattlesnake then choose a salad over a grilled cheese sandwich.
Grilled cheese isn’t bad. Neither are pop-tarts. Neither is brushing your teeth in the shower. Over time, I have learned the importance of balance. Being an achiever takes time, focus, and ambition. It requires eliminating excess distractions, which are oftentimes needless paraphernalia that need removed. Unfortunately, sometimes these distractions come in the form of people, relationships and experiences.
When I was seventeen years old, I was offered the opportunity to run as a collegiate athlete for my university. Presented with athletic scholarships and the potential to travel the nation competing in my favorite sport, I agreed. Running Cross Country and Track has required enormous sacrifice, however. Every day, weekends included, I would log extensive mileage. In the months between November and April, I bundled up and faced the frigid brutality of a Midwest winter to run. Injuries tore at my body, ate away at my joints, and caused residual damage. This experience also gave me an instant group of friends that I learned to value immensely. My coach pushed me to pursue excellence, and I saw my athletic abilities transcend what I previously perceived as possible. All through college I went to bed early on Friday nights, yet I traveled the country, made many good friends, experienced success, and gained confidence in myself.
Just like my time running, life is about trade-offs and balance. Sometimes I am able to get in a run before I leave in the morning, other times I sacrifice so I can call my fiancé. Although I value time for relaxation in the evening, I often forgo solitude to invest in my relationships with my housemates. In my life, I have discovered that more important than accomplishing tasks, is finding balance. As I learn to evaluate the things that I deem important, I have discovered that success is subjective. So whether I choose to start my day with “good” choices or not, I can still achieve great things.
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