Letting Go of Those Old Beliefs

I’m not great at letting go of things. I’m sentimental, so there are some material things I won’t let go of - Ben, my teddy bear from before I was born (seriously), my tattered first baseball glove I found under a tree when I was five, the Terrible Towel I clutch for every Steelers’ game.

But I also struggle in holding on to old feelings, ideas, and beliefs, clutching the latter especially like it is Ben, my trusted teddy bear.

Nowhere have those old beliefs bitten me more strongly than in my effort to workout through and around injury. Because what I, as a coach, might consider a workout for an injured client, hasn't been okay for me.

I haven't been willing to make the mental concession that a workout means to me right now isn't the same as it was three years ago. And I've had some pretty low moments even thinking about that concession.

I’ve written multiple times on how in most cases, it is possible to continue doing something while you’re injured. But like many coaches, I've struggled to take my own advice.

Between the mental guarding of my back and the unwillingness to adjust my expectations for myself (I'm just as stubborn as all of you...) these last six months have been a slog.

I've been stuck in the purgatory of not doing anything and then doing too much.

But this past week, I finally feel like I found my mojo (which, as it turns out, means magic charm..)

How?

Well, I took my first mental vacation in months, if not longer. Yes, it was a vacation from work, but more than that, it was a change of environment, much-needed time with family, and perhaps most importantly, a letting-go of expectations.

I can't really explain it, but after spending a few days floating in a pool and thinking about nothing but what game I should play next with my niece and nephew, I finally enrolled myself in a 21 day mobility and flexibility program that I'd been considering for awhile.

Basically, I hired a coach.

And I found some structure. I didn't know this was something I'd needed, but after just trying a few exercises here and there that I made up for myself, it felt unbelievably good to do a full 20 minute structured workout.

As it turns out, those were the missing pieces in helping me to let go of some old expectations and let my body guide the way.

The workouts, which don't necessarily burn a lot of calories or get my heart rate screaming, leave me feeling good physically. And feeling good physically has turned into a ton more energy for other projects that are really important to me.

So while I'll never let go of Ben, that baseball glove, or my Terrible Towel, I'm working hard to let go of some of those old beliefs that no longer serve me.